Blog guideline plans for civil servants

[DGP1]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/hi/the_p ... 288311.stm


Blog guideline plans for civil servants
By Rajini Vaidyanathan
Politics reporter

Person typing on a computer

The government is planning to issue guidelines on how civil servants use social networking sites and blogs.

A spokesperson from the Cabinet office confirmed that the department will be outlining plans "in the near future" on how staff in Whitehall use sites such as Facebook, YouTube and wikipedia.

The spokesperson stressed that these guidelines had been in the pipeline for some time and were "not a reaction" to an anonymous blog written by a civil servant which was closed down over the weekend.

This secret blogger, known as civil serf, claimed to be a 33-year-old working in government.

In her blog she revealed inside gossip about top ministers. She called Gordon Brown "velcro" because she said bad news sticks to him.

Level of detail

She also had a go at others including Chancellor Alistair Darling, whom she accused of using this Wednesday's budget to get a cheap headline.

In one post she claims politicians can only make decisions at weekends because that's when their wives are around to do it for them.

In another she talks about a colleague making a pass at her, saying: "I was trapped in a conference in Brighton being chased about by some bloke from the Foreign Office, who wouldn't listen to me saying I'm engaged - yuk!".

Insiders say that that blog was probably authentic, given the level of detail in the posts.

The site has been taken down, but the hunt is on for its author.

[DGP1]

Another lesson on how the government/big business are taking away our freedoms bit by bit

[norbert]

Another lesson on how the government/big business are taking away our freedoms bit by bit

"not a reaction to a blog " which means it is a reaction . Plenty of cases re this forum , Bristol sackings , that Air hostess in the states , the guy working for Waterstones . Gordon will have his version of the KGB soon

[DGP1]

Another lesson on how the government/big business are taking away our freedoms bit by bit

"not a reaction to a blog " which mean it is a reaction . Plenty of cases re this forum , Bristol sackings , that Air hostess in the states , the guy working for Waterstones . Gordon will have his version of the KGB soon

[F0zziebear]

IV endetta's do exist in the public sector and Royal Mail was and is no exception. I knew of this at all levels within the business. Is that a surprise. No, it is part of our collection of basic sins that we commit on a regular basis (no I'm not religous before anyone asks).

What does this mean:
1. DOM's having grudges and looking to take down those that get on their nerves
2. Posties attempting to break other posties and manager's
3. Senior mgmt looking to get one up on their peers
4. Silo mentality, between and within functions, departments etc...

I was never aware of vendetta's for example from executive level against individuals who for example wrote blogs or websites, though I do admit to leaving RM before these forms of communication really took off.

Having said that, if Ricky TOmlinson has a file then in this day and age anything is possible.

For example it is easy to track someone's IP address and work out their geographic location. I know people on here tried doing it on me.

Linking Bristol sackings to this website in my opinion gives the average DOM / Area Manager (most are over 40) too much credit.

Maybe I am wrong and happy to be convinced otherwise

[norbert]

IT vendetta's do exist in the public sector and Royal Mail was and is no exception. I knew of this at all levels within the business. Is that a surprise. No, it is part of our collection of basic sins that we commit on a regular basis (no I'm not religious before anyone asks).

What does this mean:
1. DOM's having grudges and looking to take down those that get on their nerves
2. Posties attempting to break other posties and manager's
3. Senior mgmt looking to get one up on their peers
4. Silo mentality, between and within functions, departments etc...

I was never aware of vendetta's for example from executive level against individuals who for example wrote blogs or websites, though I do admit to leaving RM before these forms of communication really took off.

Having said that, if Ricky Tomlinson has a file then in this day and age anything is possible.

For example it is easy to track someone's IP address and work out their geographic location. I know people on here tried doing it on me.

Linking Bristol sackings to this website in my opinion gives the average DOM / Area Manager (most are over 40) too much credit.

Maybe I am wrong and happy to be convinced otherwise

Sorry I didn't qualify linking Bristol sackings to this website properly . I've read interesting posts by a ex RM Manager , I'd summise that it's RM's Senior Mangement and/or HR going through these forums and giving the orders to Area and their DOMs'.

However I do know for a fact that some managers in another industry do check www.railchat.co.uk to see if they are in or the staff they have under them are and I can well imagine that the PO would be no different . Also you have to read between the lines on Hellmail and look at who these articles are aimed at .

I do agree about managers being over 40 and some not really having the aptitude for all this IT , having petty vendettas to settle , silo management and one upmanship . You'll get it with that L&C style of management . The culture will just get more and more paranoid , FUD or FUB , it's easier to control people . It happens .

There are "maturer " people that take to IT well as everything is such a novelty to them ,& there's so much information available . My Dad's reluctant to get Broadband as he's heard so many stories about Silver Surfers never going off line and nothing being done .

[F0zziebear]

If you've seen the RM HR department you'd be surprised if they were spending their days checking this website. You also assume that there is some kind of local love in between HR and Operations in RoyalMail. In my personal and fairly extensive experience I doubt this is going on.

1. There is almost no Hr people at an area level any more. You have an HR Business Partner, and possibly an assistant depending on size of area.
2. You have a central HR function of maybe upto 200 (though my figures could be outdated)
3. You have an HR processing function in Chesterfield etc. of approx. 1000 people.

I just don't see them doing this.

As I said before there might be individual instances, but L&C aren't spending their time reading this site, and I'd be surprised if other senior mgmt are either.

I think this site is very useful for discussing matters, and wished that RM could be mature enough to provide a similar facility and take the rough with the smooth in terms of what people are saying on here

[norbert]

If you've seen the RM HR department you'd be surprised if they were spending their days checking this website. You also assume that there is some kind of local love in between HR and Operations in RoyalMail. In my personal and fairly extensive experience I doubt this is going on.

1. There is almost no Hr people at an area level any more. You have an HR Business Partner, and possibly an assistant depending on size of area.
2. You have a central HR function of maybe upto 200 (though my figures could be outdated)
3. You have an HR processing function in Chesterfield etc. of approx. 1000 people.

I just don't see them doing this.

As I said before there might be individual instances, but L&C aren't spending their time reading this site, and I'd be surprised if other senior mgmt are either.

I think this site is very useful for discussing matters, and wished that RM could be mature enough to provide a similar facility and take the rough with the smooth in terms of what people are saying on here

I might be giving them too much credit as HR /Snr Mgt would be more likely to be under siege all the time with IR , I was going on horror stories on here , Hellmail as we all know have their own agendas and a lot of it is more in hope especially with a big Pensions Issue .

Mark White's just done a pro RM article , previously they've had their former contributers putting replies in all with "coincidental " barbed digs at this site . It's like a paper with a letters to the editor written by our own journalists .LOL

From my experience of these sort of industries if things on here are getting back to people in the corridors of power , it'll be Individual vultures on the lookout especially with places with IR issues trying to make a name for themselves and wanting Brownie Points and certain people would need "feeding ". I don't think you'll get maturity with RM , it's never really done criticism and has always been secretive , autocratic and defensive . My experience is that you just get the worst of both old and new cultures .

Sorry I could have qualified it a bit better .