link to Templeton social media policy (draft)
DRAFT Social Media Policy
from that policy:
Social Media means the various forms of information-sharing technology to create web content and
dialogue around a specific issue or area of interest. Examples of social media applications include
but are not limited to Facebook, MySpace, Google and Yahoo Groups, Wikipedia, YouTube,
Flickr, Twitter, LinkedIn, and news media comment-sharing/blogging.
Town Official means employees of the town, public officers (whether elected or appointed) and
town volunteers.
Town officials are discouraged from using personal accounts to comment on or post information to
town social media sites, and/or posting information regarding official town business on other social
media sites. All social media site comments and posts by town officials are subject to the Public
Records Law, Open Meeting Law, and all other applicable laws, rules, policies, charter provisions
and regulations. Town Officials including employees, volunteers, and elected officials posts to
social media from personal social media accounts will be considered public records if the post
discusses aspects of town government.
Town officials should have no expectation of privacy regarding anything created, sent or received
on the town’s electronic equipment. The town may monitor any and all transactions,
communications and transmissions to ensure compliance with this policy and to evaluate the use
of its equipment.
See, I take some of this policy as an attempt to stop some from blogging or commenting in any way on the internet, especially if you are critical of the government or individuals in employ of said government. I believe this policy could be used, with regards to blogging, as retaliation or an attempt there of to try to silence those who would speak out on issues an individual feels public exposure is required there of. Posting of and disseminating said information, I believe, could be categorized as whistle blowing, which if you were present and paying attention to the recent MCAD "training", you would realize that is "protected" behavior. Hence my interest in those items.
posted by Jeff Bennett
