There has been a spate of bloggers being fired because of the contents of their blogs and loud cries of censorship echoing over the internet. Probably the most "famous" example is Delta Airlines and the Queen of the Sky blogger, who is widely cited as an example of unfair employer behaviour. Setting aside the specifics of that case (and I do believe Delta's reasoning that her photos in uniform were against her terms of employment is stretching something) and any reasoning around free speech she's attempting to create a movement for a bloggers bill of rights. Lets look at the demands;

We, the inhabitants of the Blogosphere, do hereby proclaim that bloggers everywhere are entitled to the following basic rights:

FREEDOM TO BLOG.

FREEDOM FROM PERSECUTION AND RETALIATION BECAUSE OF OUR BLOGS:

1.) If an employer wishes to discipline an employee because of his/her blog, it must first establish clear-cut blogging policies and distribute these to all of its employees.
2.) Blogging employees shall be given warning before being disciplined because of their blogs.
3.) NO ONE shall be fired because of his/her blog, unless the employer can prove that the blogger did intentional damage to said employer through the blog.

Are bloggers really such sulking children? This demand to make blogs a special and specific case in employment rules and contacts is pathetic.

Most companies will have a policy in place about, for example, leaking trade secrets, however this demand for a "Bill of Rights" wants a specific policy in addition to this to should cover publishing confidential information, trade secrets, etc. on blogs. If a company has a policy of instant dismissal for saying something/publishing/talking to journalists and that policy is instant dismissal they want special dispensation for blogs. Companies already fire for unintentional damage, be it physical (for example you crash the company forklift into $1,000,000 worth of equipment) or reputation (you get convicted of theft unrelated to the company) and again they want a special blog clause.

Why should blogs be treated in a special way? Blogging "My Company sucks and kills small animals" is just the same as spray painting it on the walls of your house for everyone to see. Some people may get fired unfairly for their blog contents, but equally, some people may get fired fairly. Attempting to make blogs a special case with regards to what you say about your employer and your employment contract is simply another method of avoiding taking responsibility for your own actions.