How technology may possibly be used against those that file bankruptcy in the future

[Flamingo]

It is rough when employers discriminate due to youthful indiscretions. It used to be (long before my time) that a person could make a few mistakes in life. I hear that the people who have been denied jobs because of this did things like posed nude, or did anti-social things. The funny thing is that maybe those people seeking those particular jobs just don't really match at heart, and maybe another career might fit better. For example, a person who blogged as a flaming liberal, might not fit in a button down world. I personally don't think I would try to get a job with companies so up tight that they have to check your former e-mails.

Unfortunately, people today pay for the problems those caused in the past; i.e., now extensive employment screening is done. Employers, to protect their bottom line, especially banks and large corporations, want to ensure the person they hire will not, in any way, attempt to embezzle from the company or utilize identity theft in any form. So therefore they now check out credit reports, criminal records, your references and your degrees listed on your resume, etc. Many financial employers now require you to be fingerprinted and will so advise you they will do that prior to hiriing in case someone is trying to hide who they really are. While prospective employees find this all awful, you must realize the employer is only doing it to protect their business and also their present employees and clients/customers. If you ran a business and were looking to hire someone to handle your PR section, you would certainly think twice about hiring someone who blogs online as hating corporate America or any system in America.

[FLBK7]

Unfortunately, people today pay for the problems those caused in the past; i.e., now extensive employment screening is done. Employers, to protect their bottom line, especially banks and large corporations, want to ensure the person they hire will not, in any way, attempt to embezzle from the company or utilize identity theft in any form. So therefore they now check out credit reports, criminal records, your references and your degrees listed on your resume, etc. Many financial employers now require you to be fingerprinted and will so advise you they will do that prior to hiriing in case someone is trying to hide who they really are. While prospective employees find this all awful, you must realize the employer is only doing it to protect their business and also their present employees and clients/customers. If you ran a business and were looking to hire someone to handle your PR section, you would certainly think twice about hiring someone who blogs online as hating corporate America or any system in America.

Back in 1997, the major health insurance company I used to work for (before getting laid off due to a corporate merger/consolidation) hired what we thought was an accountant for our receivables department. Within 6 months, we noticed the lady made some very strange mistakes for an accountant. Upon hiring she did present a college degree from a major university but HR never called the university to verify attendance. The director asked HR to check. And you guessed it... she had never attended that university at all. The diploma was a fake. She only had a high school diploma. And just think, this was 11 years ago!

So, I really can't blame companies for doing extensive background/education/credit/reference checks before hiring. I got hired by my current employer in 2001, when my credit was beginning to fall apart but before I filed bankruptcy. And yes, they did an extensive check. I work for our county government.

[AMISLANDER]

It's "1984" times!

[BankruptPinoy]

I just read this from an online British newsource called the Independent, where David Randall and Victoria Richards report that "An American insurance company, in defending its refusal to pay out a claim, is seeking to call in evidence personal online postings, including the contents of any MySpace or Facebook pages the litigants may have, to see if their eating disorders might have "emotional causes". And the case is far from a lone one."

They also wrote, "In the US, a sex assault victim seeking compensation faces the prospect of her MySpace and Facebook pages being produced in court. In Texas, a driver whose car was involved in a fatal accident found his MySpace postings ("I'm not an alcoholic, I'm a drunkaholic") part of the prosecution's case. From Los Angeles to Lowestoft, thousands of social network site users have lost their jobs – or failed to clinch new ones – because of their pages' contents. Police, colleges and schools are monitoring MySpace and Facebook pages for what they deem to be "inappropriate" content. Online security holes and users' naivety are combining to cause privacy breaches and identity thefts."

Finally, the authors stated, "What these and other cases show is that employers and authorities are now monitoring what people imagined were private websites – and using the contents against them."

I also found this from a site dealing with insurance and technology: "When Dawn and Bart Beye's 15-year-old daughter began showing signs of an eating disorder, they immediately took action. The Beyes enrolled the girl in a treatment program they thought was covered by insurance. Three weeks later, their insurance provider, Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, informed the couple they would no longer pay for the child's treatment. Horizon claimed the disorder is not biologically-based, but emotionally-based, and therefore, not their responsibility to cover. The Beyes sued. And in what could have been a dangerous precedent-setting lawsuit, Horizon subpoenaed the daughter's online writings from MySpace and Facebook to prove it."

So I can see a future where creditors and trustees could claim fraud and other bad things by "online postings" that we now view as pre-planning. That's just my opinion as opinions are like elbows-everyone has two. I'm not saying right now, I'm just saying in the future it could be. So no need to flame me.

"Education is the ability to listen to almost anything without losing
your temper."--Robert Frost

[robivi3]

Flame? What for, you brought up excellent examples. MacArthur considered small nukes like any other weapon and wanted to use them, in truth he was probably right to think that way. Who was it, Weishaupt maybe who said that economically speaking anything could be justified? I see anything posted online as fair game, it is open to the public. If I was suing someone for say wrongful death and I come across an admission of some sort online I would seek to use that, definitely!

Here recently some older gang members posted a dare on youtube or myspace to the Metro Dade Gang Unit to "come and get summa' dis". They were from some gang down in South Dade (appeared to be in their 30's with tatoo's and all the sub-human yo-yo-yo-ing we're so tough crap). Come and get they did!!! They are in prison now!!! Alot of crimes are now being prosecuted from myspace and youtube. It is just another way, if you make it piblic it can be used. I see nothing odd about it and it makes absolute sense. The fact that I post here gives me some anonymity, not alot. Honestly if a Trustee can find fraud here then that is his job and people need to watch what they post. There is no client/attorney/doctor/pschologist confidence here, we are all just schlepps trying to help someone else get out of the mudhole. Online does not mean confidential, it is just like handing info over to the public. they have the right to use it.

In the case of the eating disorder their is nearly certainly more to the story. They had to have a reason to be in court so it got pretty nasty evidently. We have had Avmed for over twenty years and have used them for many things without problems. There was more to that eating disorder than just 30 days outpatient, it may be that the contract did not allow for treatment for psychological problems in which case they were right. She may have used myspace or facebook from the facility or told the person in charge where she posted in which case they have to report it.

[Cali]

I think you be careful online regardless.

[robivi3]

Fifteen years ago this was all unheard of. It doesn't make it wrong, or bad or whatever. Our world is drastically different and we have to adapt. Overall, I'll take the 21st Century in the USA or Australia, Japan, NZ or British Isles/Western Europe over the 19th or early twentieth with it's lack of DENTISTRY, Medical care, food variety, invasion, genocide... I mean a whole lot of karma since then... Online detective work, small priice to pay.

Memphis Tennessee was ravaged by a Cholera epidemic around 1900. It left a hole in the political system because so many adults died. It left a huge amount of orphans. To save the day along came do-gooders like Georgia Tann, contracted to run the large number of orphanages needed because of all the DEAD adults. Well, low and behold the kids get adopted out but in the meantime it has become a profitable business! Now corrupt beyond all reason Mayor Crump is in along with Judge Kelley (you think HRS is bad today, hell state run sytems are "baby sh*t" compared to Judge Camille Kelleys standards of what enabled a parent to keep a kid. Adoption ranged from $750.00 to $5000.00 from people like Joan Crawford and other famous Hollywooders.

My Aunt recalls seeing Judge kelly in Overton park giving lectures, she had men there spying out kids to take. My Aunts and Uncles were always watched by an adult from our family. They can all remember seeing kids taken from exhausted or busy mothers in the park. The cops come, look a little, "oh well, lost child". No Amber alert, no nothing. The good ol' days? My *ss...

The point being that this is simply not a big deal, just a new technology and the use has to be determined by lawmakers and lawyers and judges, like things have been done for the last 9 thousand centuries.

Keep it in perspective folks and don't get worked up over electronic info that you post publicly being used. There is alot to be said for the 21st Century! I have my beefs but overall I think I'll stay! Yes, I have Constitutional problems with many things today, and emminent domain issues that make me loathe big Government. It all has to be put to a reality check because NONE of those issues are new. In ancient times NO ONE went into the forest and chopped down trees and all this supposed freedom, someone would want to know the why and he would usually have 6000 swords to find why you were building an uncommisioned City or Fort. If you read Micheners book "The Soursce" you will understand the passport system of the ancient world, they were even able to conceal and withold weapons material and trade secrets from certain people who legally entered the City. When two spies went into Jericho it was almost immediately known to the Authorities, one reason, DOCUMENTATION was still required to purchase WATER (yes, buy water) and seek lodging, the City had secrets to conceal.

Electronic knowledge obtained in open forum, the technology is new, not the act. I am fine with it, the law will determine where it crosses the line.

[BankruptPinoy]

By the way, Hi robivi3. I sent you a PM to say hello. Have a good weekend every one!

Well, I've been reading a lot from the BBC, the Telegraph, and other British news sources. I just read about a study where "Like ants, humans are easily led." and "most of us are happy to play follow-my-leader, even if we are trailing after someone who does not really know where they are going."-Roger Highfield, Telegraph.

"Arguably most of them neither know nor care that they are being exploited. An entire generation, which thinks nothing of posting personal information online, is sleepwalking its way into a Big Brother state where ID card debates will be yesterday's news.

For those who do mind, however, the changes afoot in the world's top cyber communities – the blatant commercialism, the selling out and the cosying up to big brands – could prove to be the straw that broke the camel's back. New research out from Henley Centre Highlight Vision, one of WPP's strategic consultancies, shows a backlash against the likes of Facebook is already under way in favour of what's being called "Analogue Living". Could it be bye-bye Facebook and hello face-to-face socialising?"-from Susie Mesure and Ian Griggs of the Indepedent.

I have lived under Franco's police state in Spain and Marcos' martial law in the Philippines. If everything we do is observable and recordable, will we not lose our individuality? I feel that true liberty requires security without intrusion, security plus privacy.

I am reminded of the saying, whether Ben Franklin said it or not, that "Those Who Sacrifice Liberty For Security Deserve Neither."

I also find it humourous that, in searching through the forums, I have seen some posters attacked just for trying to pre-plan their bankruptcy, being accused of commiting fraud, when in fact the posters were just trying to pre-plan their bankruptcy, but attacked for asking questions.

And so does it not seem reasonable, that if some posters here will act like that, would it not also seem reasonable that a credit card company would possibly in the future claim the same thing about a debtor's posts online, to a forum perhaps? We are not as anonymous on the Internet as we might suppose. The research is out there from credible mainstream sources and organisations, especially when we use the Internet from our homes.

I have my opinions and I voice them. Sorry if they seem to go against "group" think. I don't see them as negative thoughts but just a different perspective. Isn't this the objective of this board-different ideas, different discussions, different perspectives, etc.? It's just like the Real ID Act a real intrusion on rights on our privacy. But that's another story, right?

"My aim is to agitate and disturb people. I’m not selling bread, I’m selling yeast." –Miguel de Unamuno

[robivi3]

G'day Mate!

I bought that 5 acres in Colorado just in case the "analogue lifestyle" becomes necessary. I have electricity, am high desert with a very clear view above the County Road. Yes, I do have trees, the Alpine Green Belt starts about .25 mile away. It is a "hideout" I guess you would say, who knows what I'll ever do with it. I have one neighbor less than a mile away, i have talked to him and thankfully he is a former New Yorker who moved their for health issues and a whacky survivalist, though I confess to love Burt Gummer and did by that place in AZ with a thought of him. And the fellow in distress sold me his one and a quarter acre in Arizona for less than he paid for it, I have all the papers and the Assessors info backs that up. The Tennessee place is for normal living hoping all goes well.

Who knows what upheavals may become us, the "analogue lifestyle" is a good way to put it! Well, played hookey t'day so off with the wife!

[PaKettle]

I never use my real name on ANYTHING on the internet except for paying my bills.....so how would anyone -- boss or otherwise -- know what I was looking at?

That's easy. Every computer has an IP address and that IP address is tied to YOU. People who have access to records at your ISP (internet service provider) can easily trace your posts here on this forum, for instance, to your computer IP number and then to your name and address. That's a fact.

At work places, sometimes they install devices that they can look up exactly what was typed and when and on which computer. This is very common in big companies.

There are ways to minimize this kind of tracking from your home computer but most of us do not use them because they slow down your surfing usually.

[AMISLANDER]

....they're coming to get me ha ha he he.....