Re: A warning for Facebook users

March 24 2012
This is crap. I'd never work for an company that required this anyhow. This is just another example of corporate America trying to take over a person's life. Everyone is entitle to a private life and that shouldn't be subject to a review by a companies hiring board.

If you have your privacy settings set up properly, then you could always say you don't use Facebook and they wouldn't be the wiser. :P

Unknown Person

Re: Star Trek: The Journey

March 24 2012
:voy:


Episode 562 - Voyager - "Nothing Human" - 12/02/1998

http://www.allstepisodes.com/megvid.php?n=4508

A wounded alien is brought on board from a stranded vessel and attaches itself to B'Elanna Torres.


Enjoy!

Posted from my Android device.
Angel

Angelsilhouette

Re: A warning for Facebook users

March 24 2012
I ditched my FB acct a long time ago, but if I didn't I'd relish asking for their FB acct name so I could report them for violating point 3.5 in the FB terms of use. :p
Whittier Strong

SiranNataan

Re: A warning for Facebook users

March 24 2012
It's also becoming common practise for major firms to have only online applications, and requiring you to submit your Social Security number in order to complete the application. Your Social Security number in the US provides someone with tonnes of information which is simply none of an employer's business.
Whittier Strong

SiranNataan

Re: A warning for Facebook users

March 24 2012
Universities here are also starting to ask prospective students for their Facebook passwords.
Angel

Angelsilhouette

A warning for Facebook users

March 23 2012
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/facebook/9162356/Facebook-passwords-fair-game-in-job-interviews.html

There have been several cases reported in the US of people being asked for their Facebook passwords while being interviewed for a role.

Justin Bassett, a New York-based statistician, had just finished answering some standard character questions in a job interview, when he was asked to hand over his Facebook login information after his interviewer could not find his profile on the site, according to the Boston Globe.

Bassett refused and withdrew his job application, as he did not want to be employed by a business which would invade his privacy to such an extent.

While Lee Williams, an online retail worker from the Midlands, told The Telegraph that he was asked by his managing director for his Facebook login details, after his boss had looked him up on the social network and could not see any details about him as his privacy settings were locked down. The boss thought that Williams was hiding something by not having his profile publicly available.

Williams refused to hand his password over. His boss persisted with his request, but then let it go without taking any further action. Williams still works for the company, but did not wish to name it.

Sarah Veale, head of equality and employment rights for the TUC, has warned that the practice is likely to start happening more and more in the UK.

“Once something like this starts happening in the US, it is likely to come over here – especially in American businesses which have outposts in UK. If interviewers in the US are adopting this practice of asking prospective staff for access to their Facebook accounts, they will start doing it over here.”

She described the request as both “dangerous and unnecessary”.

“I think it’s very dangerous and unnecessary to start asking people for access into their personal lives. Once you start asking people to reveal everything about themselves, which is irrelevant to their ability to be able to do a job, you are getting into a tricky area. It’s the equivalent of getting people to spy on prospective staff down at the pub before hiring them.

“It’s also quite a lazy way by bosses to get a full picture of somebody and shows that their interviewing process is unsatisfactory.”

Erin Egan, Facebook's chief privacy officer, policy, responded: "In recent months, we’ve seen a distressing increase in reports of employers or others seeking to gain inappropriate access to people’s Facebook profiles or private information. This practice undermines the privacy expectations and the security of both the user and the user’s friends. It also potentially exposes the employer who seeks this access to unanticipated legal liability

"The most alarming of these practices is the reported incidences of employers asking prospective or actual employees to reveal their passwords. If you are a Facebook user, you should never have to share your password, let anyone access your account, or do anything that might jeopardize the security of your account or violate the privacy of your friends. We have worked really hard at Facebook to give you the tools to control who sees your information...That’s why we’ve made it a violation of Facebook’s Statement of Rights and Responsibilities to share or solicit a Facebook password."

Since the rise of social networking, there have been growing number of cases around the world where people have been sacked for writing disparaging comments about their jobs on sites such as Facebook and Twitter.

Two months ago, John Flexman, a former human resources executive, began a tribunal against his former employer, BG Group (a major gas exploration firm based in Reading, Berks), accusing the firm of forcing him out after he put his CV online through LinkedIn. He is thought to be the first person in the country to bring a case for constructive dismissal after a dispute with bosses over his profile on the professional networking site.

Flexman is claiming hundreds of thousands of pounds from BG Group, where he earned a £68,000 salary from his job in charge of graduate recruitment. The outcome is due later this year.

However, these American examples are some of the first reported cases of prospective employees being asked for their logins as a way of vetting them before the job is theirs.

Paula Whelan, an employment partner at Shakespeares law firm, said there was nothing to stop employers from asking for logins into social media. However, prospective employees had every right to refuse to hand over the said information.

“Prospective employees have every right to say 'no' as it is a request to access personal information and has nothing to do with somebody’s capability to do a job. And I cannot see any reason why a boss could not at least ask the question as there is nothing they can do to force an interviewee to hand over their Facebook login,” she explained.

Whelan also said that it would be extremely difficult if a person thought they didn’t get a job because they refused to hand over their login details when asked, to prove it was discrimination.

However, Ed Goodwyn, a partner in the employment team at Pinsent Masons, said that the legal situation was very different if a boss asked a current employee for their Facebook password while employed or continued to access their account post interview without telling them.

He said it would be “a breach of the implied duty of trust and confidence” between employer and employee and urged bosses to draft clear social media policies.



However, two of the commenters make very good points:

If asked to provide your Facebook password, perhaps you should point them at point 4.8 in Facebook's terms and conditions, which states:

"You will not share your password, (or in the case of developers, your secret key), let anyone else access your account, or do anything else that might jeopardize the security of your account."

And point 3.5, which states:

"You will not solicit login information or access an account belonging to someone else."


followed by:

In that case pursuant to 3.5 I would ask if the interviewer has a Facebook account and ask them for their username so they can be reported.

Unknown Person

Re: Star Trek: The Journey

March 23 2012
:voy:


Episode 561 - Voyager - "Infinite Regress" - 11/25/1998

http://www.allstepisodes.com/megvid.php?n=4507

Seven of Nine experiences something akin to dissociative identity disorder.


Enjoy!
Linda Layne

Ltervlet

Re: How does the guild proceed in SWTOR now?

March 23 2012
First off, the 2 individuals that recently left were not officers. It would have been nice to know why they chose to leave but we don't have the benefit of knowing that. They did plan many events but as Zepari said, we can't force people to attend or participate in anything. I think the primary frustration of the 2 that left was the small attendance at the events they planned. This is not the fault of the leadership, even though the leadership is a convenient place to throw blame. Others have tried to plan events but it all comes down to how many people chose to participate and that participation is squarely on ALL members. If members aren't going to be active, it doesn't matter how active the leadership is or isn't. The blame is on all of us. We ALL must increase our activity, not expect someone else to do it for us and then blame everyone else for what doesn't happen. Nothing is going to happen instantaneously or even within a few weeks. Unfortunately that's what people seem to be expecting and they're setting themselves up for disappointment because of it.
2 people liked this
Joshua (Zepari)

Zepari

Republic PvE Officer required!

March 23 2012
We are currently in need of a new officer to help with the administration and management of Knights of Stonewall and our in-game SW:TOR guilds. I warn you that officer roles with Stonewall are not easy, but if you enjoy a challenge and like to volunteer your time to help other gamers enjoy themselves, read on and apply!

Here is a quick reminder of the general qualities we look for in an officer:
  • Good organizational skills.
  • Good communication skills.
  • Friendly and willing to help members at any time.
  • The ability to attend organisational meetings in Ventrilo.
  • The ability to work as part of a team and help with general leadership tasks.
  • Willing to be active on the forums and help moderate.

There is no minimum length of membership requirement, only that you are a full member of the Stonewall website. There is also no regular play-time requirement and all we ask is that you are able to fulfill your duties and are willing to help members when you are in-game.

Here is a description of the available position:

Republic PvE Officer
Organising PvE events for the Republic guilds and co-ordinating with the Leadership team.
Helping members with information on PvE, Flashpoints, Heroic missions and related skills.
Motivating and enabling members to enjoy playing with the guild.


How to Apply:
You just need to send me (Zepari) a private message via my profile page with the name of the role you would like to apply for in the title. Please include some information on why you would like to become an officer and what you think you could bring to the role. There is no maximum size of application, and a one sentence message will be insufficient.
Do NOT post your application here. This thread will be locked and you can direct any questions about the roles to me via PM.

Closing date for applications will be Wednesday the 4th of April (11.59pm EST).

Thank you!
Edited April 01 2012 by Zepari
Joshua (Zepari)

Zepari

Re: How does the guild proceed in SWTOR now?

March 23 2012
First I'd just like to reassure everyone that even if I end up being the only active member of this guild it will carry on, lol. Luckily we are nowhere near that stage yet, and this lull in activity just needs the combined effort of all of us to turn it around.

Secondly, I am well aware of the problems we are having and why they started. We suffered a schism when former WoW players and former STO players could not agree on who should lead the guild and so we have been facing hostility from former members (and current members who have heard the "rumours" started by former members) for a while. I'd again like to point out that this was an issue of control post launch and those members were happy here before and with our plans. We will not retaliate or let ourselves be bullied. I'm just sorry that you all got caught up with that issue and that those tactics designed to ruin our community spirit seem to be still causing problems for us.

We have had a high turn over of officers, and it is disappointing to see people volunteer to do a job and then quit a week later. The reason for this is not the other leadership though, each officer is given control of their own part of the guild and offered any help they need. However we can't make people attend events, and so it is hard for officers to accomodate the need for endgame co-operation when very few people show up. We suffered a huge dent in our morale when the schism happened and certain people thought they would post negative comments about myself and other members as a way to get what they want. I will tell you all what I told them... I am always here to take suggestions and advice on how to make everyone happy and improve the guild... If anyone has a practical suggestion please let me know.

We have no problems with any other guilds in SW:TOR on the JekkJekkTarr server except one, and only because that one was started in an attempt to personally attack us and make us look bad. I have to say that if everyone just gives up, then they will have been successful, but it will have been a cruel way to start a new community, by trying to climb over another.

We are currently planning a joint Pride celebration with our allied guilds in the server and will post details once we know what is happening. There are a number of "cross-guild" chat channels that are never used as every other guild has them. We prefer to focus on our own members and getting back our sence of community first. We have not lost a lot of members, and the ones we have lost joined the guild late. They all seem to have come from another guild in a different game and so it is natural for them to play with their friends who had tried to take over KoS but were forced to start their own guild when that failed. I'm glad they gave us a chance and we are sorry to see them go.

The fact is that even though we have removed unknown and inactive characters from the guilds we still have almost the same number of members as we always had, and none of them seem to want to leave. They are just not playing as much now as they reach endgame, and the novelty of the game fades, but they will be back. This happens in every game and our size has just made it more apparent. We can't expect our members to spend all their free time in-game, but we will see a steady increase in activity as everyone finds a particular time to play and interact with their friends here.

We do need to step up our efforts to help our members get what they want from this guild, and for that we need volunteers to help and come up with ideas. I will be opening up the role of Republic PvE Officer tonight for anyone to apply for and I suggest that if anyone wants to help they apply for it.

I don't know why the Republic side of the guild in-game is having trouble communicating. We have looked at all the issues surrounding the chat channels logging people etc. We don't have this problem on the Empire side and it has puzzled us. The only thing that people regularly mention is that one or two people have been rude and overly negative on the Republic side, and so the members we asked said they would rather not get involved with those people and so don't talk at all. I can't blame them, but I would like to remind everyone that this is why the officers are here, to listen to what is bothering you and make the changes necessary. If we don't know what is wrong and what you want from us, we can't fix it. If anyone is disappointed with the leadership for not doing enough, then I can only ask them to join the leadership and make a difference.
4 people liked this
Edited March 23 2012 by Zepari
Patrick

Van

Re: How does the guild proceed in SWTOR now?

March 23 2012
Quote by Rybo
The Empire side is not like that, Van. I'm sorry to hear things are rough on the other side. I dont play over there so I dont know. I'm going to see what I can do. In the mean time, I'd appreciate if you try to be a move positive influence. All it takes is one person to get the ball rolling.


I've tried to be as positive as I can when I log into the game. With the two officers that left we would always chat in the KOS channel, try to be upbeat and do what would could to keep things rolling.

Yes I know my posts here seem to be less the positive but they are more out fustration then anything.

I've decided to put my republic toons on hold for awhile and focus on my empire side toons. If there is a guild event I will log in with my toon still in the guild and help out if needed. So if you don't see me on as much this is the reason.
Unknown Person liked this
Ryan Waller

Rybo

Re: How does the guild proceed in SWTOR now?

March 22 2012
The Empire side is not like that, Van. I'm sorry to hear things are rough on the other side. I dont play over there so I dont know. I'm going to see what I can do. In the mean time, I'd appreciate if you try to be a move positive influence. All it takes is one person to get the ball rolling.

Re: it gets better - zachary quinto

March 22 2012
The San Francisco's Gay Men's Chorus released this song. The lyrics come from different videos form the It Gets Better Project. It's a pretty moving song.

(Invalid video video code)
Patrick

Van

Re: How does the guild proceed in SWTOR now?

March 22 2012
I'm sure my post will not be looked at kindly. These are my thoughts coming from a member and x officer of KoS.

The problem is with the leadership who sit on the sidelines and do not play the game. They want the guild run a certain way but that way won't work and hasn't worked. Every time an officer joins the ranks, and I think we've had what 5-6 turn over's in officers, the new officers are not able to make changes that benefit the guild and help it grow. Remember, how you run a guild in another game may not work in SW:ToR.

Folks are leaving the guild to join other guilds that are active and supportive. I know there are some that say it's the members,,,,,,,,well when your active members leave what do you? Not much really. You need a strong leadership that will jump in and get things going and when things don't go well admit to the mistakes, fix the mistakes and move on.

Recently (last week) we had two of the best officers leave the guild to join other guilds. These two officers would hold weekly guild runs for everything from datacrons to HM's. That is the kind of leadership the guild needed to survive. Not a leadership filled with toons who rarely if ever play the game.

As for a LGBT chat channel there is one that is sadly as quiet as guild chat. From my understanding there is bad feelings among the LGBT community in SW:ToR towards KoS. I only have the way other guilds treat KoS members and from a few things I've heard from others in the LGBT community. This is very disheartening as we face this kind of stuff in real life.

At this point I don't think there is any magic fix for the guild. You are correct, there are very few members on at a time and very little interaction among the membership. For the most part KoS (not sure about LoS) is just a guild to join until you reach your mid to upper 40's then you leave for a more active guild. It's just the way it goes sometimes.

Unknown Person

Re: Star Trek: The Journey

March 22 2012
:voy:


Episode 560 - Voyager - "Timeless" - 11/18/1998

http://www.allstepisodes.com/megvid.php?n=4506

Fifteen years in the future, Chakotay and Harry Kim attempt to prevent the Voyager from crash-landing on an ice planet.


Enjoy!
Ryan Waller

Rybo

Re: How does the guild proceed in SWTOR now?

March 22 2012
Thank you for posting, I share the same concerns. Honestly I dont know what is going on with the dwindling number of online players. I know it's a bit of a grind to get hard mode ready let alone geared enough to be viable for Ops (raids). Perhaps that is causing players to stray, again I'm not sure.

The problem I'm having personally is decaring a main. I have a 50 bounty hunter that I kind of lost interest in because I'm having more fun on my inquisitor. I'm also leving a warrior with friends, so I dont know. I am anxious to see the end game content, I live for raids. I think a lot of people are still trying out different classes and hopefully everyone will come around and hopefully then we can get some 8 mans going at least. Once we have a successful run I know more people will want to participate. As the empire pve officer I'm doing everything I can to keep people progressing.

I think your idea of a LBGT channel is very interesting and I will present it to the officer's meeting on Sunday. Thank you again for this post. And please be vocal about any other ideas you have. I offer you my full support if you'd like to do any pve events or anything you think might get more players online. My characters names are Maduin, Dendaius, and Rybo.
Elikal Ialborcales

Elikal

How does the guild proceed in SWTOR now?

March 22 2012
Ok, let me say that ahead, I really love the guild and everyone here, ingame and in the forums. Even though I am not sooo active in the forums, but in the game.

That said, I think I must emphasize that in my personal view both the game SWTOR as well as the guild has come into a sort of crisis, and my will to keep this MMO subscribing is sort of unsecure. I mean, I had a blast with levelling 2 chars to level 50 now and some other chars to mid levels, but now logging into Republic, all too often I am either alone or 2-3 people are online, even at evening times. The situation with Empire "LoS" is a bit better, 8-10 people at prime time, but that surely isn't anything to built a future on.

I am *really* not endgame fixated, but as it is, I haven't seen a single operation, hardly any guild Warzone or Hardmode action. Now mind ya, I respect not everyone wants everything, and I don't want to turn the guild into anything different than the relaxed circle of friends that it is. But when we had ~80 people online in the first month and we dropped to a handful, I think we should discuss options.

One thing I would like to know is, if so many left to some other guilds or if people just stopped playing SWTOR altogether? With so few numbers, I feel I am just missing a whole lot of content. Essentially I haven't made more than 2-3 heroic quests for almost 2 months, since so few guildies and also since the JekkJekk Thar server is kinda bleeding subs. At prime time planets like Voss or Corellia had 10-15 people online!

The question is, what do we do? Do we form common chat channels with other GLBT-friendly guilds to pool our ressources? How realistic is it, that people will actually use such a channel? Or should we rather try to merge with other GLBT-friendly guilds? I mean, I understand THAT is a hot topic for some, but tbh. in my advanced age of 41, I care little about powergames anymore. I just want plenty of nice people around me to get some stuff done. These days I feel like I felt after 5 years playing EVERQUEST II, when most people I knew had left or stopped playing, and I found myself standing in Qeynos days and hours waiting for some group or endgame stuff to happen. It was not fun to stand and wait and do nothing, I tell ya. So I really don't want to dramatize this, just calm and reasonable see the options. I just see a lot of content I would want to experience, that requires groups, and I don't see that anymore at all. Plus, with such mini numbers even a friendly chat is getting rare.


Please understand I love this guild and the people here, but I really don't like to stand around bored in a MMO. ;)
Angel

Angelsilhouette

Re: prometheus!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

March 21 2012
Wow. Watching that trailer rather reinforces my supposition about the ending.

Unknown Person

Re: Star Trek: The Journey

March 21 2012
:voy:


Episode 559 - Voyager - "Once Upon a Time" - 11/11/1998

http://www.allstepisodes.com/megvid.php?n=4505

Neelix looks after Naomi Wildman when her mother is injured on an away mission.


Enjoy!

Re: New Membership Officer!

March 21 2012
Congratulations Linda! Great to have you on board!!