Can Your Slashdot Comments Get You A Job?

from the in-some-places,-apparently... dept

Wed, Aug 5th 2009 5:20am — Mike Masnick

It always amuses me when people insist that no one would create content without getting paid for it, since that's clearly not true. Plenty of people produce all sorts of valuable content for a variety of other reasons -- and even if they don't get paid for it directly, down the road, it can lead to opportunities to get paid. A good example of that, obviously, is the open source community, where there are plenty of stories of active contributors leveraging their success in the community to find jobs. But can it apply to blog comments as well? Perhaps. Ian alerted us to the fact that the Software Freedom Law Center (SFLC) is looking to hire people on the PR side, and one of the things they're asking for (even before a resume) is a link to your Slashdot profile (or other similar "comment histories"). Who knew all those "first!" posts could be worth something...?

Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.

Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.

While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.

–The Techdirt Team

Filed Under: comments, content, jobs, resume, slashdot

24 Comments

If you liked this post, you may also be interested in...

Reader Comments

Subscribe: RSS

View by: Time | Thread

pegr, 5 Aug 2009 @ 5:58am

No way, baby!
I keep my real-life persona separate from my online antics... So much so that there is no online connection between the two. No, don't think I would want to be judged for potential employment by my posts.

Remember, on the Internet, no one knows you're a dog!
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
- aguywhoneedstenbucks (profile), 5 Aug 2009 @ 6:02am
  
  Re: No way, baby!
  In real life no one knows I'm a jackass.
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
  - Dark Helmet (profile), 5 Aug 2009 @ 6:17am
    
    Re: Re: No way, baby!
    My kind of business partner. All aboard the jackass express...
    [ link to this | view in chronology ]
    - minijedimaster (profile), 5 Aug 2009 @ 6:29am
      
      Re: Re: Re: No way, baby!
      I always said that if I ever bought a boat I'd call it the "Jackhole Express"
      [ link to this | view in chronology ]
      - Dark Helmet (profile), 5 Aug 2009 @ 6:33am
        
        Re: Re: Re: Re: No way, baby!
        "I always said that if I ever bought a boat I'd call it the "Jackhole Express""
        
        Not a bad name.
        
        I'd call mind "A boot" and sail that bitch into Canadian waters to just confuse the shit out of EVERYONE!
        [ link to this | view in chronology ]
        
        Canuck, 5 Aug 2009 @ 9:10am
        
        Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: No way, baby!
        "I'd call mind "A boot" and sail that bitch into Canadian waters to just confuse the shit out of EVERYONE!"
        
        If you sailed into a Canadian port with a boat named "A Boot" people would probably have a good chuckle and assume you're Canadian.
        We don't actually say "aboot" but we all know that yank's think we do so it would come off as a nice gag.
        I;m all for it!
        [ link to this | view in chronology ]
        
        Dark Helmet (profile), 5 Aug 2009 @ 9:37am
        
        Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: No way, baby!
        "We don't actually say "aboot" but we all know that yank's think we do so it would come off as a nice gag."
        
        ....Bull, sir. It may not be as widespread a correct stereotype as it's played out to be, but I've met plenty of Maples in my time, and I've heard a-boot. Not that Minnesotans are any better....
        [ link to this | view in chronology ]
    - aguywhoneedstenbucks (profile), 5 Aug 2009 @ 6:47am
      
      Re: Re: Re: No way, baby!
      Oh crap! I've exposed my jackassery to someone that I'm doing business with!
      [ link to this | view in chronology ]
- Chronno S. Trigger (profile), 5 Aug 2009 @ 6:32am
  
  Re: No way, baby!
  "I keep my real-life persona separate from my online antics"
  
  Yeah, same here. To the point where if I was asked for links to my comments, I'd say "sorry, I don't get online". I have a vary strong opinion about copyright, patents, and trademarks. I don't think those would go over vary well in a job interview.
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
  - Thomas Burke, 5 Aug 2009 @ 7:53am
    
    Re: Re: No way, baby!
    Might get you a job on a political campaign group or maybe a job for a company with similar views.
    [ link to this | view in chronology ]
  - Ian, 5 Aug 2009 @ 8:15am
    
    Re: Re: No way, baby!
    Chronno S. Trigger said:
    I have a vary strong opinion about copyright, patents, and trademarks. I don't think those would go over vary well in a job interview.
    At the Software Freedom Law Center? You might be surprised.
    [ link to this | view in chronology ]
  - Anonymous Noel Coward, 5 Aug 2009 @ 9:47am
    
    Re: Re: No way, baby!
    Chronno: vary != very. Or do you really mean your opinions are sometimes strong and sometimes not?
    [ link to this | view in chronology ]
  - Anonymous Coward, 5 Aug 2009 @ 12:03pm
    
    Re: Re: No way, baby!
    Then that implies you are looking to work for companies that don't share your opinions on quite fundamental things...
    [ link to this | view in chronology ]
- another mike (profile), 5 Aug 2009 @ 4:24pm
  
  Re: No way, baby!
  Woof, I mean, This.
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
Chargone, 5 Aug 2009 @ 6:00am

i know it's meant to be a joke, i get it and am amused :D but i can't help responding to such statements seriously as well. i somehow don't think 'First!' comments will get one very far.

well, 'cept maybe far away from any forums involved :D
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Anonymous Coward, 5 Aug 2009 @ 6:36am

Sounds like a pretty shrewd move by the SFLC. Didn't we just see a story a few weeks ago about a PR person who got fired for comments posted online? If you are hiring a PR person, it makes sense to check out their Slashdot (or other online commenting) profile to see if they are a jackass or if they can respond to criticism intelligently.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Travis (profile), 5 Aug 2009 @ 7:44am

"I keep my real-life persona separate from my online antics..."

Yeah...wouldn't want current/future employees to find out about my forum trolling. :)
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Travis (profile), 5 Aug 2009 @ 7:48am

"In real life no one knows I'm a jackass."

In real life...nobody knows I am a sexy female Night Elf Hunter known as Luvstopwn.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
mediawest (profile), 5 Aug 2009 @ 8:02am

copywrong
the recording of the music is the issue. the copyright covers the recording, not the music piece. there should be a fair use clause, but, there aint no sanity clause..........
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
- Travis (profile), 5 Aug 2009 @ 8:12am
  
  Re: copywrong
  "the recording of the music is the issue. the copyright covers the recording, not the music piece. there should be a fair use clause, but, there aint no sanity clause.........."
  
  I think you took a wrong turn somewhere.
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
ferin (profile), 5 Aug 2009 @ 8:12am

no
If somebody actually gets hired, solely based on being a frequent FIRST! commenter, I think I will cry.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Shawn (profile), 5 Aug 2009 @ 8:16am

I tell them my online persona is 'Anonymous Coward' and that I often contradict myself :D
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Chucklebutte (profile), 5 Aug 2009 @ 10:34am

o.O
im too irrational in my posts with poor grammar no punctuation and very foul language usually ranting about this and that...

I hope no future employer looks at my /. post... or any for that matter! lol
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Jacob, 23 Dec 2010 @ 4:51am

How to create a resume
nice post
[ link to this | view in chronology ]