“Be nicer to each other”

USA - Google is officially warning its employees that its internal bulletin boards are not a free-for-all for nasty, negative, damaging posts.

The company released new guidelines telling employees that if they behave badly online, they could be disciplined, demoted, or even fired. The new rules seem like common sense. But Google’s infamous bulletin boards have been at the center of multiple controversies over the past year, with scandalous consequences. Over the past year, Google has been embroiled in a boatload of scandals centered on the way its employees treat each other. The company has now taken its first steps to put the kibosh on one underlying cause of these scandals: the company’s internal, employee community message boards. On Wednesday, Google confirmed on Twitter that it released new “guidelines” this week for employees about what is and isn’t considered okay behavior on these boards. Most of them seem like common sense, including rules about thinking before you post and treating others with respect. But the rules also pack a punch. Employees are warned that if they behave badly, they could face discipline. Over-the-top behavior is defined generally as posting material or comments, or making such comments in person, that doesn’t align with the company’s values or that “are disruptive to a productive work environment.” Google is not shutting down its internal message boards, which are moderated by volunteers, the Wall Street Journal’s Douglas Macmillan reports. The search giant is, however, making it clear that the boards are officially no longer a free-for-all. Employees who start a discussion group are empowered to delete or remove over-thetop posts.

(Business Insider)