The Application Simple Wash - Essay Example

?An undeniable fact of the modern era is that technology is being used to a greater and greater extent as a tool for investigatory research and eavesdropping. Whereas the individual might think that such a level of eavesdropping is only performed by the national security apparatus of large nations and hackers who are interested in stealing private information for nefarious purposes, the reality of the matter is that electronic eavesdropping and sleuthing of personal information is more and more commonly performed by employers that seek to gain a valuable level of inference with regards to the way in which a potential employee behaves in his/her spare time. As a function of this level of research, the piece which has been read in order to inform this brief research paper is with regards to the development of a program by a group of Kent State alumni with a background in computer sciences. As a means of discussing the article, drawing inference upon the goal of the project that the students engaged with, and seeking to define why it is relevant, this student will also seek to draw a level of international discussion with regards to how such a topic is viewed differently in the People’s Republic of China as compared to the United States. Therefore, it is the hope of this author that the analysis will not only be beneficial in discussing and analyzing the subject matter but also in helping the reader to come to a more full and complete appreciation for how some of the same information and viewed under the lens of a different culture and a different dynamic is necessarily much different. As a function of performing such an analysis, the reader will be able to come away with a more clear understanding of how current employers utilize social media and other forms of web content as a means of narrowing down the applicant pool. Likewise, it is the further intention of this author to pain a level of distinction with regards to how American culture integrates with such a threat as compared to how Chinese culture integrates with such a threat. The application that was defined on the website consists of a specific program which is designed to pour through large amounts of social networking data as a means of targeting social networking data that potential employers might find offensive and helping the user to remove this content prior to this ever being an eventuality (Jones, 2011). Accordingly, this necessarily assumes two factors, the first of these is that the social networking user would necessarily have information that would be viewed negatively by a potential employer and the second of which is that they would be familiar with the service that the app can provide and seek to utilize it (Parker, 2013). The second assumption is perhaps the more important one due to the fact that if the individual is mindful enough to seek out an application to clean their social networking history, they are likely intelligent enough in the first place not to post scandalous information upon social networks which might be able to be viewed by a variety of strangers. However, the reality of the situation is that the changing and interconnected nature of the world and the hiring process has made it common for employers to seek out such information within the world wide web prior to making determinations with regards to what employee would be the best choice and the best fit for the given firm or entity in question (Arrington et al, 2011). Although it may seem as an uncomfortable level of surveillance, the fact of the matter is that these companies and firms are merely exploiting the information that social networking users so carelessly post about themselves (Clark & Roberts, 2010). Rather than seeing such a practice as somehow dubious on the part of the employer, the reader can and should integrate with the understanding that the end users are the ones that are ultimately responsible for the representation that they make to the world and so oftentimes leave as publicly accessible. In such a way, the application that was discussed in the article “Simple Wash” allows the user to target the information that might not be permissible for viewing by a prospective employer. Although the current application is capable of targeting text and statements that contain potentially offensive language relating to race, sexism, profanity, and other topics, it is as yet not capable of singling out pictures that would show the potential employee in something of a compromising position. This can include but is not limited to the representation of the employee as drunk, using drugs, or engaging in other forms of behavior that could otherwise be deemed as unbecoming. In such a way, the program is helpful to the individual although it cannot and should not be seen as a fix all solution for cleaning any unseemly information from social networking where the Internet in general. Due to the fact that even if one continues to police their own profile to ensure that it meets standards for a potential employer, the fact of the matter is that there are a number of ways that an individual still find themselves in hot water with regards to the way in which photos are tagged, comments are made on other people’s pages, or other activities are engaged upon. Ultimately, it is the understanding and take away of this particular student that rather than using “Simple Wash” as the first line of defense for ensuring content upon social networking sites is brought into line with what a potential employer might wish to see exhibited, the better approach would of course be for the individual themselves to police their own content on a daily basis to ensure that it describes to high standards of decency and represents actions and activities that an employer would find this befitting. Secondary portion of this analysis is with regards to the way in which the cultural approach to this issue might differ. Accordingly, my own background is Chinese; as such, the most reasonable approach would be to compare how Chinese culture and American culture with respect to this given topic might necessarily differ. The first and most important differentiation that can be noted is with regards to my belief that American young people, and people in general for that matter, are oftentimes to lax with regards to what information they choose to post upon the World Wide Web. Rather than seeing information posted on the World Wide Web is immediately be accessible to a massive community, all too often Americans tend to view such postings as somehow only accessible to something of an insular or limited audience (Peate, 2010). It is the further to belief of this student that the reason for this is fundamentally cultural. More specifically, the United States enjoys a greater degree of personal freedoms than are exhibited in the People’s Republic of China. This cannot and should not be seen as value statement with regards to which nation is better or which nation has a higher quality of life for which nation has the better culture. Rather, it is merely a statement of fact with regards the level of civil liberties that are enjoyed within the United States as compared to the level of freedoms and civil liberties that are enjoyed within China. For instance, within the People’s Republic of China, it is fairly common knowledge and well understood within the Internet using populace that the Internet itself is heavily policed and regulated. This is done through a series of firewalls and data blocks that prevents certain formation from being readily available to the Chinese web surfer (Maryott, 2010). For instance, individuals in China oftentimes have difficulty accessing Western news sources. Comparatively, such a reality of Internet censorship is something of a foreign concept to individuals within the United States. As a function of this, Americans oftentimes take Web freedom far too flippantly. The reason that the level of Web freedom and the differential that it portends within China as compared to the United States is of importance is due to the fact that Chinese web users have been conditioned to be perennially aware of what information they post, who might view it, how it might be read, and ultimately how it might reflect on them in a negative light. As a direct result of the level of Internet censorship and control that exist within the People’s Republic of China, this reality exists as a very dynamic concept within the minds of countless Chinese web users. Comparatively, as such a system does not exist in the United States, people are walled into a false sense of complacency and believe that anything and everything that they post it somehow insular to their own group of friends and might never come back to pop them in a negative aspect (Mello, 2012). However, as has been seen within the analysis which is been formed, employers are utilizing use dropping techniques within social media and various other aspects of the World Wide Web to an ever increasing extent. Regardless of whether or not American culture will be able to catch up with such a trend and seek to revert any negative implications that it might imply, the practice is nonetheless ongoing (Genova, 2009). As this analysis is determined, the way in which employers are integrating with the employee within current society has fundamentally changed. Whereas good grades, good resume, good references, in good prior work experience help a great deal in assisting the individual and landing a good job, aspects of personal life are being utilized to a further and further degree to inform the potential employer with respect to aspects of the personal life of the applicant they are seeking to define and understand. Moreover, as company culture becomes an increasingly important aspect that firms are trying to integrate with an higher based upon, any negative representation within the personal life of the individual can be an instance stop within such a process. Furthermore, as a means of analyzing the cultural differentiation that exists between American youth, and web users in general, and Chinese youth, and web users in general, the reader/researcher is able to draw a level of inference with regards to why and how seemingly international issues affect some groups to a greater and more relevant extent than they might with others. Rather than seeing this cultural differentiation as a good or a bad thing, the reader should integrate an appreciation for the differential as a means of learning more about how such a point of view is indicative of each culture. References Arrington, R. L., Duffy, A., & Rita, E. (2011). SOCIAL NETWORKING. Dispute Resolution Journal, 66(4), 20-30. Clark, L., & Roberts, S. (2010). Employer’s Use of Social Networking Sites: A Socially Irresponsible Practice. Journal Of Business Ethics, 95(4), 507-525. doi:10.1007/s10551-010-0436-y Genova, G. L. (2009). NO PLACE TO PLAY: CURRENT EMPLOYEE PRIVACY RIGHTS IN SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES. Business Communication Quarterly, 72(1), 97-101. Jones, C. G. (2011). Written and Computer-Mediated Accounting Communication Skills: An Employer Perspective. Business Communication Quarterly, 74(3), 247-271. doi:10.1177/1080569911413808 Maryott, M. L. (2010). Social Networking in the Workplace Creates Peril for Employers. In-House Litigator, 24(3), 3-6. Mello, J. A. (2012). SOCIAL MEDIA, EMPLOYEE PRIVACY AND CONCERTED ACTIVITY: BRAVE NEW WORLD OR BIG BROTHER?. Labor Law Journal, 63(3), 165-173. Parker, D. (2013, April 4). Keep It Clean. Retrieved April 30, 2013, from http://www.staterinteractive.com/new_burr/index.php/the-magazine/104-keep-it-clean Peate, I. (2010). Employers' Internet policies prevent antisocial networking. British Journal Of Healthcare Assistants, 4(3), 117-119. Read More