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Ah, but you just shifted from asking to just doing it. No, they should not be allowed to just do it. But should they be allowed to ask if they can search your

by bugsy 16y ago

Ah, but you just shifted from asking to just doing it. No, they should not be allowed to just do it. But should they be allowed to ask if they can search your house and private things (which is indeed comparable to requesting to be friended)? I say, yes, they should be allowed to ask, and all intelligent people that value their privacy should be allowed to say no, laugh, mock, walk out of the interview, and then post their feelings about that company on their Facebook page, or on HN, or reddit, or their personal blog so that others may be warned from wasting time applying at such a place.

natch 16y ago
They shouldn't be allowed to ask, because some people will say yes. And those people will be putting their friends' privacy at risk, not just their own.
- drdaeman 16y ago
  This feels somehow wrong. When one decides he wants to publish some information privately he should decide: 1. Whenever he trusts the delivery and storage mediums (on all layers) not to leak and/or tamper with this information, and deliver it in time. 2. Whenever he trusts the recepients to handle this information properly. 3. What are the risks in event the leakage happens (even if all parties are highly trusted), and what measures should be taken in such case. This is not paranoid thinking (although it sounds so), it's security ABC.
jonknee 16y ago
There are plenty of other things employers aren't allowed to ask (even if some would have given it up willingly). I'm not sure why this would be different. Under most circumstances you can't ask about religion, most everything about family, nationality, native language, age, etc. There are usually ways around these things, but some are just areas employers can't go. They are free to ask, but then set themselves up for a pretty open and shut lawsuit.
- bugsy 16y ago
  The question before us is not are they doing it or are they allowed, it is should they be allowed. This is going to be a matter of opinion. I say "they" should be allowed to ask anything at all. Marriage, religion, sexual preferences, political party, etc etc etc. And when they do ask questions that are none of their business, people should have the good sense to refuse to answer, and if they pursue it at all, stand up and walk out and go to another job that respects them as humans. The problem is not with the law or the companies, it is with the people who put up with abuse and condone and encourage it and refuse to push back to say "No, I am not going to answer that and frankly you are an ass for asking because it is none of your damn business." Because of the internet, everyone with a bad experience can blog about it and warn others which companies to avoid. The result here is that MORE people will have accurate information about which companies are staffed by assholes who can't mind their own business, and these companies can starve for want of talented responsible workers. And that's a good thing. Right now we have ridiculous laws like restaurants are not allowed to discriminate by color of skin. I am not white myself. I would LOVE to know which restaurants are staffed by racists and bigots that don't want me to eat there, because then I would know not to give them my business, and I would know to preach word of that far and wide, and keep an eye on who does eat there and have nothing to do with those folks either. That would be great. As it is we have all these people with latent hidden racism. It's there, but it's not in the open, so I can't see it. Sometimes it sneaks up on me from behind. That's not good. Let it be in the open instead.

by bugsy 16y ago

natch 16y ago

They shouldn't be allowed to ask, because some people will say yes. And those people will be putting their friends' privacy at risk, not just their own.

drdaeman 16y ago
This feels somehow wrong. When one decides he wants to publish some information privately he should decide: 1. Whenever he trusts the delivery and storage mediums (on all layers) not to leak and/or tamper with this information, and deliver it in time. 2. Whenever he trusts the recepients to handle this information properly. 3. What are the risks in event the leakage happens (even if all parties are highly trusted), and what measures should be taken in such case. This is not paranoid thinking (although it sounds so), it's security ABC.

jonknee 16y ago

There are plenty of other things employers aren't allowed to ask (even if some would have given it up willingly). I'm not sure why this would be different. Under most circumstances you can't ask about religion, most everything about family, nationality, native language, age, etc. There are usually ways around these things, but some are just areas employers can't go. They are free to ask, but then set themselves up for a pretty open and shut lawsuit.

bugsy 16y ago
The question before us is not are they doing it or are they allowed, it is should they be allowed. This is going to be a matter of opinion. I say "they" should be allowed to ask anything at all. Marriage, religion, sexual preferences, political party, etc etc etc. And when they do ask questions that are none of their business, people should have the good sense to refuse to answer, and if they pursue it at all, stand up and walk out and go to another job that respects them as humans. The problem is not with the law or the companies, it is with the people who put up with abuse and condone and encourage it and refuse to push back to say "No, I am not going to answer that and frankly you are an ass for asking because it is none of your damn business." Because of the internet, everyone with a bad experience can blog about it and warn others which companies to avoid. The result here is that MORE people will have accurate information about which companies are staffed by assholes who can't mind their own business, and these companies can starve for want of talented responsible workers. And that's a good thing. Right now we have ridiculous laws like restaurants are not allowed to discriminate by color of skin. I am not white myself. I would LOVE to know which restaurants are staffed by racists and bigots that don't want me to eat there, because then I would know not to give them my business, and I would know to preach word of that far and wide, and keep an eye on who does eat there and have nothing to do with those folks either. That would be great. As it is we have all these people with latent hidden racism. It's there, but it's not in the open, so I can't see it. Sometimes it sneaks up on me from behind. That's not good. Let it be in the open instead.