Interesting Links for 05-05-2012

[andrewducker]

• Windows 8 will not play DVDs
  (tags: windows dvd microsoft )
• The fastest way to board a plane (completely impractical for anyone with children though)
  (tags: airplanes efficiency )
• A cat that has clearly seen Raiders Of The Lost Ark too many times
  (tags: impressive video cat )
• Ten alternatives to Samsung's Galaxy S III
  (tags: iphone android

Comments

[cartesiandaemon]

US Court rules you can be fired for a Facebook "Like".

*headache* I thought I had started to follow US employment law, but apparently not.

As I understand it, you can usually be fired for any form of free speech, with exceptions if you have a decent employment contract, if you're (under some circumstances) discussing working conditions, if it's a matter of discriminating based on a protected class (race, gender, etc). Possibly under some circumstances political views? And some other things?

I think what this case seems to say is that the government is allowed to fire you (or, for that matter, in principle, pass laws criminalising you for) facebook likes.

However, it seems like this is a local court, and we really hope that the precedent won't get supported by higher courts...

I was very lucky to find a link to a transcript http://www.scribd.com/doc/91406670/Bland-v-Roberts-4-11cv45-E-D-Va-Apr-24-2012 from another news article http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2012/04/facebook-likes-arent-speech-protected-by-the-first-amendment-rules-judge.ars but haven't waded through it.