[lbo-talk] Google discrimination and radical politics

Chuck chuck at mutualaid.org
Mon Oct 29 18:42:37 PDT 2007


Jim Farmelant wrote:


> Sort of like deja vu, all over again. I seem
> to recall that we discussed this issue back in
> February, and at that time, I suggested that
> you might have lost out on a job opportunity back
> then because a prospective employer might
> have Googled you and they took exception
> to what they had seen. (Of course
> they might have read the Wikipedia article on
> you too:
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chuck_Munson)

Right. The thing is that potential employers will be googling me under my real name, which brings up much different results than if they google my nickname.


> The fact is, it is pretty much standard practice
> now a days for employers to Google job candidates
> as part of the hiring process.
> http://secretsofthejobhunt.blogspot.com/2007/10/latest-stats-on-googling-
> candidates.html

Yeah, I was afraid of that. You have to wonder how many people are losing out on jobs because employers found information about a person which is actually information about another person.


> That obviously puts those of us who have been posting
> on the Internet for years under our own names on
> controversial topics at a possible disadvantage in
> the job search. There is no simple solution to
> this.

In my case, there is little I can do. I've been posting using my real name online for around 15 years, so I've left a long paper trail. Perhaps I should have opted for the standard anarchist practice of writing under an assumed name.


> I am sure you have heard this advice before,
> but your best chance for getting a new job is to
> network , network, network. You undoubtedly know
> people. or know people who know people,
> that might be looking to hire a good web
> developer. I am sure that given your associations
> with the Alternative Media Project and Infoshop
> and all that, you must have lots of contacts; more
> than most people. You have to start leveraging
> them.

Right. But I'm horrible at sales and hustling new clients. This is why I went to library school and didn't pursue an art career.

Networking may land me more consulting jobs, but I'd run into the same Google discrimination problem if I try for full time jobs.

I'm very tempted at this point to just aggressively pursue a more unconventional career of doing freelance and consulting IT work part time and doing other things which pay the bills and broaden my options.

I'm also seriosuly thinking about pursuing a more professional writing career. That doesn't pay well, but at least you can write for publications that don't give a damn about your Google reputation. I've also been thinking about pursuing the things I need to become a part-time handyman. Stuff like being bonded and so on.

My situation is so weirdly unique that it's hard for me to get advice about what I should pursue. I've ruled out returning to college. I've considered going to law school, becoming an art teacher, or becoming an academic in some field. But that would require years of work and funds that I don't have. The prospect of finding work after returning to school is pretty sketchy. It seems to me that it would make more sense to learn more programming and new technology and pursue a job that pays well. But then I'm back to the problem with full time jobs and employers who Google discriminate.

It's sooo fucked up. Can we have the revolution now?

Chuck



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