3 Leave AOL in Search-Data Fallout

Yeah, I have to agree. I think it is a bit harsh that they were fired. I think they need to question their policy on storing search terms anyway. Can't they store search terms but not have them linked with subscriber?

The rational, in any large corporation, for firing someone after an incident such as this it two fold. First and foremost in punishes those who screwed up but it sends a clear message to everyone else this sort of thing can cost you. Second and more obscure is that you need to understand that a large company has many arms and positions it takes within it's business and you need to respect those even if you have no idea that some parts of a company maybe involved in things unrelated to it's core business. Say you work for company XYZ. And their core business is to sell gizmo's. And these gizmo's are the latest craze and everyone wants one. Business is good, profits are way up, and the company is flush with cash. So some guy in marketing decides to release, as a joke, on the inter net, that a variation of this product will be released this fall, just in time for school, the junior pimp version just for first graders, so that he can show off his latest bling to his hoes and posse. Ha Ha everyone has a big laugh. Now on the other side of the company a small division is looking to do some good by matching angel donors with underfunded inner city programs to reach out to kids with needed after school programs. Oops! We're sorry we didn't mean to offend anyone! How is that division going to be able to do anything now? The lesson a company tries to get across here is that the more eyes the better and you are part of a larger entity than just XYZ Gizmo's. Protecting the company is first and foremost. Good intentions aside great harm can be done by someone with the best of intentions. So someone pays. The top official that resigned was probably asked to leave but was allowed to make it seem as if it was their idea. A courtesy to save some face as it where. Sometimes rank still has it's privileges even in times of disgrace.

So we've fired some folks. Have measures been taken to prevent such a breach of privacy from happening in the future? Likely not. The investors are pleased by the rapid and decisive action, but what's to prevent this sort of thing from happening again 2 months from now? If it does, is the answer to fire more people?

I'm not saying that heads shouldn't roll, but I'm saying that the problem should be resolved first then the proper heads should roll.

I'm reminded of a story:

One hot day, two lions were lying in the long grass on the side of hill in the African veldt. As they looked down into the valley below them, they could see several fine antelope grazing. The first lion, who was young and full of energy, could barely contain himself and was shaking with enthusiasm. "Let's dash down there right now," he said to the other lion. "Between the two of us we could certainly grab one of those antelope."

His companion, an older lion who often seemed to do little except sleep, shook his head slowly. "No . . . no . . . no . . ." he said. "You haven't thought this all the way through. We'll just sit here and we'll watch them for a while, and while we watch we'll think about the way the land lies down there and we'll see how the wind blows. Then we'll creep down—nice and slowly—and we'll catch them all."

Unfortunate and true.

Think of anytime you've ever Google'd your name - many people on AOL were searching for the social security numbers, names, the works.