Kevin
Kevin Rudd's Facebook page remains but it has been stripped of all information except the address of his electorate offices and links to official party web pages.

Kevin 07 shifts to Facebook hate 08

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Angus Kidman02 June 2008, 10:16 AM

Kevin Rudd may have been happy to promote himself on Facebook before the election, but now the PM has turned his back on the social networking service, banning his staff from it.


Following the publication of pictures from the profile of his executive assistant John Fisher during a recent trip to New York in newspapers over the weekend, Rudd has reportedly banned his own office and personal staff from using Facebook. Fisher's role has been controversial following reports that he helps pick the PM's clothing each day and has a salary of $78,000. The PM's office has disputed descriptions of Fisher's role as a "butler".

The Facebook ban represents a fairly dramatic about-face. During the election, Rudd set up a Facebook profile and allowed voters to list him as a friend. Rudd quickly exceeded the 5,000-person limit imposed on Facebook friends at the time and was forced to set up a separate fan page for other enthusiasts. That's now less of a problem; as of this morning, he has around 4,500 friends listed, Rudd's profile notes "no recent activity", but its continued presence suggests that the ban doesn't yet extend to Rudd himself.

Rudd's stance could damage the PM's long-term ability to attract younger staff to his department. Research suggests that many employees regard access to Facebook profiles as so important that they would quit if their bosses tried to block or ban the site. Bans on accessing Facebook at work are common — an IDC survey in January suggests more than half of all businesses block the site — but outright bans on even using the site in private time are somewhat rarer.

A tech-friendly approach was one of the key selling points for Labor in last year's election, centering on the planned creation of the National Broadband Network. Though that was supposed to be partially up and running before the end of the year, delays in allowing bidders access to existing network information from Telstra have made that unlikely.


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Wazza (Cornerstone member):

I'm wondering if this is just new boss syndrome and Krudd is just wanting to throw his weight around and be seen to be doing things. He'll probably change this policy in a few months when no body really cares.

If people want Facebook they'll get it, and to be honest, I'd prefer it if Krudds staff concentrated on running the country than ensuring that his Facebook profile is up to date.

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Tin (Advanced member):

So they can't use it even outside work hours or they're fired? Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't that sort of go against laws we have in this country? And wasn't Rudd's election based around protection of those laws?

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David Webb (New user):

Well, I never did like Rudd's way of doing things. This is just another example of how he'll create a spin on something and then show he has no real concern.

Come on, though, he's a politician. What more could we expect? :D

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EugeneSlipped (New user):

"Research suggests that many employees regard access to Facebook profiles as so important that they would quit if their bosses tried to block or ban the site."

Well that's just ridiculous.
I think it's a bit silly banning your employees from Facebook - unless it was from using it in work hours (completely reasonable).
But quitting a job just 'cause your boss said you can't use Facebook? For God's sake people, get your priorities straight!

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Dan Warne (Administrator):

I am a huge fan of Kevin Rudd, but it does seem reactionary to ban all governmental staff from using Facebook simply because his personal assistant published some travel photos that the media latched onto and embarrassed the government with. How about some proportion Kevin -- "government staff may not post photos on Facebook that are related to their work, or which are not appropriate to their professional role in the government."

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shrike (User):

Facebook has rightfully been the center of some major privacy investigations. Do we really want government officials posting private and possibly classified information about themselves and others they work with on a site that will happily sell it to the highest bidder?

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Dan Warne (Administrator):

Someone could post classified information on the internet without Facebook... what's so special about Facebook?

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Kali (New user):

KRUDD....08

We now strating to see the REAL megalomaniac side of him, so well disguised during the election.
Sadly, we live in the age of the spinmeister, the age when language is used more as a means to confuse people rather than to educate and to enlighten them, an age when clouding the real issues preferred to clarifying them.
Krudd is the smoothest snail oil dispenser.
Conned all those poor saps whom believed in his baby faced "honesty"
Just wait and see how this freak will treat those whom voted for him. I did not!
Diplomats are trained to play on and with words and to skirt around problems rather than making decisions and take positive actions.
Rudd is a well trained diplomat.
Been in China and tows the Chinese line, i.e. the Communist Party agenda and propaganda.
He learned well from them.


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