If you were a background investigator...

[iluvpopo]

what would you think of this myspace? Any suggestions or feedback would be greatly appreciated. (I haven't changed anything in almost a year, but I don't want to be DQ for appearing over zealous.)
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm...endid=50285580

[Kenny297]

Ummmmm wow.....are you serious? PLEASE change that page!

[iluvpopo]

What is it? The background, music, colors? any suggestions?

[FL5OH]

It's perfectly fine, I wouldn't worry about it.












































If you don't want a job that is.

[iluvpopo]

But WHY is what I'm asking... how would you change it?

[L-1]

First, it is not my intention to be hurtful, but you asked for an opinion and I'm not sure how to word it any prettier:

1. You have made public for any identity thief to see, detailed information about your past employment history (names of employers, city of employment, dates of employment, job titles) and your educational history (schools attended, dates, cities, etc. These things are normally kept confidential and disclosing them in this manner reflects very poor judgment. On top of that, you have even identified you status as a current public safety employee. Having an employee who publicly displays poor judgment reflects badly on the public safety agency and raises questions as to what type of judgment they will demonstrate if given a position of greater responsibility.

2. While it is your right to do so, public employees generally do not go out of their way to publish their status as such along with their sexual preferences, religion, relationship status, or income on the internet.

3. Perhaps it's the generation gap in me and that I just don't understand MySpace. You took it upon yourself to compile everyone of you favorite singing groups, songs, movies, television shows and books in list so huge that my eyes started to bleed before I got 10% through it. On top of that, you went on endlessly about everything from $200 crystal headbands that are sooo sparkly, to Doritos in the purple bag, to the Chief of Police. My whole question as a BI would be, is this applicant so self centered that she thinks any stranger who comes to her MySpace page is really interested in knowing all this mundane stuff about her?

4. I would expect your BI to have a few questions about why you incorporated the word "necro" in part of your URL address address.

While many of these things seem inconsequential, when you become a public employee they can come back to haunt you. Should you ever become involved in a controversial incident, I can guarantee that the press and pressure groups will flock to the internet and mine it for data they can use against you. Let's say a suspect shoots at you. You fire back, miss and your bullet accidentally strikes a child. Somebody is going to find the comment on your MySpace page that says "Love kids, but not for me," and use that as a basis for falsely accusing you of intentionally shooting the child. "Iluvpopo shot him because she hates kids! She even says so on her MySpace page."

To me, your webpage reflects immaturity and lack of good judgment. It is something I would expect from someone in their early teens. The fact that it contains information identifying you as a current public safety employee who is in the process of obtaining a position of greater responsibility only shoots yourself on both feet. If I were you BI, I would look extra hard for grounds to DQ you based on lack of maturity and good judgment.

As others have said elsewhere in this forum, MySpace pages can be the kiss of death during a BI. You might just want to consider shutting yours down.

[iluvpopo]

First, it is not my intention to be hurtful, but you asked for an opinion and I'm not sure how to word it any prettier:

1. You have made public for any identity thief to see, detailed information about your past employment history (names of employers, city of employment, dates of employment, job titles) and your educational history (schools attended, dates, cities, etc. These things are normally kept confidential and disclosing them in this manner reflects very poor judgment. On top of that, you have even identified you status as a current public safety employee. Having an employee who publicly displays poor judgment reflects badly on the public safety agency and raises questions as to what type of judgment they will demonstrate if given a position of greater responsibility.

2. While it is your right to do so, public employees generally do not go out of their way to publish their status as such along with their sexual preferences, religion, relationship status, or income on the internet.

3. Perhaps it's the generation gap in me and that I just don't understand MySpace. You took it upon yourself to compile everyone of you favorite singing groups, songs, movies, television shows and books in list so huge that my eyes started to bleed before I got 10% through it. On top of that, you went on endlessly about everything from $200 crystal headbands that are sooo sparkly, to Doritos in the purple bag, to the Chief of Police. My whole question as a BI would be, is this applicant so self centered that she thinks any stranger who comes to her MySpace page is really interested in knowing all this mundane stuff about her?

4. I would expect your BI to have a few questions about why you incorporated the word "necro" in part of your URL address address.

While many of these things seem inconsequential, when you become a public employee they can come back to haunt you. Should you ever become involved in a controversial incident, I can guarantee that the press and pressure groups will flock to the internet and mine it for data they can use against you. Let's say a suspect shoots at you. You fire back, miss and your bullet accidentally strikes a child. Somebody is going to find the comment on your MySpace page that says "Love kids, but not for me," and use that as a basis for falsely accusing you of intentionally shooting the child. "Iluvpopo shot him because she hates kids! She even says so on her MySpace page."

To me, your webpage reflects immaturity and lack of good judgment. It is something I would expect from someone in their early teens. The fact that it contains information identifying you as a current public safety employee who is in the process of obtaining a position of greater responsibility only shoots yourself on both feet. If I were you BI, I would look extra hard for grounds to DQ you based on lack of maturity and good judgment.

As others have said elsewhere in this forum, MySpace pages can be the kiss of death during a BI. You might just want to consider shutting yours down.

Thank you, I very much appreciate the time you took to actually review my myspace and the advice that you have given me. I will very much consider all this advice and edit my myspace. Im sure they will ask if I have changed anything and I will be 100% honest. I really do not want to completely get rid of it though, as it has helped me keep in touch with my out of state friends and family.
Thank you so much for your time

[PhilipCal]

You've recieved some excellent advice, especially from L-1 on this thread. Keith also offered some excellent advice concerning My Space on another thread. The only further advice I could offer you is, to remove your profile from My Space,and keep information which really should be "priviledged" to yourself. Certainly, there is a time and place to make your personal information known. It's on your PHS,Polygraph Questionaire, or similar document(s). Posting so much personal information on a site which anyone can view, and possibly take advantage of, is not a good move IMHO. Please understand, that I have no desire to be offensive to you. I wish you the best of luck in your endeavors and plans. Perhaps I'm showing my age a little, but I'm a major believer in privacy.