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eDisaster Story of the Week
February 9, 2001
A Cautionary Tale in the Age of eMail:
The eLove Note Read Around the Globe
In the age of eMail, the phrase "Kiss and Tell" has taken on new meaning. Hit the wrong key after composing an eLove note, and your hot message could land on the cold screens of your supervisors, colleagues, or customers. Send a romantic eMail to an indiscreet lover, and your private message could suddenly become the subject of public ridicule.
Need proof of the dangers of sending eLove notes? Take the case of Claire Swire, a twenty-something British woman who suffered international embarrassment and media scrutiny when boyfriend Bradley Chait opted to forward to friends an eMail in which Swire complimented Chait's performance during a night of passion.
Chait, dubbed "Brad the Cad" by the British press, forwarded Swire's eMail to six friends. Those six "gentlemen" forwarded Swire's eMail to other readers who in turn sent it to more and more recipients.
Swire's eMail quickly took on a life of its own, traveling first to London's law firms and banks, where the original group of bigmouths were employed. Eventually, Swire's personal message was read by some 10 million strangers in England, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Australia, and the United States.
Media coverage, which included the notorious London tabloids, The New York Times, and Today, helped drive Swire into hiding. Chait--a lawyer with a prestigious London firm-- and the friends who first sent Swire's eMail into cybercirculation were disciplined for violating their respective employers' eMail policies. There's even a Web site devoted to the fiasco, complete with a "Should Brad Be Fired?" poll.
The ultimate nightmare for eMail users, this is a sobering cautionary tale for anyone who communicates electronically. It raises particular concern for employers who grant employees access to corporate eMail and Internet systems. While individuals who send eLove notes on company time may find themselves embarrassed, disciplined, or unemployed, employers who permit workers to send romantic eMails could land in court.
Fortunately, employers can take steps to prevent eDisaster. The experts at ePolicyInstitute.com recommend employers implement written ePolicies that prohibit sending inappropriate eMail messages, downloading pornographic Internet images, and participating in adult online chat.
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