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Honoring those who Facebooked themselves out of their jobs

The Facebook Fired blog is a painfully modern collection of stories memorializing those who are collecting unemployment thanks to posts on Facebook or similar public disclosures.

2 min read
Screenshot: Chris Matyszczyk/CNET

People can't help themselves. Facebook doesn't help them much either.

For weak-willed humans have feelings and foibles. Then they air them on Facebook, and suddenly their faces are red and their slips are pink.

So along comes a blog called The Facebook Fired, which serves as a memorial to those who expressed themselves out of their jobs by expressing themselves publicly.

The most recent post concerns 14 lifeguards from El Monte who made a Gangnam-style video of themselves and posted it to YouTube.

They were divested of their costumes for using city property for their own benefit.

The fully aware will have noticed that this story didn't concern Facebook. Yes, The Facebook Fired has a liberal definition of itself.

However, another recent tale tells of Anya Cintron Stern, who clearly thought she was performing a public service. She is the lawyer who thought it wise to display her client's underwear on Facebook. No, really.

It didn't cause a stink. Well, other than that little mistrial.

It isn't clear who has taken it upon themselves to create this museum to the maligned. The About section on the blog merely offers these words of comfort: "Hopefully this blog will serve as a warning to be careful about what private data you choose to make public."

Still, it appears to have been around for almost a couple of years, so there is a certain dedication in its veins.

Many would do well to peruse its pages, if only to learn of the do's and don'ts of social networking.

It is not wise, for example, to send friend requests to an inmate.

Nor is it prudent to take some time off work for a family emergency, and then post pictures of yourself taken at a party.

Humanity will never fully learn. But at least there is a place you can go to take pity.