bloggers beware

Who’d have thought it would be a conservative supporter who would find himself in hot water over freedom of speech issues. More than hot water in fact. Inigo Wilson has been suspended from his job over comments he made in a Conservative party supporting blog.

Looking at some of the things he wrote made me wince despite the obvious tongue-in-cheek tone of the entry. One man’s sense of humour is another man’s fatwa. His comments were unwise at best, deeply offensive at worst. Still, it’s a free country and we have a right to our opinion. Not quite. As complaints rolled in his employers (ironically communication company Orange) changed their stance from “Though we respect the right of our employees to do so, Orange does not in any way hold or express opinions on such matters, therefore the article you referenced does not in any way represent the views of our organisation.” to “Sorry Inigo, we’re scared of bad publicity so we’re going to have to make it look like we take action over things like these – you’re suspended” – those may not have been their actual words.

Again I distance myself from the crass comments Wilson made in his post but I have to admit it worries me that people would go so far as to contact his employers to complain about what he wrote on a non-company website. He, presumably, has support from the fellow members of his online community – and I would think that when the storm blows over he will be reinstated (after a suitable in-house investigation of course) with little more than a rap on the knuckles. I don’t worry about Mr Wilson in the slightest – he may even look back on his moment of infamy with fondness in years to come – I worry about me.

Promise me, dear readers, if we shadows have offended, think but this, and all is mended, that you have but slumber’d here while these visions did appear or at least keep your revenge to writing scathing replies and maybe bitching about me in your own blogs – don’t look up the department of education phone number. So, good night unto you all. Give me your hands, if we be friends, and SNT shall restore amends.