Many analysts from bothsides of the ideological fence believe that the economy as a whole may suffer in the wake of the recent debt ceiling deal. Few believe that the bill offers much to aid job creation or brighten the immediate prospects of the unemployed. It is hard to find a single opinion piece, news article or blog post, regardless of political orientation, that does not express profound distaste for the compromise.
So who is (relatively) happy with the bill? Government technology workers seem to have escaped the wrath of a measure that seeks to cleave trillions from federal spending. This small sanctuary carved out for government technology reflects a belief that superior technological know-how and equipment is critical to efficiency, and that spending on technology now is necessary to save money in the future. If the economy does continue to lag, and private employers seek to reduce costs, it will be interesting to note whether the private sector follows the example of the federal government through continued investment in technology.
Technology in the Workplace
- Sixth Circuit Decision Leaves Employers with Few Options in Response to Union High Tech Tactics (Employer Law Report)
- When Can Employers Lawfully Fire an Employee for an Offensive Facebook Post? Ask the NLRB – (Privacy Law Blog)
- 45% of Employers Still Don’t Have Social Media Policy (Delaware Employment Law Blog)
- Think Before You Click: Strategies for Managing Social Media in the Workplace (Book from Thompson Publishing)
- Should You Care that Your Employees are Going to a DayGlow Event? (Connecticut Employment Law Blog)
- More People Using Smartphones to Secretly Record Office Conversations (Business Insider)
- How NPR Uses Social Media for Recruiting (Smart Blog on Social Media)
Technology and the Law More Generally
- Missouri Outlaws Teacher-Student Facebook Friendships – (ABA Journal)
- The Controversial Nanotech and Myriad Case; Some Thoughts (Cleantech & Nano Blog)
- Could Facebook lose its Facebook Trademark (Techdirt)
Technology This Week
- Is Social Media Marketing Causing You to Lose Money? (SmartBlog on Social Media)
- Apple Releases iCloud Pricing Details (NY Times)
- How Did We Miss the World’s Largest Cyber Attack (The Atlantic)
- See What Google Knows About You and How to Make it Forget (An Associate’s Mind)
- Car Takes Long Test Drive – by Itself (China Law Daily)
- Is India’s Elusive $35 Laptop at Hand (NY Times)
Compiled and contributed by Scott Raver