13. What’s happening to markets

is also happening among employees. A metaphysical construct called “The Company” is the only thing standing between the two.
False

The authors were wrong on this one. I don’t really remember 1999, as far as employee communications, (I was only 11 at the time) but maybe employees had the power to communicate freely and openly with the world. Now they do not. Companies are not as lost as they were in the world of On-line communications as they probably were back in ‘99. Look at the examples I gave in #8. There are now rules regarding what can and can not be said in an on-line setting now and if you don’t follow that contract you will be fired and sued.

Just look at the story of Ellen Simonetti, author of “Diary of a Flight Attendant”

Even people who aren’t in the Communications field are being thrown to the curb because of the paranoia of “Whats happening to markets is happening among employees”. They are still used to the Old school way of having a PR practitioner be the only person responsible for media contact, but with the freedom of blogs there are millions of employees willingly giving truthful information. To them, the truth may hurt.

I sympathize with all the people who have been sacked for this blogging paranoia, but I do know where the CEO’s are coming from. I just hope that soon we find a way to co-exist.

But regardless of what does happen or what has happened, the authors of the Cluetrain didn’t realize the possible reprocussions that many upper management have taken to prevent open communication. That is why their suggestion for #13 has failed.