Here's some bullshit for y'all -- I have a friend who worked at our Competition. I say "worked" because today? He got fired. Would you like to know why he got fired? I tell you why: He spoke his opinion about his workplace on a bbs, and some smacked ass at his place of work ratted him out, that's why. In other words, the practice of doocing? Alive and well in NWI.

Now, I know y'all are going to say that if he were going to air his opinions about his workplace, he should've never put 'em in writing or, worse, on the Innernet, and I can appreciate that. That being said, unless an employee signs some sort of Oprah agreement that says "You ain't talking about here," I don't believe a company has a right to fire you for shooting your mouth off -- you know, because of that pesky little thing called the First Amendment and all. The competition evidently knows that, too, because you know what reason they gave for firing him? "Oh, well, your rant on the bbs was factually incorrect, so how do we know your stories/columns aren't incorrect as well!?!?" What, because you (the competition) don't like hearing that you run a shithole environment!?!?! Yeah, I call "bullshit" too. We're reporters -- that's what we do, or have you forgotten your mission while you're trying to rake in the dough that your employees will never see!?!?

Well, the competition's loss is someone else's gain, because I have no doubt he'll be picked up by someone or, even better, he'll be syndicated, and the competition will have to eat it. In the meantime, I hope Romenesko and Miner get a hold of it, and put some shame into those assholes.