Comments on: HP’s illegal privacy violations, the story continues…Dunn won’t be fired http://thesoapvox.com/2006/09/12/hps-illegal-privacy-violations-the-story-continuesdunn-wont-be-fired/ All the stuff that goes through Vox's mind, including SF/Fantasy books, open source software, linux, security, and many other geeky pursuits. Sat, 22 Nov 2008 05:51:49 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: Vox http://thesoapvox.com/2006/09/12/hps-illegal-privacy-violations-the-story-continuesdunn-wont-be-fired/#comment-751 Vox Wed, 13 Sep 2006 21:13:51 +0000 http://thesoapvox.com/2006/09/12/hps-illegal-privacy-violations-the-story-continuesdunn-wont-be-fired/#comment-751 The employees that were investigated were all board members, so...they had a lot of money to lose. And the ones who weren't employees were journalists and family of journalists, so they are getting back at them the best way they know how...by destroying them in the press. As for staying...the guy that was the leak stayed for two months *after* he was asked for his resignation from the board...there's indications that the leaks were orchestrated by some members of the board itself, so...this is getting weird lol! But no normal employees were under investigation, as far as it is known. The employees that were investigated were all board members, so…they had a lot of money to lose. And the ones who weren’t employees were journalists and family of journalists, so they are getting back at them the best way they know how…by destroying them in the press.

As for staying…the guy that was the leak stayed for two months *after* he was asked for his resignation from the board…there’s indications that the leaks were orchestrated by some members of the board itself, so…this is getting weird lol! But no normal employees were under investigation, as far as it is known.

]]> By: Rich G. http://thesoapvox.com/2006/09/12/hps-illegal-privacy-violations-the-story-continuesdunn-wont-be-fired/#comment-750 Rich G. Wed, 13 Sep 2006 20:42:40 +0000 http://thesoapvox.com/2006/09/12/hps-illegal-privacy-violations-the-story-continuesdunn-wont-be-fired/#comment-750 It makes sense. What doesn't make sense is if this happened in America why the employees whose rights were violated haven't sued for huge compensatory damages as well as quit. The first is the American way, and the second would have been what I did first. If an employee who has this happens to them stays I think they give up the right to bitch about it the second time don't they? It's obvious the people at the top are cads. It's also obvious I won't be buying any more HP stuff. *shrug* I can vote with my dollars, but that's all I can do. Thanks for simplifying it for the unwashed me. :) It makes sense. What doesn’t make sense is if this happened in America why the employees whose rights were violated haven’t sued for huge compensatory damages as well as quit. The first is the American way, and the second would have been what I did first.
If an employee who has this happens to them stays I think they give up the right to bitch about it the second time don’t they? It’s obvious the people at the top are cads. It’s also obvious I won’t be buying any more HP stuff. *shrug* I can vote with my dollars, but that’s all I can do. Thanks for simplifying it for the unwashed me. :)

]]> By: Vox http://thesoapvox.com/2006/09/12/hps-illegal-privacy-violations-the-story-continuesdunn-wont-be-fired/#comment-749 Vox Wed, 13 Sep 2006 03:42:28 +0000 http://thesoapvox.com/2006/09/12/hps-illegal-privacy-violations-the-story-continuesdunn-wont-be-fired/#comment-749 Actually, no. What they did was an internal investigation using illegal means. There had been leaks of board meetings to the press for about a year now, and Dunn got fed up with it and hired a company to investigate all the board members and find out who the leak was. So far, so good. The problem, tho, comes when they use pretexting as one of their methods of investigation. Pretexting is, in short, identity theft with the purpose of obtaining private information of the individual you are impersonating. That is, I call the phone company and tell them I'm Rich G. and want a copy of my phone calls record sent to my email addy. It's not currently known if Dunn authorized the investigators do use pretexting or if they did it on their own...but once the whole board knew, Tom Perkins, an investor and member of the board, told them that they *had* to own up to the mistake and tell the public and apologize to the *journalists* they had investigated, and the board decided not to do it...and Perkins resigned and blew the whistle...and that's when people like me found out and got pissed off :) I hope the story now makes sense to you. Actually, no. What they did was an internal investigation using illegal means. There had been leaks of board meetings to the press for about a year now, and Dunn got fed up with it and hired a company to investigate all the board members and find out who the leak was. So far, so good.

The problem, tho, comes when they use pretexting as one of their methods of investigation. Pretexting is, in short, identity theft with the purpose of obtaining private information of the individual you are impersonating. That is, I call the phone company and tell them I’m Rich G. and want a copy of my phone calls record sent to my email addy.

It’s not currently known if Dunn authorized the investigators do use pretexting or if they did it on their own…but once the whole board knew, Tom Perkins, an investor and member of the board, told them that they *had* to own up to the mistake and tell the public and apologize to the *journalists* they had investigated, and the board decided not to do it…and Perkins resigned and blew the whistle…and that’s when people like me found out and got pissed off :)

I hope the story now makes sense to you.

]]> By: Rich G. http://thesoapvox.com/2006/09/12/hps-illegal-privacy-violations-the-story-continuesdunn-wont-be-fired/#comment-748 Rich G. Wed, 13 Sep 2006 01:17:39 +0000 http://thesoapvox.com/2006/09/12/hps-illegal-privacy-violations-the-story-continuesdunn-wont-be-fired/#comment-748 Is there a short layman's version of what they did that was wrong? I'm gathering just by reading what you've written and not going to any links, that they got information from consumers dishonestly? When caught at it they investigated themselves and said to any outside investigator, "No no no we got it. It's an internal matter and it's under control." Then gave a figurehead a slap on the wrist and grinned at each other at having gotten away with something? Is there a short layman’s version of what they did that was wrong? I’m gathering just by reading what you’ve written and not going to any links, that they got information from consumers dishonestly? When caught at it they investigated themselves and said to any outside investigator, “No no no we got it. It’s an internal matter and it’s under control.” Then gave a figurehead a slap on the wrist and grinned at each other at having gotten away with something?

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