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Investigating someones past

 
 
Strange Machine Vs The Virus with Shoes
19:44 / 21.02.03
I was snooping around on the net the other day when I found that someone with the same name as my manager, doing the same job and from the region he originally came from, resigned following internal fraud, theft and price-fixing allegations. Now this manager is a complete bastard by all accounts but I have never had any serios run-ins with him. I would like to know the best ways of attaining information about this persons past activities. I am also interested in peoples mral judgements of this issue: is the best form of blackmail offensive or defensive. Should I distribute the info on him and hope to discredit him. I am deeply suspicious of this man, but should a person be able to bury his past even if he remains in a position of power?
 
 
Matthew Fluxington
20:14 / 21.02.03
I would think that virtually all forms of blackmail are highly unethical. I think this just gets worse in that I'm very dubious about how accurate your information found on a websearch may be. Are you entirely certain that this is the same fellow?

You should not do anything to this man, he has done nothing to you, and you should stay out of it. If there is substantial evidence of his wrong-doing at your workplace, then it becomes a different issue. Unless you have a substantial case against him, you have absolutely no ethical reason to invade this man's privacy by investigating his past.

You don't really know all the facts. If he did leave his previous job under the circumstances you describe, there is a very good chance that whoever hired him at your workplace was aware of this. You may also want to consider that he may have learned a lesson from his past mistakes, and would like to keep the past behind him.

Again: you have no ethical grounds for 'blackmailing' this guy, and diseminating potential libelous information about him in an attempt to 'discredit' him.
 
 
w1rebaby
21:09 / 21.02.03
someone with the same name as my manager, doing the same job and from the region he originally came from

Hmm, bit too much of a coincidence, that. It would be interesting to check dates. Like flux says, though, it may have been known to his employers beforehand, so an attempt to use it against him could blow up in face.

Blackmail for purposes of "don't be such a bastard" might occasionally be acceptable, though it is of course an ugly word. In general, though, unless he is actively corrupt then it's not good. It might be worth keeping hold of said information in case bits of the budget start going missing. It's not like you can just forget about it now, anyway. But I wouldn't do anything with it otherwise.
 
 
Strange Machine Vs The Virus with Shoes
02:06 / 22.02.03
Well, we are engaged in a class struggle, regardless of the circumstances. If he oversteps the mark then I will do everything in my power to destroy him. Maybe he is just a front man for implementing more draconian work practices. But even with his past record he has secured an influential job with my firm, I don’t give a fuck about how he justifies his actions, he has done enough to warrant a search on his background. He devised a scheme whereby me and my colleagues are under near constant surveillance, he told one guy that he would pay his doctor £100 to say he was not ill. He is not a nice person!
 
 
Matthew Fluxington
02:21 / 22.02.03
Well, we are engaged in a class struggle, regardless of the circumstances. If he oversteps the mark then I will do everything in my power to destroy him.

My, you've got a flair for the dramatic, Che.

I find your morality to be very questionable. I'm not sure why you feel that doing very unethical and cruel things to this man is justified simply because you think he's a bad guy - I mean, if you're so eager to do very horrible things, who are you to judge him? It seems quite possible that you're just as cutthroat as he is, and that's very troubling.
 
 
videodrome
03:56 / 22.02.03
Why did you even ask advice when it's quite obvious you've come to a conclusion already? The only answer I come up with is that you're seeking legitimization for your ideas through acceptance in an anonymous forum.

Balls.

Don't mislead people with this petty bullshit. Next time, title the thread 'I know I'm right but I want you to make me feel better about it'. Through your words you come across as the complete bastard - is it at all possible that you're casting your own spin on the situation? Will you even think about answering that question honestly?
 
 
Our Lady of The Two Towers
08:45 / 22.02.03
xxxxxxxx Well, we are engaged in a class struggle, regardless of the circumstances. If he oversteps the mark then I will do everything in my power to destroy him.

So, he's guilty until proven innocent? And it's all right for you to do something that may be as illegal as whatever he did because you have right on your side!?
 
 
Spatula Clarke
11:09 / 22.02.03
I thought this was another one of those "I've found out where Susan lives - I even know which is the window to here bedroom! Can anyone suggest a decent lockpick?" ones. Are you trying to tell me that it's serious?
 
 
bitchiekittie
14:07 / 22.02.03
tis funny how easily folks get riled. recognize the bait as such and then avoid it
 
 
Ganesh
14:09 / 22.02.03
... says Bitchiekittie...

 
 
aus
05:33 / 23.02.03
Talk softly and carry a big stick. Or talk loudly and carry a big stick. Whatever. Just as long as you've got a big stick.
 
 
bitchiekittie
16:35 / 23.02.03
point taken, uncle g
 
 
Strange Machine Vs The Virus with Shoes
21:54 / 01.03.03
Well, I may be a bastard. I may just want to destroy this mans career out of pure sadism. And all that class war shit may just have been an attempt to assuage the parts of my mind that have been influenced by moralistic social conditioning. So maybe I am just like him, absorbed in a game of power, corruption and lies. However I have recently been in a meeting with this man and he seems ok. He talks about spreading profit amongst the workers.
Videodrome- you miss the primary motivation of this thread i.e. corroborating the evidence.
 
 
Foust is SO authentic
03:43 / 02.03.03
And all that class war shit may just have been an attempt to assuage the parts of my mind that have been influenced by moralistic social conditioning.

Oh, well aren't you so advanced. Crime is freedom, right?
 
 
Our Lady of The Two Towers
08:50 / 02.03.03
Xs Videodrome- you miss the primary motivation of this thread i.e. corroborating the evidence.

Funny. You seemed to miss the point of a lot of the responses, i.e. what reason have you got, really, to do this to someone else?
 
 
STOATIE LIEKS CHOCOLATE MILK
11:26 / 02.03.03
he told one guy that he would pay his doctor £100 to say he was not ill

Has the guy in question actually attempted to raise this with anyone? Cos that's "intent to commit fraud", right there. If not, then why not? Why is it your business?

Sounds to me (I could be getting this horribly wrong, mind, so bear with me) like you're looking for an excuse to fuck with this guy. "Class struggle"? Oh please . If you have genuine grievances, then you have no need to ask a bunch of imaginary online people. If not, then what's your problem? Who do you think he was defrauding? Maybe he saw that as "class struggle".

Blackmail is an ugly word. Fittingly so.
 
  
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