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Nintendo fires hapless blogger who got caught complaining photo

Some people haven't really learned from the mistakes of others. If you value your job, be very careful where you choose to complain about it, because watchful eyes can be everywhere. Nowhere is this more true than the Internet, where the views of millions are publicly shared with even greater numbers. If you work for Nintendo, as Jessica Zenner did, you better be careful about blogging your bitchery to the world ... as Jessica Zenner wasn't.

Seattle paper The Stranger reported that Zenner's blog, titled Inexcusable Behavior (ironic, no?) made the suits at Nintendo quite unhappy, possibly because of entries detailing the employee's co-workers that were less than flattering. She described one of her colleagues as a hormonal, facial-hair growing, frumpy woman who'd given her a new excuse to drink heavily. She punctuated this eloquent description but hypothesizing that the woman had not [expletive'd] in years. Apparently that's not kosher -- who knew?

Jessica was unaware of any blog policies, she claims, and also defends her complaining with the fact that she never mentioned Nintendo by name, and even wrote under the alias of Jessica Carr. Nevertheless, the pictures of Zenner on the blog were enough and Mario angrily fired her. 

I wonder now, is it really good form to fire someone if they complain about their job and are caught? Everybody does it, everybody knows they do it. Does blogging those complaints make them more offensive? Does the fact that Nintendo itself wasn't mentioned or that this was done outside of the workplace have any weight in the situation? Evidently not, as Nintendo fired her, but I wonder if she really, truly deserved it. Mind you, I'd never be stupid enough to insult my colleagues on a blog ... mainly because they kind of write here too. The wankers.


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36 comments | showing # 1 to 36

Kif 's Avatar
Kif at 09/29/2007 15:13
The funny thing about this is that if this woman hadn't been fired for this, no one else would probably know about it. Now that Nintendo have fired someone for bloging their heart out about their co-workers, the shitstorm is about to hit.

Also zero. I think.
Holiday's Avatar
Holiday at 09/29/2007 15:16
Putting up pictures of yourself on your blog when you're trying to remain anonymous is kinda a no-no. But you know if she wrote under an alias and never mentioned Nintendo by name then I think she can sue for wrongful dismissal. She could always say she was writing fiction based upon real events.

Anyways...If it wasn't for bloggers we never would have herd about the EA's human cruelties.
Promagnum's Avatar
Promagnum at 09/29/2007 15:18
Yes, god forbid someone has a spine.

Maybe they should incorporate what all American businesses call 'Training' - which is a 90 day process where your benefits and full payment are dangled in front of you like a carrot at the end of 90 days and you're successfully striped of any individuality what-so-ever.

Oh, wait.
Trowble's Avatar
Trowble at 09/29/2007 15:19
So would it have been known that she was employed by Nintendo if it weren't for the fact that she got fired by them? Hmmm...
Neonie's Avatar
Neonie at 09/29/2007 15:20
Quote from Nintendo: "Teh Internet is SERIUOUZ BUISNEZ bitch, GTFO if u gona Start Edrama!"
Faraday's Avatar
Faraday at 09/29/2007 15:25
There's a bit of stupidity on both sides, but I don't think she should've been fired.
timmet's Avatar
timmet at 09/29/2007 15:47
Well blogging is different than complaining to friends because the target audience is much much bigger.

Should she have been fired? Maybe given a warning for writing about internal company affairs online, but getting fired is a bit much.
whiteboy0869's Avatar
whiteboy0869 at 09/29/2007 15:48
I'm not sure she should have been fired, but she is kind of a miserable bitch. She looks miserable in the pictures, and her posts, while well written, are just plain stupid.

Not that mine are any better, mind you, but I'm talking about games. This woman is going on about politics, and seems to have no clue what she is talking about. But I digress. It's her opinion.
Putthebottledown's Avatar
Putthebottledown at 09/29/2007 15:56
I'd bang her... but I'd bang a broken glass bottle if you put lipstick on it
RoffleWaffle's Avatar
RoffleWaffle at 09/29/2007 16:00
hmm...seems like a bad decision in general...whilst I am all for people doing what they want to do as long as it doesn't hurt other people or such there will always be consequences to openly publishing/writing(not saying its right/fair/etc).
naia-the-gamer's Avatar
naia-the-gamer at 09/29/2007 16:01
Regardless of profession you have to be careful what you say online, as much as it isn't fair. I knew a kid who was complaining about a fellow classmate, and he got expelled from college. Granted I think it violates his rights to free speech, but on the other hand, this is the way things are going. Just don't mention names and keep yourself anonymous in you personal blog, or make it only accessible to certain people. Have an alias that is nothing like you. Common sense folks.
Corak's Avatar
Corak at 09/29/2007 16:03
It really depends on what kind of work environment you work in. My boss is very cool, he's a gamer, so are his kids, and when he comes to visit we talk about mostly games and what not, and no I don't work in the gaming industry. Talking smack about your job, ESPECIALLY where lots of people see it is usually a no no. It doesn't matter what you personally feel is right, negative attention drawn to your company especially in a public forum will get you the heave ho. The only exception would be if it was something illegal, but then you should be going through the authorities and not the internet. Sure it might seem harsh, but to be honest, pretty much everyone working out there can be easily replaced. Don't think for a second that if you mouthed off you couldn't get replaced by some intern who would work for school credit or 3/4 of your current salary. My previous bosses called it insubordination, and its a terminable offence at most jobs.

What she should have done was go to her boss about her issues, and if he/she was not helping go over their head, most major companies have an HR dept that can address these problems. If nothing worked and you couldn't stand it anymore, look for a new job. But no she had to open her mouth like a lot of females I know, bitch about something, and got fired for it. "Don't let the door hit ya where the good Lord split ya," is what my old boss used to say.
Corak's Avatar
Corak at 09/29/2007 16:08
You have the right to say anything you like, but what the majority of people don't think about is the reprocussions of it.

I was in a bar last year and a dude at the bar used a racial slur with his friends, and there just happened to be a guy walking past that took offence to it. Dude that said it got a broken beer bottle shoved in his face.
whiteboy0869's Avatar
whiteboy0869 at 09/29/2007 16:12
Im with you there putthebottledown, I'd hit it also. She doesn't look bad, maybe even a little crazy. Crazy women are fun in bed.

In all seriousness, the woman should have expected it. True, she didn't mention Nintendo by name, but she shouldn't have felt secure with the idea that none of her coworkers would stumble upon her blog evenutally. This is the internet we're talking about, right? I'm sure her complaints probably aren't too far off, but then again, she is a miserable bitch.
Deathsaw's Avatar
Deathsaw at 09/29/2007 16:15
Just goes to show, don't bite the hand that feeds you.
Tron Knotts's Avatar
Tron Knotts at 09/29/2007 16:19
What she did was the same as scrawling insults about her co-workers in a company bathroom stall, gluing pictures of herself next to them, and then expecting nothign to happen.

I don't think seh should have been fired, but I don't think more shit in the corprate world makes sense. I don't think looking at porn at work should be a firable offense either, but it's happened to at least one person I know.

Nintendo America, like any other company that does nothing of their own worth, probably is employed by a bunch of bitter dickheads who feel totally worthless. Those are the kinds of bosses that will fire you for no good reason.

And I'm pissed at NoA anyway because they didn't release Tingle RPG (which is awesome) or Mother 3 (shich is double awesome) in the USA.

So they should all be fired immediately.
whiteboy0869's Avatar
whiteboy0869 at 09/29/2007 16:26
Hey man, when I called Nintendo for my brother's broken DS, The guy I talked too was great. He was helpful, and very polite. He genuinely seemed happy to work there.

It was right before the Wii came out, maybe 2 months prior. I remember him telling me how him and some co-workers had spent the lunch hour playing Wii Sports, as Nintendo had just installed a few kiosks earlier in the day. Of course, he could tottally be a robot or some shit designed by Nintendo to make their customers shut the fuck up, but never the less.

Great service, and sounds like a nice place too work.
CaffeinePowered's Avatar
CaffeinePowered at 09/29/2007 16:42
Remember kiddies, when blogging complaints about your employer, always blog anonymously
atheistium's Avatar
atheistium at 09/29/2007 17:05
lolololoolololo
FuriousGeorge's Avatar
FuriousGeorge at 09/29/2007 17:13
I like this article, I picked up one thin from it:

NINTENDO, HATES BLOGGERS...
YARLY's Avatar
YARLY at 09/29/2007 17:22
It looks like the incriminating posts on her blog were deleted. Does anyone know where to find them...?
Mxyzptlk's Avatar
Mxyzptlk at 09/29/2007 18:17
She had every right to say what she wanted on her blog, and Nintendo had every right to fire her for it. Sucks for, but maybe next time she will think before she publicly insults her co-workers, "anonymously" or not. If she was careless enough to do something that let it be traced ti her, she got what was coming to her.
dprime's Avatar
dprime at 09/29/2007 19:53
She wasn't complaining about her job. She was being a slandorous bitch in a public forum. No one has the right to physically force her to stop, but if her company wants to fire her, it's their right. And it makes perfect sense.

The Internet is just a medium. Being an asshole on the Internet is no different from being an asshole verbally in real life, except you're less likely to get caught by those who matter (but not always, see: this story.)
braulio09's Avatar
braulio09 at 09/29/2007 20:25
wtf but she is hawt!
kawitchate's Avatar
kawitchate at 09/29/2007 20:37
"a stern talking to" sounds like the order of the day instead of a firing...
Kalmah's Avatar
Kalmah at 09/29/2007 20:49
Or maybe a pat to the hand... or bribe with sex.
Oni's Avatar
Oni at 09/29/2007 20:53
Keep in mind we don't know her whole history with the company. Perhaps she was on the chopping block and this was just the final touch that brought the cleaver down, so to speak.

There is a reason my Facebook profile is private. So nosy potential employers (or nosy current employers or employees) cannot go digging.

And while yeah, she is quite attractive, I'm not one to find stupidity appealing :-/
Samit Sarkar's Avatar
Samit Sarkar at 09/30/2007 00:29
Is this the Nintendo employee that Dyson, Chad, Topher, and Colette were talking about in this week’s RetroforceGO! Podcast? Nah, can’t be...that would be too much of a coincidence...
Necros's Avatar
Necros at 09/30/2007 01:02
And this is why Nintendo is extending friend codes to its employees blogs now.
JohnnyWadd's Avatar
JohnnyWadd at 09/30/2007 10:14
Not very bright of her, this kind of stuff is happening all the time now, and it happened even to me a long time ago. Lesson now learned. Oh and yes she's fucking damn hot, which usually doesn't equal brains.
Bryan-'s Avatar
Bryan- at 09/30/2007 10:19
Wait.

Females have jobs now?

Well, serves her right for having an opinion.
Jim's Avatar
Jim at 09/30/2007 11:34
While I would be careful what I post on the internet... - please don't spill your guts everytime - I don't see why this case should be reason to fire a employee.

What I can think of would be that they have a rule against insulting collegues in public... maybe?
LarkOhiya's Avatar
LarkOhiya at 09/30/2007 11:54
Wish you could fire some Cloggers for less then this.
Radius Zero's Avatar
Radius Zero at 09/30/2007 12:22
Wow she's pretty damn hot.
phamtq's Avatar
phamtq at 09/30/2007 13:32
If she decides to sue, Nintendo has the burden of proving that such actions affect her work performance. But because she only had a problem with a single employee and not Nintendo themselves, they're in for one hard fight.

The woman she commented on, however, could could sue her for libel because it effects her ability to do her job well or could potentially cause her to not obtain employment elsewhere. But this again requires that woman to prove that a regular people could tell it was her the blogger was talking about.
questworld's Avatar
questworld at 10/01/2007 03:33
I would consider it somewhat like emotional bullying, regardless of anonymity.
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