If you are hoping to get a job with the State Department the near future, should you post confidential government documents on your Facebook or Twitter pages? Probably not, according to a Columbia alum at the State Department. According to an e-mail from Columbia’s Office of Career Services, the alum warned students not to flaunt their use of the website WikiLeaks.
The e-mail said that the State Department employee warned against posting links to WikiLeaks documents or commenting on them on social media sites. Doing so would “call into question your ability to deal with confidential information.”
Just a heads up.
[via Runnin’ Scared]
UPDATE: Dec. 7, 12:03 a.m.
After warning students this weekend not to publicize their use of WikiLeaks, Columbia University officials have decided to retract their statement of advice, according to Runnin’ Scared. This action on the part of the University was taken in an effort to demonstrate Columbia’s commitment to freedom of expression on the student body. So, while refraining from tweeting documents from WikiLeaks may be sound career advice from the State Department, John H. Coatsworth, dean of Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs, said “Freedom of information and expression is a core value of our institution.”