ZYBen
Well-Known Member
As most of you know, I am employed at the Darling Downs Zoo, and have been an active member of this forum for the last 1525 days (!), and for the past couple of years, a ZooChat moderator.
As you read my posts you may have gathered, even though I am employed by a zoo, I am still free to maintain and pursue my own opinions and interests on the forum. This is supported and encouraged by my employer, who is also on here, forum member Steve Robinson.
Unfortunately this is not the case for many forum members who work in Zoos, a number of these members have contacted me, both privately and publicly about this. I won’t name names; these members know who they are.
Many Zoo’s make their staff sign privacy agreements, some even a new one for every different section of the zoo they work in! I understand that these are to protect the zoo from misinformation being published, and in turn the staff from and flow on effects of this.
I for one would never sign one that is effectively a ‘Shut Up’ order, I would be more than happy to sign something saying that I cannot make statements on behalf of the zoo, but if someone asks me if our Silver Spotted Dodos are breeding, I would tell them exactly the same as I would tell the public, is they approached me at the zoo. Some members can’t even say this!
We (most of us) live in a society of free speech, and I wont be losing this anytime soon.
What I find absolutely repulsive is the way that some organisations monitor this forum, and use it against their staff. I know of one member who was clearly told “we know you post on there (ZooChat) and are watching”. If you can’t trust the person, why employ them!
This forum is one of (if not) the largest Zoo Enthusiast forums on the World Wide Web, and I won’t stand for people trying to use it just to put down, harass and bully people.
We have a great base of members, from Zoo Groupies (that term Patrick used all those years ago!) to Zoo Directors, Keepers, even the Circus People! Everyone is entitled to use this forum to its full advantage, to ask those questions they want answered!
https://www.zoochat.com/community/posts/252579
As you read my posts you may have gathered, even though I am employed by a zoo, I am still free to maintain and pursue my own opinions and interests on the forum. This is supported and encouraged by my employer, who is also on here, forum member Steve Robinson.
Unfortunately this is not the case for many forum members who work in Zoos, a number of these members have contacted me, both privately and publicly about this. I won’t name names; these members know who they are.
Many Zoo’s make their staff sign privacy agreements, some even a new one for every different section of the zoo they work in! I understand that these are to protect the zoo from misinformation being published, and in turn the staff from and flow on effects of this.
I for one would never sign one that is effectively a ‘Shut Up’ order, I would be more than happy to sign something saying that I cannot make statements on behalf of the zoo, but if someone asks me if our Silver Spotted Dodos are breeding, I would tell them exactly the same as I would tell the public, is they approached me at the zoo. Some members can’t even say this!
We (most of us) live in a society of free speech, and I wont be losing this anytime soon.
What I find absolutely repulsive is the way that some organisations monitor this forum, and use it against their staff. I know of one member who was clearly told “we know you post on there (ZooChat) and are watching”. If you can’t trust the person, why employ them!
This forum is one of (if not) the largest Zoo Enthusiast forums on the World Wide Web, and I won’t stand for people trying to use it just to put down, harass and bully people.
We have a great base of members, from Zoo Groupies (that term Patrick used all those years ago!) to Zoo Directors, Keepers, even the Circus People! Everyone is entitled to use this forum to its full advantage, to ask those questions they want answered!
https://www.zoochat.com/community/posts/252579
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