8.12.2005
Telus Idol Video
For everyone who's ending up here looking for the "Telus Idol" video that has been quietly removed from most websites, you can find a torrent of this file at Pirate Bay. If you're not familiar with this type of file sharing system, first download and install a BitTorrent client such as BitLord. Then click on "download this torrent." It's a pretty big file so it will take a while, but you'll end up with your standard .mpg file that will play normally on whatever software you usually use. (For more info on torrents, check out this Wikipedia article or the Introduction at BitTorrent.com, the original BitTorrent client.)
I've only watched the first part of the video but, in my opinion, it just looks like a lot of men and women embarrassing themselves. I don't really see how it has anything to do with the Telus strike or the ensuing scandal of Telus blocking the union's website (some interesting comments about that on this blog: Telus Plays Some Dirty, Dirty Pool). Maybe I need to watch the video all the way through to make that connection, or maybe people are just reacting to the inappropriate — but sadly normal — way that some people act at corporate retreats. I have a feeling it's simply the latter and that the furor about this video is really about some managers behaving badly in a way that is completely unrelated to the strike (and in no way unique to Telus). A feeling that's partly confirmed by reading The Video that Outrages Telus Employees.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not defending Telus (or the behaviour in the video) in any way, shape or form. My sympathies tend to fall on the union side of things. (Admitting that makes me feel somewhat hypocritical since Telus is my service provider and I have yet to consider switching. Call it the head-in-the-sand attitude, if you like.) But I think that people should stick with the real issues and not make a mountains out of mole hills. As to whether this video is a mountain or a mole hill, I'm leaning towards the latter but I'll weigh in properly once I've finished watching the damn thing.
I've only watched the first part of the video but, in my opinion, it just looks like a lot of men and women embarrassing themselves. I don't really see how it has anything to do with the Telus strike or the ensuing scandal of Telus blocking the union's website (some interesting comments about that on this blog: Telus Plays Some Dirty, Dirty Pool). Maybe I need to watch the video all the way through to make that connection, or maybe people are just reacting to the inappropriate — but sadly normal — way that some people act at corporate retreats. I have a feeling it's simply the latter and that the furor about this video is really about some managers behaving badly in a way that is completely unrelated to the strike (and in no way unique to Telus). A feeling that's partly confirmed by reading The Video that Outrages Telus Employees.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not defending Telus (or the behaviour in the video) in any way, shape or form. My sympathies tend to fall on the union side of things. (Admitting that makes me feel somewhat hypocritical since Telus is my service provider and I have yet to consider switching. Call it the head-in-the-sand attitude, if you like.) But I think that people should stick with the real issues and not make a mountains out of mole hills. As to whether this video is a mountain or a mole hill, I'm leaning towards the latter but I'll weigh in properly once I've finished watching the damn thing.
Comments:
All I know is that Telus is not happy with the attention, especially that it got from the Tyee. Telus has stopped showing the Tyee's news item "The Video that Outrages Telus Employees" in their search results. The search is powered by Yahoo, but Telus obviously gives these results a twist (censoring) since the news item can still be found through Yahoo.
Try "telus idol" and "tyee" and see for yourself:
Yahoo:
telus idol tyee
Telus:
telus idol tyee
See the difference? Try some other searches and you'll see that they deliver similar or the same results on Yahoo and Telus.
Just another type of blocking that I can't appreciate.
Try "telus idol" and "tyee" and see for yourself:
Yahoo:
telus idol tyee
Telus:
telus idol tyee
See the difference? Try some other searches and you'll see that they deliver similar or the same results on Yahoo and Telus.
Just another type of blocking that I can't appreciate.
# posted by 
: 8/20/2005 4:21 PM
: 8/20/2005 4:21 PM
Thought I could share my perspective, hope you don't mind. I work for them. I saw the partial video. There is a full version where they duct taped a female manager to a chair; however not sure why, only saw the stills. I wonder - Was it so crucial for them to cross all those ethical lines in public at a company function? Couldn't they find a better way to have fun and celebrate the company's successes? Yearly I endure an hour long e.learn on ethics (even mentions conduct in chat room and when on internet) I also have attended mandatory ethic-y workshops. I find this sooo ironic! Our execs should be leading by and setting better examples.
My main problem isn't really the lewd behavior though, I can be quite lewd myself (difference is I try to use some discretion). It is the fact it's done on the company's dime. We all work hard earning and maintaining revenue for the company; customers are forced to pay $5+ access fees just to use certain services (not including the monthly charge for the actual service). For what?? The execs to misbehave? That's fine if they want to get drunk and be belligerent; however does it have to be a company expense. In my dept, we've brought in or paid for our own decorations etc for various occasions yet the execs can waste tons of company money on this kind of crap, it's a joke! I would be fired for MUCH less.
I am done, thanks for the forum to rant.
My main problem isn't really the lewd behavior though, I can be quite lewd myself (difference is I try to use some discretion). It is the fact it's done on the company's dime. We all work hard earning and maintaining revenue for the company; customers are forced to pay $5+ access fees just to use certain services (not including the monthly charge for the actual service). For what?? The execs to misbehave? That's fine if they want to get drunk and be belligerent; however does it have to be a company expense. In my dept, we've brought in or paid for our own decorations etc for various occasions yet the execs can waste tons of company money on this kind of crap, it's a joke! I would be fired for MUCH less.
I am done, thanks for the forum to rant.
# posted by : 9/17/2005 8:26 PM
: 9/17/2005 8:26 PM
Happy to hear your perspective and provide a forum for your rant. I have been hearing quite a lot about Telus and the sometimes appalling way that they run the company. I guess I was initially looking at the video as an isolated event, but I realize now that it's just one event in a long and diverse list of how the company "values" people (as in, they don't).
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