# AOL CEO fires exec for taking his photo during important phone call to all staffers- Right or wrong? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 11, 2013, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aol-ceo-fires-exec-for-taking-his-photo-during-important-phone-call-to-all-staffers-right-or-wrong/665949 "2013-08-11T18:30:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2013, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aol-ceo-fires-exec-for-taking-his-photo-during-important-phone-call-to-all-staffers-right-or-wrong/665949/1 "2013-08-11T18:30:49Z")
[The headline here](http://valleywag.gawker.com/im-glad-to-have-listened-to-that-a-director-at-a-com-1098401485) is obviously intended the CEO look like an uber asshole. What’s interesting is how many comments defend the CEO and say low the Creative Director must have lost his mind to be taking a phone pic of the CEO during such super-tense critical circumstances where the CEO is on the phone to effectively the while company discussing the downsizing and re-organization. Includes audio. I was all ready to consider him as the bad guy, but in the big picture the Creative Director’s behavior in snapping the pic was super inappropriate for the circumstance. If your judgment is that incredibly bad IMO you probably deserve to be fired. ---
**Author:** ![treis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bc79bd/32.png) [@treis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/treis)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2013, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aol-ceo-fires-exec-for-taking-his-photo-during-important-phone-call-to-all-staffers-right-or-wrong/665949/2 "2013-08-11T18:37:44Z")
It seems harsh, but really if you’re firing a ton of people, why not include the d-bag taking pictures in a meeting? ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2013, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aol-ceo-fires-exec-for-taking-his-photo-during-important-phone-call-to-all-staffers-right-or-wrong/665949/3 "2013-08-11T18:44:07Z")
AOL is still a thing? ---
**Author:** ![pancakes3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ba9def/32.png) [@pancakes3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pancakes3)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2013, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aol-ceo-fires-exec-for-taking-his-photo-during-important-phone-call-to-all-staffers-right-or-wrong/665949/4 "2013-08-11T19:28:14Z")
From the comments it sounded like the picture was for… a company blog update? I don’t buy that. I’m shocked that anyone thinks that taking the picture is defensible, even for a flimsy excuse as “It’s for the company blog.” ---
**Author:** ![Buffalo\_Bilious](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e99b99/32.png) [@Buffalo\_Bilious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buffalo_Bilious)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2013, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aol-ceo-fires-exec-for-taking-his-photo-during-important-phone-call-to-all-staffers-right-or-wrong/665949/5 "2013-08-11T19:35:21Z")
First-World problems. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2013, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aol-ceo-fires-exec-for-taking-his-photo-during-important-phone-call-to-all-staffers-right-or-wrong/665949/6 "2013-08-11T19:35:51Z")
It appears that Tim Armstrong fired a valuable employee in a moment of personal annoyance. And if Abel Lenz wasn’t a valuable employee, why had he risen so high in AOL? Either way, this is a sign that AOL is suffering from terrible management. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2013, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aol-ceo-fires-exec-for-taking-his-photo-during-important-phone-call-to-all-staffers-right-or-wrong/665949/7 "2013-08-11T19:41:02Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Either way, this is a sign that AOL is suffering from terrible management. Anyone who needs a sign hasn’t been paying attention to reality for the last 20 years. ---
**Author:** ![Projammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/projammer/32/559_2.png) [@Projammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Projammer)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2013, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aol-ceo-fires-exec-for-taking-his-photo-during-important-phone-call-to-all-staffers-right-or-wrong/665949/8 "2013-08-11T20:06:05Z")
When did AOL stop mailing CDs any way? I don’t remember when I actually received my last one. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2013, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aol-ceo-fires-exec-for-taking-his-photo-during-important-phone-call-to-all-staffers-right-or-wrong/665949/9 "2013-08-11T20:17:22Z")
> [@Projammer](#): > > When did AOL stop mailing CDs any way? I don’t remember when I actually received my last one. [Apparently, 2006.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Criticism_of_AOL#Direct_marketing_of_disks) ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2013, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aol-ceo-fires-exec-for-taking-his-photo-during-important-phone-call-to-all-staffers-right-or-wrong/665949/10 "2013-08-11T22:05:06Z")
> [@Buffalo\_Bilious](#): > > First-World problems. More like 1% problems. But yeah, I’m with the CEO on this one. ---
**Author:** ![Gagundathar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a183cd/32.png) [@Gagundathar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gagundathar)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2013, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aol-ceo-fires-exec-for-taking-his-photo-during-important-phone-call-to-all-staffers-right-or-wrong/665949/11 "2013-08-11T22:22:59Z")
As soon as I saw the six letters, “AOL CEO”, I was already poised to assume he was in the wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Kenm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bc79bd/32.png) [@Kenm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kenm)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2013, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aol-ceo-fires-exec-for-taking-his-photo-during-important-phone-call-to-all-staffers-right-or-wrong/665949/12 "2013-08-11T22:37:13Z")
Anyone who works for AOL needs his/her head read. I’m running out of coasters, though. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2013, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aol-ceo-fires-exec-for-taking-his-photo-during-important-phone-call-to-all-staffers-right-or-wrong/665949/13 "2013-08-12T01:04:38Z")
My first instinct would be “of course the CEO is a douchebag” but if somebody is taking pictures while the CEO discusses hundreds of layoffs and millions of dollars in cuts, then somebody pretty much deserves whatever happens next. ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_Hey\_Paula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hey\_Hey\_Paula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_Hey_Paula)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2013, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aol-ceo-fires-exec-for-taking-his-photo-during-important-phone-call-to-all-staffers-right-or-wrong/665949/14 "2013-08-12T01:10:59Z")
> [@Projammer](#): > > When did AOL stop mailing CDs any way? I don’t remember when I actually received my last one. I remember when they mailed 3.5 inch floppies…I worked in the IT department of a bank at that time, and for some reason we got a lot of them. We would happily format those discs and add them to our supply cabinet. Ah, good times. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2013, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aol-ceo-fires-exec-for-taking-his-photo-during-important-phone-call-to-all-staffers-right-or-wrong/665949/15 "2013-08-12T03:16:53Z")
The fired photog at least gets a head start on his job search in front of the CEO. AOL failed to successfully diversify. ---
**Author:** ![Aspidistra](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspidistra/32/3894_2.png) [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2013, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aol-ceo-fires-exec-for-taking-his-photo-during-important-phone-call-to-all-staffers-right-or-wrong/665949/16 "2013-08-12T03:51:14Z")
The fired employee is an idiot and the CEO is an asshole. Thank God I don’t work somewhere like that (_shudder_) ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2013, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aol-ceo-fires-exec-for-taking-his-photo-during-important-phone-call-to-all-staffers-right-or-wrong/665949/17 "2013-08-12T03:57:09Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > AOL is still a thing? They own Huffington Post. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2013, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aol-ceo-fires-exec-for-taking-his-photo-during-important-phone-call-to-all-staffers-right-or-wrong/665949/18 "2013-08-12T11:56:02Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > My first instinct would be “of course the CEO is a douchebag” but if somebody is taking pictures while the CEO discusses hundreds of layoffs and millions of dollars in cuts, then somebody pretty much deserves whatever happens next. Without the CEO being aware it was going to happen. This sort of thing works - the Creative Director says "we will stage this and take a few pictures for the blog - sort of a FDR fireside chat thing - you’ll have gravitas and look serious. One of those ‘necessary sacrifices’ sort of thing.’ This works especially well if people are getting fairly decent packages But to be distracted by someone pulling out his iPhone when you are trying to make a point - no. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2013, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aol-ceo-fires-exec-for-taking-his-photo-during-important-phone-call-to-all-staffers-right-or-wrong/665949/19 "2013-08-12T12:29:35Z")
I probably wouldn’t want my picture taken either if I were busy spinning a bunch of bullshit on the deck of a sinking ship. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2013, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aol-ceo-fires-exec-for-taking-his-photo-during-important-phone-call-to-all-staffers-right-or-wrong/665949/20 "2013-08-12T12:49:38Z")
> [@astro](#): > > I was all ready to consider him as the bad guy, but in the big picture the Creative Director’s behavior in snapping the pic was super inappropriate for the circumstance. If your judgment is that incredibly bad IMO you probably deserve to be fired. Eh, as a general rule, you should fire people in private. And even aside from that, doing it in a meeting where your announcing layoffs is a terrible idea. It makes it seem to employees like the boss is just going to spend the next week wandering around randomly firing people that happen to piss him off that day. Not to mention the fact having the recording out there is pretty crappy PR, spawning a thousand “sinking ship” comments on a thousand websites. Taking the picture was a bit gauche, but of the two, the CEO seems to be suffering from much worse judgement then the guy he fired. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aol-ceo-fires-exec-for-taking-his-photo-during-important-phone-call-to-all-staffers-right-or-wrong/665949.md?page=2)