By Keith Darcé
The San Diego Union-Tribune
Published: 5/14/06
Excerpt:
The world separating Carl Durrenberger and William Swanson couldn't be wider.
Durrenberger, 29, is a chemical engineer and
market developer for Hewlett-Packard's ink jet printer division in San
Diego. Swanson, 57, is chief executive of Raytheon Co., a defense
contractor based in the Boston suburb of Waltham with annual sales of
$22 billion.
But their paths collided in a burst of national
headlines last month after Durrenberger revealed on his Web log, or
blog, that a collection of commonsensical business rules that Swanson
had long claimed as his own creation actually was penned by someone
else 62 years ago.
Raytheon's board punished Swanson for the
apparent plagiarism by freezing his salary this year and cutting his
stock award, a slap worth about $1 million.
The slip was particularly troubling because it
came from the head of one of the country's most powerful corporations,
one that is responsible for manufacturing highly secretive defense
products for the military. Questions about Swanson's integrity and
honesty could damage the credibility of his employer. ...
... Beyond being an expensive embarrassment for the
high-profile executive, Durrengerber's revelation offered yet another
example of the growing influence of cyberspace and the formidable power
that it can wield, even in the hands of an average Joe.
"Those with power and position are more
vulnerable in the Internet era," said Robert Steele, senior instructor
on media ethics at the Poynter Institute in Florida. "Their words,
thoughts and actions can easily be scrutinized by virtually anyone.
"All of us will be held accountable more quickly and easily because of the scope and reach of the Internet."
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