'Porno banker' resignation causes a stir

The decision by the head of the Bank of Ireland to quit after he was caught using his work PC to surf porn has sparked mixed reaction and angry debate.

Michael Soden's fondness for flesh was uncovered during routine maintenance of his PC by IT staff and he felt it left him no choice but to offer his resign, citing "personal reasons".

However, some readers who have contacted silicon.com believe the bank was foolish to accept the resignation - claiming the punishment far outweighs the 'crime'.

silicon.com reader John Stanhope wrote: "I can't believe he had to resign. I do not know much about the man, but is it really worth losing the head of a bank just because he looked at some porn sites. People should really get over things like this."

Drew Edgar, who was of a similar opinion, called it "a waste of a good man".

And while another reader, Nick Tee, agreed it was a senseless move, he stopped some way short of calling Soden a good man.

"All this shows is that the man was a fool for chucking his career down the drain for fear of a little criticism. I would have thought it far more important that he was an effective manager."

Yet despite his criticism of Soden, he identified a much wider issue. "This is absolutely ridiculous. The world has gone mad with political correctness. If every person that visited a porno site had to resign, there would be a shortage of skilled labour in the market. Who are we kidding to think we are all whiter than white."

Jim Price echoed that last sentiment. "I can't believe some of the vindictive comments on this subject. OK, the guy was breaking the rules and was caught, but can everyone in the IT department honestly say they have never strayed a little. Let he who is without sin cast the first stone."

However, the story has an interesting sub-plot and a twist that was picked up by a number of readers.

Last year Bank of Ireland outsourced a lot of its IT operations to HP - causing anger among techies and possibly a little resentment among staff if readers' conspiracy theories are anything to go by.

One anonymous reader wrote: "Well, there is irony for you, the man who masterminded the outsourcing deal with Bank of Ireland IT staff to HP. As was well documented, in general, staff were not happy about the transition. Looks like the IT department had the last laugh and the icing on the cake would be Mr Soden also instigated the policy re-write regarding internet and email usage which spelt his downfall. Poetic justice? I couldn't possibly comment."

Another anonymous reader added: "The bigger they are the harder they fall. While I agree that viewing pornography is a minor faux pas not a major crime, this was the man who wrote the rule book on internet access. No doubt he wouldn't have thought twice before dismissing any other member of staff for the same offence. In today's corporate climate, viewing pornography in the work place is a high-profile topic, with many companies taking such measures against lesser employees."

"The fact that he was CEO of the company involved only makes matter worse. He is the man who has ultimate responsibility for the company; he should be the epitome of all that the company is about, greater responsibility is part of what comes with the bigger pay packet."

Another reader, Andy Wooles, offered some practical advice on what a company should be doing to ensure it aren't the next firm to have its name dragged through the mud. Andy wrote: "This case further highlights the need to supplement company usage policies with appropriate education and training to ALL staff."

"In order for an enterprise to effectively protect itself from security breaches or possible legal action from inappropriate content, it requires a 'top-down' commitment to security. This means everyone from the CEO downwards understanding and complying with usage policies."