Employer: So why exactly did you leave your last company?
Applicant: Oh, I did something online that was just way too awesome.

With a net job loss of 125,000 for the month of June, the first net loss in 2010, how many people will get to go into their next interview and respond this way. Apparently one will be able to very soon. Brian Maupin, creator of the hilarious iPhone vs. HTC EVO videos, has apparently been placed on leave from his job at Best Buy because he made something online that was just too awesome for the soul-less, big box giant to handle. So while Best Buy’s HR department uses this time to put together their case for flat-out firing Maupin lets consider how far Best Buy is missing the ball on this one.

Outside of the well noted fact that nobody would have ever associated these videos with Best Buy until after going thug on Maupin, is that this is a perfect example of Best Buy not understanding social media. In social media trying to be in too much control often ends up working against you. As the wonderful Joe Hall recently posted, being too retentive regarding social media will inevitably lead to nasty “accidents.” In the end the negative publicity generated by Maupin’s suspension will far outweigh any impact the videos would have created on their own. Social media is about rolling with the punches and using any publicity to your benefit. Consider the fact that the video’s buzz from both the initial release and the firing controversy has essentially clogged video rendering site Xtranormal’s servers for the past 48 hours all because of a 7 second plug at the end of it. A positive parody video of Maupin’s original would have surely had a fantastic effect for Best Buy.

Before we go weeping over Maupin’s fate lets be honest and realize that this guy is going to be just fine. YouTube certainly has been the downfall of its fair share of employees, but avoiding getting axed for your behavior online seems like it would be a no-brainer. For the most part though, Maupin followed all of the rules. For every Dominos prank video there is also a Scotty Iseri, who was able to leverage his firing into a better job. And the web has positioned Maupin to follow suit. The real loser here is undeniably Best Buy. Maupin’s position at Best Buy will probably be quickly filled. But, in a nation where 8.5 million jobs have been lost in the past two years, the last thing we need are wrongful terminations from one of our largest employers. Best Buy’s actions are short-sighted and ultimately in no one’s best interest.