Uncrunched

Yahoo’s Code Of Ethics clearly prohibits things like falsifying biographical and resume information. Page 13 of that linked document, for example, urges employees to make sure that any information disclosed is clear, truthful and accurate. The legal department should be notified, it says, of any inaccuracies.

Yahoo takes this stuff seriously.

Not seriously enough to do a simple background check on an incoming CEO who fabricates a computer science degree, apparently, but seriously enough to have a really amazing “IntegrityLine” phone number and website to report violations of the code of ethics. Page 44 of the linked document:

And damn if they don’t pick that phone up on the first ring.

“Hi, I’d like to report an omission, inaccuracy or falsification in Yahoo’s business records filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Is this the right place to do that? Apparently the board of directors hired someone to be the CEO and didn’t do a background check on him and now it looks like he made up this computer science degree? I thought that might be relevant since we’re a technology company.”

“The visionary lies to himself, the liar only to others.” – Friedrich Nietzsche

Yahoo CEO Scott Thompson has lied about receiving a computer science degree. Or at any rate he’s never corrected his biographical information that includes that information, and it’s nearly impossible to believe that he simply never noticed it.

The allegation was first raised by Third Point LLC, a Yahoo shareholder, in a letter to the board of directors earlier today (embedded here).

Yahoo confirmed the accuracy of the allegation, calling it an “inadvertent error.”

I’m sure that was a fun conversation.

“Um, hey, Scott, did you just make up that part on your resume where you said you had a computer science degree? I’m only asking because our shareholders and all the press are asking, and this might make us look simultaneously dishonest and stupid if it’s true. There also might be a few lawsuits or something.”

“Oh, you did make that up? Ok. Well, I’ll just issue a statement that it was an inadvertent error for now. I’m sure this will blow over.”

“Oh! It’s nearly 5 pm. Quittin time! Good luck with all this, Scott.”

Business Insider shows how Thompson has been using this fake bio information for years. ReadWriteWeb questions how someone can go a decade without noticing that this on their resume.

They don’t.

Thompson has to go. I wouldn’t even take a phone call from that guy at this point. The kind of people who lie on their resume…those people don’t belong in Silicon Valley.

You can’t PR your way out of this, Yahoo. This is conduct unbecoming of a public company CEO, or anyone else who wants to be taken seriously.

Update: I JUST CALLED YAHOO’S 24-HOUR INTEGRITY HOTLINE