Code of ethics. To quote Captain Barbossa and the other pirates, “it’s really more of guidelines.” A code of ethics in blogging is no different. There are no actual rules. There is no group of police officers who will come and arrest you or throw you in jail for not following them. But they are important. Following these “rules” will not only keep you out of trouble, but will get bloggers to respect your blog, work and ideas. Here are some of the rules and ethics I found most popular, or stood out in some other way.
Link to things in your blog. It will make your post more credible. Anyone can spew out some random information about something. But if you say something and include a link to where you found that information or used the information to form your opinion, readers will realize where you’re coming from. That tells people that you are not just on a rant, but that you are using real, proven information.
Don’t give out personal information. Go ahead, rant about your boss or spouse or the lousy day you had. But make sure it can’t get traced back to you. Use an alias, and don’t use personal or company names. In today’s world, everything is traceable. Anything can be a clue, and some people know how to find what they need.
Following that, be respectful. Feel free to express your opinion. But don’t say that anyone who doesn’t agree with you is a bad person. Don’t curse others out or use threats. That scares people and is cause for alarm. Also, don’t be stupid! If you are privileged enough to know secret information, DON’T GIVE IT AWAY!! That’s just common sense.
As far as blogs for work, make sure you say that the opinions or views that you mention or try to prove are YOUR views, not the company’s. If you say something about a rival company or maybe a politician or disaster, many people will get upset. You might get in trouble or fired, and your company might face legal issues.
These are some of the sites that used these and other policies:
Groove networks: http://www.ozzie.net/blog/2002/08/24.html
Sarasota Herald Tribune: http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?Category=BLOG0104
The Corporate Weblog Manifesto: http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?Category=BLOG0104
Comments (2)
I agree with all of your points. Another important one is to be accountable. If you break one of the rules above, you need to be able to take ownership for it. Responsibility is important.
Posted by Steven Dodge | September 24, 2007 10:54 AM
Posted on September 24, 2007 10:54
I really enjoyed your post, especially how informal it was. Beginning with a quote from Pirates of the Caribbean was a nice segway into the world of corporate blogging policies. Your analysis was easy to read yet very informative. I have to agree though, blogging policies are pretty much based on common sense.
Posted by Tim Nary | October 3, 2007 12:30 PM
Posted on October 3, 2007 12:30