The Dangers of Blogging

Blogging may be the answer to an employee’s need to occasionally let off some steam but doing so about one’s employer may have some unwanted consequences.  Words can have different meanings to different people such that a personal entry about a dismal workday may be interpreted in a totally different way.  Thus, it is in the best interest of employees to understand the employment law and their employer’s view with regards to blogs.

Some organizations have the right culture that allows blogging to take place with the least of disruptions and enhance online conversations.  Firms that encourage employee blogs are primarily sold on the idea on the premise that it provides a human face for the company.  This face presents a marketing value that may be hard to match.

Bloggers should remember that blogging is like speaking aloud in a crowded public place.  When a sensitive content is posted on a blog, it is not enough to revise or remove it because contents get cached on the web.  Going beyond the legal boundaries of cyberspeech may present problems such as lawsuits.  There are those that choose anonymous blogging since they consider it a much safer practice in terms of job security.  This may not be quite accurate in some situations where it is very easy to determine the people who are privy to certain information.

Company weblogs have become a sort of liberalized public relations.  Various companies have already reaped the benefits of having them while there are those that are still unsure of what to do with them.  Companies would do well to communicate more broadly in a more human and compelling voice and that is what company weblogs do.