Thinking about climbing on the blogging bandwagon? Worried that you're nobody until somebody reads your blog?
Blogging, also known as maintaining a weblog or online journal, is the latest trend in technology to sweep the U.S. and the world. According to blog trackers Technorati, a new blog is created every second -- the equivalent of 80,000 new blogs each day. It is this exponential surge in popularity that has swept employers and employees alike into a debate over personal expression and professional conduct in cyberspace.
Don't Get 'Dooced!'
Along with news of a sharp spike in the number of bloggers come reports of numerous professionals who have lost their jobs because of their blogs. They include a nanny whose employer didn't enjoy her Brigid Jones-esque online tales, a professor and former journalist who opined on his blog about how "incredibly hot" one of his students is, and an editorial associate at a magazine who was fired from a job before she even started.
Getting fired because of a blog has become so commonplace that it has its own slang: Getting "Dooced." The phrase "dooced" is taken from Heather Armstrong's blog dooced.com, on which she made comments about co-workers and was terminated as a result.
Bloggers Beware!
In many states, employment is at-will. This means that an employer can fire you for any reason (that doesn't violate anti-discrimination laws), at any time. At-will employment even allows employers in certain states to fire workers for smoking and for other after-hours behaviors.
Blogging is no exception to this rule.
Your political views, inflammatory statements, tales of boozy nights or intimate adventures could all potentially bring embarrassment to an employer. And an embarrassed employer is, at best, an unhappy employer or, at worst, a former employer.
If you believe keeping your blog strictly business is the answer, think again. Many bloggers have been dismissed for criticizing their employer, clients, or co-workers. At least one employee claims to have lost a job because of a blog that wasn't even critical of his employer.
Check with your human resources department for guidelines before blogging. If none exist, offer to help with their creation.
The Benefits of Blogging
Despite the perils of keeping a weblog, it can be a rewarding process, personally and professionally.
If your blog is focused around a particular issue or perspective, it can help you become known as an expert in that field or the "voice" of a certain group. A blog can also highlight your writing and/or photography abilities. And even controversial blogs can bring a certain notoriety -- along with a lucrative book-publishing contract (as in the case of the former magazine employee).
Businesses, too, are getting in on blogging, keeping company weblogs to help promote new products, raise brand awareness, and recruit new employees. Your blogging experience could help you land a gig as a corporate blogger.
Blunder-Proof Blogging
Think before you blog.
If you want your blogging efforts to produce positive results, check with your employer for policies and guidelines around blogging. Enter into a dialogue with your supervisor about it to raise awareness and let management know that you want to protect your company's reputation -- and your job.
Avoid insulting anyone, including your boss, coworkers, or clients. Do not divulge trade secrets or discuss things that are not yet public knowledge such as ad campaigns, product launches, celebrity endorsements, events, etc. Do not disclose a company's financial status. When in doubt if something is "bloggable," check it out with your boss. And, be mindful of personal details you include and how they may reflect on your employer.
Even if you're between jobs or your current employer is comfortable with your blog, keep in mind that future employers may not be.
