Weblogs or Blogs as they are more commonly referred to, have become extremely popular in the last several years. So popular in fact that many large businesses are letting some employees post Blogs on their corporate websites. While many businesses are jumping on the Blog bandwagon for use as a creative marketing technique; a few businesses have fired employees for what they posted on a Blog. These businesses accuse the employees of allegedly disclosing trade secrets, proprietary information, and making statements that showed the employer in a bad light.
First it may be important here to explain what exactly a Blog is. A Weblog or Blog is a website not unlike a diary that people post their ideas, views, daily events and opinions on. These Blogs in most cases are able to be viewed by anyone with access to the internet. It is for this reason that you may want to consider a Blog policy for your business.
Blogs have even become a part of the underground news media, especially since the last election in the United States. They are even getting the attention of the large global news media that now on occasion report on what the bloggers are saying. The point is, like it or not, it appears Blogs are here to stay.
The best thing a business can do to protect themselves and the interest of the employee is to create a Blog policy for all employees. This policy should include specific topics that employees should not mention within the Blogs on a business website. Employers should also have policies for people that have their own weblog that they control and run themselves as well. It is essential that these policies be created so that there will be no confusion as to what the employer deems as inappropriate for its employees to post on the Internet. This policy will also protect the employer from possible future lawsuits that may arise from the publishing of Weblogs as well.
If you are considering implementing a Blog policy for your business, please be sure to consult with an attorney as to what exactly you should place in your policy. This policy should include any topics that the employer deems as inappropriate, proprietary, secretive and in conjunction with any confidentiality agreements and "blackout periods".
People who choose to blog on their own personal Weblogs should be sure in the very least that they include some type of disclaimer on the Website that is easily visible to all of the people who visit your Website. The disclaimer does not have to appear on every page of your Website but, should be displayed in such a way as to be seen by the people who visit, such as on the home page or the about me page. The disclaimer should say something along the lines of:
The views expressed on this site or Weblog are mine alone and are not necessarily that of my employers.
Along with this make every effort not to disclose information that would violate any confidentiality clause of your employer. Also take the time to review this clause if you have one before you post to avoid any confusion as to what this clause states.
The use of a Blog policy by businesses will go a long way to prevent any problems on either side of the issue if and when one should arise because the policy will clearly define what cannot be posted on Weblog. Happy Blogging!
© Keith Erwood, Dynamic Network Technologies, 2005 All Rights Reserved
Keith Erwood is the head consultant and owner of Dynamic Network Technologies, a computer consulting and services business in New York City. Visit us at http://www.dynamicnetworktechnologies.net
There are many advantages of running a blog, on top... Read More
I've been searching the Internet for blogging sites for a... Read More
"RSS" stands for Really Simple Syndication. RSS is a standard... Read More
Blogs are an unbelievable way to achieve success on the... Read More
I am not one to have New Year's resolutions, but... Read More
I was sitting in my local Internet Cafe yesterday, I... Read More
Gain Massive Exposure For Your ServiceGet your web site listed... Read More
Choosing the right blog software for your new blog requires... Read More
Since the recent rise in interest in RSS there has... Read More
You can make it easier for your visitors to subscribe... Read More
I've spent months answering questions from marketers about blogs and... Read More
Has Google finally embraced RSS with their new XML powered... Read More
Long have I been proclaiming the effectiveness of RSS as... Read More
If Howard Dean's failed political campaign accomplished anything, I would... Read More
For some it's just a fun thing to do, while... Read More
RSS and Blogs are the topics of the moment. Seems... Read More
Below are the top 9 reasons why companies should blog.1.... Read More
RSS gets 100% of your content delivered, but it's no... Read More
A blog is an online journal in which the author... Read More
You have created a blog and your blog is dedicated... Read More
The new hot commodity is a blog for your small... Read More
My previous two articles "What is RSS and Why use... Read More
In case you haven't heard, the net is buzzing with... Read More
If there is a downside to blogging, I have yet... Read More
Blogs can be described in many definitions and they are... Read More
A merchant I was talking to the other day asked... Read More
RSS feeds have made it so convenient to gather current... Read More
The most boring part of getting traffic to a website... Read More
The US Navy blogs. Larry Kudlow of CNBC blogs. I'd... Read More
I have been a blogger since September 2004 but only... Read More
RSS (it stands for Really Simple Syndication, among other things)... Read More
Many of my small business clients ask me: "What is... Read More
Everybody is talking about blogs. They are everywhere: on the... Read More
Blogging is all the rage. With these 10 Simple Steps... Read More
RSS feeds seem to be the breakout technology for the... Read More
An RSS news feed can be used to communicate with... Read More
I put off starting a blog for a long time... Read More
Mainstream media has become a single-minded authority on how we... Read More
Blogs as an online promotional strategy if done right could... Read More
It has been established that having a 'blog' helps your... Read More
It seems like Blogs are everywhere these days. You can't... Read More
Flush out the writer in children. Blogging could draw out... Read More
Though the answer is in a book I wrote this... Read More
Blogs Are the NEW Secret Weapon for Reaching Your Tarket.... Read More
While there is a lot of debate about blogs replacing... Read More
If Howard Dean's failed political campaign accomplished anything, I would... Read More
So you have heard about the blogs or you are... Read More
A blog is a frequent, online publication of comments, web... Read More
RSS(Real Simple Syndication) is the newest form of content syndication... Read More
Quick question... do you publish 'Articles' on a regular basis?I'm... Read More
You can make it easier for your visitors to subscribe... Read More
RSS streamlines communication between publishers and readers. Since RSS has... Read More
A blog is short for weblog, which simply means a... Read More
If you've been under a rock for the last year... Read More
The real potential of RSS lies in Broadcasting.In former times,... Read More
This article is designed to teach you how to profit... Read More
A blog is a simple tool which all affiliate marketers... Read More
Many marketers were very excited when forum and newsletter discussion... Read More
Writing a blog can be fun and exciting, but it... Read More
Have you been following the explosion of RSS -- Really... Read More
We all know that in the world of online internet... Read More
Niche marketing is an old and very successful marketing strategy... Read More
There are nowhere near the amount of webmasters using RSS... Read More
Most webmasters and online business owners know that a blog... Read More
Marketers are constantly asking if RSS marketing works and if... Read More
Blogging is a time consuming process. It involves... Read More
Blogging, RSS & Feeds |