OT: Corporate Blog Policies

Why should the policy for blogging be different from the policy for any
other form of communication, for example mailing to xml-dev?

Michael Kay
http://www.saxonica.com/ <





From: Chiusano Joseph [mailto:chiusano_joseph (AT) bah (DOT) com]
Sent: 06 January 2006 03:53
To: xml-dev (AT) lists (DOT) xml.org
Subject: [xml-dev] T: Corporate Blog Policies


[If anyone is aware of a fairly recent XML-DEV thread on this topic, please
let me know - I did not find one through searching the archives]

Happy New Year All,

The purpose of this message is solicit thoughts/experience/advice regarding
corporate policies on blogging. I'll start from the top:

I have long thought about starting a blog, and decided that I would not do
so unless I was 100% clear on my company's policy regarding employee
blogging. I did some internal research (PR, Legal, etc.), and found out that
my company does not yet have any policy on blogging (which is not surprising
as we are primarily a consulting firm rather than a vendor).

So I have decided to write my company's blog policy - and then filter it
through Legal, PR, and various other internal resources prior to being
published.

So my general question is: What are some things that people believe should
be taken into account in such a policy? (please note that this is not the
same as asking for your own employer's policy - please do not divulge any
proprietary information here or directly to me).

For example, the following questions/considerations come to my mind:

- Should employees be encouraged/allowed to state their corporate
affiliation in their blog?
- What if an employee states a position in a "hot" area (such as SA) that -
even if unintentionally - conflicts with the corporation's message for that
area?
- What if such a position conflicts with another employee that is writing on
the same topic in their own blog? (i.e. can such things be realistically
monitored?)
- Should employees be required to place a uniform disclaimer on their blog
that states "The opinions here are of my own" etc.
- What types of "violations" (if one may use that term) can be considered so
severe that they should lead to termination of an employee?
- How does one balance between rights such freedom of speech, and the need
of a corporation to put forth a consistent, solid message?
- Any others?

Thanks so much,
Joe

Joseph Chiusano
Associate
Booz Allen Hamilton

700 13th St. NW, Suite 1100
Washington, DC 20005
: 202-508-6514
C: 202-251-0731
Visit us online@ <http://www.boozallen.com/http://www.boozallen.com