Scoble’s Link Blog

http://blogtyme.com/index.php/2005/03/13/87/

Weblog: BlogTyme
Source: Anonymity Part 2
Link: http://blogtyme.com/index.php/2005/03/13/87/

Ivan responded to a post I made about anonymity. Thank you Ivan for your response and your comment.

Yes, I hate talking about myself on an “about me” page. That’s why I have a personal blog…want to know “me”, read it. I can never think of what to say on those pages and I detest writing them. But I do have an area dedicated to “me”…who I am, what my values and morals are, etc. I do have a Code of Ethics on this site making clear (in short story form) what my values are.

When I write something I know what I meant when I wrote it. That doesn’t mean you’ll come to same conclusion when you read it. I might write something that is innocent in my eyes but you might morally object to it. If you include your personal thoughts in the same space where you talk about your employer the two will be linked, simple as that. You can’t expect people to disassociate the two because the blogger made the decision to combine them.

A blogger doesn’t have to reveal where they work but if they do, they have to be realistic in the fact that people will associate the blogger with their employer. I’m not saying that’s the way it should be, that’s the way it is. If you mention your country, yes, you will be associated with that as well. The more you mention, the more your readers will associate you with.

I think a blogger should think carefully before putting up personal information – I can not stress that enough. It will come back to haunt you, it’s only a matter of time until it does. If you were wise enough to think before you pushed the “publish” button then you won’t have too much to worry about. Either way, one needs to accept responsibility for their actions (words, in this case).

The reason why morals, beliefs and identity become important is because of influence. I spoke about this before…direct or indirect influence on the reader. Here’s an excerpt on what I said:

Let’s take an example: Scoble posts often about TabletPCs. His post did not sway me but it did inform me the technology existed, along with other technology sites. From Scoble I went to Channel 9 and looked at their video series on it. Now that made an impression on me but not enough to be swayed. What swayed me that a TabletPC might be a better purchase than a laptop? The hundreds of posts after the fact from different people who had nothing to gain from posting how much they loved their TabletPC. That swayed me.

I meant what I said, Robert Scoble writing about TabletPCs is not enough to convince me to buy one. However, by speaking out it and providing an area (Channel 9) were consumers can easily find out about TabletPCs, it informs the consumer about the product so the consumer can make the decision as to whether the TabletPC is a viable solution. The average person will take it one step further and look for reviews, and that can be the determining factor on whether the consumer will go to a store and test one out. On the flip side there are some people who believe everything he says is gold, they don’t question it and will do whatever he suggests just because he suggested it. Since Robert disclosed his employer a reader can factor in any influence his employment might have on his words. If that information is hidden, it can skew things. Before anyone goes there, it’s not only Robert, this happens in all areas. How many people stopped eating beef when Oprah said she wasn’t going to eat it anymore…no matter how many years they were eating it before?

Let’s take another example: Duncan Riley has the following on his disclosure:

Personal dislikes of the Editor:
SixApart/ Mena Trott
The Blog Herald advises that the personal dislike by its editor, Duncan Riley, as a member of the MT Diaspora of 2004 against the SixApart company and its President, Mena Trott, may and does influence the reporting of this company at the Blog Herald.

I applaud him for stating this so the reader will know that his writing is not, um, neutral. See what I mean?

I don’t fault your choice, but I do think if you mix decide to disclose your employer not only will your readers associate your words with your employer - your employer will associate your words with your performance and the company if they find out about it. If your words reflect badly on the company (ie: can cost them money) chances are, you’re gone. In truth you have two issues to be concerned about, how your employer and your readers interpret your words.

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