MSN Blogging Policy (from: Buzz Marketing with Blogs)
http://feeds.feedburner.com/BuzzMarketingWithBlogs?m=48
Microsoft has a semi-informal blogging policy and Lenn Pryor (Director, Platform Evangelism) went through them at the Blog Business Summit today. These are the ideas that guide the MSN bloggers, of whom there are many.
- Above all, “Be smart.”
- Respect existing confidentiality agreements
- Don’t break news; don’t disclose confidential information
- Be cautious with third-party information
- Respect prior employers
- Identify yourself
- Be cautious in how you offer support or advice
- Speak for yourself
- Think about reactions before you post
That a company the size of Microsoft with the kind of PR problems that Microsoft has had historically can implement such an informal policy seems nothing short of miraculous to me. I would certainly not have predicted such an outcome. I think it’s an interesting lesson for other businesses considering starting a blog and that are worried about possible legal issues: It can be done without involving the lawyers in reviewing every post.