Guidelines for Bloggers
1) Support a Culture of Collaboration and Contribution
The Read/Write Web is a place that welcomes participation. As Marc Andressen, a cofounder of Netscape Communications Corporation and co-creator of Mosaic, the first widely-used Web browser, observes: "In industries where lots of people are online, blogging is the single best way to communicate and interact." Discussions shouldn’t just be unidirectional, rather they should engage and invite the larger Web community to participate. Consider having multiple authors on your blog, and enable comments. Try thinking of it as part of a massively connected peer-review process.
2) The Great Debate: Anonymous v. Attributed Comments
There is no good answer or guideline here. We recommend erring on the side of anonymity as people may find conflict between responsibilities to employer and professional beliefs when responding to posts. If in moderating comments, you see a trend towards disregard for others, you may want to request people log in to leave comments.
3) Content Over Form – Overthrowing Our Culture of Perfection
Blogs are meant for quick formulation and dissemination of ideas, not perfectly published prose. You don’t need to have a perfect article, just a topic to discuss. Still, be responsible. Use appropriate grammar and punctuation. Spell check. But be kind when you see others who may have missed a comma or two.
4) Always Have a Way To Disseminate & Publicize
The “If you build it, they will come” philosophy works well, but only if your blog is accessible. Create a visible link to your blog's RSS feed (an XML format for sharing content among different Websites) and provide email subscription features to alert your readers when you’ve updated content. Publicize your blog by adding it to your favorite social networking sites (Digg, LISWiki, etc.) as well as through traditional means.
5) Original Content v. Link Dumping
In Marc Andressen’s “11 lessons I learned about blogging so far,” he states, “It is totally clear that original content is what generates readership, at least for most bloggers.” Link dumping (posting a list of links in a blog entry) is a quick way to communicate what’s of interest to the blogger, but keep in mind, people come to your blog to hear something more – your perspective! Great content is the best publicity for your blog.
6) Don’t Say Anything You Don’t Want Others To Know.
The blogosphere is a public domain. If it’s on the Web, it’s discoverable. When you are adding to the dialogue on to the latest hot topic, remember to double-check and triple-check your post for tone, content, and civility. As Tim O'Reilly observes in his call for a blogging code of conduct, “Don’t say anything you wouldn’t say in person.”
7) Civil Disagreement Is OK. Be Kind. Don’t Troll/Cyberbully.
Variety is the spice of life. While people have a multitude of opinions, having a blog is not a license for bad behavior. Cyberbullies (aka trolls) attack and love creating controversy. Constructive communication leaves room for discussion, but leaves personal issues out. Write about topics, not personality conflicts. If you find yourself on the receiving end, address the issue privately with the person before taking it to a public level.
8) Respect Legal Boundaries . . . Especially Copyright
Freedom of Speech is a guaranteed right that applies to the realms of the blogosphere as well. However, general legal principles that apply to the rest of the media world also apply to blogs. It is still important to attribute your source, when applicable, and be aware of laws that can affect you in the virtual world. The main legal liability issues in blogging include: fair use, defamation, intellectual property (copyright/trademark), trade secrets, right of publicity, publication of private facts, and intrusion into seclusion. The Electronic Frontier Foundation has a legal guide for bloggers available at: http://www.eff.org/bloggers/lg/.
Sources:
The Read/Write Web is a place that welcomes participation. As Marc Andressen, a cofounder of Netscape Communications Corporation and co-creator of Mosaic, the first widely-used Web browser, observes: "In industries where lots of people are online, blogging is the single best way to communicate and interact." Discussions shouldn’t just be unidirectional, rather they should engage and invite the larger Web community to participate. Consider having multiple authors on your blog, and enable comments. Try thinking of it as part of a massively connected peer-review process.
2) The Great Debate: Anonymous v. Attributed Comments
There is no good answer or guideline here. We recommend erring on the side of anonymity as people may find conflict between responsibilities to employer and professional beliefs when responding to posts. If in moderating comments, you see a trend towards disregard for others, you may want to request people log in to leave comments.
3) Content Over Form – Overthrowing Our Culture of Perfection
Blogs are meant for quick formulation and dissemination of ideas, not perfectly published prose. You don’t need to have a perfect article, just a topic to discuss. Still, be responsible. Use appropriate grammar and punctuation. Spell check. But be kind when you see others who may have missed a comma or two.
4) Always Have a Way To Disseminate & Publicize
The “If you build it, they will come” philosophy works well, but only if your blog is accessible. Create a visible link to your blog's RSS feed (an XML format for sharing content among different Websites) and provide email subscription features to alert your readers when you’ve updated content. Publicize your blog by adding it to your favorite social networking sites (Digg, LISWiki, etc.) as well as through traditional means.
5) Original Content v. Link Dumping
In Marc Andressen’s “11 lessons I learned about blogging so far,” he states, “It is totally clear that original content is what generates readership, at least for most bloggers.” Link dumping (posting a list of links in a blog entry) is a quick way to communicate what’s of interest to the blogger, but keep in mind, people come to your blog to hear something more – your perspective! Great content is the best publicity for your blog.
6) Don’t Say Anything You Don’t Want Others To Know.
The blogosphere is a public domain. If it’s on the Web, it’s discoverable. When you are adding to the dialogue on to the latest hot topic, remember to double-check and triple-check your post for tone, content, and civility. As Tim O'Reilly observes in his call for a blogging code of conduct, “Don’t say anything you wouldn’t say in person.”
7) Civil Disagreement Is OK. Be Kind. Don’t Troll/Cyberbully.
Variety is the spice of life. While people have a multitude of opinions, having a blog is not a license for bad behavior. Cyberbullies (aka trolls) attack and love creating controversy. Constructive communication leaves room for discussion, but leaves personal issues out. Write about topics, not personality conflicts. If you find yourself on the receiving end, address the issue privately with the person before taking it to a public level.
8) Respect Legal Boundaries . . . Especially Copyright
Freedom of Speech is a guaranteed right that applies to the realms of the blogosphere as well. However, general legal principles that apply to the rest of the media world also apply to blogs. It is still important to attribute your source, when applicable, and be aware of laws that can affect you in the virtual world. The main legal liability issues in blogging include: fair use, defamation, intellectual property (copyright/trademark), trade secrets, right of publicity, publication of private facts, and intrusion into seclusion. The Electronic Frontier Foundation has a legal guide for bloggers available at: http://www.eff.org/bloggers/lg/.
Sources:
- Tim O’Reilly’s call for a blogging code of conduct: http://radar.oreilly.com/archives/2007/03/call_for_a_blog_1.html
- BBC article on the same: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6502643.stm
- Wiki on it: http://blogging.wikia.com/wiki/Blogger's_Code_of_Conduct
- Marc Andressen's 11 lessons I learned about blogging so far: http://blog.pmarca.com/2007/07/eleven-lessons-.html
- 12 important U.S. laws every blogger should know: http://www.avivadirectory.com/blogger-law/
- EFF's Legal Guide for Bloggers: http://www.eff.org/bloggers/lg/