Blogging, privacy and crossing the line

Just a few thoughts I've had over the last couple of days…

Blogs should definitely be about our opinions. Much as we (or at least I) maybe unable to form a cogent argument most of the time, the discursive element of blogs is one of the most interesting aspects of the medium. But frankly, I'm bored when I stumble upon a blog which is nothing more than a string of confessions and emotional outpourings. Now, I'm well aware how successful some blogs like this have been… I need only mention Belle du Jour (which I found really boring: I must be jaded or something). I suppose it is interesting to read about someone's experiences if they lead a life completely different to your own, but with the internet you just never know how true these 'confessions' really are.

It should go without saying that blogs shouldn't delve too far into personal or confidential issues, especially where other people are involved. I was shocked to read a journal recently where a former colleague was openly discussing future comings and goings within the project, before anything was confirmed, and without making any effort to disguise who she was talking about. Fair warning: you can get into a lot of trouble for that but besides, it's incredibly rude. We have always to remember that posting to a blog is a form of publishing: you are publishing every word to the entire world. It's unfair to publish details of confidential conversations on a blog unless you feel there's a genuine reason why people would benefit by reading it. Also, it's an infringement of the other party's privacy - something they may very well not like. In a nutshell: if you cannot resist the urge to publish some gossip from work on your journal, then at least make an effort to change names. It's not fair to publish confidential information about people, revealing their names, without any warning. Not that she's ever really worried about that, but there you go.

There is an old argument against what I've said that goes something like "If you don't want to read it, go somewhere else." but that's not good enough. If you don't want people to read it, don't publish it.

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July 26, 2005 | Filed Under Politics 

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