Getting on with my life and thinking about things.
Clearswift produced a guide to the 7 Deadly Sins of Blogging. The full document can be read here, but I've summarised the main points below for those too lazy to click a link and read the additional information.
1st Deadly Sin
Thinking you’re only talking to friends
The Golden Rule of blogging: never say anything on a blog that you wouldn’t happily say in public, that you can’t substantiate or that the organization would not permit. If in doubt: take it out!
2nd Deadly Sin
Thinking your blog is personal, not an organizational matter
If you’re publishing a personal blog, make it clear on your home page that the views expressed in it are your own (and don’t mention your organization).
Whether personal or corporate, here are some of the big no-nos of blogging:
- Sharing confidential information
- Sharing business plans
- Engaging in controversial speech
- Sharing copyright-protected material
- Sharing illegal or distasteful material
3rd Deadly Sin
Linking to inappropriate material
It’s not just what you say in your blog, it’s what you link to. Linking to illegal material or inappropriate websites, videos or images is probably a breach of your policy – check it out if you’re unsure.
4th Deadly Sin
Thinking you can erase mistakes
You can’t. Once you’ve published a blog entry, it’s out there for all to copy, share, link to and discuss. Of course, you can remove a post (and you should if you have any doubts), but you never know who has already copied it, distributed it or put it in their own blog.
5th Deadly Sin
Ignoring comments to your blog entries
Your own blog entries may be completely responsible, but that doesn’t mean the people who post comments will be.
Most bloggers experience unpleasant, inappropriate comments to their posts at some time. This can include racial or sexual abuse, harassment, personal attacks and links to pornography or illegal material.
You are responsible for all comments posted on your blog. Make sure you regularly monitor all comments, remove offensive or illegal ones, block irresponsible contributors and report any serious incident.
And of course, when you comment on other people’s blogs, the same rules of professionalism and security apply as they would on your own blog.
6th Deadly Sin
Devouring resources
Simple text-based blogs are generally resource-friendly. But when you start to share recorded webcams, presentations, music, video and multimedia files, you may be eating valuable bandwidth, slowing down the network and using up storage space.
7th Deadly Sin
Leaving yourself open to virus attack
A new generation of computer viruses, worms, Trojans and ‘malware’ (malicious computer code) has risen up to exploit the opportunities presented by blogging and other Web 2.0 services.
6 comments:
What are your views on blogging/commenting with a deliberately opposing stance, usually on matters of little import, in order to stir up trouble to get exposure and better stats? Oh, and is there a proper word for it?
If the commenter is deliberately playing the "Devil's Advocate" (neach-tagair an deamhan), and it is known that they are taking that stance, then it can extend and open debate.
Otherwise it can be seen as merely stirring. The intent should be made clear. If someone else mis-interprets the intent, then clarification is required. Or should be requested of the other party.
Communication is at least a 2-way street. Posting deliberately obscure comments, and seeing what 'debate' is stirred by it is the start of trollhood. Arguing and debating points raised is free speech.
Hold on, I'll do what some people do, and add an inconsistent emoticon to the end of the post...
<:@
Point 2 - matters of little import - who is to say what is unimportant? To me, I felt yesterday that certain people were missing the point and the arguments should be over other issues (outsourcing to lands where cheap labour and poorer H&S stats go habd in hand).
If people want to argue over things like tent colours and types of tent pegs, then in the Human scale of things they are less important, but I'd never say that people shouldn't debate them.
As Humans, we sometimes feel the need to argue over the petty as we can not change the major issues. Or feel that we can not. Or are told to feel that we cannot.
Point 3 - driving up stats - if that is important to someone then they are just egocentred, or have AdSense on their blog. Or is just the opinion of the reader (jealousy? misanthropy).
Me? I don't give a stuff about stats. I'm just surprised that I've come through another day alive on this planet. Anything else is a boon when you consider how dangerous the world is.
I know of no-one on my blogroll who is a professional blogger. I'm probably the nearest to it, as I'm teaching 2 class of the little darlings about blogging, and 2 others are using them for their professional portfolios. None of which are given this address.
#%¬
"Oh, and is there a proper word for it?"
Stat-whoreing? I added StatCounter and forgot about it after about a week. I'm now away to check.
If anyone posts for purely egotistical reasons, they must surely get bored rapidly of blogging. There are so many better media formats for that, eg print. There is a whole market set up to cater for the home author - and some of them put a large effort into their work.
I've wondered about adding AdSense, but can't be bothered. If it does start appearing, then I'd do it properly and read all the advice about it. Same as if I ever moved to WordPress - spending more time and effort on getting the blogs looking just so. Each to their own.
Blogs show people's personalities more than other medium, IMO, just due to the nature of the beast. The personalities come through the work. There must be studies done on blogs by psychologist, then on the blogger. Must have been.
Some people post articles/comments and walk away from them. Some don't. Some people are focused, others aren't. Some people think that this new media will evolve new rules for communications, others think it is just chaotic gibbering.
You say black I say white
You say bark I say bite
You say shark I say hey man
Jaws was never my scene
And I don't like Star Wars
Good enough in song lyrics, but not a great way to drive up site stats. I just get bored. It is like the 'debate' on lightweight vs traditional gear. I don't care. I have my kit, other people find it more interesting, maybe cos it is their job, or they have more money to spend on kit than me. But without the discussion, people wouldn't be reaping the benefits of modern materials being used in new and innovative ways. I couldn't imagine a time when I'd ever rush out and buy a folding titanium spork, but I did.
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