Guidelines

GF's company has just provided some formal gudance on blogging. Very refreshing, and very encouraging.

Some of the points made:

• To learn: As an innovation-based company, we believe in the importance of open exchange and learning – between the company and its clients, and among the many constituents of our emerging business and societal ecosystem. The rapidly growing phenomenon of blogging and online dialogue are emerging important arenas for that kind of engagement and learning.
• Blogs, wikis and other forms of online discourse are individual interactions, not corporate communications. You are personally responsible for your posts. Be mindful that what you write will be public for a long time—protect your privacy.
• Respect copyright, fair use and financial disclosure laws.
• Don’t provide ours or another’s confidential or other proprietary information.
• Don't cite or reference clients, partners or suppliers without their approval.
• Respect your audience. Don't use ethnic slurs, personal insults, obscenity, etc., and show proper consideration for others' privacy and for topics that may be considered objectionable or inflammatory – such as politics and religion.
• Find out who else is blogging on the topic, and cite them.
• Don't pick fights, be the first to correct your own mistakes, and don't alter previous posts without indicating that you have done so.
• Try to add value. Provide worthwhile information and perspective.
• Don't forget your day job. You should make sure that blogging does not interfere with your job or commitments to customers.

This is not the complete list, and GF has edited it to maintain a degree of privacy... but GF thinks this is enlightened. GF will adhere to this perhaps with the exception of slurs against politicians and project/contract trolls !!!