Comments on: To blog or not to blog http://blog.flexnib.com/2005/09/21/to-blog-or-not-to-blog/ ... the online home of a librarian in Perth, Western Australia Wed, 07 Jan 2009 23:42:49 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2.2 By: CW http://blog.flexnib.com/2005/09/21/to-blog-or-not-to-blog/#comment-420 CW Thu, 22 Sep 2005 22:21:49 +0000 http://blog.flexnib.com/2005/09/21/to-blog-or-not-to-blog/#comment-420 cherry I can't imagine anyone being stupid enough to use the company pc to look at porn... that's just <i>asking</i> for trouble, imho!<br/><br/>hi morgan, I agree with you - if my employer told me no blogging I think I would start looking for another employer quick smart. I don't have a problem with banning blogging on work time, on work equipment, and giving out work info, but if blogging is banned, well logically this could spread to all other forms of expression as a private individual. What about writing to a newspaper? Or writing a book in your spare time? What about maintaining a personal website? Not a blog, but you could still <i>express</i> yourself...<br/><br/>israd I guess it's fair enough for a journo's employer to place some restrictions on them, but in some ways I wonder if it's just a case of journalism not keeping up with the changes technology is bringing to writing and publishing... I would have thought that allowing a journalist to write would be a good thing - practising their craft, and so on...<br/><br/>mooiness I agree. I do avoid blogging at work. I do occasionally read the comments posted here but I dont usually reply until I'm at home. That said, I'm lucky in that I've been working on the RSS/blogging/wiki/podcasting project at work so I can justify <i>reading</i> some blogs during work hours :) cherry I can’t imagine anyone being stupid enough to use the company pc to look at porn… that’s just asking for trouble, imho!

hi morgan, I agree with you - if my employer told me no blogging I think I would start looking for another employer quick smart. I don’t have a problem with banning blogging on work time, on work equipment, and giving out work info, but if blogging is banned, well logically this could spread to all other forms of expression as a private individual. What about writing to a newspaper? Or writing a book in your spare time? What about maintaining a personal website? Not a blog, but you could still express yourself…

israd I guess it’s fair enough for a journo’s employer to place some restrictions on them, but in some ways I wonder if it’s just a case of journalism not keeping up with the changes technology is bringing to writing and publishing… I would have thought that allowing a journalist to write would be a good thing - practising their craft, and so on…

mooiness I agree. I do avoid blogging at work. I do occasionally read the comments posted here but I dont usually reply until I’m at home. That said, I’m lucky in that I’ve been working on the RSS/blogging/wiki/podcasting project at work so I can justify reading some blogs during work hours :)

]]> By: mooiness http://blog.flexnib.com/2005/09/21/to-blog-or-not-to-blog/#comment-419 mooiness Thu, 22 Sep 2005 04:49:59 +0000 http://blog.flexnib.com/2005/09/21/to-blog-or-not-to-blog/#comment-419 Ok here are a few things an employer can crack down on:<br/>1. Blogging during work hours<br/>2. Blogging about your job, co-workers and the company's dealings and clients<br/><br/>But actually saying that you can't blog even when outside work hours, even when you are not blogging about work etc (ie. point 2 above), I think that's a bit draconian. There are 2 distinct examples I can think of: soldiers blogging about their operations and journalists blogging their articles. But again they are blogging about their *jobs* so the restriction is reasonable. Other than that, I don't see how they can justify it.<br/><br/>And about you doing a Homer moment, heh...I could actually picture it in my head. :P Ok here are a few things an employer can crack down on:
1. Blogging during work hours
2. Blogging about your job, co-workers and the company’s dealings and clients

But actually saying that you can’t blog even when outside work hours, even when you are not blogging about work etc (ie. point 2 above), I think that’s a bit draconian. There are 2 distinct examples I can think of: soldiers blogging about their operations and journalists blogging their articles. But again they are blogging about their *jobs* so the restriction is reasonable. Other than that, I don’t see how they can justify it.

And about you doing a Homer moment, heh…I could actually picture it in my head. :P

]]> By: Israd http://blog.flexnib.com/2005/09/21/to-blog-or-not-to-blog/#comment-418 Israd Thu, 22 Sep 2005 04:36:05 +0000 http://blog.flexnib.com/2005/09/21/to-blog-or-not-to-blog/#comment-418 I heard journalists-writers are not allowed to keep blogs. Especially those that have articles that they will publish later. I heard journalists-writers are not allowed to keep blogs. Especially those that have articles that they will publish later.

]]> By: morgan http://blog.flexnib.com/2005/09/21/to-blog-or-not-to-blog/#comment-417 morgan Thu, 22 Sep 2005 02:24:05 +0000 http://blog.flexnib.com/2005/09/21/to-blog-or-not-to-blog/#comment-417 It's one thing for an employer to say that you can't blog at work or blog about work in an identifiable manner, but it would be completely unacceptable and oppressive for an employer to ban all employee blogging done outside of work time, not using work equipment, not giving out any information which could reveal anything about the employer. There's no excuse for that - except, as you mention, if somebody worked in law enforcement or intelligence. I would refuse to work for such an employer. It's not that blogging is the most important thing in the world, but if they ban blogging, what would be next? It’s one thing for an employer to say that you can’t blog at work or blog about work in an identifiable manner, but it would be completely unacceptable and oppressive for an employer to ban all employee blogging done outside of work time, not using work equipment, not giving out any information which could reveal anything about the employer. There’s no excuse for that - except, as you mention, if somebody worked in law enforcement or intelligence. I would refuse to work for such an employer. It’s not that blogging is the most important thing in the world, but if they ban blogging, what would be next?

]]> By: cherryripe http://blog.flexnib.com/2005/09/21/to-blog-or-not-to-blog/#comment-416 cherryripe Wed, 21 Sep 2005 23:49:07 +0000 http://blog.flexnib.com/2005/09/21/to-blog-or-not-to-blog/#comment-416 Restrictions imposed on employees such as the non-blogging one that you mention don't surprise me. To me it seems like a variation on the no-porn-at-work rule. Porn is extreme, i know, but both are on the scale of what's considered inappropriate, or not a good use of company time. That said, i'd better get back to work. ;) Restrictions imposed on employees such as the non-blogging one that you mention don’t surprise me. To me it seems like a variation on the no-porn-at-work rule. Porn is extreme, i know, but both are on the scale of what’s considered inappropriate, or not a good use of company time. That said, i’d better get back to work. ;)

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