Tips for Bloggers

I came across an article entitled “Blog Responsibly” by Alexander M. Osias in the April 25, 2005 issue of Newsbreak Magazine (check out the news and magazine stands for it if you want to read the whole article). I just thought of sharing parts of it here so as to help all you bloggers and would-be-bloggers as you electronically scribble your musings.

So where’s the harm in writing down your view of the world and recording your experiences for posterity?

Blog authors may find themselves the targets of lawsuits if the individuals and corporations tackled in these short journal entries construe some of the content as defamatory. In addition, blog authors writing about the shortcomings of companies they work for may be fired from their jobs.

Authors sometimes forget that while they may write for a specific target audience (friends and co-workers), their sites are accessible to countless people beyond their immediate social circles.

So here’s some advice for bloggers: (I just picked out the key sentences. Get the explanations from the complete article. Find a Newsbreak Magazine.)

1. Write your blog for your target audience; edit your blog for strangers.
2. Separate objective facts from subjective speculation.
3. Be ready to correct or clarify your entries.
4. Disclose any personal biases.
5. If you have any suspicions concerning the validity of an information source, or believe that they may have cause for prejudice against another party, qualify any information imparted in your blog.

Hope we’d all be responsible bloggers.