What is the line between privacy of corporate information and the right to blog about them?
Some of the rules are simple: If you are an employee don't blog about your company private information like your salary, confidential company reports, identifiable customer or supplier information.
But the lines get hazy in something like this event. Apple invites people to its developer forum and then says, by the way, don't blog or talk about it. (check out the comments there...some interesting points of views).
My view is that if the rules apply for printing, presentations, sharing through non-viral means then they need to apply for bloggers also. Bloggers cannot say "Hey we're your biggest fans, so treat us differently". So if there is an expectation of conversations staying private, then that expectation has to be respected.
I also agree that Apple is missing the woods for the trees. Maybe it's part of their closely guarded culture and they're quite conscious about it. But that age is past. Now, involving your fans into the corporate decision making process and helping you co-evolve your services and products is not a sign of weakness anymore, Steve!
Good points, Gautam.
ReplyDeleteOne of the things its important for bloggers to do is let people know what is on the record and off the record. We are not reporters, but if you're running a professional blog, the people around you should know when they are going to be quoted.
Otherwise we run the risk of being the comedian who is run out of the family reunion for making fun of Aunt Eustace.
In all seriousness, without disclosure, both of when we are working with someone and when we are just being ourselves, bloggging can be a dangerous sport that limits conversation and trust rather than improving it.