Scoble's Corporate Weblog Manifesto

Rules to at least read and get to know better, blogging on any level means that you are claiming to be an expert in something, even if you are an expert in rambling about the iniquities of life.

People do read what you say, and they form an opinion of the company you work for, or even just you when they read your weblog/blog or other communications. If you are corporate blogging you are the window to the world, you are a direct representative of that company when you blog.

In that mind set, its important to understand the purpose of your weblog/blog and read or at least get an idea of what the rules and guidelines are.

Probably the best weblog manifesto out there. It can be found in its entirety with commentary at
19) BOGU. This means "Bend Over and Grease Up." I believe the term originated at Microsoft. It means that when a big fish comes over (like IBM, or Bill Gates) you do whatever you have to do to keep him happy. Personally, I believe in BOGU'ing for EVERYONE, not just the big fish. You never know when the janitor will go to school, get an MBA, and start a company. I've seen it happen. Translation for weblog world: treat Gnome-Girl as good as you'd treat Dave Winer or Glenn Reynolds. You never know who'll get promoted. I've learned this lesson the hard way over the years.

20) Be the authority on your product/company. You should know more about your product than anyone else alive, if you're writing a weblog about it. If there's someone alive who knows more, you damn well better have links to them (and you should send some goodies to them to thank them for being such great advocates).

Source:
I focus a lot on information security management, dysfunctional companies, and some technology that surrounds the always controversial DRM and how it works, or fails to work, or is hacked within weeks of being released. We all do our best to be the local expert, those people that people come back to and want to read. We also are going to be wrong, and following these guidelines really makes it easier in the longer run to have a good professional and purposeful blog.

Sometimes I get it wrong, some times I get it right, and there is one of the best quotes out there that pretty sums up the whole idea of blogging and corporate blogging:

If you are not getting your hand slapped at least twice a year, then you are not pushing the envelope hard enough. Anon-Unknown

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