Blog Minx

Daily Blog Tips has published a post called One Simple Blogging Rule to Keep You Out of Trouble.

Spoiler: The rule is not to say anything online that you wouldn’t say in person. It’s very good advice, even if you blog In Disguise and think no one will ever unmask you. Don’t say anything that might upset…

• Your family. Imagine if you casually aired some family skeletons online, or gave away their personal details. No more Sunday Roasts for you!

• Your friends. A few years ago I had a personal blog that I didn’t promote or attach my full name to. One day, I casually remarked on the love life of someone I knew, not mentioning her by name and never dreaming she’d read it. As it turned out, she’d been reading for months (she found the blog via another site…) and she left a comment at the bottom of the post!
  I was so embarrassed. I felt like I’d been caught gossiping over the garden fence, and in effect I had. Luckily she wasn’t too bothered, but she probably was a bit bothered and I was a bit bothered that she’d been quietly reading my blog for so long. It was awkward.

• Your colleagues. People have been fired for complaining about their jobs on their blogs. Even mentioning old jobs and employees can upset people and damage reputations.

So before hitting ‘Publish’ and running off for ice cream, ask yourself:

• Am I writing this in a bad mood/after drinking too much/simply reacting to something trivial that has been said? Save the post and walk away for a while. If in doubt, delete, delete!
• Have I invaded someone’s privacy?
• Have I written something I would never say to someone’s face? How would I feel if these remarks were written about me?
• Have I posted something that’s illegal or goes against my own ethical boundaries? Would my future children be ashamed to read what I’ve written, and disown me?

A little dramatic, perhaps, but the moral of the story is: anyone could be reading. Be yourself, but be careful.