Web logs, or blogs, are wildly popular on the Internet, allowing individuals to maintain public journals on a variety of topics and interests. This phenomenon is viewed by many as one of the Internet's most exciting developments. Technorati, (www.technorati.com) a blog search engine, reports that it tracks an astounding 75,000 new blogs each day.
A variety of software tools and services make blog publishing easy for even the non-technical. With a reported 50,000 blog updates every hour, the enthusiasm from millions of bloggers with newfound powers of online journalists is contagious. However, bloggers must be very careful about what information they disclose. This can be tricky, since the very nature of blogging includes a high degree of self disclosure about opinions, ideas, and feelings.
According to Cyveillance, (www.cyveillance.com) the leading provider of online risk monitoring and management solutions, bloggers must resist the urge to disclose too much personal information. The blogosphere is an ideal breeding ground for online fraud, with something as innocuous as a telephone number the ideal entrée to identity theft.
In addition, bloggers writing about business or professional issues should first be sure they're well acquainted with their company's disclosure and governance rules. Today, many companies have published blogging standards and policies. Many, such as IBM for example, require bloggers to identify themselves and their role at IBM before commenting on matters related to the company. Cyveillance reports it's all too common for employees to share valuable confidential information about an employer, whether unwittingly or knowingly. These types of information leaks have serious consequences ranging from revenue losses to non-compliance problems.
Remember blogs are visible, permanent records of your participation in a public forum. And while it's great to speak your mind, be sure to think before you type.
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