Thursday, October 9, 2008

Lesson learned in Blogging



In this Internet era, nowadays we can read, watch, post, upload, download whatever we want and whatever we don't even have a slightest idea of such things do exist in this world. In another way, the world is getting closer to our lap with just clicks away.

Above is the excerpt of one blog posting that had its 2-days fame before it ends its reign due to massive protests. Why such a massive protest you may ask. It looks like just an ordinary bitching session done in someone's blog as lots of other people has done in their blogs. The only different is that it's done using real name and using real time basis. So, basically the person was just bitching about his colleague on what had happened in the office. But, the person that he's bitching about is his senior and he's just 'the new guy on the cubicle' in that office. Internet, being thinner than the office's walls, soon made the postings reach the whole office's e-mail chain, gossip grapevine or whatever methods they name it. And within the day, the comment trails turned to nasty ones until the posting finally got deleted.

Why such a commotion? Does this mean that people cannot express their opinion in their own blog? Does it mean that the person who posted that posting was deprived on his freedom of speech?

Off course people have the right to speak their mind, let alone comment whatever they want. It's a free-speech era, especially in the Internet nowadays. However, the questions are: Are they ethical? Are they against company's policies, especially if you're working (FYI, companies do have Internet policies)? Are they offensive to particular person/group/nation? These questions will always linger around every single Internet postings and it become more and more in the spotlights as people starts to question how free is the free-speech, what is the limit of ethical/unethical.

Let's go back to our example above. Things may not get out of hand should he did the bitching using alias or using lots of analogy. It might not be as offensive if it's done with light humour or written nicely and with positive attitude. That's why companies pay so much money for the Public Relation / Corporate Communication division. In this case, the blogger might regret his decision to write this posting after the hurdle, but he should think more thoroughly before even make the decision to write.
Lessons learned from this mishapped. One must always remember, what you write in your blog can be read by the whole world. That's why Internet websites start with www. So, there's always a chance that your boss or whoever that you spite on your blog will read it. One also must always note that when you're in the workforce group, you're expected to act professional on or off office hours. So, don't think that you're out there then you can do whatever you want, it's not that simple. Next, one must never assume that people are ignorant or oblivious. We're human. We will get offensive/angry/disappointed if we see something that we don't like or if somebody attacks us, and we will launch a counter attack with with our might. That's normal, it's human nature. So next time you hit your keyboard, think further rather than 'just for fun' mode. The world is not that simple and ain't life's a bitch! *wink*

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oh well hope he learn his lesson, otherwise it might best to leave the Company :).

Anonymous said...

this is a good lesson learnt (for us, not sure about that writer) and shared as well in cyberspace.

whatever that we choose to over the net have have its repercussion, maybe not today or tomorrow, but the day after tomorrow.

i guess blogging can be fun or dangerous, table is turned on you the moment you become reckless...