Wednesday, August 03, 2005
The etiquette of blogging
In today's Guardian there is an interesting reflection by Sarfraz Manzoor about the blogging explosion here which asks about the public/private dimension of blogging:
"So if there are going to be blog diaries I think we need a new etiquette: is it, for instance, appropriate to read someone's blog if you suspect that you are being mentioned? My friend has told me that she has written about me, but to read the blog would, I feel, be violating something private. Am I being too 20th century? Bloggers, over to you."
As a new blogger I am still trying to decide who I tell about my blog and what I write about. Who do I think my audience is? And what makes some bloggers keep going while others stop? is it about having an audience that responds?
In today's Guardian there is an interesting reflection by Sarfraz Manzoor about the blogging explosion here which asks about the public/private dimension of blogging:
"So if there are going to be blog diaries I think we need a new etiquette: is it, for instance, appropriate to read someone's blog if you suspect that you are being mentioned? My friend has told me that she has written about me, but to read the blog would, I feel, be violating something private. Am I being too 20th century? Bloggers, over to you."
As a new blogger I am still trying to decide who I tell about my blog and what I write about. Who do I think my audience is? And what makes some bloggers keep going while others stop? is it about having an audience that responds?
# posted by Mary Plain @ 12:08 pm 
Comments:
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Hmm; I think if the blog is not pass-worded then I think it should be completely fine to read; that is the point of blogging and not writing in a diary which is a book. My daughter keeps a blog which has a password. She gives the password to her friends but I think changes it if she falls out with any of them!!
I have decided that it is much easier to write my blog if I imagine who is reading; it really helps that some people have told me they read it and that people commment. But I always assume everyone might read it and therefore am careful not to mention people by name unless I know they would be OK with it. I don't slag people off unlike some people in some blgs I have read.(Having said that, I have felt a bit embarrassed about some people reading some posts, but felt the fear and did it anyway.)
Finally on this topic, although I feel that if you put something on the web, then anyone can read it, I do think if you want to use it for research you should get extra permission. So for example, for my Flickr paper (which I have just revised and sent to e learning journal), I got permission for all photos.
I have decided that it is much easier to write my blog if I imagine who is reading; it really helps that some people have told me they read it and that people commment. But I always assume everyone might read it and therefore am careful not to mention people by name unless I know they would be OK with it. I don't slag people off unlike some people in some blgs I have read.(Having said that, I have felt a bit embarrassed about some people reading some posts, but felt the fear and did it anyway.)
Finally on this topic, although I feel that if you put something on the web, then anyone can read it, I do think if you want to use it for research you should get extra permission. So for example, for my Flickr paper (which I have just revised and sent to e learning journal), I got permission for all photos.
I agree about the reseach dimension. That is a challenge for me re The Archers as I know I should contact the Beeb for permission to use extracts and probably come clean on the message board too. All a lot of hard work..
And I too think my blog is in a public space so I have to be prepared for anyone to read it.
I love the idea of your daughter changing her password as her firednships change! it is a bit like the article Clare has been working on about her young neighbour, the one we would have wanted for our journal. Ask her to let you read it!
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And I too think my blog is in a public space so I have to be prepared for anyone to read it.
I love the idea of your daughter changing her password as her firednships change! it is a bit like the article Clare has been working on about her young neighbour, the one we would have wanted for our journal. Ask her to let you read it!
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