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Whether you are blogging for business or fun, I think people think that when you do blog, you spill your life history out for the world to see.
I am sure some do, but I am very careful about what I reveal about my family and personal life on my blog pages. I am starting to loosen up about putting pictures of my kids in my blog, but I admit it, it still gives me the heebie jeebies sometimes; the thought of not really knowing who is “looking.”
When you blog, like any Social Media, your information is “out there” and you just don’t always know who’s reading. Being very mindful about what I post, or don’t post, is something I try to reverently stick to. That decision is just part of the personal online boundaries that I have set for myself. It’s not right, it’s not wrong. It’s just what I choose to do.
I am also an advocate of Bloggers Behaving Nicely. I never have, and encourage others to do the same, used my blog as a platform “talk smack” or write in anger. A blog is tool of communication, not a weapon of destruction. Keep your drama to yourself.
As far as online conduct, a local filmmaker buddy named Phil Holbrook said it best when he shared his 3 key rules for blogging and Social Media:
1. be nice
2. be consistent
3. be nice
Well said, Phil.
Think of it this way; you should never blog about anything that you wouldn’t be comfortable sharing in the company newsletter or saying to someone offline face-to-face.
Then there’s the consideration for those in our “inner circle” or immediate family. Like or not, your relatives are out there noticing everything you do on social media. Lurking. WATCHING. Don’t blog about anything that would embarass or defame your family. If you need to vent, or your post has questionable content, put it in Draft and sleep on it. Once a blog post is “published” it’s also OUT THERE and early impossible to retract from social media channels.
I’d like to think that my blog has become the messenger for cool stories, strong women, and organizations that deserve the spotlight. I like the fact I can help people get their message “out there” with my little piece of virtual real estate known as a blog. Though I have moments when I’d LOVE to vent within the pages of my blog about a friend or rellie that is currently driving me NUTS (because I also know my readers would be able to relate) I don’t. I just don’t ever want to be “that person” that used the words in my blog to tear someone down.
I truly prefer to build someone UP.
How about you?
