Blogging: The New Frontier For Your AUP
Building a suitable use insurance policy for blogging can be one of the tougher jobs for any company’s hr and internal security divisions to produce. Blogging is really a rapidly growing mode of communication that provides readers with material on anything from the day-to-day comments of authors, celebrities, characters on soap operas to hard-hitting news articles and columns. The expansion of blogging has given rise to a multitude of programs and tools designed to help everyone through the personal blogger to corporate users.
But wait, how does blogging affect an organization’s Acceptable Usage Policy (AUP)? In order to address blogging accurately in the AUP, you must first define what constitutes a blog. The word “blog” is actually a shortened version of “web log” which is similar to a communication board because one can post views to be read by others. Your blog post can be viewed by the public or accessible only via password depending on how the owners have set it up. Blogs offers in-depth information about specific topics or they may be a place for writers to vent their feelings, but their ultimate goal is always to bring readers together then encourage interaction most notable.
Blogging is usually a harmless and interesting approach to communicate with like-minded others but, like any unmanaged activity, the opportunity for abuse is definitely there. If the organization’s AUP addresses their Instant Messaging, Peer-to-Peer, email and other Web-based communications, they should consider blogging just as one important technology to add. Organizations decide of they really want their employees in order to read blogs or post to them as part of a standard communications policy.
What are the ramifications of no AUP where blogs are worried? The rapid growth rate of blogs in the nation means that entire services like MyFamily.com and MyPlace.com are hosting communities of bloggers. A criminal utilized data posted in most blogs to stalk and attack young high-school girls.
Employees that post their identities and knowledge to a response with a blog may influence decisions. By way of example, if an employee of a major computer corporation taken care of immediately a technical blog with advice about avoiding a new product line because of a lot of known ‘bugs’ the organization is leaving itself available to legal exposure. Corporations require employees to sign non-disclosure agreements for any reason, the threat of exposure where company confidential information and intellectual rentals are concerned may have devastating financial consequences.
That is only one example, there are numerous others. When someone severely disagrees with the content of a blog and starts what is known a ‘flame’ war with the blogger over the comments section, the organization may be held responsible for the harassment if the employee is posting the responses over the corporation’s computers. What happens on company computers, whether permissible or otherwise not, is the responsibility of the company. They’re considered legally culpable.
You will find legal and financial why you should be precise in the AUP with regards to blogging. Some corporations, although only a small percentage, employ software that screens how and where an employee can browse the web. If there are filters preventing a worker from viewing a pornographic website, then there can be filters that avoid the viewing of political or day trading investing blogs. Blogs that target financial and business issues are growing very popular every day. These blogs may be a source of entertainment and information, but it is around the corporation to determine the level of involvement an employee could possibly have.
It’s worth mentioning that anonymous guests can see most blogs, whilst they may not be able to post comments or responses. Blogs could be enormous practical information on students, educators as well as other individuals for discussion, debate as well as the sharing of experiences. However, they should be controlled and monitored. Blogs are a great marketing tool, hooking visitors in to the site through providing them with financial advice or credit building tips, as an example. The marketing a blog can provide can lead to tens of thousands of hits a day for a site. It’s also important for some companies to have their message available; blogs can put an individual face with a company that seems just to be a corporate institution. That human face can improve customer relations, invite consumer contact and increase company visibility. However, employees needs to be educated in regards to the type of information they may be allowed to post should they be allowed to respond.
Firms that maintain their particular blogs ought to be particularly attuned for the commentary they generate. Blogging is really a new frontier for that corporate world, but as with many prior innovations, these are quickly benefiting from it. Security, awareness and education may help corporations, employees and even their families from suffering negative experiences while blogging, reading blogs or addressing a blog on the Internet.
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