& XSLT [If anyone is aware of a fairly recent XML-DEV thread on this topic,
please let me know - I did not find one through searching the archives]
 
Happy New Year All,
 
The purpose of this message is solicit thoughts/experience/advice
regarding corporate policies on blogging. I'll start from the top:
 
I have long thought about starting a blog, and decided that I would not
do so unless I was 100% clear on my company's policy regarding employee
blogging. I did some internal research (PR, Legal, etc.), and found out
that my company does not yet have any policy on blogging (which is not
surprising as we are primarily a consulting firm rather than a vendor). 
 
So I have decided to write my company's blog policy - and then filter it
through Legal, PR, and various other internal resources prior to being
published.
 
So my general question is: What are some things that people believe
should be taken into account in such a policy? (please note that this is
not the same as asking for your own employer's policy - please do not
divulge any proprietary information here or directly to me). 
 
For example, the following questions/considerations come to my mind:
 
- Should employees be encouraged/allowed to state their corporate
affiliation in their blog?
- What if an employee states a position in a "hot" area (such as SOA)
that - even if unintentionally - conflicts with the corporation's
message for that area?
- What if such a position conflicts with another employee that is
writing on the same topic in their own blog? (i.e. can such things be
realistically monitored?)
- Should employees be required to place a uniform disclaimer on their
blog that states "The opinions here are of my own..." etc.
- What types of "violations" (if one may use that term) can be
considered so severe that they should lead to termination of an
employee?
- How does one balance between rights such freedom of speech, and the
need of a corporation to put forth a consistent, solid message?
- Any others?
 
Thanks so much,
Joe
 
Joseph Chiusano
Associate
Booz Allen Hamilton
 
700 13th St. NW, Suite 1100
Washington, DC 20005
O: 202-508-6514  
C: 202-251-0731
Visit us online@ http://www.boozallen.com <http://www.boozallen.com/>