Blogging Issues
Blogging and Privacy Issues
In the blogosphere, privacy relates to the amount of information one wishes to share with his/her following. However, there is always a carried risk in blogging that some information shared may be accessed by an audience or used for a purpose it was not intended for. There are privacy acts established in Canada, such as the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act that protects a blogger by having their personal privacy and security rights secured. Even with such privacy acts, a blogger must always be aware of the information they communicate with their audience, as it should not infringe on the rights of other people.
Blogging and Ethics
Just as ethics apply in the everyday world, they also apply in terms of the virtual world. Every blogger should be held responsible for what they write and the ways in which they communicate with their audience. There are many aspects in regards to ethics, including transparency, truth, and free speech, that both conflict with and uphold the moral principles that guide a person in the blogosphere. The conflict that exists between ethics and the blogosphere is that of free speech. Many people believe that a person should be able to blog about whatever they feel/think despite the repercussions of these actions. On the other side, people feel that bloggers should abide by a certain “code of ethics” in order to promote a constructive form of communication.
Blogging and Censorship (Free Speech)
The concepts of censorship and free speech are in essence the polar opposites in the blogosphere. Censorship, in terms of blogging, refers to the restriction of information provided to the general public, whereas free speech refers to the ability to express opinions to the public domain without restraint. Censorship and free speech can be categorized as well as being regarded differently in areas such as religion, workplace, and government. The commonality in these areas is that some people pursue boundaries be set for a blogger while others, specifically bloggers themselves, believe they should be able to exercise their rights to free speech.
Blogging and Intellectual Property
The definition of Intellectual Property ranges from the creation of literary works to artistic works, such as symbols and images. There are certain issues of plagiarism and copyright which govern the use and abuse of one’s creations, that may restrict a blogger’s attempt to claim others’ work as their own. In contrast to these policies, there are ways in which a blogger is able to use the works of another in line with fair use guidelines. In order to promote a critical environment, a blogger is able to criticize, comment on, and report on another person’s creations without infringing on copyright laws. However, there is not always a clear line that differentiates the fair use and unfair use of material; so the key rule in blogging can be: Give credit where credit is due.
Blogging and the Workplace
Blogging, in relation to the workplace, has both beneficial and detrimental effects on a workplace. A blog is a way to articulate one's viewpoints. As a beneficial tool, an expansive company or small business can use a blog as way to communicate with their clients. Since a blog is accessible by virtually anyone, the ideas and goals of a company or business can be directly conveyed to the clients in the hope of strengthening their ties and also in the hope of gaining new clients. Blogging and the workplace, on the other hand, can have detrimental effects if what is being blogged about does not seem agreeable to the workplace. People may communicate, through a blog, the issues that evolve in the workplace, thus making private issues public. Although any person is allowed to blog on whatever they feel fitting, in order to remain on the safe side, a blogger should only reveal information online that they would also reveal offline.
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