Blogging and Our Social Responsibility

In my blog entry, "Blogging and Business Reputation/Brand Name Protection", I wrote that "When it comes to business controls and corporate governance, the same concepts [of brand protection] extend to blogging by individuals or even the responses that people post to blogs with a very simple, but at times elusive, goal: protecting the reputation and brand of a company".  I have just finished reading "We The Media: Grassroots Journalism By The People, For The People" by Dan Gillmor (full review will be posted tomorrow). I find that this book not only helps me clarify my view and in some cases solidify it, but also makes me more adamant that as bloggers and responders, we have an increased responsibility to make sure we are doing the right thing, chose the right words, and not allow ourselves to fall into what some might call a "groupthink" mentality of what is right, wrong and acceptable.  We need to do this not for our sake, but for the sake of our children, which should be our lasting legacy.

I struggled with this as a result of a thread that Rocky started on his blog on Friday. Rocky was not afraid to state his views on a controversial subject, but I winced as he crossed a line I have a great difficulty with: posting of a political viewpoint (and a bit of profanity as I define it:-(). To me there is great risk here to an individual or a company. But that is a discussion for another day.

What made it worse for me was when one responder talked about giving up his US Citizenship. I responded with a caution that he think through the ramifications for his children if not for him. It was later followed by responses from an individual whose use of profanity greatly concerned me and led to my response that his use of profanity in his responses and in his blog would keep him off of my blogroll. Why? Because I feel that the use of profanity has absolutely no place in a public forum, especially one that may be linked to from my web sites or blogs. It is a very simple proposition: people do not make a distinction. If you link to it, they think you are associated with it or endorse it, even if you have a disclaimer saying you do not. I say this from experience.

This brings me to the issue of our children. My children like to look at my blog and might someday be on their and click a link that takes them to a site/blog with what I consider to be unacceptable language. I challenged the writer of the profanity in this via e-mail and the following is an excerpt of that discussion:

I have young children too. I try to keep my site PG-13, but I fail
sometimes (PG-13 is pretty graphic these days, you must admit.) But I
resist going back and editing posts too much because that is dishonest
from an editorial point of view. I may be whack, but I know the
importance of integrity in whatever one does. There is no way I can
write an honest blog and keep it rated G. The reason for this is
because real life is not rated G. I am not rated G.

==>>
So what happens when your kids are at school and they and their
friends come onto the blog one way or another. That, to me, is the
scenario we all need to write to. And I will be taking Rocky to task
on that in my entry later tonite (as well as a self-analysis of the
words I used.
==>>

(My self analysis: perhaps I might have worded it differently. but would it have been interpreted any differently? I was, in my mind issuing a caution, not calling him a coward. I do not question anybody who stands by their convictions. It does not mean that I will not try to challenge them in their thinking.)

But, I don't let my kids watch PG-13 yet. A lot of what I write I
wouldn't let them read. A lot of what I read in the newspaper I wont
let them read, and a lot of what I see every day on the evening news I
don't let them see. But that is only because they are not old enough.
Eventually they are going to see and read and know about these things
and me acting like these things don't exist is doing them no favor.

==>>
The world and environment our children will live in are a legacy of
what we create for them. Just because the rest of the world does it
does not mean it is right for our children. If everyone understood and
practiced this, society as a whole would be all the better off.
==>>

When I write my review of the book, I am encourage every blogger to read it and take what is written to heart. Our roles as bloggers are taking on new dimensions and as a result, great responsibilities. When you are writing a new entry or even a response, think of your children What is the societal legacy you want to leave them?

Tom Duff, in his review of the book, writes that "If you're a serious blogger or a journalist, this should be the next book you read.  Your viewpoint of what you do "for fun" will be forever changed, and you'll have a much richer appreciation for exactly what it is you represent." He could not be more right on the mark.