Guidelines for ITS Bloggers

Table of Contents

Why Blog
Speak for Yourself
Some Unsolicited Advice

Why Blog

Blogging is increasingly becoming an important component of professional life, especially in the technology field where there are many well known bloggers and high-profile initiatives at [ http://www-03.ibm.com/developerworks/blogs/ ] IBM, [ http://blogs.sun.com/ ] Sun, [ http://devresource.hp.com/drc/blogs.jsp ] HP and [ http://www.microsoft.com/Communities/blogs/PortalHome.mspx ] Microsoft. As the University's central provider of IT and a partner for technology adoption on campus, ITS wants to support employees interested in the [ http://www.technorati.com/explore/technology ] blogging world (or " [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blogosphere ] Blogosphere") with guidelines and recommendations to encourage participation in the rapid exchange of ideas taking place within this medium.

Some ITS employees and groups already have professional blogs and you can find a growing list of these on [ http://its.unc.edu/hub/ ] The Hub. Most employees blog because they are passionate about technology and the work that they do. This, coupled with the individual personality of the author, is what makes a blog interesting to read. There are many good reasons to write a professional blog and one is [ http://www.tbray.org/ongoing/When/200x/2005/03/08/BloggingIsGood ] greater workplace recognition and networking. Another is that blogging facilitates the sharing of excitement about technological innovation with colleagues and campus customers.

Below are some simple ITS guidelines for professional blogging. These are largely based on the guidelines in use at [ http://www.snellspace.com/IBM_Blogging_Policy_and_Guidelines.pdf ] IBM and [ http://www.sun.com/aboutsun/media/blogs/policy.html ] Sun, which have become the de facto standards for workplace blogging.

Speak for Yourself

  1. Identify yourself by name and role at ITS when you blog about ITS or related matters. Make it clear that you are speaking for yourself and not on behalf of ITS. (Include a disclaimer in your blog template to emphasize the blog's unofficial status. You can also include a link to the UNC [ http://www.unc.edu/campus/aboutweb/howto/disclaimer.html ] disclaimer on personal web pages.)

  2. Blogs, wikis and other forms of online discourse are individual interactions , not official ITS communications. Employees are personally responsible for their posts. What you write in your blog will be public for a long time, so protect your own privacy.

  3. Know and follow the relevant [ http://its.unc.edu/financial/business/b-policy.html ] ITS and UNC Chapel Hill policies, such as the [ http://help.unc.edu/?id=1672 ] data network acceptable use policy and [ http://www.unc.edu/campus/aboutweb/ ] others. When in doubt, seek the advice of your manager.

  4. Don't provide ITS' or anyone else's confidential or proprietary information. Be aware of the policies that govern us as employees in positions of trust, including the [ http://www.unc.edu/hipaa/policies/Information_Security.pdf ] information security policy.

  5. If a member of the press contacts you for a story about ITS or UNC Chapel Hill, refer them to Beth Millbank, ITS public relations manager, at beth_millbank@unc.edu or 919.843.9201.

Some Unsolicited Advice

  1. Keep your blog interesting by writing what you know. There's no point in having a blog if people don't read it. Be yourself and provide worthwhile information from your own perspective.

  2. Stand up for your ideas , but don't pick fights. Correct your own mistakes, but try not to alter published posts without indicating that you have done so. If you have something negative to say, be more constructive and interesting than "XYZ is terrible".

  3. Respect your audience. When you blog, think about the effect of your words on others. Use judgment when blogging about ITS and your coworkers.

  4. Participate in the ITS community by citing, linking to and commenting on other ITS blogs. Add yourself to the ITS blog roll by sending in your name and URL through the Hub's [ http://its.unc.edu/hub/wp-content/themes/hub/feedback.php ] feedback form.

Copyright 2002-2007 The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 United States License.

Post a Comment

This form is for document feedback. If you need technical assistance, and are affiliated with UNC-Chapel Hill, please Submit a Help Request
Optional
Optional
So that we may contact you.
Do not fill out this form, this is a spam trap.
Top
University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill