Blogging about your job... and keeping your job?

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Jamie on August 7, 2009 at 12:57pm

I think the only way you can avoid being "dooced" is to be truly anonymous. No names, not even yours. No specific details.

A good example of a blog like this that deals with career is Working Girl.

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Permalink Reply by Aurora on August 7, 2009 at 1:48pm

I have a whole seperate identity for my blog -- a different email, and a different twitter in addition to completely changing people's names. Also, NEVER check your blog or update it at work-- I know it's difficult to resist the addiction, but you don't want to get tracked

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Permalink Reply by Chatterbox on September 23, 2009 at 8:57am

Good points there :)
Thanks for sharing

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Permalink Reply by Jill Pilgrim on August 7, 2009 at 4:14pm

I don't blog under my real name, I never mention my employer, my co-workers, or what field I work in, or anything related to the my field in any way at all. Oh, and I never, ever, ever, ever blog from work. I love my job, and I would never want to do anything to jeopardize it, so I just never address it. As far as the people reading my blog are concerned I don't have a job. And I've never mentioned my blog to anyone I know in a professional capacity (even friends at work).

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Permalink Reply by Writing to Reach You on August 7, 2009 at 4:39pm

I don't blog about work. I've never told anyone at work about my blog, but it wouldn't be that hard for them to find it and it's not worth the risk.

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Permalink Reply by Harper and Beatrix on August 7, 2009 at 5:18pm

i would absolutely love to blog about my job. it's a job that sounds like i made it up, a job you wish you had. but my anonymity is more important to me, and i'm afraid if someone knew what i do all day it would be far to easy to figure out exactly where i work.

so, in an opposing strategy to those previously mentioned, i blog only about very specific people and situations at work, most often direct quotations.

and i never never never go to the blog on our shared work computer.

~b

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Permalink Reply by L.L. on August 7, 2009 at 5:27pm

I blog about work related things but only vaguely - I think it's pretty hard not to - But I never give away company information and anything I write about work is usually in passing (Oh I had a bad day, I'm not getting along with my boss, etc).

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Permalink Reply by cooper on August 7, 2009 at 6:32pm

I don't blog about my work or my academic life except by way of circumspection, there is just too much at stake for me to do so. My personal life or much of it is off limits as well though over time those who have read me know things about me those doing a general pass by do not.
I also do not tend to blog or read blogs, except feeds, at work or school.

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Permalink Reply by Amy --- Just A Titch on August 10, 2009 at 2:11am

Don't tell your work friends about your blog or make it public. It's just not wise. One friend of mine at work has my blog info and that's too many for my comfort. If you want to write about work, do it anonymously, and do not tell anyone about it.

I think a good rule of thumb is to imagine that the person you are writing/venting about were to find and read your blog, how would you feel and what would the ramifications be?

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Permalink Reply by Katrina Storm on August 10, 2009 at 5:16am

I avoid getting too personal in my public blog (I also have a private one that is completely anonymous, with no connection to my name or face in which I get very personal with everything from work to sex, just without names) because you never know when it could come back to haunt you. Even if there's nothing really BAD in what you've written, you never know how some people will react to it.

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Permalink Reply by Steph on August 12, 2009 at 1:08pm

So, really there are 1 of 2 choices:
1. be totally anonymous and talk about work (might be too late for that one)
2. be open and publicize your blog but avoid talking about work entirely

It's like a Catch-22 because I want to share my blog with people that I know in real life (not just my bloggers friends) but at the same time that restricts me from talking about certain things. Like the fact that my soon to be sister in law is driving me crazy. While I blogged about that, I now have to make sure my brother and she doesn't find out about it before I get the chance to tell her that she's been driving me crazy.

I think Amy's suggestion of: What if they found your blog makes "if I wouldn't say it to that person's face, I probably shouldn't write about it" the best compromise.

Who knew blogging could be so tricky.

Thanks for all of your suggestions!

Steph
http://butwhereisthere.blogspot.com/

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Permalink Reply by Erin on August 12, 2009 at 3:02pm

I blog under my real full name, my company knows I have a blog and I occasionally blog from my work computer. But my blog is centered about my career (advertising) and I don't explicitly say my company name. If someone really wanted to find out it wouldn't be that difficult but I rarely mention specifics from my agency.

I avoid negative posts about my job although I do occasionally bitch about being overworked because those can ALWAYS come back and bite you. Even the best attempts of anonymity can be revealed and I'd hate to lose my professional contacts or my reputation through something I might have posted while frustrated or annoyed by work stuff.

If you are able to post anonymously, best of luck! I just can't hack it...or maybe I just like seeing my own name on my blog :)

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