Scott Rosenberg: "On the Web but off the record" does not compute

March 13 2005

Scott Rosenberg, Salon's managing editor, takes me to task for this week's "not-for-quote-by-press" comment:

When you post something on a public weblog, you're posting it to the open Web, which is to say, you are making it public to anyone who follows a link to it. ...
But, um, Ed, you've posted words on the Web that are readable by hundreds of millions of people. I'm afraid the cat's out of the bag. If a reporter (or anyone) wants to quote you, you can't say, "Sorry, that was off the record." If you don't want to be quoted, post your comment in a private forum!
OK, so this is fair and interesting criticism.  

Here's what I was trying to do.  Many high profile bloggers explicitly disclaim their postings as "not necesarily the views of their employer".  Maybe I should have stuck with that line -- "not necessarily the view of IBM; if you want IBM's official position, please contact Text100 etc."

By writing it the way I did, what I was trying to convey was that my perspective was still shaping, and that out of respect for the ongoing relationships that exist, I'd prefer not to have that posting quoted.  There are plenty of times that I speak to or get e-mails from reporters and they provide information as background or even rumor... and then ask me not to blog it.  While I truly can't stop anyone from quoting the blog, the phrase was meant to convey the same kind of give-and-take...here's my thoughts, I'd like to get them out there, but there's more thought coming and rather than let this in some way be taken as IBM's policy, let's be interactive.

IBM is actually working on a formal blogging policy for employees right now; I've got a to-do on the weekend list to visit the wiki where it's being shaped and formed to offer perspective.  Maybe one element should be to have a form of "press policy" like Scoble does.

Ed Brill Highland Park, IL USA Category:  Blogging  Add/View Comments [10]

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  1. 1  tonyo  | 3/13/2005 9:51:14 AM

    but this blog isn't an "offical" IBM blog. You post your opinions and beliefs ( that might not be IBM's) -

    it will be interesting to hear IBMs policy on an employee's blog - what happens if an employee does blog about something the company wants to comment on - and possibily disagrees later. or would a standard disclaimer be enough?

  1. 2  Chris Whisonant http://cwhisonant.blogspot.com | 3/14/2005 7:18:46 AM

    Gotta love reporters... Why can't they just leave things alone and accept that the statement you made wasn't official and you don't want to have it quoted as your final statement on the matter. We know they want to write a story about it quoting you. However, if your "official" position may change they would not want to revise their story to correct it.

  1. 3  Axel Janssen  | 3/14/2005 7:58:53 AM

    I'll never in my life understand all this buyaka-buyaka around this "Ray Ozzi (spelling?) is now Microsoft employee".

    This man had left Lotus/IBM 10 years (or so) ago.

    After that Mr. Ozzi was involved in the creation of a comercially unsuccesfull p2p product called Groove.

    Now he works for microsoft.

    All this buyaka-buyaka is the last evidence for my old theory that blogging clearly shows that the IT industry lives in kind of an intelectual middle age (or earlier), where mythic leaders are seen more important than reasonable arguments and thinking of a fresh mind.

    :-)

  1. 4  Ben Rose http://blog.jaffacake.net | 3/14/2005 11:35:50 AM

    Axel, according to the BBC...

    "Mr Ozzie, 49, created Lotus Notes for IBM in the 1980s, the first messaging application to achieve widespread sales. "

    My take on that... { Link }

  1. 5  Joe Buck  | 3/14/2005 2:36:38 PM

    We have a First Amendment in this country; if you post something on the web, reporters or anyone else can write that you posted it to the web. A unilateral statement that something is "off the record" doesn't bind anyone.

    But IBM's policy might change, you say. Yes, it may. But that doesn't mean that reporters should be forced to write that Oceania has <i>always</i> been at war with Eastasia.

    If you want to communicate that something is a personal, non-official view any you think that change is likely, say so. And don't write anything in a blog that you wouldn't want to see on the front page of the leading publication that covers your industry (or the NY Times, for that matter).

  1. 6  Ben Poole http://www.benpoole.com | 3/14/2005 4:18:23 PM

    Well, that (@5) told you, eh Ed! ;o)

  1. 7  Lis Riba http://www.ribarambles.org | 3/16/2005 7:32:46 AM

    I'm trying to work with *my* employer to construct a weblog policy. Any chance you could send me more on what IBM is working out (or post about it when IBM finishes their policy).

    Lis (ex-Lota, 1991-2002)

  1. 8  dr2chase  | 3/16/2005 10:50:45 PM

    My policy, ever since the Steve Boursy / Thinking Machines / Rent Control fiasco over ten years ago (SB claimed that TMC employee netnews comments on a rent control proposition constituted corporate support of a political issue, because they used their TMC accounts to post), has been that I pay for my account, I pay for my web site, I pay for my internet connection, I pay foir my computer, and I DON'T TALK ABOUT WORK on my blog, or in comments, or even in email. I don't know who is reading it, it's too permanent, and I clearly put thought into it. It's not like some overheard comment in a bar, where I can blame the beer, blame the acoustics, or claim that someone was taking remarks out of context.

    Buying your own stuff used to be more expensive than it is now, but computers have become relatively cheap.

    Unclear what happens when my posted political opinions vary wildly from my employers, but that's an entirely different beast from what is being discussed here.

  1. 9  Paul Hinrichs http://blogs.salon.com/0001444 | 3/18/2005 8:11:42 PM

    "IBM is actually working on a formal blogging policy for employees right now"

    I suppose they/we have to. I've been an IBMer for 12 years and a blogger for 2 1/2 years, studiously avoiding any interaction between the two except when traveling. Even though I'm about to leave the deep blue waters for Lenovo, I've always felt that the Bussiness Conduct Guidelines and general rules for dealing with media were sufficient to set the tone for what I write. I fear that IBM has become caught up in the blogging phenonomen to the point of regarding it as something completely new. It isn't and a new set of guidelines is not necessary at all. A blog is just another opportunity to communicate the sort of things you shouldn't and a new set of rules is just another button to click - saying you read them when you didn't (really who has time for that?)

  1. 10  Ed Brill www.edbrill.com | 3/18/2005 8:54:02 PM

    Paul, I just sent you internal e-mail within IBM with a link to the wiki where the policy is in development. I think you'll find the policy to be rather enlightened -- using the BCG as its framework, just adding texture that applies to the blogging/online world of 2005.