Some 8 million people write blogs, often chronicling real experie...
Some 8 million people write blogs, often chronicling real experiences, including frustration at work, off-hours escapades or even off-color content. Those rants could land employees in hot water, attorney Robin Bond said Fri. For example, 27 Auto Club of…
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Cal. employees were fired for blogs they posted on MySpace.com. Their blogs addressed co-workers’ sexual orientation and weight and other topics the employer deems out of bounds, Bond said. “Don’t be deceived by the sense of anonymity the Internet fosters,” she said: “Writing a blog is the online equivalent of publishing your opinions in the local paper -- laws of libel, slander and defamation of character do apply.” She had tips: (1) Don’t tell company secrets; non-disclosure contracts apply to the blogosphere. (2) Use a disclaimer that makes it clear that opinions stated are the blogger’s own. (3) Don’t name names -- identifying or defaming people in blogs could cause problems. (4) Use good judgment and common sense; blogs are a public forum.