The Responsible Blogger’s Guide to Dealing with Big Brother

The Responsible Blogger's Guide to Dealing with Big Brother "What should I be doing better with my blog?" That's one helluva question, isn't it? As someone who blogs to support a thriving business, I think about that question every day. There are a lot of answers, many of which involve sexy topics like traffic, subscribers, and getting one zillion followers on Twitter. But when's the last time you sat down and answered the question above with: "I should be paying more attention to blogging ethics." Not so sexy. But as bloggers, we have to face facts about the world we live in. It feels like an anonymous platform where we can do and say whatever we want. But 2010 has a lot in common with 1984, and Big Brother comes in some forms that George Orwell never dreamed of. You need to be aware of one very important fact that many seem to forget: You can't unGoogle anything When you launch your words into the blogosphere and social media universe, you're laying a digital footprint in concrete. That concrete is the Internet Elephant, and it never forgets. Old versions of your site are cached. Facebook privacy blunders have ugly real-world consequences. And the Library of Congress is even planning on archiving our tweets. It feels like you can't be held accountable for your rash words, but you can. Here are some tips on blogging ethics that will help keep your reputation clean. Especially if you're going to make blogging a part of your business, you need to protect your interests. Your comments policy The bottom line is, it's your blog and you have ultimate control over what gets posted in your comments section and what doesn't make the cut. Please realize that whatever policy you decide on, not everyone is going to agree with you. I personally have a "post all comments" policy, except in instances of spam or blatant self-promoting garbage that adds nothing to the conversation. I also hold all comments that include links from first-time commenters for moderation (legitimate commenters are then white-listed). Some blogs allow trash talk, some don't. Some allow profanity, some don't. Every blogger needs to figure out what to do with the trolls. It's your blog and your call. It's always smart to make your comments policy clear. My developer is working right now on coding my site so my comments policy shows up in a cool style below each post. If you become known for deleting comments just because the reader isn't a fawning yes-man, your credibility and authority will suffer. On the other hand, letting the trolls run free or allowing spam to trash up your comments won't do your reputation any favors either. Proper accreditation If you use photos in your blog posts, use legitimate sources for images. (Assuming, of course, you're not using your own images or photos.) Photos purchased from stock photo houses usually don't require photo credit, although a few do. On the other hand, images you get under a Creative Commons license do have various requirements, usually at minimum a credit to the image owner. This should go without saying, but I'll say it anyway: Don't steal other people's images or words and put them on your blog. That content doesn't belong to you. It's unethical and scummy. When you love a blog post so much that you want to send it to your readers, it is not okay to copy the post and paste it into your own blog or newsletter (even with accreditation) unless you get permission from the blogger. A better way to show your adoration is to select a handful of quotes (I prefer to stick with no more than 50-100 words) from the post and then provide a link back to the original post, with credit to the author. Understanding libel Ohhhhh — legalese! (The recovering attorney in Brian Clark will love this one.) Some bloggers make a hobby of calling people out for what they consider to be inappropriate practices, stupid decisions, or the like. Other bloggers are just plain malicious. If you're going to go down this road, get your ducks in a row first. Read up on what constitutes libel. You owe it to yourself. What you might consider "free speech" could get you into trouble, as the line between opinion and malicious intent can be a very fine one. Make sure you have a liability insurance policy in place (this is a must). If you're a member of The Author's Guild, they offer Media Liability Insurance. You can also contact your insurance agent for a general business policy, but make sure it also covers libel and slander. You are not invisible Some people imagine that the internet lets them don a Cloak of Invisibility that bestows permission to do whatever the hell they want. It's simply not true. You are responsible for your words on the web (and in life) no matter where you leave them or how anonymous you think you're being. I don't accept anonymous comments on my blog (including commenters who give fake email addresses) and here's why: it shows me you're not willing to be held accountable for your words. If you're running a blog, there are some pretty cool tools you can use to verify identity or lend at least some level of "real world" status to a commenter you might hold in question. Email address verification tools: Did you know you can check any email address to see if it's valid? Yep. And it's free and easy. I use this one on a regular basis, but a simple web search for "verify email address" can point you towards others. IP address verification: Most comment systems (Disqus, InstenseDebate, and WordPress's built-in system) display the IP address of every commenter to the moderator. I use WhoIs to verify IP addresses (I had to do this just last week for an unfortunate situation). If you continuously receive spam comments or inappropriate comments from a particular commenter, you can block an entire IP address from your blog. If you need help with this, just ping your comments system or hit up the WordPress Codex for tips on combating spam and unwanted comments. Disqus and IntenseDebate have built-in blacklist features. The best thing I can do here is to put just a bit of healthy fear into you. You're not invincible, you're not invisible, and you have a responsibility to both yourself and your audience. While you might have been looking for a more entertaining post on ethics (given my propensity for, ahem, colorful language), putting your thoughts out there on the web is serious stuff. As I said, nothing can be unGoogled. It's not like a late-night TP-ing of your least favorite junior high school science teacher's house. Drive-bys don't work online. Strong ethical guidelines can keep your brand and keep your blog shop clean. If there are other best practices I've missed, lob them into the comments section below. While we don't want to go all George Orwell, you have to remember that 1984 still applies in 2010 … and beyond (and it's not such a bad thing). About the Author: Erika Napoletano is the Head Redhead at RedheadWriting LLC, a Denver-based online strategies consultancy. Her blog, RedheadWriting, is a bastion for “unpopular thoughts and blunt advice — delivered” and consistently strives to say what others won’t (but should) about marketing, social media, business integrity, and life in general. Click here to visit the post or leave a comment.

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Copyblogger - 7 Ways the iPad Can Bring Back Your Writing Mojo

7 Ways the iPad Can Bring Back Your Writing Mojo The iPad is here. And it's here to stay. There is a sea change going on within the mobile computing industry. And despite the cool, slick look of these devices, it's not the hardware that makes them useful. It's the applications (apps). Apps are little engines of innovation driving the current (and future) trends in computing, publishing, print, and media. There are apps for everything you can imagine. In fact, the latest count shows there are more than 250,000. But did you know that there are even apps that can help you get your mojo back if you need some writing inspiration? Before you read on, note that there are some great non-mobile device tips here on Copyblogger for getting inspired to write. Ready to get your mojo back? Great, let's hit the apps. 1. Web Roulette To find some writing inspiration, take a spin on Web Roulette. This app has a number of categories (humor, blogs, technology, bizarre, comics, entertainment, art/photos, opinion, Wikipedia), which pull up random sites as you "spin" the wheel. When you sit down with this app, it's best to have a little bit of time and a way to capture your ideas as you explore. The blogs category is an obvious place to start, but consider sources like opinions and art/photos. Web Roulette gets you out of your usual reading ruts. You can check out Web Roulette here. 2. 23,000 Great Quotes HD The only way to keep your health is to eat what you don’t want, drink what you don’t like, and do what you’d rather not. ~ Mark Twain Ever read some really good quotes to give you some writing inspiration? It works. You probably won't be tempted to read all 23,000 in one sitting (unless you're on deadline, of course), but you can spend a few minutes reading others' words of wisdom with this app and see how quickly your mojo starts to creep back. This app is more than just a bunch of quotes thrown on a page. It is organized into more than 20 categories, with quotes from 7,000 authors, and you don't need an internet connection to enjoy it. Check out 23,000 Great Quotes here. 3. Popplet Sometimes a good brainstorming session is really all you need to do to get a little inspiration flowing. With the iPad, you have a ton of options, but one of the best options is a good app for some non-restrictive idea generation. Popplet is a brainstorming app that is both serious and fun. Go find a place away from distractions. Then use Popplet to visually organize your thoughts and ideas. Typical uses are for task lists, brainstorming, concept planning, and free-form idea generation. It is full of great features but the point here is to explore and spend some time using your iPad to think outside of the box for inspiration. You can check out Popplet here. 4. iThoughts HD Mindmapping is a powerful way to visually organize your thoughts, ideas, and information. It is also a great way to overcome a mojo slump and get some inspiration back. Mindmapping is different from brainstorming. With a brainstorming session you typically write ideas and thoughts without worrying about structure or form. With mindmapping, you get a little more organized and structured. Mindmaps start with a seed concept and then branch out from there. They can be used for all sorts of things from task lists to idea generation. This particular iPad app is one of the better mindmapping tools. It supports a wide range of features including varying shapes, colors, relationships, text styles, and the ability to use an external monitor. To get the most out of mindmapping, though, don't worry too much about the structure of the sample mindmaps. Just feel free to create your own structure. After all, it's your mind. Check out iThoughtsHD here. 5. MovieVault Sometimes getting your mojo back means you need to take a break from the tools and simply escape into someone else's world. Your iPad can help here too. MovieVault is an iPad app that connects you to an entire library of classic movies. For the single price of the app ($4.99) you get to watch as many classic movies as you want to. I reviewed MovieVault a few weeks ago and was amazed at the fact that I could stream these movies so quickly and easily (even over a 3G connection). But how does this help you get inspired to write? Believe it or not, escaping with a great story helps you think of your own stories. It puts you in story mode. It lets your brain take a break from your current loss of mojo and it gets your creative mind going again. It's like adding spark to a spark plug. You can check out MovieVault here. 6. Let's Create Pottery HD From the title, you might be imagining your iPad spinning around with a lump of clay. Not quite. But this app is pretty darn close without the mess. Truly an engaging experience, you can clear your mind and experience something unique. Getting back your inspiration can sometimes happen when you are willing to let go of whatever it is you are stuck on and take a different path for awhile. As it turns out, your iPad can take you down that other path. Let's Create Pottery makes use of the iPad's touch and motion sensors as it gives you a virtual lump of spinning clay in hi-res graphics and lets you create a pottery piece just as if you were sitting at a real wheel. Then you get to glaze, save it, and share it with others if you choose. Now I don't know about you, but anytime you can use your hands and mind to create, it has this additive effect on your mojo. Check out Let's Create Pottery HD here. 7. Zinio Did you know that there are hundreds of traditional print magazines that have gone digital? And your iPad can be a great way to experience them. Grab the free Zinio app and gain access to an entire newsstand of digital content from mainstream to independent print and media publications. The Zinio app is free but most of the magazines you will have to pay for before downloading. There are a few samples, however, so you see what you are getting before you buy any. Don't just read magazines in your topic — take the opportunity to explore some new subjects, new areas of interest, and new approaches you haven't seen before. Mojo loves novelty! Check out Zinio here. There you have it, seven effective ways to get your writing mojo back using the iPad. It's great that you can do all this on one single device. But remember, as Jon Morrow points out in his getting inspired to write article, sometimes it's smart to put everything down, including your iPad, and get out in the fresh air. About the Author: Shane uses his Tablet Computer Geeks blog to deliver the latest and best iPad information, including accessory reviews, app reviews, and industry updates. Follow him on twitter at tc_geeks. Click here to visit the post or leave a comment.

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Copyblogger - Discover Your Strengths and Supercharge Your Business

Discover Your Strengths and Supercharge Your Business Have you ever been kept awake until 2 in the morning having an imaginary conversation with one of your blog readers who thinks you're great and left a long comment telling you so? Or spent hours obsessively trying to figure out how to do better work, spurred by a fan letter from a customer about the terrific job you did? Or is it maybe more likely that your late-night solo conversations and obsessive problem-solving go to the trolls, the complainers, and the folks who just plain can't stand you? Don't worry. If you give an undue amount of attention to negative comments and feedback, to the extent of almost ignoring the good stuff altogether, it doesn't mean you're neurotic. It means you're exactly like the rest of us. Chip Heath and Dan Heath in their marvelous book Switch make this observation: Imagine a world in which you experienced a rush of gratitude every single time you flipped a light switch and the room lit up. Imagine a world in which after a husband forgot his wife's birthday, she gave him a big kiss and said, "For thirteen of the last fourteen years you remembered my birthday! That's wonderful!" This is not our world. But in times of change, it needs to be. Play to your strengths I've long been fascinated by the advice to those who tell us to focus on our strengths, not our weaknesses, in order to create breakthrough success. It's so appealing. You mean I don't have to learn to cold call, balance my checkbook, or know how my RSS feed works? Sign me up. But it seems like it might be contradicted by another idea that's gained a lot of attention recently: there's not really any such thing as talent. Researchers like Carol Dweck and brilliant nonfiction writers like Malcolm Gladwell tell us that what we call "talent" is really the result of a heck of a lot of hard work. What are strengths, anyway? Until recently, I never realized this was a trick question. I thought that your strengths were things you were good at, and your weaknesses were things you sucked at. But Marcus Buckingham, who's made a career out of writing about strengths, put it this way: A strength is “an activity that makes you feel strong.” It is an activity where the doing of it invigorates you. Before you do it, you find yourself instinctively looking forward to it. While you are doing it you don’t struggle to concentrate, but instead you become so immersed that time speeds up and you lose yourself in the present moment. And after you are finished doing it, you feel authentic, connected to the best parts of who you really are. Your strengths are the activities that give you the juice to put your 10,000 hours in. They're the work you love enough to become the best in the world at. I’ll give you an example I recently heard Yo-Yo Ma giving an interview about how he got started as a cellist. As it happens, Yo-Yo's parents are both musicians, and had high musical expectations for their little son. So when Yo-Yo was three, they gave the boy a violin. And Yo-Yo hated it. Wouldn't practice. Wouldn't focus. Didn't have any zest for it. His frustrated parents finally gave up in disgust. And then little Yo-Yo saw and heard something amazing, something that surprised and delighted him. Something that he knew was exactly what he wanted to play. It was a double bass — the violin's really, really big brother. Now that was more like it. He and his parents split the size difference, and Ma began to study first the viola and then settled (at four years old) on the cello. By seven he was a recognized prodigy, performing for Eisenhower and JFK, and by eight he played on national television, conducted by Leonard Bernstein. To have become so skilled between the ages of four and seven, he must have put in untold hours of practice. But they were hours spent on something he adored. One thing that interests me about Ma is that he isn't just a brilliant cellist. He isn't just world-famous and in-demand and a name brand. He also seems to be a remarkably happy and kind human being. He loves working with children. He's been married a long time to the same person. He radiates kindness and a certain goofy charm. He's got a great sense of humor, referring to himself at times as an "itinerant musician." And he's known for boundless energy. If I'm going to be a nationally-famous virtuoso, that's the kind I want to be. Build your business like Yo-Yo When you see someone busting her tail to build a business, writing tons of great content, reaching out to potential customers, speaking and podcasting and doing everything we're supposed to do to build a terrific content-based marketing program, it's easy to ask: How does anyone find the time to do all that? The truth is, it's not a time management problem — it's an energy management one. When you focus on your strengths, you do the work that gives you energy. You do the work that drives you, that makes you giggle, that keeps you up late because you're just having too much fun to stop. When you're starting out, you do everything. You build the blog site and write all the content and do the bookkeeping and answer the support emails. Some of those things build you up and some wear you down. Pay attention to which is which. As soon as you can (it could be today), find partners who are energized by the tasks that exhaust and deplete you. If you can’t find the right partner, outsource the aspects of your business that make you want to crawl back into bed. And put your time and attention on what the Heath brothers call the "bright spots" – on what's really working today. Put your time on the work that gives you juice. Do more of what's working well. Do more of what energizes and strengthens you. Do more of what your readers and customers adore. Do more of what you can do better than anyone on earth. I know it sounds too simple to be real. But it's how every genuinely great business — of any size — is built. About the Author: Sonia Simone is CMO of Copyblogger Media and founder of Remarkable Communication. Share your bright spots with her on twitter. Click here to visit the post or leave a comment.

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