While it may be somewhat true that everyone represents the company they work for and there is a weird connection between a blogger and their employer, Like Ben, I think this can be a good thing, or a bad thing, or a little of both. I can even see why Dave doesn’t quite get it…
For some people, ok, specifically for some bloggers who happen have careers at companies that they really like, they are likely to be ethused about the work they do, and chances are that work is a passion of theirs, and if they’re gonna write about something, they’re gonna write about their passion, which is also their field of work. Make sense? All intertwined. Probably a good thing. Of course too much enthusiasm can be bad, that’s why they tell people to curb their enthusiasm, right?
There are also people who happen to blog, and happen to have jobs (as opposed to careers) where they do their work, and it ain’t work they exactly love, but they do it, and it puts bread on the table (pumpernickel or rye) and keeps the bill collectors at away. Chance are these people will not mention work, or if they do, it’ll be very non-specific, or about how it sucks and they’ll use Blog*Spot and not use their name…
And as far as people always representing the company they work for, 24 hours a day, whether on the clock or not, I think that’s nuts. Many people I’ve talked to have the philosophy thay you do your job, and at the end of the day you go home and do whatever the heck you please (as long as it’s legal.) I mean, if some Kmart employee likes to get drunk and kinky on their off time I’m not going to boycott Kmart. (I’ve got other reasons to boycott Kmart anyway.)
To think that people have to be held to some higher standard because some company gives them a paycheck every two weeks seems goofy. We all make mistakes, on and off the job. Correct them, learn from them, do a good job, and maybe you’ll get to keep your job for another two weeks…
Is this all just a part of the web world? Do people who do not work in the internet industry deal with this? I would think they do, but maybe in a less magnified way. (I remember someone telling me they wouldn’t go to a movie theater of a small town because the owner was having an extra-marital affair. So maybe this is nothing new?)
Face it, we’re all slaves to something…. Corporate masters, our own standards, what other people think… whatever…
