Personal responsibility needed when blogging
This is a great article to share with those who are blogging. Amanda LaBonar wrote the article “Personal responsibility needed when blogging” for
the Marquette Tribune. She makes some excellent points. I am going to
make this a must-read in my workshops and in my work with students. The
entire article is excellent. Here are a few points she makes:
- Freedom of speech comes with personal responsibility.
- Everything you post represents you.
- I don’t post anything I wouldn’t be comfortable with anyone, from my parents to potential employers, viewing.
- We complain about free speech being taken away, but we are giving away our privacy without a second thought.
- I’m not bowing to the
administration or running scared that something I might post will get
me more then a slap on the wrist. I’m being realistic. These posts
reflect you, and you never know who is looking at them.
Well said, Amanda. I hope this article is read by many, both students and educators. It applies to all of us.
January 24th, 2006 at 2:36 pm
About a million years ago, when I was a brand new school psychologist, a supervisor - a woman older than time itself, who had come out of retirement to take on this new role of “special education director” - instilled these same values in me. She simply explained that I could *say* anything about anyone to her, but when I put it *in writing*…well, that became *permanent.*
I’ve tried to never forget this principle and always to check and re-check what I put “in writing.” (I am on my third re-edit of this message)
In the blogosphere, I think these principles are not often mentioned, especially to young bloggers. Many young folks may have no concept of *permanent.*
So, kudos to you for teaching what Mrs. Slipp taught me a million years ago - before computers had been invented (just kidding).
Nice job with the blog. Keep it up!
~jeb