blog etiquette

It seems like every human on the planet now has a blog. As with any other public display, there is an etiquette to having a blog that is appreciated.The first thing to remember is that this is going to be public knowledge - not just today, but for the rest of your life. There are enough scanners and archivers and printers out there that even if you take down words after one day, those words can be part of your permanent record. Things that you feel are really nifty to say at age 16 can be incredibly damaging to your professional career when you're 22 and looking for a job. This isn't a matter of censorship - it's a matter of giving mature thought to each thing you publish. You are publishing to a world audience. The world will, in fact, judge you, and not always fairly. It's a fact of life that we all have to accept. Be prepared for the consequences - and accept the responsibility - for each thing you choose to publish.This leads into a second point. Always be accurate. Lies have a way of always being discovered. A blog's reputation - and indeed a person's reputation - is built on how well it can be trusted. If one lie is found in past blogs, it can destroy all the work you've put into blogs since then. We can find numerous examples of this happening in other media situations.Use a spell checker on your content. Yes, the web is casual - but if people have trouble reading your content, they won't come back even if it's interesting. The more easy you can make your content for people to read, the more readers you will have. Every person has a different tolerance for spelling problems. You might not mind certain errors, but laugh out loud when you see others. You need to consider that some might consider your own errors in the same manner.Finally, be yourself. Speak with your own voice. Write about how you feel about the issues. There are plenty of "straight news sites" out there. There is only one you, coming from your own background and history. Share your insight and feelings on the topics you love. That will draw in people who appreciate that view and who want to hear more.