On Writing on the Internet (Blogging)

"Some writers confuse authenticity, which they ought always to aim at, with originality, which they should never bother about."

- W.H. Auden

Everyone blogs for different reasons. One of the bad things about blogging is that there is a fine line between “just enough” and “too much” when you’re writing about your personal life — it’s hard to know exactly what that line is when you’re trying to write authentically. How much is too much? You gotta rely on your gut — the most scandalous thing I’ll do on here is swear and lately, share my anti-Food Babe stance. For some people though, over-sharing works for them their brand. Like Penelope Trunk.

How does one blog about their personal life in a way that doesn’t affect their professional life? My solution for this has always been to separate the two, thinking them as different “brand personalities” so I can organize these “voices”: my personal instagram (@ j_anniewang) is a mix of personal and work so it’s connected to everything. F&F things have its own social media accounts (@ fritesandfries) and things related to my professional life have their own handles. But just because these things are separated, it doesn’t mean that I won’t be cautious about the things I write. That would be stupid.

Things to think about:

• Does your workplace have a blogging policy?
  
• When is it acceptable for an employer to reprimand or terminate you from your job because of your blog content (personal, not professional)?
  
• Can a disclaimer really save/protect you from employers reprimanding or firing you from your job? (Answer: No, not really.)
  
• Do you read your co-worker’s/employee’s/employer’s personal blog?