Chapter 12: How to not get Dooced

The times they are a-changin’.

This post seems to be older than 18 years—a long time on the internet. It might be outdated.

I stole the title from How Blogs are Changing the Way Businesses Talk with Customers, a book by Shel Israel and Robert Scoble.

I think it’s a fitting title because, frankly, I don’t want to get “dooced” while working, either at Nordstrom or any future company. Over the last few weeks, I’ve been looking at various sites and talking with various people about how I should approach blogging at work. While there is no clear cut answer, I’m setting up some rules for myself that will hopefully limit by chances of getting dooced.

Don’t post comments that are defamatory, obscene (not swear words, but rather the legal definition of “obscene”), proprietary, libelous, or any confidential, proprietary, or trade secret information. Also don’t post anything related to policy, strategy, financials, products, etc.
that has not been made public.

When in doubt, reach out for PR for clarification on whether specific information has been publicly disclosed.

Always provide context and maintain communication channels, both public and private.

Be aware of the company’s PR image. They’ve spent a lot of time and money to present a unified brand image.

Don’t disturb the workplace by pissing off co-workers and bosses.

0