What Not to Blog About

For many of us, a blog can be (amongst other things) a way to relieve our feelings, by writing about the things that make us mad/sad/glad.

Before the explosion of the blogging phenomenon, people used to accomplish the same thing by writing in paper diaries, but of course, hardly anyone does that nowadays, since many of us can type faster than we write, and you don’t have to spend money buying diaries or pens anymore.

But the glaring difference between a diary and a blog is that the former is private, while the latter is out there for the whole world to see. Don’t we all remember movies showing a little boy stealing the keys to his sister’s diary so he can find out who she’s currently having a crush on? Access to diaries used to be a sacrosanct privilege for the owner’s eyes alone, but blogs can be read by anyone, anywhere in the world, as long as they have an Internet connection.

And when I say anyone, I mean anyone. Your boss can read your blog. Your teacher can read your blog. Your parents can read your blog. Your boyfriend/girlfriend/husband/wife can read your blog. And as such, certain topics should definitely be off-limits when you decide to write something online that the whole world can read.

Relationship problems

I get that relationships are one of the most common sources of frustration, which people sometimes try to vent by complaining about their significant other on their blog. But bear this in mind – if you blog about how you can’t stand your wife’s nagging, she’ll probably read about it at some point or other, which will lead to more fights, putting a strain on your relationship.

Or, if you blog about the classmate you’re hoping will ask you out on a date, chances are that he’ll read your post, or someone else will read it and tell him about it. Of course, if the attraction is mutual, well and good, he’ll probably ask you out as you were hoping. But if he’s not, then you’re in for a world of embarrassment, when the rest of the class finds out why he’s trying to avoid you.

To extrapolate a little further, do not complain about your in-laws on your blog either. Your spouse, being the closest person in your life, is the most likely person to read your blog, and if he/she finds out you’ve called your mother-in-law a shameless hussy, you’re in for a huge fight. Worse, your mother-in-law might read it as well, at which point you’re well and truly screwed.

Family problems

The same principle that applies to relationship problems also applies to family problems. Parents, don’t say uncomplimentary things about your children because they will find out (given that most of them are more tech savvy than many adults could ever hope to be) and you’ll have a horrid time trying to discipline them after publicly embarrassing them. Children, don’t deride your parents online, because even if they don’t read your blog, someone else might, and that someone else could inform them, at which point you’ll be grounded and out of pocket money for a month.

Work problems

This can be sub-divided into two sections, one being about the actual work, and the other being about colleagues. And it’s not a good idea to blog about problems in either category.

If you blog that your workload is too heavy, your boss might think you’re a lazy whiner. If you blog that it’s too light, he might think that your position should be made redundant. Even something so seemingly innocent as writing that your client at ABC Company was late for your meeting today might violate some small print of your confidentiality agreement, by letting your competitor know that ABC Company is, in fact, one of your clients.

And blogging about your colleagues can be even more dangerous. I mean, imagine that your colleague Judy finds out that you said, “Judy is so lazy that she can’t even be bothered to refill the printer paper when it’s out!” If it’s not true, then you’ve just flung an unfounded accusation at your colleague, which could make your colleagues afraid they’ll be next. Even if it is true, you could still be seen as being petty or spreading malicious gossip.

The ultimate dumb thing to do, of course, is to say bad things about your boss online. Even if he is a colossal moron, he’s still the person who controls your potential salary increment/promotion/career path, so it’s never a good idea to let him know that you hate his guts.

School problems

For students, don’t complain about your classmates or teachers online. Saying bad things about your classmates could get you into trouble for cyber bullying, whether the things you said are true or not. And there have been cases when students were suspended from school for ranting about their teachers online, which you definitely don’t want happening to you.

When it comes to blogging about other people, the best thing to do is to keep in mind the Golden Rule of Blogging – don’t say about others what you don’t want them to say about you!