April 13, 2005 6:06 AM

How to blog safely
Posted by Jason Butlerat 6:06 AM

The Electronic Frontier Foundation gives some useful tips on how to blog safely, focusing on ways to blog anonymously.

Let's say you want to start a blog about your terrible work environment but you don't want to risk your boss or colleagues discovering that you're writing about them. You'll want to consider how to anonymize every possible detail about your situation. And you may also want to use one of several technologies that make it hard for anyone to trace the blog back to you.

I have little respect for people who blog anonymously. Every single thing I've written for the web has been under my full name, with contact information nearby. If you can't stand behind it, don't write it.

More pragmatically, your blog is a great way to get your name and expertise out in the marketplace. Potential employers googling your name can see what you bring to the table. If you have written thoughtfully on your topic and on your industry, you have a great head start over your competitors. If you're writing as "C00LDUD3-1337," then you may lose a little cred.
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