Mar | 24 | 2008

A Blogger’s Responsibility

Posted by BloggurlNeedzRehab as Community Building, Editorials, Opinion, Tips, Writing

One of the greatest things that the Internet has brought to writers is that they had been given the freedom to express themselves, sans the strictures and the censorship that editors can bring them. But there are downsides to this freedom, too. Because anyone can very well say anything to the general public, and a lot of people tend to take everything at face value, the Internet had, at some point, needed some cleanup.

While it would definitely take a discerning eye to watch out for truth vs. fiction on the Internet, there are days when I actually want to tear down some sites, because they present misleading and even downright erroneous information.

That is why, as a blogger, you have the responsibility to present facts from reputable sources. If you are making sales copy and your ad campaign is blog-based, then you have the bigger responsibility of actually marketing your client’s products in a manner that does not depart from what the actual product can really offer.

When customers identify a product as having been overly advertised, or the claims were, as academics term it, “overarching,” the fever created for the product would eventually die down. What results is a lot of disappointed men and women who cannot believe that they fell for false advertising.

This may sound so grim-reaper-ish, but as a consumer, I would like to be told the truth in the things that I buy. Back in the days of that Polynesian fruit Noni, and the miraculous health benefits that it claimed it brings people, I was wondering where the catch was, and when the fad would die. True enough, it wasn’t even three years before the Noni fruit fever died down and so many duped individuals realized they just drank down hundreds of dollars.

This, then, emphasizes the fact that as a blogger, you are talking about something you are passionate about. Someone, somewhere would happen by your post, and that someone, when he or she has seen the confidence with which you talk about your subject, would then take your posts as a matter of fact. And when he or she believes you, you would then be accountable for what your reader has done with the information. Whether or not you believe that you have a responsibility as a blogger, you cannot deny the fact that blogging is now the new source of news. And when you fully grasp your responsibility, I know you would strive to be more excellent, and to confirm your facts, as you report them.

3 Responses

Denise Punger
25|Mar|2008

I’d like some suggestions for how to handle blog comments I get that suggest a competing product (in response to my educational post about a product or servicr I carry) or how to do it or make it yourself. Or complain about cost. The people posting are people that I know and have rapport with, they think they are being helpful. In response to one comment I responded what it would entail to make it and its nice to have other young mom business already perect it. That didn’t feel right. I recieved another comment then suggesting a website to get the pattern. I am inclined to delete the posts. What are your thoughts?
Guru
30|Mar|2008

If it is a regular reader/commenter I wouldn’t delete the post. If it is a visitor that seems to be simply pitching his/her preferred product then it would be fine to delete the post. I think you handled it right when you explained the work it would entail to “do-it-yourself”. State your reason(s) for your preference. You can also just ignore it but make sure that you delete any links (not the comment just the link) to the competing product.
Denise Punger
30|Mar|2008

I decided to delete the distracting comments. It didn’t feel right to have distractions to all my hard work.

I’d appreciate it if you would delete this and the above. If you would like to “quote” me anonymously in a new post at the top if you think other readers would be interested in this topic, that would be better. I’d actually like more input than this without my readers identifying me.

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