Watch Your Blogging Manners!

If your blog is a public blog (one that allows people to read it, as opposed to a private journal where you keep your personal reminders) you will be inviting people to read and comment on what you have written -- your readers will be very much like visitors in your home and you have certain expectations on how they should behave. Likewise, when you make a comment on someone else's blog you are visiting their virtual homes and should behave appropriately. This type of "blog etiquette"� is not mandatory but it is polite, expected by most bloggers and generally appreciated.

There are no hard and fast rules for blog etiquette but some good guidelines follow. You'll find that, like most things in life, common sense is the only rule you need:

Surfing through the blogs! If you are just surfing through blogs (using a blogroll or a program like BlogSoldiers or BlogClicker) you are not expected to comment or let the blogger know you have been there unless you read something that inspires you to comment.

Commenting on a blog post! If you like what you read on a blog your compliment will no doubt be appreciated by the blogger you are visiting. If, on the other hand, you have a problem with something in the post your criticism may or may not be appreciated but there is no reason not to make a polite criticism. Try to make your criticism constructive not destructive, i.e., don't be obnoxious or mean or launch a personal attack (a "flame"�); you are a visitor and you have something to say -- just say it as nicely as you can. Some bloggers totally reject any corrections or negative comments regardless of how they are presented but that's their problem, not yours.

Don't be "Anonymous"�! You will find that people comment on your posts and on others and sign themselves "Anonymous."� That practice is generally considered to be in bad taste and people who comment as "anonymous"� should be (but usually are NOT) ignored.



Expectations! Don't assume that you will get comments on every article you post in your blog; some readers will comment either negatively or positively and others will not. Also, never assume that your comment on another blog will receive a reply. Some bloggers never reply to comments on their posts others always do. Don't take it personal!

Replying to comments! When someone comments on your post (even if it's a negative comment) it is considered polite to reply to their comment by adding another comment addressed to that person, thanking them for reading and commenting; beyond that you may want to make a more lengthy response.

Don't be a stalker! If you are constantly leaving comments on a blog or asking questions that are not responded to, take the hint -- this blogger does not want to communicate -- that's his or her right. Never send an e-mail to a blogger unless you are either invited to do so or if that blogger displays his or her e-mail address on the blog.

Don't get personal! Bloggers enjoy their anonymity -- some more than others. If you are a regular visitor to a blog and have had several animated exchanges with the blogger, you might strike up a friendship that will grow into an exchange of personal information and even an off-line friendship. More than likely, however, bloggers stay "in character,"� that is to say all relationships remain online and impersonal. As a general rule, never ask for personal information -- if the other party wants you to have anything other than what is offered on the blog he or she will offer it.

If you are attacked! If you write anything at all controversial it is very likely to get "flamed." A flame is a personal attack in the form of a comment on your post that is normally emotional, rather than thoughtful, and is never constructive. If you choose to respond to a flame don't sink to the commentor's level. Use rational, well-thought-out arguments and be sure to thank the commentor for "taking the time to read and comment"� on your post. That last bit of sarcasm is sure to be frustrating to the flamer who expects you to be insulted and angry.

Give credit where it is due! Never take a block of text, a unique phrase, a picture or a graphic from another blog or from any web page and use it in your post as is, without clearly indicating where it came from. In many cases even crediting the source is not sufficient because copyrighted material is not to be used without explicit permission. Copyrighted material is protected by law and the copyright is in effect even if there is no notice that the material is copyrighted. Everything you write is also automatically copyrighted to protect you. Required reading on this subject is the article titled: "4 Basic Questions About Copyright and Weblogs"� published at About.com

http://weblogs.about.com/od/issuesanddiscussions/a/copyrightblogs.htm.