NSBR: Blog & Work Annoyance...

[hz80408]

(Sorry I've had a few NSBR recently!); but since so many of you blog, and obviously you're all in the internet, I'd like some input.

Through work I decided to volunteer for an organization (during my freetime; but the org connection was initially through work). I posted something about the experience on my blog. One of the org admin's commented on my blog, requesting a follow up post to how the volunteering went. Weird, but I'm not surprised based on the # of views the post was getting. Plus I linked the org's webpage on my blog.

Yesterday at lunch with an HR girlfriend in my company, she mentioned the org admin emailed my company's HR a link to my blog bc she was so excited about the initial feedback I gave. Although my blog has never mentioned my full name or my company, I do have pictures so HR was able to distinguish me at the blog author.

I know it's my fault that I put the info out there, but at the same timed I'm so annoyed that now my company knows the blog exists (I've never said anything bad about them but have posted general venting about work as well as possibilities of moving etc, something you generally wouldn't want HR to know...). Now I'm just so uncomfortable with the whole situation; although I could be over-reacting (am I?)

I've drafted up an email to admin org, simply to state why I'm considering not posting a follow up, but then I don't want to get into a tangled mess. Can I email admin? Or just don't post about org anymore and also stop posting anything personal, like moving considerations etc, in case HR does read it; or would be able to go back to blog?

(and thanks for reading as this got lengthy)

Drafted email:

Dear admin,

I recently posted about my initial experience with ORG on my blog. I was happy to do so, as an anonymous poster (as my blog does not have my full name or my employer listed in any of the posts or information I share). While I do realize that posting a blog is my decision to put information out into the internet world, I post in such a way as to keep the personal information/association off of my blog. I was recently told by a coworker that a link to my blog was forwarded to my employer. My employer was easily able to identify me as the author of the blog.

I’ve never posted anything bad on the blog about my employer and have no reason to. However now I feel very uncomfortable that my employer is aware of the blog, simply because I wish to keep work separate from anything I do outside of work. I understand your excitement to give feedback to our company that their volunteers are enjoying helping your organization, but now I am hesitant to post a follow up to my experience with my job seeker as I don’t want my company to continuously be referred to my blog. In fact, I’m considering ending the blog completely or at a minimum reevaluating the types of posts and information I do share.

While I understand you’re eager for a follow up post, please consider the position I am in. I have not decide if I’ll move forward with another ORG post at this time but I felt it necessary to reach out to you and explain why.

Thank you.

[315bride]

Honestly, unless it is a work-related blog, I would be very wary about your employer knowing about it. Bad, bad things can happen. The Internet is like the wild west sometimes.

I recently had a friend that wrote something about work on her blog. She didn't think anyone important read it. Not only did her client read it, it got republished on some website and created a bit of a situation. She was fired from that job and had to apologize profusely just to save face.

I don't what you should do of it you should write the email or not. Is there anyway that you can change your blog?

[NachoProblem]

I agree with Mav - if you send an email, it will be forwarded throughout the company. And I'd just take it down. Sorry

[sannice1979]

Mav gave good advice. I've blogged for numerous companies and designed blogs for a side biz as well. Remove all references to the organization and start a new blog. OR, you can make your current one private w/login only. You can import all of your other posts back in to your new blog very easily.

[busybodyk]

Aug 7, 2012 9:43:07 GMT -5 @mavjen said:

Actually I would speak to the person and not have anything in writing, like an email.

I agree with this. If this were me, I would do a follow up post as requested, especially if I think it would be favorable to the organization. I would also remove the personal information already on the blog and move it to a new place.

[hz80408]

Thanks for the input. I agree that I DON'T want my company to have knowledge or access of the of the blog, regardless of how much personal information is in it.

Perhaps I'm better off not contacting the org admin at all? Essentially the root cause for my contact would be just to hint that I'm annoyed at her actions; but since I put the information out there, it really was "fair game".

Mav- I use blogger; do you know if they're set up to be able to switch over posts to a new blog account by chance? eta: I found the export option. Thanks for that insight

[sannice1979]

Yes, you can export from one Blogger blog to another.

[hz80408]

Aug 7, 2012 11:09:20 GMT -5 sannice1979 said:

Yes, you can export from one Blogger blog to another.

Thanks, is there any way to do this without having to download the blog to a computer first?


Also-would you ladies contact the org admin who sent blog link to my HR? Or just leave it?

[amandasw]

Aug 7, 2012 11:52:39 GMT -5 @mavjen said:

I don't know, it depends on whether you want a future relationship with the organization. I would be pissed with her for not running it by you first before contacting your employer's HR dept. It could have been nipped in the bud and you wouldn't have to go through the trouble now of redoing your blog.

If you need or want to say something, I would call her and say that for privacy reasons, you are terminating your blog. That's it, don't get into why or whatever. Keep it short and sweet, then get off the phone ASAP.

this. I wouldn't be able to not say something, I would be pretty ticked they did that. Plus, isn't it just common sense that most 'personal' bloggers wouldn't want their employer reading it?

[bluesecrets]

I completely understand your frustations. It seems like common sense to me that personal blogs and work should not be mingled. Mav gave great advice - change the name of the blog and don't send an email; just a conversation with the person. I mean imagine if you had something personal that you didn't want work knowing yet. She could have really ruined some things.

[hz80408]

Thanks for all of the insight; and your advice Mav. I'm am too annoyed not to say anything and a phone call does seem the best approach.

Mint-thanks for the heads up on the time stamp; I didn't realize that! ETA: Crap, I don't see an option to remove them; another ETA: I just changed to show the date of post only; that seems okay?

[hz80408]

Thanks mint!

Next decision is new name/web address.

[315bride]

Yeah, my earlier response was sort of lame. (Must be the slight hangover.) I agree with Mav and others to disassociate your blog with connections to work.

[hz80408]

Lol, thanks 315

[ybee]

Ugh! I am so frustrated for u. I cannot imagine people at work knowing about my fashion blog. They would totally judge me.

Mav gave good advice. Good luck and keep us posted!

[FormerCityGirl]

I'd do what Mav advised. Also, create a work only email and a social only one that is not linked in any way shape or form to the work one. You know how I feel about privacy and the net. I have my stuff that I guard and the stuff that is complete fluff that I don't care about. Try not to use any terms that could be goolged or connect the blog from your personal to professional life. I'm so sorry that you have to go through this. A 2 line email or 2 minute phone call from the other person could have prevented everything for you.

[hz80408]

I do know FCG! My work and social emails are completely separate. My blog is in a funky limbo of fashion and lifestyle; I just wish I wouldn't have posted about this org since I found out about it through work.

Not only that, but my twitter and instagram names are also JustCallMeHaha; so if work really wanted to; I'm sure I could be located or followed on there and that makes me really uncomfortable.

As for contacting the volunteer org admin, I can only locate her email and I agree that I don't want any written record of my contacting her, so I guess I'm going to need to just (bitterly) move on.

[FormerCityGirl]

Ugh! That really bites then. I'm so sorry. I worked in tech for a bit and dealt with some of this stuff.

[summerkutie]

Aug 7, 2012 9:46:00 GMT -5 @mavjen said:

If you put a new blog up, take out all references to your volunteer org and/or company so it can't pop up in a google search.

Ditto this. I definitely think you should speak with them as opposed to emailing them, but your email was very well written.

I'm sorry you ended up in this situation, my blog is my happy place and if my work wanted to use it I'd feel like it was no longer truly my little space on the internet.

[summerkutie]

Aug 7, 2012 12:44:30 GMT -5 mintchocochip said:

I'd take it down and repost as another name. Also, take out the time stamps for your posts--there are some that say you posted at 11am, which is during working hours.

I did this, even though I prepare a lot of my posts at home and schedule them to post the next day. I would just rather it not show what time my posts go up so that it's never an issue.

[hz80408]

Mav- Yes. I'm thinking I can. I need to google a little more to figure out which office she's in since they have a few.

Summer- I know on the happy spot, right?! I mean I don't have a ton of followers or anything, but it's something I enjoy doing, even just for myself. I already changed the URL and am in the process of updating other items. Now I'm just curious if the readers I do have will automatically have the new URL appear in their reader in they're subscribed to the old blog. Oh the drama

[ybee]

What's ur new blog name? I'll check on my reader!

[hz80408]

Thanks Yas!

Shine isn't Always Shimmer

*fingers crossed*