New blogger from CIPR Northern Conference

I notice from the comment section on Stuart Bruce's blog that a new blogger has emerged from this month's CIPR Northern Conference.

Stuart ran a hugely popular workshop on blogging and social media and it seems at least one person has taken the call to action and started blogging (always a good sign of a successful workshop).

The new blogger can be found at Adopted Northerner, but has chosen to remain anonymous.

While I am always glad to see someone new entering the blogosphere one of the most fundamental pieces of advice I would give is: avoid being anonymous!

I appreciate there may be reasons for anonymity but the beauty of the internet and blogging is the need for transparency, and this includes being open and honest about who you are and what you do.

There are some notable anonymous blogs: ...the world's leading...; Guido Fawkes; Strumpette - but taking a lead from Richard Bailey I haven't linked to their sites.

I was going to post this in AN's comment section, but ironically I have to have a Blogger Profile to post comments. Why is that? Because Blogger "...doesn't allow anonymous comments."

Welcome to the blogosphere and keep up the good work... just be as open as possible!

Tags: blogging, transparency, anonymity

Comments

[Amanda Chapel]

Simon,

So as you are not the last to know, the whole transparency thing is a myth. David Weinberger, co-author of the Cluetrain Manifesto, was recently interviewed on this and various related topics. See: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4898047960459875270 . He pretty much calls the transparency stuff a regrettable and destructive myth.

Here, do you leave the bathroom door open when you go? Silly. Transparency has its obvious limitations. Fact is: Transparency is in few if any of the many transactions that you experience daily.

Listen, identity is owned by the person it identifies. Period.

Cheers,

Amanda Chapel
Managing Editor
Strumpette

PS Saw you referenced Strumpette in your latest article. How come no link? :(

[Simon Collister]

Hi Amanda (!). Thanks for the comments.

I tried to follow your posts about transparency in the past. I believe that there will always be two compelling sides to every argument but what matters is how you feel about them.

I feel that transparency is good (I even usually leave the door open when I use the loo) and is vital to comms work.

It may not be practical to go for 100% transparency in every situation, but an underlying adherence or belief in the principle is surely necessary to be a good human being (honesty, openness) as well as a good PR professional (professional conduct etc).

I support transparency in a wider context and try to bring as much of that into my comms work as possible. Obviously other factors will shape the level of transparency I can deliver but I do as much as I can.

I will have a look out for your anti-transparency refs and see what I make of them.

Thanks for stopping by!