Comments on: Survey: Online Professional/Personal Overlap http://www.contentious.com/2005/08/09/survey-online-professionalpersonal-overlap/ Amy Gahran's news and musings on how we communicate in the online age. Fri, 12 Feb 2010 20:38:23 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Melanie McBride http://www.contentious.com/2005/08/09/survey-online-professionalpersonal-overlap/comment-page-1/#comment-29441 Melanie McBride Mon, 15 Aug 2005 15:06:45 +0000 #comment-29441 Great post Amy! Bravo. I'm currently putting an article together about some of these issues with reference to academic bloggers. The questions you ask here are so important and I hope that this becomes a central discussion in the blogosphere. For my part, I would like to know why we, as a society, hold artists and entertainers to a different standard where the open expression of "the personal" is concerned? I mean, we know who most celebrities are sleeping with, what drugs they're taking and how much they spent on their homes but continue to see their movies and buy their albums. We know all kinds of things about the lives and ideas of artists but believe that their differences and "quirks" contribute to their work and sensibility - why don't we assume this about business people? (i.e., that their personal complexity contributes to their professional abilities, etc) I'm very interested in this particular social double-standard because I feel that it illuminates A) that people are capable of performing high level work and leading a rich and colourful life, and B) that if society is willing to accept personal disclosures and information in one context (i.e, entertainment/arts) it can accept these things in other fields (i.e., business, academia, etc). Great post Amy! Bravo. I’m currently putting an article together about some of these issues with reference to academic bloggers. The questions you ask here are so important and I hope that this becomes a central discussion in the blogosphere. For my part, I would like to know why we, as a society, hold artists and entertainers to a different standard where the open expression of “the personal” is concerned? I mean, we know who most celebrities are sleeping with, what drugs they’re taking and how much they spent on their homes but continue to see their movies and buy their albums. We know all kinds of things about the lives and ideas of artists but believe that their differences and “quirks” contribute to their work and sensibility – why don’t we assume this about business people? (i.e., that their personal complexity contributes to their professional abilities, etc) I’m very interested in this particular social double-standard because I feel that it illuminates A) that people are capable of performing high level work and leading a rich and colourful life, and B) that if society is willing to accept personal disclosures and information in one context (i.e, entertainment/arts) it can accept these things in other fields (i.e., business, academia, etc).

]]> By: Multidimensional.Me http://www.contentious.com/2005/08/09/survey-online-professionalpersonal-overlap/comment-page-1/#comment-29393 Multidimensional.Me Mon, 15 Aug 2005 07:53:27 +0000 #comment-29393 <trackback /><strong>A gift that keeps on giving</strong> My friend Amy Gahran is running a survey on her blog " Contentious ", intended to establish her readership's feelings about how much personal information it is appropriate to disclose in a business context. A gift that keeps on giving
My friend Amy Gahran is running a survey on her blog ” Contentious “, intended to establish her readership’s feelings about how much personal information it is appropriate to disclose in a business context.

]]> By: Steven Streight http://www.contentious.com/2005/08/09/survey-online-professionalpersonal-overlap/comment-page-1/#comment-28910 Steven Streight Thu, 11 Aug 2005 21:25:07 +0000 #comment-28910 I think this needs some perspective. Whether I divulge my religious, political, sexual, ethnic, racial, etc. information is contingent on what my motives are, and what benefit this will provide to readers. Just to say "It's okay, be transparent, tear down the privacy wall" without a context is odd to me. I'm sure you don't mean this. I don't want to know what a blogger's sex life, religion, political views, race, are. I don't even really need to know the gender of the blogger, to be quite frank. Not saying they should be ashamed of revealing that they are female, black, Muslim, bisexual, etc. But I question, of what relevance is it to readers? Readers seek relevant content, not confessional gushing. Right? I mean primarily business/professional blogs. Personal blogs are a whole other story. Private life is very risky to divulge in cases of mothers and children, due to predators, and in cases of employers and also identity theft. I think this needs some perspective. Whether I divulge my religious, political, sexual, ethnic, racial, etc. information is contingent on what my motives are, and what benefit this will provide to readers.

Just to say “It’s okay, be transparent, tear down the privacy wall” without a context is odd to me. I’m sure you don’t mean this.

I don’t want to know what a blogger’s sex life, religion, political views, race, are. I don’t even really need to know the gender of the blogger, to be quite frank.

Not saying they should be ashamed of revealing that they are female, black, Muslim, bisexual, etc. But I question, of what relevance is it to readers?

Readers seek relevant content, not confessional gushing. Right? I mean primarily business/professional blogs. Personal blogs are a whole other story.

Private life is very risky to divulge in cases of mothers and children, due to predators, and in cases of employers and also identity theft.

]]> By: Qumana Blog http://www.contentious.com/2005/08/09/survey-online-professionalpersonal-overlap/comment-page-1/#comment-28804 Qumana Blog Thu, 11 Aug 2005 00:49:10 +0000 #comment-28804 <trackback /><strong>Preliminary Results from the Personal Info on Biz Blogs survey</strong> Wow, this is really cool.  This survey seems to have really taken off!  I've already seen a couple links to ... Preliminary Results from the Personal Info on Biz Blogs survey
Wow, this is really cool.  This survey seems to have really taken off!  I’ve already seen a couple links to …

]]> By: Ed Batista http://www.contentious.com/2005/08/09/survey-online-professionalpersonal-overlap/comment-page-1/#comment-28779 Ed Batista Wed, 10 Aug 2005 16:01:51 +0000 #comment-28779 <trackback /><strong>The Personal is Professional</strong> When a blogger you read for professional purposes shares personal information on his or her site, do you find that appealing or does it make you uncomfortable? I think there are some boundaries we should respect (which is why I The Personal is Professional
When a blogger you read for professional purposes shares personal information on his or her site, do you find that appealing or does it make you uncomfortable? I think there are some boundaries we should respect (which is why I

]]> By: Ed Batista http://www.contentious.com/2005/08/09/survey-online-professionalpersonal-overlap/comment-page-1/#comment-28778 Ed Batista Wed, 10 Aug 2005 15:52:53 +0000 #comment-28778 Great post--thanks for hosting the survey. I fully agree with your perspective that the personal and professional should be better integrated. The fact that almost all of the big-name bloggers include significant amounts of personal information on their sites makes it clear that a lot of other people feel that way as well. Great post–thanks for hosting the survey. I fully agree with your perspective that the personal and professional should be better integrated. The fact that almost all of the big-name bloggers include significant amounts of personal information on their sites makes it clear that a lot of other people feel that way as well.

]]> By: Amy Gahran http://www.contentious.com/2005/08/09/survey-online-professionalpersonal-overlap/comment-page-1/#comment-28777 Amy Gahran Wed, 10 Aug 2005 14:51:56 +0000 #comment-28777 You're right, Nicole -- which is why I deliberately made every question (including self-identification) optional. I wanted respondents to feel free to be honest about their reactions, rather than "politically correct." For people who fear criticism, anonymity helps. - Amy Gahran You’re right, Nicole — which is why I deliberately made every question (including self-identification) optional. I wanted respondents to feel free to be honest about their reactions, rather than “politically correct.” For people who fear criticism, anonymity helps.

- Amy Gahran

]]> By: Nicole Simon http://www.contentious.com/2005/08/09/survey-online-professionalpersonal-overlap/comment-page-1/#comment-28772 Nicole Simon Wed, 10 Aug 2005 13:43:53 +0000 #comment-28772 Or maybe they don't want to be held for their opinion? It is so much easier to say "how dare you, how could you, thank you" if you are not identified. And yes, it says it there, but as stated, not very prominently and as said, you should not provide email addresses online at all here - not because of identifiying, but because of spam mail reasons. You can gladly link to the persons website. ;) Or maybe they don’t want to be held for their opinion?
It is so much easier to say “how dare you, how could you, thank you” if you are not identified.

And yes, it says it there, but as stated, not very prominently and as said, you should not provide email addresses online at all here – not because of identifiying, but because of spam mail reasons. You can gladly link to the persons website. ;)

]]> By: Amy Gahran http://www.contentious.com/2005/08/09/survey-online-professionalpersonal-overlap/comment-page-1/#comment-28735 Amy Gahran Wed, 10 Aug 2005 05:14:57 +0000 #comment-28735 Thanks, Nicole. I did clarify on my original posting about the survey that all information may be published on CONTENTIOUS, but at your suggested I've made that more prominent. I've also beefed up the notice regarding publication on the survey page itself. I agree it doesn't make sense to publish e-mail addresses, but all other identifying information is allowable. I don't know whether I'll publish names, etc. (the nature of the free version of <a href="http://surveymonkey.com">Surveymonkey</a> makes it impossible for me to isolate results by respondent. But I reserve the right to make use of this information, and I will do so appropriately. Actually, this discussion is interesting given that this survey is about disclosure of personal information. Just under half of all respondents so far (as of 11:15 pm MDT) have opted not to offer any identifying information. So I'm guessing the people who truly consider identifying information private are choosing not to provide it. - Amy Gahran Editor, CONTENTIOUS Thanks, Nicole. I did clarify on my original posting about the survey that all information may be published on CONTENTIOUS, but at your suggested I’ve made that more prominent. I’ve also beefed up the notice regarding publication on the survey page itself.

I agree it doesn’t make sense to publish e-mail addresses, but all other identifying information is allowable. I don’t know whether I’ll publish names, etc. (the nature of the free version of Surveymonkey makes it impossible for me to isolate results by respondent. But I reserve the right to make use of this information, and I will do so appropriately.

Actually, this discussion is interesting given that this survey is about disclosure of personal information. Just under half of all respondents so far (as of 11:15 pm MDT) have opted not to offer any identifying information. So I’m guessing the people who truly consider identifying information private are choosing not to provide it.

- Amy Gahran
Editor, CONTENTIOUS

]]> By: Nicole Simon http://www.contentious.com/2005/08/09/survey-online-professionalpersonal-overlap/comment-page-1/#comment-28731 Nicole Simon Tue, 09 Aug 2005 23:58:24 +0000 #comment-28731 Amy, you should mark the part that it will be published more prominently and more noticable at top and the bottom. I was not aware of it just through (luckily) reading this article. While it makes sense to include every bit of information for you, it does not make as much sense online. I provided a mail address for you to have a contact, but no url, becuase it would not make sense to give you an url but an email address. For publication, you will get many people very mad if you publish their email addresses online for spam harvesters. Mine has been out in the wild on a webpage for some days - I am getting tons of spam now and I can absolutly directly connect those too incidences. I'd suggest to you, that you do not publish those (and in case of mine, I ask you defenetly to remove it). 'Hiding' them addresses like with blabla at bla.co is also easily spotable for the harvesters. As for the note about 'will be published' - I have answered in a more unpolished way as I would if I would have been aware of the publishing part (yes, I know, I could have read. But hey, it is a survey, most of them are *not* to be published, you have to deal with general expectency here), at least more spellcheck. But this delivers also a fine example why one always has to be aware that their comments can be taken out in the www. For me it has been far more easier to be genuine and consistent in what I say - I don't have to remember so many things, and I am not in danger of being 'discovered'. :) Amy, you should mark the part that it will be published more prominently and more noticable at top and the bottom. I was not aware of it just through (luckily) reading this article. While it makes sense to include every bit of information for you, it does not make as much sense online.

I provided a mail address for you to have a contact, but no url, becuase it would not make sense to give you an url but an email address. For publication, you will get many people very mad if you publish their email addresses online for spam harvesters. Mine has been out in the wild on a webpage for some days – I am getting tons of spam now and I can absolutly directly connect those too incidences.

I’d suggest to you, that you do not publish those (and in case of mine, I ask you defenetly to remove it). ‘Hiding’ them addresses like with blabla at bla.co is also easily spotable for the harvesters.

As for the note about ‘will be published’ – I have answered in a more unpolished way as I would if I would have been aware of the publishing part (yes, I know, I could have read. But hey, it is a survey, most of them are *not* to be published, you have to deal with general expectency here), at least more spellcheck. But this delivers also a fine example why one always has to be aware that their comments can be taken out in the www.

For me it has been far more easier to be genuine and consistent in what I say – I don’t have to remember so many things, and I am not in danger of being ‘discovered’. :)

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