Thinking about Starting a Blog? Read This First

For years, the majority of workplace gossip has circulated within the office. Coworkers might chat casually in passing, assuming the exchange will stay between the parties involved. No big deal—it happens in every work environment.

But if an employee steps beyond these office borders to let off a little steam it can land them in hot water. The newest manner of venting is writing about it in a blog, putting it out there for the world—hence, ahem, your boss—to see. Men and women have been canned for writing about managers and coworkers, dishing company secrets and projecting an unprofessional image online. So what, exactly, is the proper blogging etiquette, you ask? Here, some experienced bloggers share the ups and downs of their online forays.

Blogging Tip #1: DON'T share your office peeves.
Lisa, 23, from Bakersfield, California, came home from her job at an NBC-affiliated news station frustrated and ready to vent. As she turned to her My Space blog to voice her frustration, she made sure to label it as a "friends only" post. One of the friends on Lisa's list was a coworker with whom she chatted casually about favorite foods and family. She never fathomed that this woman would betray her, but almost immediately her coworker e-mailed the blog to her boss along with the rest of the staff. That was Lisa’s last day at the news station.

Lisa was escorted out of the building in tears as her professional world crumbled beneath her. The initial devastation evolved into months of pessimism and insecurity. "I really questioned myself and my every action," she remembers. "In some ways, it is still really hard to trust people after being betrayed."

"Instead of going to my bosses and talking to them about my concerns, I chose to blog about it," Lisa says. "I took the coward's way out. All that does is make the company look bad. They deserve to be told about the problems you see."