OK, so who's blog is this exactly?

I’ve been asked if this is a Storm corporate blog. Some colleagues seem to assume that it is and that I’m speaking on behalf of Storm here. Allow me to set the record straight.

I work for Storm. I actually have fun working there (most of the time, but not when I’m having to dredge up legal discovery documents for battles we’re not involved in – then I get homicidal!). I blog here at hitting the wire* where I also have a fair bit of fun too. I talk about the telecoms/ICT/VoIP industry here because it is a subject I’m quite passionate about.  I do not speak on behalf of Storm here.  Storm does not own 'hitting the wire*'.

Storm is happy for me to blog and if I mention the company while I do so, great. They trust me to be wise about what I say – I’m probably more careful here than I am on the phone to some journo’s! There are initiatives we’re working on I’m dying to blog about, but it would be just plain dumb to make them public at this stage. When I can, I will.

If Storm offer to sponsor my blog or ask for ad space, I’ll consider it. Will I accept ads from competitors? I’m not so sure. Theoretically, there’d be no real issue, but I’d have to consider that if it happens. Realistically, competitor ads would probably annoy me so I’d not do it. Will be interesting if anyone ever asks. I’d consider ads that are relevant to the people I know of who drop in to read the posts. There are one or two competitors I know of who subscribe, some colleagues and a few friends (who humour me) and some folk from as far off as Finland and Iceland, although for the most part I have no idea who you are unless you engage me in conversation.

What do you think – should I accept a Telkom ad? ;)

That’s me. In a dilemma.

Comments

[DaveG]

Hey Sarah, Rob,

Thanks for your thoughts. I think the fact that I blog about professional issues makes it hard for me to clearly demark where Storm ends and hittingthewire begins. They are separate. Storm has no editorial control over my blogging and it does not feature in my Key Performance Measures in anyway. But the issues are mutual. So I have to agree with you both that I'll probably be better advised to keep the dividing line clean and keep the site free of ads.

The fact that I find it hard to use an any font other than Verdana (I even know one ex-Stormer who left 4 years ago who compulsively formats her emails in Verdana!) makes me wonder just how much Storm has crept under my skin? aish!

I am keen to experiment though, and might step out on a limb on further reflection. No rush. Storm is getting spin off from me putting effort into conversing with people online via hittingthewire - would be nice to see them contribute in some way. But for now, I'll aim to dabble with some adsense fairly soon and find a suitable cause to fund. Leap are doing awesome stuff, would have no issue sending it their way.

w.r.t. likening DaveG to Scoble... well! phwoaar. Not sure I'd go that far mate! ;)
(ok,ok, I got the message - just couldn't resist)

Dave

[Rob Stokes]

Dave this is a real interesting issue that has been popping up a lot recently. The problem is that there just aren't any nice business "rules" yet to tell us the best way to go. We are all just discovering blogging and it’s a bit of a journey.

My gut tells me no, (storm is a client so they'll probably hate me for that) but that’s probably because I don't think Scoble ever had Microsoft ads on his site. I think the key though is transparency, on so many levels.

I also think Storm will probably gain just as much through your association with them than if they chucked a bunch of banners all over your site. A blog is about a community and rarely about fleeting visitors. Brand trust is built up through relationships, not through banner impressions. Your community dig the way you blog and I’m sure most dig storm by association.

Another well documented issue is the business risk storm faces if they back your blog. Imagine Scoble left Microsoft to work on Ubuntu…!

Now that is obviously unlikely in your case as you seem truly committed but it is a very genuine consideration for a business.

All in all I think (stuck record coming…) that storm’s best route would be to join the conversation themselves through an official storm corporate blog. As you would have seen from our gottaquirk travails, a corporate blog is not easy. We often mess things up horribly. But the goods FAR outweigh the bads. Slowly we are developing a blogging culture and it permeates ever corner of our business. I think you know what I mean.

Finally… the revenue of your blog will be minimal, stop bitching, save your time, put up some adsense and donate it to www.leapschool.co.za ;)

[Sarah Rice]

This discussion needs a definition. What is a corporate blog? I did a google search (as one does) and the general consensus appears to be that it is a "blog published by or with the support of an organisation to reach that organisation's goals." The important bit for me is the intention.

Your discussions may naturally dove tail with Storm's goals because you work there and have a strategic role in the business but if this was not your intention when starting hitting the wire then its not a corporate blog - Storm is just really lucky.

In terms of Storm adverts... my gut says don't do it. Perception is reality and all that... Storm banner ads and click-throughs will merely entrench the idea that this is a Storm blog. Rather just stay away from it and keep the intentions clear and clean.