Network World yesterday severed ties with freelance security columnist Mike Rothman.
Why should anyone other than Rothman and Network World management care?
Because the episode is yet another illustration of the inherent complexities and dangers associated with any self-expression on the Internet, but especially the complexities and dangers of blogging in the business world — both for the blogger and the business.
As many have done before him, Rothman essentially blogged himself out of a paying gig because he lost sight of the fact that with freedom of expression comes responsibility — in this case responsibility to a business partner. This idea is anathema to a portion of the blogging community whose continued embrace of an anything-goes ethos is, in my opinion, still putting a drag on the uptake of blogging in corporate America. Business executives read of these clashes and ask themselves — rightfully — whether they need the added potential for trouble. After all, the benefits of blogging are difficult to measure, while the risks jump up and smack you in the face.
So what happened? In a nutshell, Rothman posted to his personal blog a scathing critique of a recent Network World special issue — without discussing his concerns with anyone here or fully understanding the design of the package — and suggested that his blog readers turn instead to our competition for such material. This wasn’t the first time he’s bitten the hand, either … and we’ve been running his column online and in Network World print for only six months.
The easy rap on our decision — which Rothman makes here — is that we cannot handle criticism.
It’s a load of bunk. Like most publications, we conspicuously provide any number of forums for readers to unload on us. In fact, I dare anyone to name another industry that provides its customers with more venues — public ones, no less — for venting their displeasure.
But no business should have to countenance anything-goes public criticism from those to whom it cuts paychecks. More to the point, precious few businesses will do so and until that reality becomes more widely ingrained there will continue to be such cases of people blogging themselves right off a cliff.
With freedom of expression comes responsibility. This is simply common sense to the vast majority of people who understand how the real world works — in particular, how the real business world works.
The challenge to business executives is to make sure that all of their bloggers possess the requisite common sense.
