On publishing contacts on company blogs

Let’s look at it the other way around. Companies using blogs want to present themselves as innovative, open and communicative. Hiding names and not giving credit does not fit this image.

Of course there are good reasons and we could argue for some time who is right. Instead of ‘disclosing’ the very addresses, why not use a formular with a dropdown where readers can pick the person they want to address? So you do not need to publish the addresses.

This does not solve the problem with names, of course ;) And this is more difficult than the address problem because we are talking about humans this time, not means of communication.

There are people who are very happing with reading their name on (or is it *in*?) the web. Most of them are bloggers, or very likely to become one. Others are rather shy and just want to work silently in the background.

Giving credit, attribution or whatever you call it is important, absolutly. Especially in an attention economy. But forcing people to do things they don’t want is bad in every respect, you should either let everyone choose their way or try to convince them — convince, not persuade.

PS: As you say, that’s life. If you could get a better job, why should you not jump at the chance? Companies do the same thing with their employees.

*This is a lengthy reply to Jeremy’s [Microsoft Comes A Knockin’][1]*

[1]: http://jeremy.zawodny.com/blog/archives/002871.html

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