This is the first I have ever heard of a blog being suspended.  Last week, the editors at the L.A. Times suspended Michael Hiltzik’s Golden State Blog for essentially putting comments on his on blog under a false name, in this instance "Mikekoshi".  Hiltzik was in essence adding to the blog conversations under a different identity seemingly backing up Hiltzik’s opinions and mocking other commenters.  The story was broken by a blogger at Patterico’s Pontifications.

This does not surprise me in the least that someone would comment under a pseudonym, in fact, my own personal blog identity is named "Genuine", and I frequently comment on personal blogs with that name.  In all my other blogs, I use my full name as I do here. 

How does this practice effect blogging and business?  Many of the corporate blogs we talk about here are written by CEO’s, company employees and C level officers within each of the companies.  What would happen if these bloggers also added to the comment sections of their blogs, bolstering their own opinions and seemingly inflating the traffic and comments on their sites, or berating other commenters to their own benefit?  I for one would think that if it was uncovered that a CEO entertained this practice that person would be tarred and feathered and would lose any credibility the blog might be producing. The conversations produced by blogs must remain an open forum, and they must have credibility in order to withstand the onslaught of criticism a company might endure.  This practice could make it very difficult for a PR person to repair something that has been done behind closed doors in the company.

The L.A. Times in the case of Mr. Hiltzik must have thought the same.  They have not reinstated his Golden State Blog, yet he has not been suspended himself.   The outcome of this case will help guide our future commenting practices in business blogs .  Is this going on in today’s business blogging?  I for one certainly hope not, but it could be argued that comments on business blogs that cheer on the company or back up its product or message could be just someone within the company.  Good PR for the company right up and until it is uncovered.  Then suddenly you have a PR nightmare.

Tags: L.A. Times, Golden State Blog, Michael Hiltzik, Patterico’s Pontifications

Powered by Qumana