There is an interesting dialogue going about how personal you should get on your business blog over at CorporateBlogging.Info and public (MIND). Hans wants to know more about Fredrik – Fredrik doesn’t want his blog to go there.
‘As Hans Henrik says, I try to keep this site focused on blogging and related communication discussions. I’m not doing it primarily to be read, even if that’s fun and stimulating. I’m doing it to learn. I work that way. If I read stuff I forget it. If I read stuff and write about it, I’m able to transform it from information to knowledge. And with a journalistic background no other writing than that in public really counts.
Writing more about my background, my family, views and opinions on other matters — that wouldn’t fill any purpose from that perspective. In my corporate blog (Swedish only) it’s somewhat different, because there I have other purposes.
That’s one part of the answer, the individual part of it. In more general terms I think – as a blog reader – that it’s not very interesting to get too much personal stuff. If I read a blog to, say, find news and discussions about web design I couldn’t care less who the blogger had dinner with the night before. I don’t want to know that.’
He also wonders if it might be a cultural thing that highlights the difference between how Europeans differ from Americans in their business blogs.
It could also be a personality thing I guess. I personally have some boundaries about what I will and won’t blog about on my different blogs – however would probably be a little more open to revealing a little about myself on most of my blogs. I am someone who is drawn to real people and not just information.
I like blogs that have a photo somewhere on them of the person and that give some indication of who they are, where they are, what they do with their time etc. I also like humor in blogs and enjoy a good story every now and again. I guess it is a personal choice – but I wonder what you think? How much do you reveal about yourself on your blog? Do you have boundaries about what you will and won’t post about?
