The Future of Blogging

It is interesting to know that many people blog, and that many actually list out a detailed life story. From meeting a new mate to whatever they do in between and finally to the break-up. But what really amazes me is that blogging has taken a completly new form of communication for businesses.

Traditionally, a business has many trade secrets. Secrets such as their way of operations or the next big project that they will tackle; especially they don't reveal accounting or financial reports openly, unless they are annual reports etc etc. But in Clive Thompson's article "The See Through CEO" from Wired Magazine, that may not be the case anymore. Blogging has been a way for many businesses to openly discuss the concerns that employees have with the firm. They are actually encouraged by the company to post blogs about their projects and whatever they have to say about the company. By keeping the public informed on the company's daily operations, there is nothing to hide. In fact, Glenn Kelman said "...he thinks it saved his business[Redfin]." By "stripping naked" the truth behind his industry and revealing even the faults of his own company, it actually gained the confidence of customers, which began to sign up for services from Redfin, his company.

By openly sharing information and picking out the pros and cons in the company by blogging them can really revolutionize the way a business operates.

"I honestly believe that if Redfin were stripped absolutely bare for all the world to see, naked and humiliated in the sunlight, more people would do business with us." - Glenn Thompson.

This article has truly put a new insite in business, that there is no hiding anymore. Secrecy only gives a company bad rep, and when exposed just doesn't work out very well. If say, for example, Enron's employees constantly blogged what they felt and also the operations of what they did, perhaps, the problem would have been dealt with early on without having some of the individuals to having to mask the problem.

I, for one, know from personal experiences, that secrets never come out with benefits. Although you may think that hiding the truth may make things better, it rarely is the case. By applying the ideas of openly sharing and discussing in business blogging, the world can see and even help in tough situations. I believe the world will be better free of secrets, for it will certainly be the case for the next generation of businesses.

Image from Wired.com by Mark Hooper