The Finance Pig

How long until you hear this in your everyday conversation?

You: What did you do today?

Response: I wrote a blog about the bad day I had and took down the multi-million dollar company I work for.

You: Umm, yeah.  <awkward pause> Did you get many hits?

Since the CEO of Whole Foods, John Mackey, was very close to being in a lawsuit with the SEC over the use of a company blog, I think companies should now take a serious look at instigating a strict set of guidelines before things get ugly (and we all know that’s just a matter of time).

Blogging is a very creative and easy way to reach out to your audience, but it also could be a serious weapon against you.  The SEC has released the statement, “Statements on a blog will not be treated any different from a corporate statement when it comes to anti-fraud provisions.”  Which is essence means that every blogger is essentially a company spokesperson.  Not good if they aren’t being regulated internally.

Even personal blogs can be included in this statement.  That’s a really scary piece of information.  Blogs are increasingly used as a method of frustration.  Something as easily as describing a bad day at work can get your company in hot water with the SEC and blacklist you from any similar job in the future.  I’m very interested in how long it will take until the first mega-corporation gets taken down by an innocent blogger talking about their bad day at the office…