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Hyatt says the point of this guideline is to encourage healthy debate. "Often when debate happens, it gets ugly. People's feelings get hurt. So you drive it underground and create bigger problems," he says. At Thomas Nelson, "we can have vigorous internal debate. Anyone can disagree with anybody on anything."
Case in point: In response to Hurricane Katrina, Thomas Nelson donated 100,000 Bibles as well as food and money because, as Nelson wrote in his blog, an "official" in Baton Rouge had specifically requested Bibles. Hyatt says the donation also made sense because Thomas Nelson publishes Bibles and has them to give.
Although it's not clear what Thomas Nelson's employees thought about this, several readers of the blog were astounded. The first visible comment, which remains online, calls Hyatt "asinine" and a "fool of the first order." Hyatt says he can take the heat. He stands by his decision but says, "The debate is good and helpful."
Thomas Nelson's other blogging guidelines, which run just over 1,100 words, are disarmingly simple. They include instructions like "Be Nice" (as in, "Avoid attacking other individuals or companies"), "Keep Secrets," "Respect Copyrights," "Obey the Law" and, finally, an admonition to remember the employee handbook.
Hyatt likes the idea of blogging first and finessing policies later. "It's much easier to steer a moving object than to try to steer something standing still," he says. For others who are grappling with blogging policies, he has this advice: "Don't listen to the lawyers." When Thomas Nelson was publicly held, "The lawyers were wringing their hands, saying, 'Oh my God, what could happen?' It was way overrated. If you exercise common sense," it should be enough, Hyatt says.
The lawyers feared that bloggers would publish market-moving information to selective audiences, thus running afoul of Securities and Exchange Commission laws. "But the truth is, it's a public forum. Whatever you say is available to anyone who wants it," Hyatt says. Then he rethinks his advice about attorneys. "I would listen to my attorneys," he says. "But then I would realize that you have to ascertain whether the risks outweigh the benefits of making a culture that's safe for dissent."
Joan Indiana Rigdon was a contributing writer for CIO Decisions. To comment on this story, email editor@ciodecisions.com.
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