Statement of Values

Posted on April 24, 2009 by johnfx

As a new blogger trying to build an audience, I have been reading quite a bit about the ins and outs of running a successful blog (special thanks to OneCoolSite for some killer tips). One thing that has really struck me is how much effort is being applied towards gaming Google’s page ranking engine and optimizing every detail for maximum monetization potential.

I fully understand and respect the entrepreneurial types who blog to make a living, or at least supplement their primary income. I also see the value of promotional blogs as part of a corporate marketing plan. However, something seems downright tawdry about  how hard the blogging community seems to be trying to circumvent Google’s attempts to provide relevant and useful search results. As a technologist, I am no stranger to the concept of SEO, and was well aware of  its use for corporate web pages, but was frankly surprised at how much it had become a central concern of bloggers. In a way, the realization was like hearing your favorite indie/rebel/underground band’s song as the backdrop for a Pepsi commercial.  On one hand it is disappointing to see them “sell out,” but it is also nice to see a  starving artist get a bite to eat once in a while.

This brings me to the purpose of this post. I probably should have put it up sooner, but hey, I’m still learning the ropes here.  This article exists to spell out the values that I intend to adhere to when managing this blog and set expectations for my readers appropriately.

Why This Site Exists (e.g. my agenda)

  • Peer Networking and Information Sharing- I am always looking for ways to increase my effectiveness as a software development manager, and intend to use this community to collaborate with other managers and programmers to share and learn from their experiences as well as share my own. This is one of my little ways of giving back to the field that has fed my family for almost two decades.
  • I like writing!  – I have published a couple of programming books and several magazine articles on legal technology. Those are great for the resume, but I’ve gotta be free, I’ve gotta be me. Writing an article to fit the space between ads, or on a topic that a publisher thinks will sell copy isn’t quite as liberating as the blogging medium.
  • My Career – I’ll admit it. A big reason I do this is to enhance  my credibility as an expert in the process of managing and creating software development by demonstrating my experience, professional values, and management style.
  • Recruiting– It can be downright hard to find and recruit top software developers. An important goal of this blog is to attract the notice of that exceptional talent and garner a bit of brand recognition when I go out to recruit them for my team.

Values Statement (e.g. my manifesto)

  • This blog will focus on building readership by providing useful and relevant content of interest to it’s readers.
  • This blog will not engage actively in techniques designed solely for SEO such as link-baiting, cross-linking, link carnivals, etc.
  • I may post links to articles in relevant locations such as Reddit, Message Forums, Stack Overflow, etc., but only when it provides value to those communities and complies with their standards of conduct.
  • The goal of This blog is content, not monetization. This doesn’t mean you won’t see an occasional affiliate link to a book on Amazon, or that there will never be any advertising on the site, but I’ll ty my best to keep it unobtrusive and avoid undercutting the other values of the site for the purpose of cash flow.
  • Intellectual property of others (copyrighted or not) represents the hard work of a fellow human. I endeavor not to steal or otherwise improperly use other people’s material on my site , please notify me immediately if I have improperly posted any materials that you own and I will remedy the situation as quickly as possible.
  • I will do my darndest to credit my sources, or at least provide provide a link to cited content or ideas. Please let me know if you see any improperly credited material in a post so that I can correct it.

Disclaimers and Copyright Notice (e.g. CYA)

  • All of the opinion, conjecture, commentary, advice, commendation, condemnation, extrapolation and interpolation on this site is my own, and does not represent any other person or organization unless otherwise indicated.
  • As previously noted, I am going to do my best to not infringe on other’s intellectual property. I’d appreciate the same consideration with regard to any of the original material posted on this site.
  • Any endorsements of products or services posted on this site do not constitute any guarantee, warranty, or promise that they are suitable for any purpose. For example, if I brag about the Robo-Butler 2000 on the site and it eats your mother in law, I’m not paying for the funeral.
  • I am a total grammar and spelling Nazi, but don’t want to be a hypocrite. Feel free to call me out if you see any errors on the site. That said, don’t expect a Knuth-Check. Embarrassing me should be reward enough.

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