Nah, I never talk about work.

Bloggers who have found themselves in trouble with their employers are a very small minority. Unfortunately, the blogging community seems to rally to the aid of these bloggers, which unintentionally shines a very large spotlight on employer/blogger conflicts.

Employers should not restrict bloggers. To do so, will just create resentment and ensure the conversation continues behind your back.

In my blog I go to great pains not to mention my employer or give away clues to it that a first grader could figure out.

There has always been a thing called a "judgement call" and writing on the internet should be no different.

BTW, I don't feel sorry for those bloggers who have been fired from their jobs for being loudmouthed IF they have clearly identified where they work. Just as you should be cautious complaining in the break room, what's to stop someone from reading your detailed rant on the Internet?

I work for a large government organization. I had a blog. I was threatened with legal action that would end my career and put my retirement at risk. My lawyer said that while I was probably right, did I want to jeopardize my retirement over it? I caved, removed the posts and NOTHING came of it (highlighting the fact that I WAS right). However all this did was to make me resent those persons involved and think less of my organization. I will NEVER forgive them.

Blogging had a big effect on my job. It gave me a sense of freedom that I followed into starting my own company.

And that spirit seems to be catching on.

Our organization is one giant blogging system, plus forums and servers which allow data exchange.

Without those blogs we would not exist.

Using the blogosphere for marketing, the forums for discussion and the data servers to hold and share our work.

(Sometimes we have to send disks by mail too, but thats more a bandwidth limitation which will eventually be obsolete.)

This is movie production using the Open Source system developed in the software industry and the various on-line services which have been created using oodles of boodle from venture capital companies.

It is so very exciting to be in the vanguard of a new industry.