Transparency:

Is transparency the core tenet for blogging and building trust online? Does understanding more about the individual, their background and current interests insert context into their contributions? Does transparency expose vested interests or any ulterior motives?

Shel challenged my anonymity:

"Masked--I just posted a comment on your site. Yours was a thoughtful post. But by being anonymous, you raise a larger question: Why should I trust a company whose employees have to mask their identities. How do I know who you are or why you are saying what you are saying. Why don't your employers trust you to speak your mind as a loyal cabable employee? Without those reasons, you are giving me a second reason to hold off on buying a Mac Pro."

Is it better to blog anonymously than to not blog at all, if revealing your identity could jeopardize your job and income?  Will trust develop as a normal part of the conversation, based on quality conversation rather than identity? What I do know is that anonymity gives me a voice I wouldn't otherwise have. Perhaps a necessary compromise?

Robert Scoble brings an interesting perspective:

"Here’s a question for Apple’s PR: what happens when only anonymous employees can blog? Hint: your PR will be controlled by anonymous people!"

Controlling the message:

Does your employer have concerns about blogging? Losing control of the message. The inadvertent leaking of confidential information. These are genuine concerns for organizations of all sizes that have invested in building and managing (traditionally) their brand.

Let me get your feedback on a hypothetical scenario. A company releases a new product. The engineering team see a "bump" in customer issues. While this is expected for any new product, the issues exceed the tight quality goals the company has set for itself. What would you prefer?

a) the company come out and say "Hey, here is the issue affecting our new product. This issue doesn't affect everyone, but has exceeded our tight threshold for quality. If this is happening to you, here's what to do .... "

b) the company just waits for individuals to contact them when they experience the issue.

What would "cost" the company more? How would scenario a) empower the front line staff to understand and address the issue? What would happen to the conversations online about the issues in both scenarios?

Is transparency and openness a risk or an opportunity for businesses? 

Benefits of Blogging:

Is there any real value in businesses getting involved in blogging and social media? How do we measure this? Shel has some interesting thoughts on ROI here.

I ask for your help again. Has anyone real examples of how "joining the conversation" has helped their business or improved customer satisfaction? What about the converse. Any horror stories?

Appreciate your help and input!