Some things you can do: (1) Make sure that you can quote a reliable, prior source for the disclosure of sensitive personal information. (2) Depending on the issue, see if the people whose facts you want to disclose have done so themselves—maybe even on their own blog. If so, those facts have moved to the “public domain.” (3) As with the issue of defamation, ask yourself whether it’s essential to your business to be blogging on these kinds of issues.
In short, if you’re blogging for business, keep this rule in mind: put your professional foot forward. This isn’t the time or the place for frat house (or cat house) antics or language … particularly when caches can preserve foolish comments for posterity. You have the right to free speech, but you also have the responsibility to bear any negative consequences for that speech. Consider how you would want other people to respond to your postings. And if you really, truly have a need to condemn another entrepreneur, company, or product, get guidance from an attorney before you do it!
