A Blog is a Blog is a Blog, that's why it's a Blog!

Without doubt this blog has taken off quicker than any us ever imagined it would. The traffic is growing week on week and I think I can speak for all of us when I say how grateful we are for all the positive comments we’ve received about it. I’d also like to say a huge thank you to everyone who has got on their high horse and posted a comment…..long may it continue. I for one have really enjoyed the debate we’ve had so far and I’ve enjoyed reading everyone’s contribution regardless of whether I’ve agreed with your point of view or not. I’d also like to say a big thank you to everyone who has either blogged about us or linked to us.

There have however been three or four incidents now in the last few weeks that have stirred me to write this.

The point of any blog is to get people talking passionately about something they are interested in, something that other people can then comment on, perhaps take exception to and certainly debate within the same forum. The fact that the main authors on Digital Recruiting compete with each other aggressively on a day to day basis in business, makes the co-operation and sharing of information that we have on this blog even more interesting to me.

Recently though we have started to get some negative feedback from people we have apparently “upset”. Interestingly this feedback has come either via a third party or offline (i.e via phone calls or face to face). I’m all for debate and constructive criticism but would rather that it happened on the blog itself….that after all is the point!

Digital Recruiting isn’t Onrec, it isn’t Ri5, it also isn’t a vehicle to be nice about everything in the industry for the sake of “growing the market”. What I hope it is becoming is a centre for sensible informed debate. I think it is great that there is now a place where we can talk about some of the things that aren’t so good about online recruitment or that we would like to change. By finally getting these things out in the open we can start to all make things better and “grow the industry” that way.

I think we need to mature as bloggers and blog readers and take note of what they do in the US. If someone feels affronted by something that has been written about them there, they just blog back and move on. Today’s exchange between cheezhead and the jobster blog about vertical job search engines is a great example of this!

For those who haven’t then please read the disclaimer on the about page. We are just expressing our opinions not planning some evil conspiracy to “pick on people” or “tar everyone with the same brush”. Digital Recruiting is a place for everyone who reads it to express their opinions; it’s as simple as that. The editorial policy (if that is the right word in the context of a blog!) couldn’t be simpler. Anyone can post in the comments providing what you write is in someway relevant to the debate. If anyone wants to get up on their high horse proper and write as a guest author all you have to do is email [email protected]. Providing what you’ve got to say is interesting and debate worthy then we’ll publish it.

Comments

[Roger B]

Hi matt
I've enjoyed your blog, but disagree with your latest comments. It's not your place to say that people should feedback back to you via the blog rather than in person or on the phone etc - leave it up to them as to how to get back to you - just because you like blogging doesn't mean everyone does! Communication is a two way thing and just because the conversation starts online it doesn't mean that it has to finish online!

[Matt]

Hi Roger

Thanks for the comments. I don't necessarily disagree with you either. The main point I was trying to make was that the blog is all about people expressing individual opinions and it was quite unfortunate that a small minority of people hadn't seen it that way. If people don't want to post and want to feedback in other ways than that's fine. I just wanted to point out that the blog does offer an instant right of reply!

Interesting I just spotted that Peter Gold ( http://blog.hirestrategies.co.uk/erecruitment/ )

and

Guru ( http://www.personneltoday.com/blogs/human-resources-guru/2007/03/challenger-faces-rayguns-at-da.html )

declared blog war on each other yesterday. Looks like it could be a good one!

[Peter Gold]

And how things get blown up out of all proportion as well - its not a war, it's an invasion.

Who does he think he is anyway, he's only been blogging 2 days and couldn't even submit a post LOL...

[John Whitehurst]

we are not the only blog where people like to debate ...

http://www.brandrepublic.com/Blogs/

OH YEAH SOME INTERESTING STUFF ON DIGITAL HERE.

[Ben]

Am I missing something here - in order to read any of the blogs on Brand Republic, I have to register.

I don't want to register. I just want to read what's being said. That's irritating. And in a way, missing the point a little isn't it?

[Andrew Douglas]

Just goes to show that you don't ever get something for nothing!

[John Whitehurst]

3 mins registration - at least it is free now

before you had to pay