Obviously we are strong supporters of blogging and encourage everyone we can to join the Blogosphere. However, some people may not benefit from blogging about their company since some things are better left unsaid, or unknown. Foxnews.com’s Blogging Gone Bad at Bear Stearns reports on a hedge fund manager’s blog that went wrong in a big way.
The manager seemed to have more than enough self-esteem to discuss his cratering funds in an unconcerned manner. Here’s where the perception created by a blog can have a negative effect:
The blog, full of alpha-male inspired phrases likening the demise of his funds to the attack on Sparta would have provided comic relief if it weren’t otherwise decidedly disturbing.
That’s because the blog opened a window on the wild west mentality at Bear Stearns Asset Management €” reinforcing the public’s perception that too many hedge fund cowboys are at the helm of funds that are too leveraged and too opaque for comfort. With Wall Street having loaned an estimated $500 billion dollars to funds with collateralized mortgage obligations similar to those in the Bear Stearns funds, the public has plenty of reasons for concern.
There is a part of me that empathizes with this gentleman. His blog appears to be more of a personally diary as opposed to a corporate blog. This article approaches his “wild west mentality” as a real liability. Perhaps it is, but it is still just his style. An overly-worried, quiet manager could have had just as spectacular a crash.
Nonetheless, this perception has to be considered when blogging openly about your company or position.