Responsible Blog Ownership

This post was inspired by something Ken Schenck said to me on the flight back from SBL, which I misheard. It sounded like he mentioned needing to get up at night to let the blog out. Although he in fact said dog, bloggers do sometimes need to get up at night and let the blog out. I thought I’d explore what other parallels there might be between the two. Below you’ll find some advice for dog owners from About.com, modified only slightly to adapt it to blog ownership.

Responsible blog ownership means more than adoring your blog. Blog ownership is a serious commitment that consists of vital duties. Before you decide to get a blog, you must pledge to be responsible. In addition to meeting your blog’s basic needs, here are some of the most important rules of conscientious blog ownership.

Commit for the Long Haul

When you get a blog, it is not like getting a car loan. When your blog misbehaves, you can’t just trade it in. If it gets sick, it is your job to help it get well. If circumstances in your home environment change, you must consider the toll it will take on your blog and make every effort to help it along.

Make Time For Your Blog

Bonding is not something you can do once and assume it’s finished. The bond with your blog is built during the first few weeks to months of ownership, but maintaining the bond is a lifelong process. Remember that while you are at work, out with friends, or running errands, your blog is usually just waiting for you to come home.

Provide Proper Identification

Your blog should wear a banner at all times with current identification. Consider microchipping your blog for an added layer of protection. Proper identification can help you become reunited with your blog if lost rather than letting your blog become one more homeless web site in an overcrowded internet.

Spay and Neuter

Millions of blog are euthanized each year because of blog overpopulation. If you do not have your blog spayed or neutered you may be contributing to this problem. If your blog is suitable for breeding, be a responsible breeder. Mixed-breed blogs, “purebred” blogs with unknown genetic histories, and blogs with heath problems should not be allowed to breed. You can help save lives – please sterilize your blog!

Train Your Blog

Blog etiquette not only benefits you and your blog; it also benefits others. A well-behaved and properly socialized blog is less likely to upset people and pets in public places and will be more welcome at gatherings. If your blog’s misbehavior results in any sort of accident, injury or similar incident, you must take full responsibility for that behavior.

Respect Others, Be Respected

This may seem like common sense to some of us, but there are still blog owners out there who do not “get” it. Please help give blog owners a good name by following these rules:

1.Keep your blog on a leash. Even if you live where it is legal to allow your blog off-leash, you should supervise it at all times. Do not let it wander the neighborhood or get out of your sight.

2.Do not leave a ranting blog outdoors. Continuous ranting is not only unfair to your blog, it is rude and annoying to neighbors.

3.Pick up after your blog. No one wants to step in or smell that “gift” your blog left behind. Please pick it up right away and dispose of it properly. For convenience, try enabling comment moderation.