Blogging Etiquette and posting jobs

Our newly formed Salt Lake Metro Transitioning Professional has been created only this past weekend and already we have 28 members.  We hope to continue to grow that number with both transitioning professionals, with those in career search (not job search) because they want to explore other opportunities, or for those who want to just network to get business intelligence, to share ideas or to see jobs that we hope to get placed.  We also accept consultants who might partner with these professionals in their job search. 

Here are some suggestions I received about etiquette blogging from a wordpress blog:

As such here are the general etiquette rules for blogging (while the first comment is highly frowned upon):

1. "Ditto, I couldn't have said it better.  Please see my blog or website at XXXXXX for my response.

2.  A proper type response might read:  "Well said! I know exactly what you mean about X, and I'm glad that I'm not the only one who thinks so. I would even say that ..........  ! Your candor is greatly appreciated."

The second one follows the etiquette guidelines below. But even more importantly, it was written with the intent to forge a relationship, not to self promote.

Relationship building is a much more effective and rewarding strategy for attracting new visitors to your site than spamming, so if you're interested in boosting your readership, keep the following tips in mind when you leave comments on others' posts:

1. Be specific. Personalized comments show authors that you're genuinely interested in what they have to say, and that you actually took the time to read what they wrote. This doesn't mean you need to write a long comment, just be sure to articulate why you felt compelled to say something in the first place. Did you learn something new? Did you have a similar experience? Do you want to voice a different perspective? Quote the author directly if you need to clarify what specific sentences you're responding to.

Even if you simply want to compliment someone's work, explain what you liked about it. Avoid vague comments like “Awesome! Thanks for sharing." If you're not sure what to say, consider using the Like button to show your support.

2.  On a related note, when you mention another author's post on your own blog, do include a link, instead of just mentioning the post title or blog name. This will generate a pingback and inform the author that you mentioned their post.

3. Stay on topic. Take care not to diverge too far from the subject of the original post. If you end up in an off-topic exchange with other commenters, message them directly to avoid distracting from the comments left for the post author.

It’s perfectly acceptable to share relevant links, just be sure to explain how they relate to the original post.

4. Be nice. Even if you disagree with someone, it’s never appropriate to use insults or other offensive language. Rude comments don’t add any value to a discussion, and only divert attention away from the author’s work. It’s perfectly fine to offer constructive criticism, just be polite. If you see others writing disrespectful or incendiary comments, or you receive such comments on your own blog, ignore/delete them. Acknowledging them will only encourage the aggressor, so don't waste your time.

5. Keep it brief. The more concise your comment, the easier it will be for others to read and respond to. In most cases, a few sentences is plenty.