Most people I deal with on a daily basis with this blog include industry experts, search engine engineers, search engine PR people, journalists, bloggers and even spammers. It took a really long time to earn the trust of all the different types of people listed above. I have no journalistic background, no schooling in professional writing, nor in the PR industry. Over the past month, C|Net was blacklisted by Google, it was widely discussed. I do not have all the details about the real reasoning behind it. I know how both sides "feel" about it, but I would never publish those thoughts here. Let me get into what code of ethics this site stands-by when writing entries at this site.
Search Engine Roundtable Code of Ethics: (1) We try to cover public forum threads and quote from public information within those threads. (2) We will never quote anyone without explicit permission in the following cases: -- Phone conversations require explicit permission to quote -- Email conversations require explicit permission to quote -- IM chat conversations require explicit permission to quote -- In person conversations require explicit permission to quote (3) We will quote any publicly posted and available content from forums, content sites, blogs and so on. (4) Anything said during a public presentation at a conference (not at the bars or in the hall ways but rather, what is said on the podium) is quotable as well.
Basically what it comes down to is a deep consideration of respect towards the industry and the people within the industry.
Often I wish I can write about something presented to me X days before it comes out. Often I wish I can write about something I heard from Matt Cutts or Tim Mayer or Jim Lanzone for the respect search engines. Often I wish I can write about something found by a fellow blogger or a journalist before they do. But I don't.
I thought it would be a good idea to clarify this code of ethics for the Search Engine Roundtable for the readers, guest writers and for anyone else who might not have known. Respect is what is at the core of it all.
