What I Can and Can't Blog About

My employer recently updated its employee blogging policies, which have always been kind of nebulous for us online folks but became slightly more concrete. Basically, we're not really allowed to blog about specifics related to our business or about our clients, or if we do, we have to get those things approved. Which is all pretty much no-brainer stuff, but has been somewhat restrictive of what I can talk about on this site.

Starting next week, I can talk about video games again. Not that I've followed this rule 100%, but I can talk about the next-gen console "wars" and my thoughts on the Wii.

I can't talk about Apple stuff. That includes the iPhone or my considering (or not) buying a computer made by Apple.

I can't discuss health care, or the upcoming Michael Moore film. Yes, I used to work for him. It's a strange world.

I can't discuss eBay or its competitors. I can, however, use eBay.

I can't discuss Microsoft's Surface computer.

I can't really discuss Microsoft Office or its competitors, which is too bad because I have some interesting likes and dislikes of Office 2007 and my recent re-try of OpenOffice.org I'd love to delineate.

I can't discuss certain pieces of computer hardware.

And I can only discuss new marketing in general terms unrelated to specifics at my company.

So if you're wondering why I haven't joined the rest of the blogosphere in talking about the iPhone, that's why.