Implications of Blogging (people are getting fired?)

The “related links at the bottom of the article” are good for a lighthearted laugh, however:

After reading about how you can get fired for things you write in your blog, I am sure lots of people are going to click on that first related link!

Seriously, this raises issues like:

– What is libel and slander, and how do these definitions extend into the electronic / blogosphere?
– Are these definitions different in the US than in the UK than in other countries, and if so (I think they are) then what import does that have for bloggers?)
– Do bloggers find out if their employer has a specific policy on blogging, and if so how does that inform / affect their postings?
– Where are the boundaries of free speech in the blogosphere? Are these different for people working for state institutions rather than private employers?

I am convinced blogging will continue to grow exponentially in the months and years to come. These are important questions that need answers.

To what extent will those answers chill creativity and expression in the blogosphere? I don’t know but I would like to.