Monday, March 24, 2008

My most exciting post yet ! - Adding a legal disclaimer.

Take a look folks - right there, over on the right hand navigation bar,, down, down-further - below that awesome badge photo of my econo-Glamor-shot... Tada ! - The addition of a legal disclaimer to my personal blog.

It seems as though one of my distant coworkers has drawn a bit of publicity lately. I won't get into any specifics, but the corporate guidance to employees - which might I add has also gained a fair bit of publicity has been that personal blogs which link employees of Cisco back to the company must carry such a disclaimer.

This doesn't bother me a bit. I established in post-#1 why it was I started blogging. Simply, I was encouraged to do so by a colleague who has drawn quite a following in the industry with his insightful comments and public blogging across a variety of subjects.

For the past 18 posts, I've tried to not emphasize my employer in my posts. Given the anonymity concerns of recent events, I don't want it to sound like I'm hiding it. My name really is David Stafford and I am currently a full-time employee of Cisco in their internal IT department with an individual contributor position of IT Architect. I am not a director of the company, I do not have any insight to macro-financial matters, the industry business climate or anything SEC related. It just so happens that I work there. - There - it's been said.

Going forward, I do not want my employer (past, present or future) to be the prime focus of my personal writings. Thought at times it may be impossible to completely decouple the two. As it happens, my work gives me amazing opportunities to come in contact with industry leaders both inside Cisco, among our amazing customers, our vendors and my peers at other companies. I value these business and personal relationships because it's where ideas and innovation are formed, vetted and cultivated over time.

Regarding this blog - If you take offense at something I say, if you think I'm trying to advance a corporate agenda, leak intentionally or accidentally misleading information or if you want to file a lawsuit against me -- please make sure you contact me first for a quick and amiable resolution.

That said - I'll end with the following statement that my sister got to read live on the air at a Detroit Pistons game when I was in middle-school - you'll see how much of an impact legal disclaimers have had on me growing up that I can remember something from nearly 20 years ago ;-) : "This copyrighted telecast is presented by the authority of the Detroit Pistons and the National Basketball Association and is intended solely for the private, non-commercial use of our audience. Any use or reproduction of this telecast without the expressed written consent of PASS sports or the National Basketball Association is strictly prohibited."

No comments: