There's an interesting debate going on about Ghost blogging, which is worth discussing becauseof our vested interests in transparency (or the lack thereof), and the power of authenticity.
I spotted an interesting comment from the CEO of Reuters, Tom Glocer, who's been blogging. Responding to a question if he was actually the person behind the blog, he was pretty candid: Yes, it was him, but on occasion, he phoned in his post and dictated it to his assistant, who transcribed it and posted it.
Perhaps people have heightened expectations when it comes to CEO bloggers. Not everyone can be as prolific as, say Sun's Jonathan Schwartz. Or as passionate as GM's Bob Lutz. I'm glad they don't conform to the same template. If they begin to sound like their PR or marketing departments I'd be worried!The fact that they are inviting a conversation is huge, and whether theyare dictating their posts, using a ghost blogger or taking some breaks, is not as important.
At least these guys like Schwartz, Lutz, and Glocer are trying to raise the banner of trust and transparency.