Online chatter changes the definition of 'Common Knowledge'

The other day I read a guest post that Hanna Joseph (an attorney with Hollingsworth & Zivitz) posted on Kyle Lacy’s blog about new regulations that the FTC is placing on bloggers.

Basically, the FTC is requiring that if a blogger takes any form of compensation for blogging about something, whether it be money or free products or services, the blogger must disclose that they are being compensated.  If they don’t, they face a possible $11,000 fine.

Then earlier today I was catching up with some of Chris Brogan’s new posts and he mentioned the same issue.  Now I’ve read about the issue twice, I basically understand it, but what about corporate bloggers who don’t follow the same information feeds that I do?

The definition of common knowledge has changed.

Information channels have become so niche-oriented that it becomes very easy to miss critical information.  I’m not likely to miss critical regulation that affects bloggers because I’m in the business of consulting with companies about blogging and I follow news for my industry, but what about people who could care less about that stuff.

What is common knowledge for me might be very different than what is common knowledge for Joe CEO of Small-Company ABC who has a blog that he updates with company news once a week.  This could become an issue if he happens to promote something in exchange for free product without disclosing it.

I realize that on a smaller scale this kind of information segmentation has been going on forever, but it is amplified by the web.  That’s why it is important to get information from lots of sources so you don’t miss anything.

Sidenote: It’s always been a good idea to disclose information like this.  The only difference is that now the FTC is regulating it.

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