Blog Guidance
Here you'll find EERE's requirements for creating, publishing, and maintaining a blog on the EERE Web site.
For a description of what a blog is, how they can benefit your site, and some things to consider before starting one, see the overview of blogs on Webcontent.gov.
Establishing a Blog
To receive approval, send a proposal to the EERE Web Project Manager that explains why a blog is needed, who will post on it, and which program will oversee its maintenance.
In no case should EERE staff or contractors create a blog in which they identify themselves as a representative of the U.S. Department of Energy without first receiving approval.
All EERE managers who are interested in starting and maintaining a blog on their site must be aware of the following guidelines.
Branding
EERE blogs need to conform to the EERE Blog template. This template is currently in development.
Additionally, all blogs must specify the initiative, program, or overall mission that the blog supports. All blogs must include the following statement on their home page, with links as appropriate: "This blog supports the (Specify the Program/Initiative/Etc.) of the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy."
Startup Costs
All blogs have startup costs. At a minimum, these include:
- Writing a charter
- Designing the graphics
The EERE blog charter is designed to prompt specific questions about your plans for the blog, including questions about the volume and type of posts you are planning to write. Download the EERE blog charter (MS Word 48 KB).
Maintenance Costs
Any EERE employee who wishes to maintain a blog should be aware of the following time commitments and their costs:
- Each blog post requires an average of 4 hours to prepare and write
- Each blog post can require up to a half hour per day to moderate and reply to comments.
Oversight of EERE Blogs
EERE Program Directors are the owners of all blogs maintained by their programs. They must be aware of all blogs within their jurisdiction and assure the appropriateness and quality of the content being posted on them.
EERE Program Directors should maintain oversight of their blogs in the following ways:
- Know how much time is invested regularly in their program's blogs
- Hold quarterly reviews of the content to make sure it is appropriate and accurate
- Periodically review all blogs to determine if they are active and still relevant.
Hosting
In order to bypass any cyber security concerns, all EERE blogs are hosted externally on TypePad. If an EERE staff member or contractor needs a blog hosted elsewhere, a request and justification must be made to the EERE Web Project Manager.
Maintaining a Blog
All EERE staff and contractors who wish to write for an EERE blog must adhere to these requirements.
Content and Professionalism
Blogs are not official publications of the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. However, blogs associated with EERE must be accurate, fair, and unbiased, and all communication must be professional and courteous. Blogs must fit the mission of EERE and not interfere with the primary mission of the organization.
Any EERE staff or contractor who participates in an EERE blog, whether by posting content or leaving a comment, must agree to do the following:
- Limit blogging to factual issues (research and development topics, etc.), rather than in-depth discussion of Administration or Departmental policy
- Avoid discussion of confidential information, even when the blog is internal
- Use professional standards in language and decorum
- Withhold personal opinions on office, departmental, and administration policy
- Assure that all content is accurate, and inform readers if content is changed, updated, or corrected
- Be aware that bloggers represent the U.S. Department of Energy with their posts
- Understand and adhere to the policies explained in the required policy text for EERE blogs
Comments
By default, all EERE blogs have "moderated comments," where comments are not visible until one of the blog's writers approves them. Moderated comments are highly encouraged in order to avoid automated spam and inappropriate content.
EERE bloggers should not use the ability to moderate comments to suppress disagreement or negative comments. While it is up to the discretion of every individual EERE blogger to determine the level of civility required to participate on their blog, comments should normally only be removed if they are disruptive, contain spam, violate the EERE Commenting Policy, or contain content that violates state or federal law.
Standard Blog Disclaimer Text
All blogs owned and managed by EERE must use EERE's standard blog disclaimer text. This text describes EERE's approach to privacy, linking, and commenting. You must create a page on your blog that includes these disclaimers and link to this page from somewhere on your blog.
