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ReputationDefender Blog caught a compelling article from CNN yesterday reexamining the story of former Army machine gunner Colby Buzzell. Buzzell, who was deployed to Iraq in November of 2003, began blogging about his war experiences anonymously to share with the world the reality of the war.

Buzzell’s candid style and frank language was compelling and his first-hand experiences were shared unfiltered for anyone to see. Unlike traditional media, Buzzel’s blog provided a fully accurate view of the brutality and severity of combat. Whereas a nightly newscast might mention a firefight, Buzzel could actually desribe it with detail.

Because of their intense nature, it wasn’t long before Buzzel’s posts began receiving mainstream attention. Buzzel’s gripping first-person account of an ambush on American troops in Mosul, in particular received siginificant exposure. Unfortunately, it was this same post which drew the ire of his superiors.

From the CNN Article:

The “Men in Black” post attracted media attention, and Buzzell was flooded with e-mails and interview requests from around the world. Based on his descriptions of the Mosul attacks, his commanding officers soon figured out that he was the blog’s author.

The Army confined Buzzell to the base and began monitoring his posts. Then, after he posted an anti-Iraq war rant by Dead Kennedys singer Jello Biafra, they ordered him to stop blogging.

Buzzell’s Iraq blog lasted just 10 weeks, but it helped pave the way for others to follow.

While the story goes on to explain that the Army’s official policy toward blogging is positive, they encourage soldiers to express themselves, it is interesting to see another example of a blog leading to punitive action. While it is understandable that the army would monitor a soldier’s blog for the sake of mission security, it still provides a compelling refutation of the “anonymity” of the web.

While Colby Buzzell was able to turn his blog into a book and a freelance writing career, others haven’t been as lucky. Just because you don’t sign your name to a blog or a forum, it doesn’t mean others won’t still be able to figure out who you are. This is why taking an active stance in the management of your online reputation is critical to success in the Internet era.

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