I posted this a few weeks ago and thought I'd add it to this site as well.

After a few mishaps getting to DC I'm happy that I can report that on Thursday May 17th I attended my NAR Professional Standards committee meeting. 

I love being on this committee and am in the second year of my second 3 year term. After 4 years the newness has worn off but this year I was really looking forward to this meeting as I knew Blogs would be discussed.

The first part of the meeting is the Professional Standards Forum, the forum allows all REALTOR members to bring up their concerns about the code and the enforcement process as well as sharing of ideas. 

As we entered the ballroom this funky looking tall guy in a white suit greeted people, congratulating them on being ethical and then poking fun at them! It was funny to see and I knew immediately who he was thanks to AR member Mariana Wagner who posted about how to be a slimy real estate agent, I think the majority of the attendees had no idea who Ted Truitt was. I could hardly contain myself as I watched their reactions!

We spent about an hour and half doing the open forum and then the committee meeting started. 

First off...We passed a new Standard of Practice prohibiting members from misrepresenting their status as members or designees of NAR's Institutes, Societies and Councils. This is a good thing in my opinion. 

Then we tabled the Internet-related issues...blogs to name a few until November.  The sub committee will be be looking at Article 12 to see if we need a broader more encompassing ethical direction guiding all forms of communication. They will also be looking at

1. A clearer definition of communications

2. REALTOR making anonymous comments on other REALTORS Blogs

3. REALTORS responsibility for monitoring/editing their own Blogs

4. REALTORS responsibility for Blogs run by licensees affiliated with them 

5. Disclosure of time lag (hours or days) in posting comments to Blogs. Must the fact that a Blog is not run in "live time" be disclosed?

6. Posting unfavorable/unflattering (but truthful) comments to Blogs 

I can't wait till November to see what the sub committee comes back with. It should be very interesting and being a blogger I have very mixed feelings about some of this.

One thing I learned while in DC is that there are many-many people who have no clue what blogging is and surprisingly people in important positions who do not see any merit in blogging and will not encourage their sales associates to blog!

What do you think? Should NAR look at having guide lines for Blogs? Do we need NAR policing blogs? I think it's going to happen no matter what but am curious as to my fellow bloggers feelings about this.

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11 years old and wants to Blog...now what do I do?

Jay and I are babysitting our 11 year old grandson Mikey tonight. Out of the blue he asks me to help him set up a Blog? He wants his own Blog!

He is only 11 and I really didn't know what to say. 

I asked him if he knows what a Blog is. He said yes of course he did and asked didn't I know all about Blogs???

Have you been reading my Blogs I asked? Yes, I have, he told me.  He particularly enjoyed the ski blog since it had his photo in it!  

So here he is wanting to Blog... I'm not sure how to let him have the feel for a Blog while keeping him off the web.  I suggested he write something and I'll post it on my blog...after all I'm always looking for guest bloggers. No thank you he said, he really wants his own blog.  I asked what will you write about? He said he'd write about things that he was thinking about...very simple he said!

He has had his own laptop for about a year now and truth be told he probably knows more about technology than I do.  For Easter he got a real Microscope and uses it all the time.

So maybe one of these days Michael will write something on my blog or maybe on Jay's blog.  Or maybe he'll start up some kids blog somewhere...I'd really not be surprised!

BTW...If you haven't been to Jay's blog you ought to check it out...he's doing awesome things posting videos of our listings! For a self taught Boomer he has really come a long way!  Click here to visit Jay's Blog.