Digital Forums for Auditors March 2005

Digital Forums for Auditors  March 2005

A blog is basically a journal that is available on the web. The activity of updating a blog is "blogging" and someone who keeps a blog is a "blogger." Blogs are typically updated daily using software that allows people with little or no technical background to update and maintain the blog. Postings on a blog are almost always arranged in chronological order with the most recent additions featured most prominently.

More than 10 years ago, I wrote an article for The Internal Auditor on establishing an online information network for auditors. The AuditNet concept has matured into a useful resource for auditors around the world. A relatively recent phenomenon called Web logs or Blogs provide a unique digital sharing opportunity for auditors. While this phenomenon has caught on with some professions, I have not seen much evidence of blogs for auditors. Blog sites could be useful for auditors to share information on such topics as Sarbanes-Oxley, corporate governance, audit committees, whistleblower programs and more. In fact, when I did a search for Sarbanes-Oxley Blogs, I found the following:

White Collar Crime Prof Blog 
Web Optimization Blog 
Inside Sarbanes-Oxley 

Blogs may remain a little used resource for auditors. That does not mean that auditors should not refrain from sharing their views on audit related topics on the Web. Tread carefully and think about how you can use this Web-based discussion forum for auditing.

Stay tuned for more journal entries from the AuditBahn!