EFF has released a guide to blogging anonymously, with "basic measures people can take to keep
their blogs anonymous and explores what the law says about
discussing work-related issues online. Some advice is
common sense; for example, don't post a picture of yourself
if you want to stay anonymous. But for bloggers who want
strong guarantees of privacy, EFF suggests using
technologies like Tor or Anonymizer to prevent your
blog-hosting company from logging your computer's unique
Internet Protocol (IP) address. Bloggers who fear they
could be fired for blogging are also given an introduction
to laws that prevent an employer from punishing them for
speaking out online."
The bad news is that in many cases, there is no legal means of redress if you've been fired for blogging. While your right to free speech is protected by the First Amendment, this protection does not shield you from the consequences of what you say. The First Amendment protects speech from being censored by the government; it does not regulate what private parties (such as most employers) do. In states with "at will" employment laws like California, employers can fire you at any time, for any reason. And no state has laws that specifically protect bloggers from discrimination, on the job or otherwise.
One way to make sure your blog doesn't earn you a pink slip is to make sure that you write about certain protected topics. Most states have laws designed to prevent employers from firing people who talk openly about their politics outside of work, for example. Be warned that laws like this do vary widely from state to state, and many are untested when it comes to blogging.
