A Code of Conduct for Bloggers? May 18, 2007
Posted by JamesVinzer in Blogging Ethics, Web 2.0, blogging.1 comment so far
Last April, the folks at O’Reilly, who coined the concept of Web 2.0, declared that they want to create a code of conduct for Bloggers. I actually was talking about a concept of ethics in Blogology 101, so this is something I want to further my opinions on.
While there is nothing in the code concerning payolas or reviews, a good deal of the code is geared toward that sacred duty Google knows all to well: Do no evil. Also there are things such as Taking responsibility for your words, something I inferred but didn’t outright say with my Zune post. In addition, that one would never say anything on a blog they wouldn’t say in person. Wow, that takes out..well, pretty much every emo kid in LiveJournal. I would also like to say that I enjoy the fact that comment deletion is left solely to the blogger(s).
But there are other things I have problems with. One of those is Keeping the sources private. This was obviously added because of when Apple tried to sue a few bloggers to reveal their sources. I have a bit of experience in the journalistic world, and I’ve been told to cite sources whenever possible, but that anonymous sources are OK, so long as they can be confirmed.
Another problem that I have is with the rule of “Do no harm.” Rather vague, isn’t it? This is what the rule says according to the draft of the code:
A blogger must not use his or her blog to willfully cause harm. A blogger must consider the impact of his or her actions on others. A blogger must not send his or her audience to harass other bloggers or people.
Sounds good, but then again, what if a blogger discovers that people are going to be causing a problem, either writing something bad, spamming a forum, etc. Should they not attempt to do something to stop the problem? You could argue that it’s for the authorities to deal with, and I’ll agree. But I feel that as a blogger, your duty is to the Blogosphere first, and and code of conduct second. If someone has issued a libelous entry, or has otherwise commited a wrong, other bloggers and their audience should have the right to stand up.
Now, obviously, if a blogger decides to go on a harassment campaign simply because he hates the person, that’s stupid. You end up looking like a troll.
All in all, it’s pretty good for a start. If it’s made official, I might just adhere to it. Whether you do or not is up to you.
