Should Blogs Make You Be Nicer?
I'm all for civility on blogs, but I'd rather have freedom—which is why
this proposed blogging code of conduct sounds like a stupid idea to me.
As the Times reports,
Last week, Tim O’Reilly, a conference promoter and book publisher who is credited with coining the term Web 2.0, began working with Jimmy Wales, creator of the communal online encyclopedia Wikipedia, to create a set of guidelines to shape online discussion and debate.
The two men want to create guidelines for blogs to follow; those that did would post little seals of approval, like the American flag stickers you used to get on your papers in first grade.
Harvard blogger David Weinberger sounds like he's on board with the plan, telling the Times, “The aim of the code is not to homogenize the Web, but to make clearer the informal rules that are already in place anyway."
Possible guidelines might include banning anonymous comments and the right to delete harassing or threatening comments.
The latter seems obvious to me; as newspapers don't have to run every letter they get, blogs don't have to publish every comment someone leaves. But banning anonymous comments entirely is a mistake. In my opinion, it's generally a healthy thing when people comment by name, but on the other hand, sometimes people don't want to, and that's fine too, as long as they're not hiding behind anonymity to be malicious.
The Times cites several examples of bad behavior behind this drive for a web code of conduct. One woman who writes frequently about her family now has to live with a website parodying her which incorporates copied photos of her daughter. One female blogger was threatened with death. Another woman was e-heckled during a public speech in which the audience was allowed to post simultaneous commentary. She lost her temper.
Death threats are, obviously, unacceptable. But these other things, unpleasant though they may be, seem predictable. Don't want someone to make fun of your daughter? Don't post pictures of her in a public space.
Can't handle a little heckling? Don't give lectures.
(On a side note, I do think it's deeply unfortunate that so much of the anger out there seems directed at female bloggers. Clearly, some guys have issues. This is a longer conversation.)
Seems to me that these bloggers are finding out what journalists have always known: There are always a few crackpots out there, and more than a few nasty, unhappy people. Deal with it.
