A Blogger’s Code Of Conduct?
Tim O’Reilly proposed a bloggers’ code of conduct, in the light of the recent death threats against popular blogger Kathy Sierra (of Creating Passionate Users fame). My say on this: it’s bollocks. I would agree with Tony Hung of the Blog Herald that as long as bloggers treat each other in a civil fashion, there’s no need to write a ten- or twelve- (or a hundred, for that matter) point “code” of conduct for bloggers. The blogosphere is supposed to be self-policing after all. That’s the beauty of it.
Again: should bloggers be civil to each other? Of course. But do I think a Blogger Code of Conduct is necssary? Not really. And I don’t think it would have helped Kathy Sierra even if there was an official one — principally because her “assailants” attacked her anonymously.Now, should bloggers take responsibility for the comments section? I think there is certainly a moral obligation to do the best that you can. But that’s really a post about making sure you have a good comments policy.
If you impose something on bloggers, then that would be a bit stupid, won’t it? Why? If they violate your “code” then what can you do about it? Will they be banned from the blogosphere forever? Will the blogging code police come knocking on their doors in the middle of the night and arrest them for misconduct? I don’t think so.
Ahmed of Tech Soapbox sums it up neatly here. Such an imposition of a blogger’s code of conduct will just show a holier-than-thou attitude. What gives one person or one group the power to impose their own standards on a whole population of bloggers?
The imposition of beliefs on others that do not want it are getting exhausting. The death that I have already covered above. But other than that – bugger off. If what I say does not harm you, and you don’t like what I’m saying – get lost. Why do people have this craving to whine about anything and everything that may offend them. People will use any opening to push their (moral) agenda.
And in Kathy Sierra’s case, death threats were thrown her way. I agree that this should be a matter for police to handle, and not a band of vigilante bloggers who want to impose their own code on others.
What do you think?