Blogs Should Have Content Warning

In light of the recent incident involving popular blogger, Kathy Sierra, who received death threats and other harassing blog posts, there is a movement in the blogging community to establish some kind of blog code.

Another very popular blogger, Tim O'Reilly, has taken the reins of this movement and co-written a blog code of conduct. One of the main features of this blogging code is that blogs that contain language that could be considered rude or offensive should display some kind of content warning.

The way in which O'Reilly thinks this warning should be given to readers is something that says, "Anything goes". This will warn readers that the blog is completely uncensored. It should also come with a warning that says, "We are not responsible for the comments of any poster, and when discussions get heated, crude language, insults and other 'off-colour' comments may be encounters. Participate in this site at your own risk."

The new code is not trying to tamper with the one of the greatest things about blogs, the fact that they allow for people to discuss topics openly and without censorship. It does how ever think that there should be some kind a respect given toward bloggers and readers.

This respect for bloggers and readers means that there is certain content that is just not acceptable. This content is stated in the code as being anything that is used to, "abuse, harass, stalk, or threaten others." Other content that is deemed as unacceptable is anything that can be considers libellous, goes against privacy rights or affects copyrights.

Currently the blogger code is in draft format and it is open to bloggers everywhere to comment on and make suggestions on what should be added or changed.

This new code has not been happily welcomed by many bloggers and when the draft was posted it was subject to a variety of interestingly coloured comments. For example one blogger who remarked anonymously about the blogger code said it was, "troll faeces, specifically designed to create a special group of self-satisfied, smug, condescending dingalings looking down their noses."

The blogger code includes seven points created by Tim O'Reillly, the man who coined the phrase Web 2.0, and Jimmy Wales the man who came up with the now supersized site, Wikipedia.

When blogging about the code O'Reilly said, "Setting standards for acceptable behaviour in a forum you control is conducive to free speech, not damaging to it. There's no reason why we should tolerate conversations online that we wouldn't tolerate in our living rooms."

One of the code's points tries to encourage bloggers to take no notice of posters who make rude comments that add nothing to the discussion. It says not to stoop to their level it will only get messy. Hopefully by ignoring the comments the posters will not get the reaction they were hoping for a go away.

Another main concern tackled by the code is to no longer allow posters to post anonymously. When Kathy Sierra received her threats the posts were made anonymously, making it impossible to trace who they were coming from and striking more fear into Kathy as she had not idea how mentally disturbed this poster was.

Hopefully the blogsphere can come up with a code that bloggers feel does not infringe on their rights to say what ever they wants but cut out the cowardly and completely useless obnoxious comments.

The code can be seen on Tim O'Reillys blog, link to the blog is in the resource section of this news story.

Sources
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6540385.stm
http://www.mg.co.za/articlePage.aspx?articleid=304217&area=/breaking_news/breaking_news__business/
http://www.techsmessage.com/2007/04/10/warning-this-blog-is-offensive/