THERE have been various discussions on what, if any, ethics the Weblog community should follow. Since not all bloggers are journalists and the Weblog form is more casual, they argue they shouldn’t be expected to follow the same ethics codes journalists are following.
So, is a voluntary code of conduct for bloggers and online commentators necessary?
Observers believe that it is, to ensure quality of online discourse, so to speak, and rid the blogosphere off irresponsible bloggers who hide behind the cloak of anonymity that the Internet offers.
They reckon that many Internet users would benefit from some clearer guidance about posting comments online. A code of ethics might help to make bloggers and Web users more aware of the legal implications of what they post on the Net.
A survey by UK legal firm DLA Piper said 46 per cent of Web users think bloggers should sign up to a code that reflected the laws on defamation, intellectual property and incitement, with 15 per cent ambivalent and four per cent strongly opposed. Meanwhile, some 34 per cent of bloggers opposed the idea, but 32 per cent supported it.
The survey highlights the dangers created not only by self-publishing, but also by more innocuous user content such as video, photos and comment posted to media sharing sites.
Only one in three of the Web users surveyed said they had actually read the legal liabilities in the terms and conditions of the sites they use, though 14 per cent had material removed from a site in the past for breaching those terms.
The blogosphere would certainly be a more pleasant place for online discourse with responsible bloggers who have certain ethical obligations to their readers, the people they write about, and society in general.
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