The Bloggers code of Conduct

Kristine Lowe has brought my attention to the debate over this issue that has been ranging in the blogsphere over the Easter Weekend.

This from this morning's Guardian

"Images of excrement were abundant amid the reaction yesterday to the proposed "bloggers' code of conduct". The anonymous blogger bynkii (motto: because misanthropy is fun) likened the idea to "troll faeces, specifically designed to create a special group of self-satisfied, smug, condescending dingalings looking down their noses". The new media site 910am described it as "weapons of mass stupidity" and carried the health warning "do not read on a full stomach".

As is apparent a lot of controversy has occurred.The authors of the work ,a certain Tim O'reilly and Jimmy Wales,the former blessed with coming up with the phase Web 2.0,the latter a founder of Wikipedia,feel the need

"to address the plethora of abusive comments on the web, while preserving the free spirit of the medium."

There is no doubt that there is a need for a way of controlling some of the abusive comments that appear but whether this needs to be ,or can be done formally is open to debate

Here is the draft(Read in full)

1 We take responsibility for our own words and for the comments we allow on our blog.

2. We won't say anything online that we wouldn't say in person.

3. We connect privately before we respond publicly.

4. When we believe someone is unfairly attacking another, we take action.

5. We do not allow anonymous comments.

6. We ignore the trolls.

So far 165 comments and rising