by Playfuls Staff |
10th April 2007
The creator of Wikipedia, Jimmy Wales, decided to team with Tim O'Reilly to create a set of guidelines to shape online discussions and debate, NYT reported. Most of the preliminary recommendations they drafted also apply to online publications[more] and news sources. O'Reilly, a California book publisher, is a long-time blogger who coined the term "Web 2.0" to describe the booming world of citizen media.
For example, one key recommendation is that bloggers consider banning anonymous comments left by visitors to their pages and be able to delete threatening or libelous comments without facing cries of censorship. As you probably saw on blogs and online newspapers which allow unauthenticated users to enter comments, most of the discussions degenerate into heated arguments.
Meanwhile, U.S. courts take the view that online diaries and blogs are in the public domain and that the laws of libel apply. A Louisiana woman was asked to pay $11 million in damages to a Florida lawyer she had libeled online.
"That is one of the mistakes a lot of people make," O'Reilly told the Times, "believing that uncensored speech is the most free when in fact, managed civil dialogue is actually the freer speech." "If it's a carefully constructed set of principles, it could carry a lot of weight even if not everyone agrees," said Mr. Wales, who stressed that any code of conduct would be voluntary.
What they specifically seek to address are the so-called "flame wars" that can erupt on the internet as incensed readers of blogs then vent their feelings with heated comments online.
"Setting standards for acceptable behavior in a forum you control is conducive to free speech, not damaging to it," O'Reilly said on his blog. "There's no reason why we should tolerate conversations online that we wouldn't tolerate in our living room." That's point 2 of the draft proposal.
Last month, Sir Martin Sorrell, an advertising magnate, head of the global WPP agency, accused two former colleagues of being behind a blog that depicted him as a mafia don. The case ended when Sir Martin accepted a £120,000 payout for invasion of privacy and libel, The Scotsman reports.
On occasions, death threats and other sinister comments appear with regard to an article's writer.
The Blogger's Code also asks that online writers refrain from publishing anything that they would not be comfortable saying in person. The proposed code has six points so far and it's based closely on the BlogHer Community Guideline. Those subscribing to the code would display a "civility enforced" symbol (it looks like a sheriff's badge). Those who do not will be badged "anything goes".
The points are as follows:
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.
Read O'Reilly's draft here:
http://radar.oreilly.com/archives/2007/04/draft_bloggers_1.html
