Monday, May 23, 2005
Censorship
Over the decades censorship has been hotly, almost bloodily debated, and it still continues in the world of blogs. A while ago I had some thoughts (no really) on the topic along with a good link, but lost it (the thoughts and the link). This week some discussion has ensued on more than one site, so here I go.
Bloggers all have their own purposes for blogging, and many feel that the blog is their personal forum of journalistic freedom. Some give a daily or weekly report of their life's events, others have political commentaries, others travel logs. Some choose to be meak, others controversial. That's all fine. Where it gets tenuous, in my personal opinion, is when we post blogs or record blog comments that are critical of another person or people, even when we haven't mentioned their specific names. Note that I'm using the term "we" instead of "they". On some levels most of us are guilty of this at one time or another, and I for one haven't always been proud of my writing.
Are blogs really personal diaries, or are they more like "captain's logs"? They are not locked up at night with only you and your best friend holding a key. They are highly public, and accessible by people across the world. Total strangers, as well as those whom we write about. Whether reading people's opinions or reading blog protocol proposals, one particular principle comes to mind. "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."
Bloggers all have their own purposes for blogging, and many feel that the blog is their personal forum of journalistic freedom. Some give a daily or weekly report of their life's events, others have political commentaries, others travel logs. Some choose to be meak, others controversial. That's all fine. Where it gets tenuous, in my personal opinion, is when we post blogs or record blog comments that are critical of another person or people, even when we haven't mentioned their specific names. Note that I'm using the term "we" instead of "they". On some levels most of us are guilty of this at one time or another, and I for one haven't always been proud of my writing.
Are blogs really personal diaries, or are they more like "captain's logs"? They are not locked up at night with only you and your best friend holding a key. They are highly public, and accessible by people across the world. Total strangers, as well as those whom we write about. Whether reading people's opinions or reading blog protocol proposals, one particular principle comes to mind. "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."
// posted by Annette @ 6:09 p.m. 