Monday, April 09, 2007

AAAAAAAAARGH!!



From the headlines... Bloggers call for a code of manners? Call for an end to anonymous commenting? (remember, people think anonymity is the enemy here)

I agree, bloggers should be able to delete comments from their blogs without facing accusations of censorship - IF the comments are offensive or pure flame-bait without merit. Censorship happens when you delete comments that merely disagree with you. I don't think rampant comment censorship is spawning the Blog Civility movement though.

I'm with Scoble, the proposed 'code of manners' is not something I'm willing to sign on for. Not because I'm pro-harassment, but because I'm anti-regulation, and the crazy social pressure that is resulting from it. What's more, I'm not willing to post their stupid 'Anything Goes' logo on my site, because that suggests that I recognize their program's legitimacy in policing the manners of the blogosphere. Bullshit. And yes, Mr. O'Reilly, I'd be willing to say that to you in person.

Bloggers are not so freaking special that they need a code of manners to govern their conduct. Civility cannot be regulated into existence. What we need is some basic courtesy in the world. Disagreements are disagreements. You don't post photos of the people you dislike in violent or sexually explicit ways, you don't drag their families into it, you don't make threats. Grow up people. It's called the Golden Rule. Check it out.

annoyed,
~Elphie

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4 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Regulation is designed to ban things. Since when can anything, much less something as obvious and fundamental as human civility, be regulated into existence? Do you know something I don't? :-)

(Posting anonymously -- oddly enough)

11:19 PM  
Blogger Elphaba said...

I would never claim to know anything more than anyone else. However, I am happy to explain my logic. If the blogger code is designed to ban uncivil behavior, I think you can flip it around and say it is trying to regulate civility into the blogosphere. I guess it is a glass half full/glass half empty argument in my eyes. The statements may be opposites, but both are still true depending on your perspective.

~E

9:11 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hmm... fair point. And you can claim to know more than me, if you want. :-D

And on an unrelated subject... how in the hell do you maintain such an exhaustive list of security conferences?

I'm curious because it's an immensely useful resource. It helped me find a local one to go to. :-)

2:46 PM  
Blogger Elphaba said...

I can claim to be the king of all Londinum and wear a shiny hat but that wouldn't make it true. I dare not claim to know more than anonymous readers - what if you are Stephen Hawking? I'd just look silly.

As for how I maintain such an exhaustive list of security cons, what can I say? I'm an enigma wrapped in a paradox, shrouded in mystery. If I told you my secrets, then I'd have to kill you. (if only reality were that exciting.) Really, it is the only thing of consistent value I feel like the Hideaway provides to the public, so there is some personal pride in keeping it up to date with the latest and greatest. Which reminds me, I need to add a bunch of new schtuff to it...

~E

4:59 PM  

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