Civility In The Blogosphere. Can It Be Enforced?

There is a mildly interesting article in the New York Times about the nastiness in some parts of the blogging world and a call for civility and self policing by some bloggers.  The article is rich in instances of the dismal and vicious quality of on-line discourse involving mostly anonymous bloggers and commenters. But it is rather sparse on suggestions of controlling the menace (I doubt there are any effective ways). Issues ranging from name calling, libel, censorship to death threats to bloggers are discussed. I personally find the idea of anonymous blogging, even good quality blogging, rather unappetizing - except in the case of political writers writing from totalitarian or other hazardous locations. If one is interested in orating in the  public square, one should do so standing on a soapbox with one's name on it or some indicator to one's identity. But I am not the one setting the rules here. Every blogger follows his or her own level of courage or comfort and it is up to the reader to decide whose voice they find authentic regardless of known/ hidden identity. With no one to answer to, some just choose to abuse their minuscule and transitory presence in the cacophonous and overcrowded cyberworld. Hardly surprising. And just as no one has to read an offensive blog, no blogger should have to tolerate an uncivil reader who fouls up the forum. Deleting / moderating comments is perfectly okay.  No pure and high faluting "freedom of speech" issue at stake here.  The level of smugness and self importance is way beyond the weight of the matter at hand. 

Comments

[Sujatha]

The medium of the internet and the anonymity and ease of 'cyber-stalking' make it too difficult to police. In any case, the article mentions a code of conduct that is expected to be a sort of voluntary self-policing system as to what level of discourse will be permitted on the blogs, so as to avoid the nasty situations of bloggers being harassed by cyberbullies "Never tussle with a pig in mud-it gets you both dirty and makes the pig happy", to paraphrase advice tendered to software book publisher O'Reilly.