Lady Bloggers and the Code of Conduct

A post on Noah Brier started an interesting email discussion between us over the weekend. Noah was posting about the proposed Blogger Code of Conduct. And saying, like pretty much every other blogger that I have read, that he did not agree with it.
I am struggling a bit with all of this. I was shocked by the general attitude of the blogosphere after the Kathy Sierra incident. The feeling seemed to be "live by the sword, die by the sword" and that Kathy should just get over it. For me this was bizarre. This is a women who was facing a horrific hate campaign of violent, personal and highly pornographic abuse. Her only crime was that she was a Lady Blogger. Other Lady Bloggers like Kim picked up on this.
My point was that if this vile stuff had been posted in an envelope and mailed to Kathy it would have been totally illegal. The fact that it was posted on a blog meant Kathy should just put up and shut up. Why?
I have been told by (male) bloggers and (male) geek friends that the digital world does not need censorship. Why should there be a difference between the digital world and the analogue world? It's just a one world.  Online and offine we need to have an opinion on what is and is not acceptable, we should be doing our best to protect and ensure that people are not bullied into submission. If the best way is a Code, so be it.
I can see nothing wrong with having a blogger Code of Conduct - is that because I am a Lady Blogger?

Comments

[Tom Hopkins]

Well first of all, is it me or does the phrase "lady blogger" make you think of Little Britain?

To my mind the reason that the Sierra incident doesn't need to lead us to a code of conduct or a debate about free speech is that the horrific posts which started it all off would have been covered by neither.

Traditional rights to freedom of speech and expression do not include anonymous free speech and certainly do not include criminal statements or incitement to crime.

It is the same online and offline, if the cowards who had posted it (on paper, on the internet, in 6ft letters on a wall) could be caught, they would be liable to prosecution.

In this case the re-publisher had a duty to remove the content which they did quickly, if perhaps not quickly enough.

Of coure this is all immaterial to Kathy Sierra who will have to bear the brunt of the abuse which has clearly had a great deal of effect on her.

The most upsetting part of this for those of us not directly involved is that it feels like the geenie is now firmly out of the bottle.

[John Dodds]

I think the live by the sword argument was minimal - unnerving certainly, but the point behind the thinking of most anti code of conduct bloggers is that the abuse was and is illegal and should be dealt with under existing laws regardless of gender.

[Catch Up Lady]

I agree, as a female blogger that sort of thing is totally scary and threatening, and not something that anyone should have to tolerate.

I think the concept of a blogger code freaks some people out, but if you actually read what O'Reilly proposed it's really not too far out in left field - and in fact most people are already operating under those rules because they're decent people. Most bloggers seek to be taken seriously as journalists and subject matter experts, therefore I don't think it's outrageous that there is a loose moral code associated with what people post.

HOwever, the critics also have a leg to stand on - because really this code is just a Good Housekeeping seal of approval. It means nothing and is not enforceable, nor will it help prevent a another Sierra-esque incident.

Guess the jury is still out...

[Bring back hanging!]

Big mistake to let you lot vote... or drive for that matter

[Amelia]

Bring Back Hanging - your comment made me laugh, sounded a bit like my dad.

Then tried to drop you an email over the weekend, but it seems that you left a false email address when you posted your comment.

Oh well

[Bring back hanging!]

Yes, I don't actually want to be berated or have to defend my unevolved posting about Lady Bloggers, so I'm hiding behind a made up e-mail address.

[I love Lady Bloggers!!]

Not to be confused with Lady Boys...

Should Lady Boy be in caps?

[Amelia]

Useful to "hide behind a made up email address", but not sure why you feel the need to?