Wednesday, July 18, 2012

A BLOGGER CODE OF ETHICS

Hey this is just a wrap up for my today's activity here in blogging.  It seems that there are new bloggers just like me who are neophytes in this kind of field.  Since not all bloggers are journalist and blogging is so casual that even teenagers are part of this.  


Responsible bloggers should recognize that they are publishing words publicly, and therefore we should have certain ethical obligations to our readers, the people we write about, and society in general.


As I have read from Wikipedia Blogger's Code of Conduct:



The Blogger's Code of Conduct is a proposal by Tim O'Reilly for bloggers to enforce civility on their blogs by being civil themselves and moderating comments on their blog. The code was proposed due to threats made to blogger Kathy Sierra[1]. The idea of the code was first reported by BBC News, who quoted O'Reilly saying, "I do think we need some code of conduct around what is acceptable behavior, I would hope that it doesn't come through any kind of regulation it would come through self-regulation."[2]
O'Reilly and others came up with a list of seven proposed ideas:
  1. Take responsibility not just for your own words, but for the comments you are allowed on your blog.
  2. Label your tolerance level for abusive comments.
  3. Consider eliminating anonymous comments.
  4. Don't feed the trolls.
  5. Take the conversation offline, and talk directly, or find an intermediary who can do so.
  6. If you know someone who is behaving badly, tell them so.
  7. Don't say anything online that you wouldn't say in person.

One of the great things about blogging is its quick time to press. The very quickness in which they post leads to highly colorful prose not found in staid, traditional print journalism.

But along with the positive come the negative.

Boring old facts are often thrown in the gutter in favor of more colorful rumors. Charges and attacks are leveled without proper consideration and often without the ability for the targets to properly defend themselves.

Popular blog articles pander to popular taste, rather than raise the bar to provide quality reading material. The same people who cry about intrusions into public privacy maliciously expose the private lives of celebrity and private individual alike.

Like the practitioners of any other art form or media, bloggers should adopt a code of ethics. It is better to self-police than to come to the point that others feel the need to regulate you. Furthermore, it is desirable to stay within the bounds of legality and ethics.

Adapting from a few other sources (cited below), here is my Blogger's Code of Ethics. Feel free to adopt and adapt, as you will. You can copy my seal using the text box below.

[Update: added Do No Harm section Mar-27-2007]

Blogger Code of Ethics

Accuracy

I will post as accurate only information that I know to be accurate. Whenever possible, I will provide sources and links.

If accuracy may be in doubt, I will convey this to the reader.


Attribution

I will not plagiarize material, nor quote without attribution.

Comments

I will delete comments only when they violate the rules of my blog, such as needlessly inflammatory, racist, or spam comments.

Completeness

I will try to ensure that what I post is not only accurate but presents a complete picture, I won't post only part of a story or an argument.

I won't crop photos to misrepresent news.


Confidentiality

I will not reveal details that have been given to me in confidence.

I won't publish private emails unless explicitly permitted to do so. I won't publish names or details when asked not to do so.


Copyright

I will respect other people's copyrights and not post without the copyright holder's permission, except when abiding by the terms of "fair use" (generally small excerpts for journalistic purposes).

Correction

Unless my posting inadvertently violates one of the other codes mentioned, I will generally not change the URLs or delete my postings, although I may correct for grammar, clarity, or spelling.

If corrections need to be made, I will try to use strikeout rather than deleting the material and mark all updates as such.


Disclosure

I will let readers know if or when I use affiliate links or paid posts. I will disclose whenever I am affiliated with a company or received items as gifts.

Do No Harm

I will not attack, embarrass, humiliate, or make others fear for their safety. I will certainly not do so and then accuse my victims of being overly sensitive or needing to have thicker skin.

I will firstly do no harm. Beyond this, I will endeavor to create what is good and beneficial for society, rather than hurt it or waste its time.


Editing

I will try to ensure that my posts are edited for spelling, grammar, and clarity, and that all links are correct.

Fairness

I will always provide all facts relevant to an opinion when criticizing. I will always assume possible confusion or misunderstanding before labeling something or someone as fraudulent. In this case, I will first try to work things out privately, and, if not satisfied, let the facts speak for themselves in as unbiased a manner as possible.

Originality

I will try to provide original material of interest to my readership. I will not simply quote or link to other blogs.

Privacy

I will not pass on gossip about private individuals nor report on embarrassing facts about others. I will not link to or report information that is accidentally leaked.

Respect

I will respect my readers, critics, and subjects of my posts. I will discuss and answer all people with respect, regardless of age, sex, race, religion, nationality, ability, attractiveness, and social or economic status.

I will not respond with rudeness to rudeness. I will apologize when appropriate and stand on principle only when absolutely necessary.


Responsibility

I will affirm what are my own words and posts, and not claim credit for others, or deny responsibility for my own. I will clearly separate what are my own words from others.

Safety

I will not post anything that could endanger others' safety, including identifying information about minors or vulnerable individuals.

End Note About Humorous Posts

I may occasionally post something that appears to violate one of these codes if it is clear that my post is meant to be humorous or satirical. For instance, I may pretend that someone said something that he or she didn't for comic effect. Any post of this sort will be obviously intended as humor and I will ensure that it cannot be misconstrued otherwise.

Yehuda Berlinger

This will be our guide in making GOOD and RESPONSIBLE BLOG.