Get your filthy lawyer fingers off my blog
'Half of web users' support bloggers' code - Telegraph
A voluntary code of conduct for bloggers and internet commentators is supported by almost half of all internet users, a survey has claimed.
The researchers said 46 per cent of web users believe bloggers should agree to a set of guidelines which reflected the laws on defamation, intellectual property rights and incitement.
Four per cent strongly opposed the suggestion and 15 per cent had no opinion.
Put me down as one of the four per cent - I set the rules for this blog, it is my private property I will do as I like.
Comments
I read that tripe too. I wonder how extensive the survey was. I expect the questions were skewed to achieve the required result. Always look at who's paying for a survey to tell you how reliable it is. In this case it's a law firm... need I say more? I wish mainstream media would ignore these ridiculous surveys unless they're first willing to fully fisk the data and methodology. It's bone-idle journalism. Grrr!
Posted by: MarkS | May 14, 2008 6:49 AM
If you can bear the filthy touch of a libertarian lawyer for a second, the survey seems to be based on a false premise. We are all governed by IP, defamation and incitement laws anyway, so what's the point of signing up to "guidelines?" This was just someone getting brownie points for being "hip" to the internet, while being (ho hum) against sin. That the whole exercise missed the point of blogging is neither here nor there for someone who probably never reads a blog.
Posted by: Tom Paine | May 14, 2008 8:28 AM
Well no-one asked me. No one ever asks me about these things, and I've been an Internet 'user' since 1995. So who the hell did they ask and how big was their sample size?
More like someone had a 'meeting' down the pub and asked a bunch of their lawyer mates.
Posted by: Mister Jones | May 15, 2008 5:03 AM
If 46% support it, then 54% don't support it. Majority rules.
Stupid journalists.
Posted by: Vincent | May 15, 2008 8:59 AM
This was also covered at
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/may/13/web20.digitalmedia
On the subject of internet control
The draft Queens Speech Bills includes this
11. Communications data bill. Strengthens powers to monitor people's use of the internet and seizes data to combat terrorism and crime. see
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2008/may/14/labour.gordonbrown
There doesn't seem to be any direct reference to this in the draft speech. see
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2008/may/14/labour.gordonbrown2
Has anybody heard anything about this bill or have any more idea of what it will cover?
Posted by: Who knows? | May 15, 2008 3:32 PM
Of course, its probably 46% of Grauniad readers.
The Gruaniad approached Three Line Whip, the Telegraph political blog, to sound it out on the BNP and Adolf Hitler II taking over in their comments section. Thankfully, TLW and we commenters told them to piss off, but obviously the right to free speech offends the Grauniad commissars. Other people's rights only, of course.
Posted by: John Miller | May 20, 2008 4:11 PM