Ethical Blogging

Updated

Alan Ocab and I understood each other and that is all that matters.

Responsible bloggers recognize that they are publishing words for everyone to read. Does it follow that they have certain ethical obligations to their readers, the people they write about, and society in general ? The blog’s greatest strength, particularly its uncensored and uncontrolled voice, is deemed its greatest weakness. Most bloggers are against anything that constrain their freedom. But most bloggers also know that The blogosphere runs on customs and norms – on what the community feels is acceptable (The cost of ethics: Influence peddling in the blogosphere). I presume most of you know the common sense rules on the Bloggers’ Code of Ethics . Whatever ethics in real life applies in cyberspace, right?

Now what happens when you face a suspicion that the person who created a blog is misinterpreting the facts?

I don’t care if you are a man pretending to be woman or a prime time woman assuming a young woman’s persona. What infuriates me is when a parent uses their minor child to create a blog and misrepresent some facts! (This is not the same thing as Cessky Pooh where the dad clearly states that his daughter is the voice of the blog.) What gets to me is that it’s unfair to the child. Do I continue to be a spectator of this modern day “The Emperor’s New Clothes”? Some of you just like me willingly share in a collective ignorance of an obvious fact, despite individually recognizing the absurdity. I can’t blame you but think harder.

Is this morally right?

Should I ignore?

Dedmahan?

A few of you know who I am talking about. A few of you raised your suspicions to me . I could easily turn a blind eye just so I don’t rock the boat. In the end, my conscience took control of my “Emperor New Clothes” thinking.

I probed and asked one blogger after he talked with the child and the parent blogger. Guess what he said?

The secret of the blog is the parent. The parent taught the child and then the child writes . So it’s really the child writing.

Huh?

That’s absurd.

It’s still not the child’s blog.

First of all, what kind of values is the parent instilling to the child that fudging the truth is OK?

Secondly, what happens to the child? The child grows up confused and cannot meet people’s unrealistic expectations. The truth will come out sooner or later.

What next?

We continue to adhere to ethical blogging standards.

The moral standards which guide us in real life should be the same standards that we observe in cyberspace. There should be no dichotomy.

Therefore, moral values like honesty, adherence to truth and respect for other people (even your minor child) should also be observed in cyberspace.

I cannot condone blogs like this. There is no fault on the innocent child. Gosh, it’s an insult to my intelligence that some people expect me to believe blindly a questionable circumstance.

I cannot turn a blind eye and ignore an obvious falsehood. This type of blog is not acceptable to the blogosphere.

Pray tell me, would you do this to your own child?

Comments Closed. Everything has been said. If you want to discuss this further, post an entry in your blog. If you have any questions, send me an email