As the famous quote is: “The Code is more what you’d call “guidelines” than actual rules…”
While various Bloggers have had a code of conduct posted on their sites, there is a bigger push for the Guidelines/Code being pushed now. I guess you could say that this push started when Kathy Sierra was publicly harassed, pictured in various forms and threatened. (Read her official post about this issue) Some of the sites that participated in this issue have been removed (Meankids.org now 404’s).
Anyway, while I think a code of conduct will help, it will not solve the problem. My honest to god feeling right now is that there are a lot of kids and younger adults running around the internet thinking it’s their right to post things in whatever manner they want. Some of these people would never tell you something specific to your face, but the fact that you’re typing into a text box with no face means they will say whatever they want. This is similar to a nasty phone call - if you get someone upset over the phone, they’re more likely to say some nasty stuff than in person. Ask anyone that has worked in a call center doing Customer or Technical Support. Then again, as Nanny911 and a few other children reality TV shows point out: the general attitude of children is getting out of hand. (Yes, I know these are examples of the worst of the worst.)
The sad part is, these uneducated/ignorant users don’t understand how things work around here. If they threaten someone, it’s just like in the real world - you can be found, you can be prosecuted and you can be sent to jail - just for typing out some threat. Kathy has even stated that she will find out who is behind the threats and I have a feeling, from the writing style, it’s a few pimply teenagers that will claim ignorance of the law. By the time it’s all over, their parents will be begging for forgiveness and saying that “he’s normally a good kid.” We’ve seen this type of behavior and excuse all over the place lately.
A Code of Conduct Won’t Help
I ran a company mailing list in the past that erupted over a joke being sent out (it was “sick joke” list). Oddly, the offending joke caused hundreds of emails over the course of 2 hours - all from employees of a company I worked for. The resulting fallout caused all kinds of people being removed (including the company lawyer) and a code of conduct being posted to the list that required people to reply to it or they’d be removed. After that, I think 3 jokes where posted and it died a horrible, long and agonizing, death.
Inside the company, it caused the general feeling that I was a list dictator that would jump on anyone for almost anything that offended someone, even though I had tried to make it feel just the opposite. I have the longstanding belief that the world is becoming a little too Politically Correct. I’m tired of being required to say one thing as to not to offend someone. This is the case with Don Imus at the moment. The guy said something without thinking, most people blew it completely out of context and now everyone including their brother, aunt, uncle, cow and dog is offended at the poor guy. For bejesus sake - the man went on Al Sharpton’s show to apologize after it happened, without being asked. Now sponsors are being dropped left and right when other people have said much, much worse and nothing happened to them. On top of this, we still have some nasty double standards. I can’t say something I hear someone else say because I’ll be considered a racist or such - why the double standards. If you can say it, I should be able to as well. As a good, real world example (even without using any bad words), if I wanted to start a TV Network called the White Entertainment Chanel, I’d be pounded into the ground within minutes of saying such a horrible thing, but it’s ok to have the Black Entertainment Channel…
But back to my original argument, The internet was meant to be open. Adding more rules, albeit voluntary, will make the internet seem like a police state. We start running the risk of making everything more polite. Evildoers will be pointed out by groups of good-doers, lists will be posted everywhere, etc. Sure, this may sound funny and may not ever happen, but it does. For instance, (oh, I’m sooo gonna get it for this) PETA is a “good-do’er” organization. They point out things over and over, make lists, etc. For instance, PETA takes themselves so seriously that they’ve created websites catered to specific campaigns? Now, PETA is a bit much for me, but GreenPeace, another good-do’er organization, really goes out of its way to do “good”. Hell, GreenPeace has even been made fun of in movies (Armageddon).
Seriously speaking - a code will not stop some idiot for attempting to post something on your website. If I go to a random site, even if it’s moderated, and post something bad about the author, the author will still read it when they moderate the comment. It doesn’t matter if I talk smack or not. My point gets to the author, their feelings get hurt and I feel better.
This will go on and on, as it has in the past. I’m not saying it was right - far from it, but it will not stop.
