Talk:Personal code

From Blogging

[edit] Shared policy vs personal code

Seth blogged about the difference between a shared policy and a personal code, with some comments about the merits of each, after discovering a rather excellent personal blogging code of ethics. Seth will probably tweak and post for himself sometime soon. But that certainly doesn't mean he wouldn't sign up to a shared code of conduct if there was one out there that he felt was appropriate for him.

Allan Jenkins writes: "I wrote my personal blogging code of ethicsso we wouldn't have to go through the agony of choosing what will surely be dozens of competing 'badges'". His view is, "I will post my promise to readers on my blog. They can compare their experience at the blog against that promise and choose: keep reading (I kept my promise) or leave (I broke my promise)".

Some bloggers contend that collective blogging codes are the wishful thinking of elitists. Tim O'Reilly thinks he makes a difference; to some bloggers he does. In any case, recent events have highlighted (again) the pitfalls some bloggers face in the absence of any guidelines to remind them of their responsibilities.

What can be relevant for the individual blogger and the blogger's audience, is a statement about how the blogger treats content. However, as no blogger operates in a vacuum, the idea that bloggers could, together, create a shared code of conduct is a compelling one.