I have a story for you, but it's not my usual rant about politics. It's instead about blogging. It's good mental therapy and the best thing is you don't even have to read it. This is mostly for me.Some of you may have probably noticed an increase in the number of anonymous personal attacks directed at me here and on a few other blogs. You see, I've had a little spat with several LVPolibloggers. They believe I'm intent upon world domination, squeezing out all voices until I'm the only one left.
Actually, they're right! Somehow, they've stumbled upon my fiendishly evil plan.
But I'm an abysmal failure. There has actually been an explosion of local blogs, and I link to all of them, even those that detest me. So what's this tiff really about?
Jealousy. You see, I'm very handsome, and women are naturally attracted to me. I'd love to know what it's like to be ugly for just one day, but am cursed by godlike features.
You're not buying that? OK. Here's the truth. Although we have no editors or filters, I have this weird notion that we polibloggers need to be ethical. Like it or not, this is some sort of journalism. If we expect to have any credibility, we need to be fair.
Rebecca's Pocket has a few minimal standards.
1. Publish as fact only that which you believe to be true.
2. If material exists online, link to it when you reference it.
3. Publicly correct any misinformation.
4. Write each entry as if it could not be changed; add to, but do not rewrite or delete, any entry.
5. Disclose any conflict of interest.
6. Note questionable and biased sources.
Those six sentences can be reduced even more to just two words - be fair.
Most of us get this. But there are an unfortunate few who have thrown all notions of fairness out the window. When they do so, they hurt us all. Over the next few days, I'll detail my hopes for this form of media and and my objections to the unethical bloggers who abuse it.
20 comments:
Awesome picture!
May there be no peace in the blog world. Oh well! At the very least I hope that picture does not come back to haunt you.
Actually, thats not even a word!
NLVLogic,
Just today, I saw a post by one of Chris Casey's minions that repeats the very defamatory remarks that Casey himself removed from his blog before he turned into a dolphin and disappeared.
Allowing this blatantly unethical behavior to continue unabated will destroy the credibility of all of us unless we make it clear we don't condone it.
I don't condone blogs that make baseless accusations. I don't condone blogs that can't even provide links to sources. I can't condone blogs that removes entire entries and makes their archives unavailable. I can't condone blogs written by anonymous people who refuse to disclose possible conflicts of interest. I can't condone blogs in which someone endorses another person for office without disclosing that he is working for that person as a consultant.
There will be much, much more to follow in the days to come.
is that your age or iq? what do you know about ethics, you self serving bastard? What you see is an ancient Greek symbol of derision. And as someone whose license was pulled, I'm a frickin' expert.
First, if we could only apply those simple and commonsense rules to politics instead of merely the blogging world.
Second, sorry Bernie but the middle finger gesture is an English invention. With the invention of the longbow, which really ruined the days of the French Knights in battle, the Frenchies got a little upset. It became common practice to cut off the middle finger of archers (the finger they use to pull the bowstring).
During later battles, it was a common gesture for the archers to display their middle fingers in a gesture of defiance. Hence, the terminology that later was associated with the gesture. As in F you, were gonna really ruin your day today.
"is that your age or iq? what do you know about ethics, you self serving bastard?"
are all the personal attacks this subtle?
yes Bernie, you ARE number one!
Joe, Great story. According to snopes.com, completely untrue.
Don't let the bastards get you down.
Dude, No way. This is just the first of several posts over the next few days.
Bernie, though we seldom agree...I can tell you this is the best post you've done EVER!
I have a "I Hate B.O." shirt. I don't wear it anymore, since most people think it's a commercial for deodorant.
Don't wear that shirt near any Barack Obama supporters unless you can run fast.
"Don't wear that shirt near any Barack Obama supporters"
I'm in Pa, what are those?
Bernie O'Hare is DREAMY :)
(yes I really am a woman - Bernie is a cool guy and handsome too)
Wow! If your husband sees this, I'm a dead man.
Bernie,
I will check on that snopes thing. However, now that you have pointed out something that might be factually incorrect I will now have to open up my supersecret computer in my supersecret bunker.
It is the one with the random computer location generator so I can now post anonymously and attack your credibility at every instance with the most specious of charges.
Instead of admitting to the fact, I will now have to deem you as my personal enemy and seek to destroy you. I will lie, cheat and steal to accomplish this. If you say it was a nice day today, I will publish volumes of words to show how ridiculous an assertion such a statement was.
I remember one of your posts where you talked about going to a new restaurant (Brazilian?). I will have to post anonymously under several titles to "prove" that you lied.......
Now that you have forced me to actually research something I thought was factual, and it might not be, it is all over!!!!!!
Sarcasm is great.
Bernie,
The only one of the blog guidelines I modify is #1.
1. Publish as fact only that which you believe to be true.
I use "Publish as fact only that which you can prove to be true."
Snopes.com exist primarily because of our affinty to take as truth those things that we want to believe.
Keep up the good fight. And keep fighting the urge to emotionally post.
Your Neighbor
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3OgZNJ56LS0
Make your own flow chart evil.
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