Copyright © 2006 Simon Rogerson
Originally published as ETHIcol in the IMIS Journal Volume 16 No 5
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The converging technologies have provided society with new ways in which to communicate. Today social software is opening up new opportunities for interaction as well as an antidote to establishment and mainstream communication. Weblogs or blogs are at the forefront of this cultural revolution.
According to Wikipedia, "A blog is a type of website where entries are made (such as in a journal or diary), displayed in a reverse chronological order. [Each posting is usually time-stamped.] Blogs often provide commentary or news and information on a particular subject, such as food, politics, or local news; some function as more personal online diaries. A typical blog combines text, images, and links to other blogs, web pages, and other media related to its topic. Most blogs are primarily textual although some focus on photographs (photoblog), videos (vlog), or audio (podcasting), and are part of a wider network of social media." A new blog is created every second!
Martin Kuhn suggests there are two types of blogs - personal and journalistic. A personal blog is typically maintained by an individual as a personal electronic diary. Whilst a journalistic blog focuses on information provision, media watchdog roles and breaking original stories. Some blogs which attract large readerships become commercial selling advertising space.
Whilst bloggers argue that freedom of expression is the fundamental principle of the blogosphere nevertheless each blogger does have responsibilities to society in general simply because the blog is quickly becoming one of the most used strands in society's communication web. But there is a problem. As Rebecca Blood explains, "...the very things that make [blogs] so valuable as alternative news sources - the lack of gatekeepers and the freedom from all consequences - may compromise their integrity and thus their value. ... There has been almost no talk about ethics in the weblog universe: Mavericks are notoriously resistant to being told what to do."
In 2002 Blood suggested six principles of ethical behaviour for bloggers.
Publish as fact only that which you believe to be true. If your statement is speculation, say so.
If material exists online, link to it when you reference it. Linking to referenced material allows readers to judge for themselves the accuracy and insightfulness of your statements.
Publicly correct any misinformation.
Write each entry as if it could not be changed; add to, but do not rewrite or delete, any entry.
Disclose any conflict of interest.
Note questionable and biased sources.
These ideas have been discussed on several blogs and have formed the foundation of further work undertaken by Martin Kunn in 2005. Kuhn put forward a Code of Blogging Ethics which provides a framework for both personal and journalistic blogs whether they are amateur or commercial. Here is the proposed code.
Promote Free Expression
Be as transparent as possible as to personal biases and affiliations
Emphasize the "human" element in blogging
Reveal identity
Promote equality in the blogosphere
Minimize harm to other
Actively promote community building
Prioritise factual truth
Never intentionally deceive readers
Be accountable for information posted on your blog
Cite and link to all sources
Secure permission before linking other blogs or web content
Promote Interactivity
Post regularly to your blog
Respect blog etiquette and protocol
Be entertaining and interesting
There is much to be gained from these two sets of guidelines. Indeed communication in general would be better if such ideas were adopted by us all. In his work Kuhn posed several questions to bloggers.
Who are the stakeholders with regard to your blog?
Who will be affected by what you post?
When making decisions about your blog, do any of the following values or duties cross your mind: transparency, accountability, minimizing harm to others, free expression, factual truth and etiquette? If so, which? Can you rank them?
Are there any other values/duties you feel should be weighed in a discussion of blogging?
Are there certain duties all bloggers should fulfil, all of the time, in order to be good bloggers?
Are there certain things bloggers should never do?
On a societal level, what role do blogs play?
Most readers of this column will have accessed blogs at some point. Try to answer these questions. Why not post your ideas on the Web so that the online community becomes more aware of these issues and starts to takes ownership of promoting acceptable conduct in online citizens.
Useful web references:
http://blogethics2004.blogspot.com/
http://www.rebeccablood.net/handbook/excerpts/weblog_ethics.html
http://weblogs.about.com/od/issuesanddiscussions/tp/weblogethics.htm
http://weblogs.about.com/od/surveyspollsandquizzes/l/blethicsquiz.htm
Please send your views on ethical and social responsibility issues and cases of ethical dilemmas to:
Professor Simon Rogerson
Director
Centre for Computing and Social Responsibility
Faculty of Computing Sciences and Engineering
De Montfort University
The Gateway
Leicester
LE1 9BH
Tel:(+44) 116 257 7475
Fax:(+44) 116 207 8159
Email:<srog@dmu.ac.uk>
Home Page:http://www.ccsr.cse.dmu.ac.uk