Comments on: Is it Time to Break the Rules? http://fearlessblogger.com/2009/05/is-it-time-to-break-the-rules/ A girl geek's musings on technology, web/graphic design, social media trends and life in general. Thu, 18 Feb 2010 16:31:44 +0000 hourly 1 By: AnneMac http://fearlessblogger.com/2009/05/is-it-time-to-break-the-rules/comment-page-1/#comment-4249 AnneMac Sat, 16 May 2009 20:19:54 +0000 http://fearlessblogger.com/?p=2724#comment-4249 I don't think that blogs should become the new journalism source. Especially since including credible sources alongside a bloggers' opinions (or propaganda) make it much easier for the writer to persuade readers that their slant on the matter is the "truth." After seeing how much the conservative machine was able to use rumors, fake interviews, fake documents and all kinds of drivel to convince millions of otherwise intelligent web users to staunchly believe that our President was not native-born, and that his birth certificate was a fake TO THIS DAY, I don't think leaving information in the hands of these powerful quasi-journalists is a wise idea. I think bloggers should be clearly identified as opinion publishers, and we should do what we can to protect our accountable news sources. OR... let bloggers whose opinions are published online as "facts" be legally accountable for libel when they manipulate the facts in order to destroy the reputations of other people or organizations. I believe we have a responsibility to exercise our "power" responsibly, and that freedom to use that power includes the willingness to be accountable for the consequences of us doing so. People misuse their power under the veil of anonymity to do serious harm to other people. This isn't always underdog heroism. In many cases lately, especially in politics, it starts to smell like cowardly stink bombing the competition under cover of darkness. I'm all for freedom of speech. And I expect to be fully responsible for my own. And for others to be responsible for what they say, too. I don’t think that blogs should become the new journalism source. Especially since including credible sources alongside a bloggers’ opinions (or propaganda) make it much easier for the writer to persuade readers that their slant on the matter is the “truth.” After seeing how much the conservative machine was able to use rumors, fake interviews, fake documents and all kinds of drivel to convince millions of otherwise intelligent web users to staunchly believe that our President was not native-born, and that his birth certificate was a fake TO THIS DAY, I don’t think leaving information in the hands of these powerful quasi-journalists is a wise idea.

I think bloggers should be clearly identified as opinion publishers, and we should do what we can to protect our accountable news sources. OR… let bloggers whose opinions are published online as “facts” be legally accountable for libel when they manipulate the facts in order to destroy the reputations of other people or organizations.

I believe we have a responsibility to exercise our “power” responsibly, and that freedom to use that power includes the willingness to be accountable for the consequences of us doing so. People misuse their power under the veil of anonymity to do serious harm to other people. This isn’t always underdog heroism. In many cases lately, especially in politics, it starts to smell like cowardly stink bombing the competition under cover of darkness.

I’m all for freedom of speech. And I expect to be fully responsible for my own. And for others to be responsible for what they say, too.

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