Blogging Ethically

Navigation

User login

Online users

Rob Richards
jlw
a.future.with.n...

Support OlyBlog

OlyBlog is run by volunteers who care about Olympia. If you like what we're doing, make a donation:

OlyBlog is powered by:

Who's new

Ron
memetic_alchemy
cfs
Badlonspb
davefromcarolina

Upcoming events

Blogging Ethically

Submitted by Sarah on Wed, 09/20/2006 - 10:05pm.

Rebecca Blood has a book out titled The Weblog Handbook: Practical Advice on Creating and Maintaining Your Blog.

The section I am most interested in, Weblog Ethics, is available online through her site. She proposes six rules for online publishers:

Publish as fact only that which you believe to be true.
If material exists online, link to it when you reference it.
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.

The whole article is well worth reading, Ms. Blood clarifies each of these rules.

Because I sometimes write about controversial subjects, especially concerning the world of white supremacists, I want to do so as cleanly and clearly as possible, even if I also apply some humor.

Ethics and humor. Right up my alley.

Sarah's blog
Login or register to post comments

Good find.

Submitted by Rick on Wed, 09/20/2006 - 11:26pm.

Thanks, Sarah.

I think it would be helpful

Submitted by Mike on Thu, 09/21/2006 - 7:00am.

I think it would be helpful to keep this list handy as a link on the home page as a reminder to each of us. Something we could refer back to when needed. Ethics and honesty are critical.

ethics and honesty

Submitted by enpen on Thu, 09/21/2006 - 2:18pm.

I like the open endedness of rule 1. Belief is a major factor in any working definition of honesty. As far as ethics are concerned, do we mind this set of ethics or subsume it and create a collectively agreed upon Olyethic for posting?

As Mike suggested...

Submitted by Rick on Thu, 09/21/2006 - 5:23pm.

...I put a link under the "mission" and "how to" tabs on the menu so that we won't forget about this resource. In addition, we do have a comment policy, which does address some of these issues. If anyone would like to take on the project of putting together a more comprehensive policy, I'm all for it.

So obviously I'm new here

Submitted by enpen on Sun, 09/24/2006 - 10:08am.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the current policy is an Opt-Out one with no blanket censorship in effect? My like for free speech being stronger than my dislike for hate laden posts, I'm not one to change that. As for rules and regulations regarding posts, I have content curiosity about the front page: are posts brought to the front page on a Rick moderated basis, through volume of reads, or is there another criteria at play?

"Uttering a word is like striking a note on the keyboard of the imagination."
- Ludwig Wittgenstein

Front page

Submitted by Sarah on Sun, 09/24/2006 - 10:27am.

I can answer the front page question: Rick and other members he has designated have the ability to bring posts to front page, local is the criteria. Hyperlocal focus on our immediate area.

Rick will be able to say this better and I know there is a post here somewhere that goes into more detail, but I'm not able to find it, is in a comment thread.

Sometimes this includes posts on issues that may at first glance not seem local, but applies to a preoccupation most of us have. Also the front page can contain highly individual life observations.

Events usually also cycle through front page.

Also

Submitted by Sarah on Sun, 09/24/2006 - 10:38am.

Also "play the ball, not the man" works really well as a guideline here.

In many passionate debates we all have served to check each other, we let each other know when we're getting too insulting.

Outright threats and heated trash talk probably get deleted, though in one case I decided to post a threat I got through private message here, with a warning about content.

The comment policy...

Submitted by Rick on Sun, 09/24/2006 - 10:41am.

...has a lot of individual control. As I'm sure you've noticed, it is possible to rate each comment on a 6 point scale. Each user sets their own threshold for the level of comments they'd like to see. Look here for a description of the various terms. In order for this to be truly effective, everyone needs to rate the comments that are irrelevant or abusive so that they are labeled as such, and thus are filtered out for those who don't want to see them. It takes a village to run a blog, you know.

When you think of the long and gloomy history of man, you will find more hideous crimes have been committed in the name of obedience than have ever been committed in the name of rebellion. -C.P. Snow

front page insertion

Submitted by enpen on Sun, 09/24/2006 - 10:51am.

What about gripping two bulls by one horn and making front page promotion based on either the number of unique responders, or raters?

"Uttering a word is like striking a note on the keyboard of the imagination."
- Ludwig Wittgenstein

I think...

Submitted by Rick on Sun, 09/24/2006 - 2:38pm.

...we're stuck with people making the call on that point. I don't know of a way to do it in Drupal, and I'm not sure I'd want things to automatically get promoted without someone having a look at them.

Is this a fairness issue for you?

When you think of the long and gloomy history of man, you will find more hideous crimes have been committed in the name of obedience than have ever been committed in the name of rebellion. -C.P. Snow

other models

Submitted by enpen on Sun, 09/24/2006 - 4:04pm.

I was trying to think of other models that ensure articles with greatest community import are immediately available. Digg was one. You mentioned a similar one last week. Of course, I forgot that this is a blog and posts will appear in the order in which they're added.

And no, fairness doesn't strike me as an issue here.

"Uttering a word is like striking a note on the keyboard of the imagination."
- Ludwig Wittgenstein

I too like the voting model...

Submitted by Rick on Sun, 09/24/2006 - 6:03pm.

...but there doesn't seem to be a mechanism for doing it with this particular blogging software. It also might lead to some embarrassing observations: e.g., all the caiman-related posts would immediately rise to the top.

Aha!

Submitted by Sarah on Sun, 09/24/2006 - 10:41pm.

(Caimans were mentioned, I must "Aha!".)

Front page

Submitted by Sarah on Sun, 09/24/2006 - 10:43pm.

From what I've seen, front page worthy stuff seems to move pretty quickly to front page. I've even experienced being in the process of moving something and finding out that someone is 30 seconds ahead of me and already moving it.

That's also been my experience

Submitted by Rick on Sun, 09/24/2006 - 10:50pm.

OlyBlog.net

OlyBlog is devoted to hyperlocal news and discussion specifically about Olympia, Washington. Contributors to OlyBlog are citizen journalists who care about their community and are tired of corporate media.

If you'd like to contribute, please register for an account. Here is a list of local news beats that need to be covered. You can post your news as a personal blog entry, and it will be reviewed (and possibly edited) for promotion to the front page. You can also send news via email. All members of OlyBlog agree to abide by our Social Contract. You should also look at our comment and fair use policies. If you are frustrated about something said in a comment thread, go here.

Olyblogger of the Month:

decorabilia

Online users

Comment viewing options