Tim O'Reilly Weighs In

Tim O'Reilly posted some initial thoughts on what a Blogger code of conduct might look like. If you are a Blogger, I suggest you look through them. I wouldn't say that I unreservedly support every single thing he says, but it looks like a pretty good effort. With some work, I'm sure it will be a very handy set of guidelines.

You should read the article if you want details, but here are the major headings that Tim presented:

1. Take responsibility not just for your own words, but for the comments you allow on your blog.
2. Label your tolerance level for abusive comments..
3. Consider eliminating anonymous comments.
4. Ignore the trolls.
5. Take the conversation offline, and talk directly, or find an intermediary who can do so.
6. If you know someone who is behaving badly, tell them so.
7. Don't say anything online that you wouldn't say in person.

As I've already mentioned, time would only tell how widely this sort of a code would be adapted. However, I do think it would be a good start for bloggers who are in fact concerned about these sort of things.