Der Fischmarkt ist seit jeher sehr zurückhaltend in Sachen Metablogging. Doch aus Anlass der seit Menschengedenken größten Metablogging-Veranstaltung auf deutschem Boden sei eine Ausnahme gemacht.

Warum ein Code of Conduct für die Blogosphäre nicht funktionieren kann, sagt keiner so schön und treffend wie Tony Long, der Luddite vom Dienst bei Wired:

Civility? They’re proposing a code of conduct for the blogosphere to ensure civility online?

Who’s kidding who here?

Before you can expect a bunch of utterly spoiled, self-indulgent bloggers (i.e. the kind who indulge in their online mudslinging) to practice civility, you might try restoring a bit of it to what passes for civilization these days.

Civility is all about self-restraint. It’s not about being told by someone else to say „no,“ but finding the inner resolve to say it to yourself. Call it self-discipline. Call it having a little class. Whatever name you give it, it’s almost completely absent from modern society.

And in a culture where idolatry of the crass and vulgar encourages the mantra of instant gratification and me-so-important, what the hell do you expect?

Which is why Tim O’Reilly’s proposal for a code of conduct won’t fly.

Unfortunately, you can’t just pass a bunch of rules to make incivility go away. Someone who has been getting his way since he was 2 and has grown up into a self-involved, bombastic narcissist isn’t going to have a come-to-Jesus moment just because he’s offended somebody’s sense of etiquette. You can put earrings on a hog but it’s still a hog, y’know?

So trying to impose some sort of artificial code on the blogosphere is pretty much a waste of time. Love the sentiment, though.

Wer weiterliest, findet auch gleich noch einen netten Rant zum Verhältnis von Blogging und Journalismus.