The great thing about the internet, is that free speech is protected already, by the fact that it is impossible to police. China may stop someone googling on altavista, but unless they either have a list of allowed sites, or block them all they can’t control the content. They can control what some one msn’s on google, but they can’t manage all the sites that would have been linked to. There are too many to police.

Fuck the code of conduct, just move ISPs. If your ISP shuts down your blog for not joining a union, use another ISP and your old one will go out of business as it haemorages customers.

If the bloggers code of conductors could police and manage the internet, well there’s a group of Americans would possibly like to stop Al Queda websites. There’s a group of children would like to stop paedophile sites and there’s me who would like to stop that site with the picture of me and the goat. All photoshopped, honestly.

There is notting that puts a bee up my arse more than a blogger telling every other blogger how to run their blog. To me another blogger who does not write for for the limerick blogger is just an ordinary member of the public. the fact that they have a blog does not make them special.

If they don’t like what is on my blog, they can shag off and read something else. and they can take their code of conduct and ram it.

I can see loads of money making ideas in this Code for Conduct. Make it like ISO 9000, 9001 900…to infinity.
Set up a training company to certify auditors.
Once your certified auditors are out auditing you can have annual assessments of the auditors, blogs training centres etc.
Once everyone gets to standard (not necessarily a good one) change the code of conduct.
Repeat until rich.

Charge a nominal fee for “Code of blogging� logos.
Charge less nominal fee for “Hosting company supporting Code of Conduct�

At any time feel free to employ teams of monkeys to scrutinise blogs and make a big PR fuss when you evict some hapless blogger who didn’t censor their comments.

Meanwhile as your Code of Conduct changes year on year feel free to accept “donations� from lobbyists who think that mentioning Darwin to a minor is a mortal sin, that Shell is really a lovely company etc etc.

You could retire inside two years and sell the rights on to anyone or any group you want.

Easy.

Like your many and varied forms of Christianity each with their leader, each believing theirs is the one true path to righteousness.

Bunch of fucking morons, the lot of them.

Do they honestly think making some pathetic document which means as much as the Boy Scouts promise will have any impact whatsoever on someone who would threaten to kill somebody on a website?

Idiots. These cunts need a terminal disease or a more productive hobby to fill their time.

Sure, a little common sense goes a long way, but how can one redefine the freedom of speech or the freedom of the internet? Next thing you know, bloggers will be hunted out of sweet shops in case they rob a packet of Mentos, they won’t get a seat at a restaurant in case they write a bad review, and no blogger will be allowed take a train or a bus as big transport companies get wind on the blogosphere that they’re not a very liked bunch…