Note: This is part of a ‘three-setter’ on internet morals and what not:

1. Moral Relativism: I’m better than you
2. Love & Hate are not like Black & White
3. Moral Superiority in the face of Hypocrisy

I saw this: is it time for a blogging code of conduct? and I just shook my head. Thankfully, one of my favorite bloggers spoketh on this blogging code of conduct.

I posted the following comment on his site, and it sums up my feelings:

Sigh … “unwritten rules of blogging” – what unwritten rules?

The moment someone tries imposing their moral beliefs (nicely called ‘code of conduct’) is the moment they can go fuck themselves.

Sorry for the language, but this holier-than-thou attitude some people carry around like a nightstick gets annoying. Much less the reality that anyone who does send out a death threat won’t stop and go “oh wait a minute, these are against the code of conduct. Shit, can’t send this now!”

There are two things at play here:

1. The ‘abuse’ of internet anonymity is well known. Penny-Arcade covered this perfectly. People will act like jackasses online. I’ve been called every single racial epitaph every known to man (and more). But here is the thing – if someone does throw out a death threat, that is a matter for the police. It isn’t a matter for bloggers. It isn’t the job of ‘A-list’ bloggers. It doesn’t matter what medium the threat was posted on. Unless of course you are on TV, at which death threats are passe (I’m looking at the radical wings of both ‘mainstream’ parties here in the US).

2. The imposition of beliefs on others that do not want it are getting exhausting. The death that I have already covered above. But other than that – bugger off. If what I say does not harm you, and you don’t like what I’m saying – get lost. Why do people have this craving to whine about anything and everything that may offend them. People will use any opening to push their (moral) agenda. Just like the ‘Patriot Act’ was used to push some pretty un-patriotic things (more about love & hate in the next post). I remember getting a call from some group trying to raise donations for the ‘Anti-pedophile bill’. When I asked details about what it actually did, the woman got offended! How dare I ask – can’t I see the title? This hysteria and reaction-driven pushes for morality have got to stop.

I haven’t even gotten into the whole mess that is the internet vs country-specific laws.

Human rights are about protecting the minority that don’t have the majority to push whatever they want.