Blogs might be a Blogger’s work product, in which case the Blogger should be free to set any guidelines they want and possibly even edit comments.

[POSSIBLY? WATCH THIS... fp, the editor]

With linkbacks and pingbacks and all the other types of backs to be invented, those censored will have a way to be heard, eventually. Right?

[IT'S NOT CENSORSHIP, IT'S EDITORIAL CONTROL.]

Why not also make comment posting easier by allowing commenters the ability to edit their own comments? Or offer more than a small box to enter your comment. A formal editor might go farther than anyone can imagine to helping people compose better comments.

[WHY NOT DISTRIBUTE WORD PROCESSORS TO ALL CITIZENS SO THEY CAN WRITE BETTER LETTERS TO THE EDITOR? BUT SERIOUSLY, SOME PEOPLE DO THIS AND PROVIDE A WELCOMING, NUTURING ENVIRONMENT FOR THE LOW LIFE RUFFIANS VISITING THEIR SITE.]

[THIS PASSAGE DELETED BECAUSE COMMENTER USED THE WORD "SIMILE," WHICH EVERYBODY KNOWS IS AN ANAGRAM FOR "I SLIME."]

I think the answer does rest in letting those who leave comments know what’s expected [AND THE FUN IN THAT WOULD BE WHAT?] and provide the tools they need to be able to live up to it (notices, editing). [FREE BEER, TOOLS FOR LIVING IT UP?] This approach allows the Market Gods to remain happy.

Just raw thinking from a low life ruffian…

I think a “blogger code of conduct” is a knee jerk reaction to a nasty situation. But you’re entitled to your opinion. Not every web publishing effort using blogging software is a blog. If it looks like a blog and quacks like a blog, it still might be parody, satire, or just authentically voiced angry wailing at the general condition of things. Maybe we need BLOGGER certification! To call oneself a BLOGGER could be the gating factor we are looking for! If you are not a certified BLOGGER then — by golly — people are taking their delicate sensibilities into their own hands. But if you are a certified BLOGGER, then — by jiminy — people could count on there being no textual or graphic matter on your site that is offensive to anyone.

Frank (I Am Not A Blogger, or IANAB for short)

Sierra and Scoble would prefer not to endure uncivil jabs and want line item veto rights when it comes to that unwrit rule. Death threats on kittens go a long way toward moving the line.

Frank said, “There are ways to handle this without censorship. A splash page with disclaimer comes to mind.”

From Tim O’Reilly’s post, “At our brainstorming session at Etech, Kaylea Hascall suggested something like the Creative Commons badges that sites employ to label the re-use rights provided for their content. This would let people know which sites to avoid, if they aren’t willing to put up with foul language and insulting comments, and as in the blogher guidelines, let people know in advance what level of discourse is expected.”

I don’t see those two statements as being all that different.

that’s not what you said when you were kissing that food blogger scoble’s pressed ham. all hail the emperor and his viable seed!

do you know that there are large clusters of child autism in halfmoonbay, silicon valley and redmond higher than anywhere else in the world? there was an article in wired around 2000 if’n you think i’m fucking around here. look it up, assclown, i’m late for my roulette seminar.

Where are Zappa, Lenny and Krassner when we need them…

McD, Tree has a point regarding the length of your comment. If you can’t say it in less than 140 characters, how valuable is it anyway?