Alistair Campbell, the cretinous tosspot who used to head up Labour’s Propaganda Department, suggests that bloggers should sign up to a voluntary code of practice and practice self-censorship.
I can’t speak for other bloggers but I already parctice self-censorship. I don’t post anything libelous and I moderate my language. What more should I do? Stop criticising corrupt, bigotted politicians? Stop slagging off career politicians and dodgy politics? Stop calling politicians and other public figures names?
How does “bollocks” sound? The internet is the only place left where you still have freedom of speech and where you can voice your opinion without oppresive censorship. It’s my blog and I’ll say what I damn well want. If Alistair Campbell and others of his ilk don’t like it, I suggest they write their own blogs and defend themselves and their parties.
I refuse to give up my right to freedom of speech.
He has to a firm favourite for your Twat of the Week.
(did my previous comment on this not reach you? if not, here it is again)
You might not post anything libellous, and you might moderate your language, but there are countless bloggers who are not as responsible or as scrupulous as you. And if someone posts on the internet something about or concerning you, or an organisation you’re associated with, that’s wrong, what redress do you have? How do you get that sorted out?
If, for example, someone posted that Alistair Campbell called for bloggers to sign up to a voluntary code of conduct, when it was in fact the director of the Press Complaints Commission (!), how would that get corrected? Once someone puts something online, whether it’s true or not, it gains a certain currency. The more people read it, link to it or refer to it, the greater a currency it gains, and the harder it is to establish the truth.