Response to Reading 1.2 – Handbook for Bloggers and Cyber-Dissidents

Today’s first reading, Handbook for Bloggers and Cyber-Dissidents (Reporters Without Borders, 2008) focuses on blogs; what they are, how to create them and how to make them successful. I found this to be an interesting read despite having a semi in depth knowledge of what blogs are all about.

I was an early Livejournal user back in the early 2000s, so I have experienced my own form of ‘blogging’, which tended to be take on more of a personal nature. I used Livejournal mostly as a personal diary and a way to keep in contact with my friends. I didn’t tend to post anything controversial or of much interest, so it is of interest to me to see how blogs have evolved over the years.

I agree with Clothilde Le Coz, who wrote the introduction of the handbook, that blogs indeed are an effective way of exercising freedom of speech and getting your words out to the masses (if you are so inclined), but are there people who take that too far? I like to think of myself as quite internet savvy, having been an avid internet user since 1996; so I don’t tend to fall for scams, nor am I one of those crazy people who forwards emails to 9 people within 9 minutes in order for my dreams to come true, but I know there are an immense amount of people out there who are a little more naive than I am and to them can blogs pose a problem?

How do these people decipher fact from fiction? How do they know when a blogger is merely expressing their own personal opinions and presenting ideas from their own biased views rather than reporting ‘news’?

Blogging is an important and fundamental medium for expressing yourself on the internet; it can be fun, interesting, informative, controversial, offensive... I could list adjectives forever! We just need to learn to be objective about what we read and be able to ascertain fact from fiction. If the Government is concerned about the potential impact of blogging, should we be worried too? I don’t think so, as long as we continue to look at it with a critical eye.

References

                   Reporters Without Borders. (2008). Handbook for bloggers and cyber-dissidents. Retrieved January 20, 2011, from Scribd.: http://www.scribd.com/doc/18328634/2008-RSF-Handbook-For-Bloggers-and-CyberDissidents