Look Who Thinks Blogger Ethics is Important...

Not Larry Sabato just raised on the Blogger scale with this post, "Bob McDonnell on the campaign trail" Props to NLS, for stepping past the party barrier and presenting a great post about his "advisary," we need more of this in blogging. The real reason i did this post is, notice who in NLS's post is talking about Blogger ethics...none other then Bob McDonnell.

"Hey Ben, how's the blog been going. I was reading (some story up recently on NLS) and thought it was interesting. By the way, I'm still interested in the blogging ethics we discussed in Martinsville. Please keep me up to date on what you guys decide to do with that". Second event, "Hey Ben, good to see you at (first event). Yeah, that article you did (insert another recent NLS post since the last event) on (someone) was really interesting, I totally agree. I'd really like to see more blogging like that. I just think blogging should have some ethical guidelines, I'm really interested in that, has anything happened with that discussion recently..." and at the third event "Hey Ben, you've been around all over recently (names first two events), good to see you again. Did you see that a lot of the blogs (names a couple) have been talking about ethical blogging recently. Are you going to do something on it? That's a real important issue to me. Let me know what's going on with it".

so, no they aren't exact quotes and maybe NLS is using this to jump onto the bandwagon of blogging Ethically, but then again, this might be an issue that concerns even our AG...
Read more!

What is Ethical Blogging??

God Save Va has a great post up called “What Is Ethical Blogging,” Asking

“What does “ethical blogging” mean to you? What does it entail? Does it even matter?”

It seems Virginia Oddsmaker has a bit of the same question.
I also noticed that Whackette of ,The Daily Whackjob has the "Ten commandments of blogging" (I also noticed all eleven of them)

First off, Yes, it does matter, greatly!

Ethical Blogging is being able to remember Chivalry, an ancient art that knights swore to before ever being able to be knighted, it was the “fair conduct” of war, I admit that each of us has our opinions, which is what makes the blogosphere so amazing, if we all agreed we would have nothing to debate or to talk about. Blogging would become boring rather quickly. In medieval times a knight had to swear to certain rules, many of which still apply today, and some even apply to blogging ethics, such as,

· Thou shalt respect all weaknesses, and shalt constitute thyself the defender of them.

· Thou shalt love the country in which thou wast born.

· Thou shalt not recoil before thine enemy.

· Thou shalt never lie, and shall remain faithful to thy pledged word.

- Thou shalt be everywhere and always the champion of the Right and the Good against Injustice and Evil.

- virtues such as mercy, courage, valor, fairness, protection of the weak and the poor, and in the servant-hood of the knight to his lord. This also brings with it the idea of being willing to give one’s life for another’s; whether he would be giving his life for a poor man or his lord.

Blogging Ethics, is all about treating other bloggers the way you desire to be treated…Regardless of there political affiliation, look at "The Daily Whackjob", it has several members, ranging from “Flaming Liberal”, “Religious Conservative”, Moderate, Libertarian…and they can still get along, on one blog. It is cause they understand that there opinions are not more important then the people they interact with. If there were more people willing to have real debate then our blogosphere would be in a much better place, heck, our country would be in a much better place.

Both the owner and the reader have a responsibility to each other, this is cordiality or at the very least civility, we can treat each other civilly, so lets do it!

Read more!

Apology, Rebuke, and More...

Reading over my comments on The Virginian Federalist, I realize I may not have handled the situation as I should have...I spoke rashly and did not consider that my statements would reflect onto bloggers views on God Save Va (not sure how they got lumped into it) I have no affiliation with them, at this time. So I would like to publicly extend my fullest apology to "Spank That Donkey" for any and all actions taken by me, that were "unethical" One being when I said "You are acting like a five year old"

for this

"The Ethical Blogger would like to officially
apologize to Spank, and those who believe that cordiality should be the foundation of blogging."

But, this does not mean that Spank gets off easy...I would like to point out, one a great job done by Krehbiel Strikes Back in his post; Did Bloggers 4 Sayre beat the ODBA? , Spank said.

"B4S is the first time 18 Conservative bloggers has come
together for anything... The ODBA can not even claim that..."

And Krehbiel responded with some great journalism work, in the aforementioned post.

It seems several Swac bloggers, are in for it today, both Std and Swac Girl, had this to say on Vfed,

"So do we pass everything by you, Publius, to see if it qualifies as readable for the blogosphere? Are you judge and jury of what is
acceptable or a proper subject? I only respond since you specifically
mentioned the Sayre bloggers who did not go on personal attacks againt Hanger's family but hammered home issues. Perhaps you could cite
examples of where we were out of line?"

-Swac girl

"So Bloggers 4 Sayre did nothing but attack Senator Hanger? Abusive, Vile, and outright falsehoods... as the Slantin News Leader would put it?A candidates family and even employees get brought into this by pro-Hanger bloggers..."

"and I will repeat (hopefully not to be ignored again) Hanger called Myron and shut down B4H, but Myron's mudslinging continued for days afterward.. "

-STD

I bring these comments up for two reasons, one, it seems SOME Bloggers 4 Sayre have a personal issue with Republitarian, and two, that the Bloggers 4 Sayre are getting unfairly treated (gasp, I almost agree with STD)

let me explain...

I went through the site Bloggers 4 Sayre, and realized MOST of the site is only about issues, and was done so fairly tastefully, but I also noticed several similar comments left by STD, Swac girl and some other members of the site, that were anything but "ethical"

This will not become a "Blog War" between the Swacs and I.

Seems that yesterday STD comment on a site called Un Altro Breve Rapporta Su Legge, St Lo Impure posted about the "The Blogging police" and STD responded as such

"Isn't it interesting how these two new creations are not slamming republitarian for actual personal attacks on Scott Sayre's family and even employees?no their concern is Kilo vs. waldo and attacking the SWAC Leadership..I guess no one can see through this, nor care too....Lot's of condemnation of anonymous blogging from anonymous blogs.... amazing the hypocrisy of the mentalities behind these two new ventures... "

After asked

"???? "Lot's of condemnation of anonymous blogging from anonymous blogs.... amazing the hypocrisy of the mentalities behind these two new ventures..." ???Please explain."

by the sites author St. Lo Impure, Std went on to say

"Because they are attempting to slam SWAC leadership saying they are anonymous?coming from an anonymous blog.. this doesn't add up to you?Meanwhile, where have the SWAC bloggers been unethical in their blogging? I do not believe anonymous blogging is unethical, as it should be judged by it's content. "

St. Lo went on to say

"Because they are attempting to slam SWAC leadership saying they are anonymous?"where, I want copy pasted phrases by them. I would love to do a post about it."coming from an anonymous blog.. this doesn't add up to you?" no, need to get snippy, I didn't get what you were saying, I understand now, and would like either a link or something pointing to them condemning anon blogging. cause, lol, yeah they are anon themselves. "

Std, has yet to respond...I would like to know the answer to the questions myself, where did I or God Save Va say any of that stuff? I understand that STD doesn't have the best view of me, due to the fact that I did attack him on VFed, but why God Save Va???


This is not what should be happening in the blogosphere, at every turn we should not be expecting to see STD or any blogger defend there "candidate" against those who do not even assault them. It seems Std, claims that both God Save Va and I attacked swac bloggers, for being anonymous, which he rightly pointed out no anonymous blogger should ever attack another anonymous blogger for being anonymous, but (as far as I can tell) neither God Save Va nor I, did any such thing, and neither did Publius of the Va federalist. If I am incorrect please comment or e-mail me, I hold correct information in the highest regard and do not want to unfairly call STD a liar, but this is more then about "making things up" it is about chivalry, acting with good intentions, and STD is not going around defending himself, he is creating issues with bloggers who have no issue with him.
In this post STD says

"Thanks Ladies and Gentleman it's great to hang out with principled bloggers! Some bloggers have to 'talk' ethics, others 'walk' the ethics."

STD,

Why must you try to make this personal? I have to say that Bloggers 4 sayres in itself was a great idea and fairly ethical (100% might be a little too far) and recieves a 7, but you Std recieve a 3...Swac girl gets a 3.5, for continually bringing up Republitian.
If evidence is proven that either God Save Va, Publius, or I posted or commented attacking swac bloggers for posting anonymously, then I will immediatly raise his ethical ranking. St lo Impure receives a 5.5 for trying to stay out of the battle, and linking us :-)

Also, Std I will be doing a post about Republitarian and his posting on Sayre's wife's DUIs, but I will point out this was not a blog war...but the rest I will save for the post.
Read more!

My Vision for This Site!

Although some would say that giving attention to those bloggers who lack "moral scruples" only helps them, "gain attention" I believe they should be called out on there deplorable behavior and be rebuked for what they are.
Those who show character should thereby be commended for there work in making the blogosphere something credible and enjoyable for all! Read more!