Is the Digital Indaba the Internet Berlin Conference of 2006?

African Bullets & Honey

The African Bullets and Honey (AB&H) blog has sparked some awesome dialog about the state and nature of the blogosphere.

Issues that seem to be prevelant here are ones centered around the question of a code of conduct for blogging in Africa. Apparently there already exists a "Handbook for bloggers".

I need to ask the question though: Has anyone cleared up exactly what the intention of this code of conduct that DCI is trying to put forward? Has MMK from the African Bullets and Honey blog recieved the wrong end of the right stick and placed his/her mouth along with the foot that was already there? If this is the case and the code of conduct is meant to be another "Handbook for bloggers" Simply targeted at African bloggers then i think that some opinions need to be retargeted and rethought

However, if the African Bullets and Honey has got it right and this code of conduct spoken of by Vincent Maher is trying to define "valuable bloggers" and discard the rest, then i think that there is a bit of a problem. What makes my thoughts less appealing (note, the use of the word "appealing" here and not correct) than anyone elses. I may not be right 100% of the time, but the whole point of blogging, as far as i understand it is that people, the masses, get to speak their minds and express themselves and their lives on a global platform.

As alexcia said on the AB&H blog,

"The pen, be it on blogs or paper, is still mightier than the gun,"

and

"As i see it, blogging is not the be all and end all in our lives. We,after all, blog about what we see outside the blogging world. And everydecent blog like any good piece writing is not "self-centered". Stateddifferently blogs are closer to photos than abstract paintings, whereone captures what we see and hear the other what we imagine."

I think that alexcia has a great point. Life outside of blogging exists. Yes blogging is a forum that can have a massive impact on the natue of things and on opinions amongst many other things, but if we restrict bloggers then what exactly will be heard? And who decides what is to be heard? How do you possibly restrict a forum as far reaching as the blogosphere?

I dont have answers, I am simply posing questions that i think need to be answered.

Finally, i think that someone needs to find out exactly what the point and aim of the DCI's code of conduct is or will be. I'll try see what i can do on that front.

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