Comments on: Citizen Media in Times of Crisis http://citmedia.org/blog/2007/07/30/citizen-media-in-times-of-crisis/ Sun, 07 Sep 2008 16:23:55 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.1 By: Sanjana Hattotuwa http://citmedia.org/blog/2007/07/30/citizen-media-in-times-of-crisis/#comment-151054 Sanjana Hattotuwa Fri, 03 Aug 2007 02:57:06 +0000 http://citmedia.org/blog/2007/07/30/citizen-media-in-times-of-crisis/#comment-151054 Jon, As demonstrated by the Kathy Sierra incident earlier this year, the knee-jerk reaction by noted bloggers in the US to enforce civility and the backlash it generated, anonymity on blogs is sometimes necessary, often not and always hotly contested by those who use real identity markers. I've written more about this here: http://ict4peace.wordpress.com/2007/04/10/blogging-code-of-conduct-does-one-size-fit-all/ http://ict4peace.wordpress.com/2007/04/26/beyond-oreillys-online-civility-dictum-fostering-healthy-debate-on-the-web-and-internet/ A couple of mediators, negotiators, academics, social activists and lawyers who met at an Online Dispute Resolution Conference in Manchester, England earlier this year came up with a statement that is worth noting here. See http://ict4peace.wordpress.com/2007/04/21/statement-on-respectful-online-communication/ Whether this in any significant way addresses the phenomenon that I point to in my article and you rightfully state is not limited to Sri Lanka remains to be seen. I suppose we have to keep chipping away at the issue? Best regards, Sanjana Hattotuwa Jon,

As demonstrated by the Kathy Sierra incident earlier this year, the knee-jerk reaction by noted bloggers in the US to enforce civility and the backlash it generated, anonymity on blogs is sometimes necessary, often not and always hotly contested by those who use real identity markers.

I’ve written more about this here:

http://ict4peace.wordpress.com/2007/04/10/blogging-code-of-conduct-does-one-size-fit-all/
http://ict4peace.wordpress.com/2007/04/26/beyond-oreillys-online-civility-dictum-fostering-healthy-debate-on-the-web-and-internet/

A couple of mediators, negotiators, academics, social activists and lawyers who met at an Online Dispute Resolution Conference in Manchester, England earlier this year came up with a statement that is worth noting here. See http://ict4peace.wordpress.com/2007/04/21/statement-on-respectful-online-communication/

Whether this in any significant way addresses the phenomenon that I point to in my article and you rightfully state is not limited to Sri Lanka remains to be seen. I suppose we have to keep chipping away at the issue?

Best regards,

Sanjana Hattotuwa

]]> By: Jon Garfunkel http://citmedia.org/blog/2007/07/30/citizen-media-in-times-of-crisis/#comment-151029 Jon Garfunkel Tue, 31 Jul 2007 05:54:21 +0000 http://citmedia.org/blog/2007/07/30/citizen-media-in-times-of-crisis/#comment-151029 I had to look up the word "swabhasha." But I would have thought you would have quoted the subsequent paragraph: <i>There are other significant challenges, not unique to citizen journalism and new media, but certainly augmented by the very nature of the media that they rest on. In a conversation with the author, Dan Gillmor, Director of the Centre for Citizen Media based in the US and widely regarding as a leading expert in Citizen Journalism averred, “… we must also be careful that citizen media that is irresponsible, unprofessional, partial and inaccurate - does not hinder the growth of free voices on the web.” The early experience with citizen journalism in Sri Lanka clearly brings out the tendency for slander, bitter personal invective and polemics that are strengthened in part because of the conventions of anonymity that citizen journalism as it exists today rests on.</i> Similar experience here, no? I had to look up the word “swabhasha.” But I would have thought you would have quoted the subsequent paragraph:

There are other significant challenges, not unique to citizen journalism and new media, but certainly augmented by the very nature of the media that they rest on. In a conversation with the author, Dan Gillmor, Director of the Centre for Citizen Media based in the US and widely regarding as a leading expert in Citizen Journalism averred, “… we must also be careful that citizen media that is irresponsible, unprofessional, partial and inaccurate - does not hinder the growth of free voices on the web.” The early experience with citizen journalism in Sri Lanka clearly brings out the tendency for slander, bitter personal invective and polemics that are strengthened in part because of the conventions of anonymity that citizen journalism as it exists today rests on.

Similar experience here, no?

]]>