Are Bloggers Taking Free Speech Too Far? - Help with my Son's Report!

[threeboysmom]

Hi all! My 15 DS is working on a persuasive speech for a competition in March. He is chosen to speak on the subject of blogs. (I wish he could have chosen any easier topic - lol!) I'm wondering if any of you out there could help him by sharing your views on this subject.

Should there be any restrictions imposed upon bloggers? Should they be allowed to publish anything they want to say on the internet? Should they be required to publish their name with their material? Are all blogs, regardless of subject material, protected under our First Amendment?

Any other information you could share would be so helpful to him. Feel free to share why you think blogs are beneficial and a wonderful part of our technology, or why you believe they should be censored.... I'll print out your responses for him to mull over.

Thank you!!

 

[wvrevy]

There should absolutely be no censorship of blogs on the internet. Just because I find Anne Coulter to be a blathering idiot - just as others find Michael Moore to be - is no reason for my view, or theirs, to prevail. So, to answer your questions:

No restrictions, no forced publishing of their "real" names, no government oversight of any kind.

Blogs are the wave of the future. Censorship is a dying practice that can't go fast enough for anyone that loves the 1st Amendment and the exchange of ideas.

 

[Beth76]

I agree with wvrevy

 

[castleview]

I don't think anything should be censored. Blogs however, are more like discussion groups and no one should get their news entirely from them. They're great when they feature stories that regular media ignores or spends little time on. However, they can also site many biased sources and make it look legitimate...not to mention some of the insane comments posted on them.

I wonder if blogs are here to stay or will just be another fad. We'll have to wait and see. I do enjoy political blogs, but I also know that many out there are just mouthpieces for whatever interest/party/candidate they represent...and most are preaching to the choir. Just my thoughts.

 

[brerrabbit]

Although I usually don't agree with wvrevy on many things, this is one I do agree on. Blogs should be protected by free speech. Individuals should be allowed to post their thoughts and ideas without fear of retribution or cencorship. The one exception I would have though is that slander and libel laws still prevail. Post ideas, theroies , comments and rants all you want. Just don't go over the line by making false and slanderous comments that can cause harm in violition of the law.

 

[threeboysmom]

I'm glad you brought that point up brerrabbit. For those of you who say there should be NO restrictions, what about slander or things said about an individual or company that is simply false?? What about things that are hurtful to an individual's reputation and name?

 

[wvrevy]

I'm glad you brought that point up brerrabbit. For those of you who say there should be NO restrictions, what about slander or things said about an individual or company that is simply false?? What about things that are hurtful to an individual's reputation and name?

In instances such as that, the company or person being slandered should have the right to defend themselves against such claims, just as in any other forms of media. However, the government should play no role in that process, save as an impartial judge in the case that a claim is being disputed. That includes the case of a politician who believes he or she is being wronged by something a blogger posts. In that case, the politician would have no more right than every other citizen, and should be treated exactly the same.

 

[budbeerlady]

I think the internet gives us so many more options now days. But that people need to realize that blogs are one (or some) peoples feelings and facts mixed together. I could see where kids in school nowdays gets so much more info thrown at them via the web. The old days of going to the library (and I'm only 28) are long gone. But they did have an advantage in the fact that not every idiot had a book out about everything. I could see where doing research for a paper could be hard, how do you really know what is fact or fiction anymore? I think that it would be wrong to censure them but I could really see where it could lead to some problems also. What about some white supremisit groups influencing kids, (they wouldnt find that in a library book too often where i come from) I think it makes it more difficult as a kid and as a parent to get informed correct information. Blogs do have their place and can be very helpful. I subscribed to a few when my dad was diagnosed with a very rare cancer and it really helped to read what others were thinking and going through. But it does add to the wasteland of information somedays!

 

[Sparx]

There should be NO censorship on blogs. That is a journal. Even though it is published publicly, there should be no censorship.

But some people need to realize. Free Speech doesn't entitle you to harm another or put anohter in peril. What it does is it allows me to say, "I hate the color blue" And no one can tell me otherwise. That is what free speech is. Now some "say what you want to, even if it can hurt another" card. It is a right, that is protected.

This country really stands for nothing if it doesn't even stand for its right of having an opinion.

 

[Equidae]

Should there be any restrictions imposed upon bloggers?
No!

Should they be allowed to publish anything they want to say on the internet?
Yes. Censorship of the internet as a whole is a bad idea. I mean, who's to say what we can and can't say?

Should they be required to publish their name with their material?
No! I wouldn't want people to know it who I was anymore than some people here enjoy their anonymity.
Are all blogs, regardless of subject material, protected under our First Amendment?
Yes. Part of what makes our country so great is that we have free speech and can express our views.


That being said, I have a blog and I enjoy reading blogs. I have learned so much about other people it's amazing. From a female taxicab driver in NYC to an English teacher in Daytona, not to mention Dave Barry's blog ( ) I love reading what people have to write and learning about their lives. Even if, like Dave's, the blog is more of a collection of links and antidotes, it's a great thing. During Hurricane Katrina and her aftermath I read blogs from people in and around N.O. and learned from their first hand accounts (and webcam videos) things that just weren't on the news. Personally I use my blog as a way for my friends and family to know what I was up to. Starting it was suggested to me by my best friend who is keeping a blog of her time in med school. We don't have quite the time to talk like we used to since we are both so bus, but our blogs help us keep up with each other.

 

[ceiligh1]

When I was in college in English 101 part of the instruction was the difference between information obtained from the web and those from books. At the time (5 years ago) the web was not considered as trustworthy a site for research as the library’s books. The main reason is that you can not trust what you read is legitimate. You can not verify that I am who I say I am and that I actually have degrees or expertise in the field I am writing about. I feel that sometimes that idea is missed. The internet is a wonderful starting point for research but it is good to double check the facts and make sure that they come from a reputable site and not just someone’s web page or blog. I don’t think restrictions should be placed on the internet it was started as a way to share info and that is still happening you just have to be careful.

I think blogs are valuable. I have one. I write in my sons voice, of his achievements and funny things that happened as he grows up. This way his extended family is part of his day to day life. My husband has one too. But I also know that others are going to read it. (Many companies monitor the blogs of employees. My husband is employed by one). Therefore I am careful about what I say. Just because we can do something doesn’t mean that we should abuse it or there can be unforeseen results.

 

[threeboysmom]

Excellent points being made! Thank you very much for your contribution!

 

[hmp2z]

Private companies own the blogging sites, so blogs wouldn't be protected under the 1st Amendment, which limits Congress' ability to restrict freedom of speech, not that of private companies. The companies themselves are under no legal obligation to uphold the 1st Amendment; based on the bloggers' agreements with their hosting companies, they can be restricted at the company's discretion.
Just wanted to point that out, as you'd mentioned the 1st Amendment coming into play here.
Cheers!
Heather W

 

[Equidae]

Private companies own the blogging sites, so blogs wouldn't be protected under the 1st Amendment, which limits Congress' ability to restrict freedom of speech, not that of private companies. The companies themselves are under no legal obligation to uphold the 1st Amendment; based on the bloggers' agreements with their hosting companies, they can be restricted at the company's discretion.
Just wanted to point that out, as you'd mentioned the 1st Amendment coming into play here.
Cheers!
Heather W

Not entirely true. You can blog from your own webpage, in your own domain, and not have to go through a blogging site. I have a blog on blogspot, but my DH has a blog on his own website on a domain he owns and runs off his server. Casually speaking, yes, most people use a company for private blogging.

 

[beachbunny]

Funny you should mention blogs. It is currently a very hot subject. I just finished writing a soon to be published magazine article on the subject. Specifically, my article is about whether there really is a First Amendment right to blog anonymously.

 

[N.Bailey]

I didn't read all the replies, but I did read quite a few. IMO, a blogger should be able to express his views in the way he sees fit, AS LONG AS it's within the confounds of the law. If he slanders or actually writes something libelous, well, he takes the risk of being sued.

I DO NOT under any circumstance believe a pedophile for example should be able to post pictures that depict children in any sexual way, or naked at all. IMO, that's where the line should be drawn. It's illegal anyway, as it should be.

I'll never be one to say people should be able to do anything old thing they wish.

 

[threeboysmom]

beachbunny, we'd be very interested in reading any of your article information you can share. I realize since it has not been published yet, you can not divulge any of the info? If you can share, we'd love to hear your findings on the matter.