The proliferation of on line sites in the blogging world is proving to be a boon for billable hours for the legal profession. A statistic from this USA today story, quotes Technorati as claiming that two blogs are created every second, a fine bit of news that should have libel lawyers rubbing their hands in glee at the potential for business opportunities.
Lawsuits in the US are increasing as the wild west atmosphere of the blogosphere throws out opinion like grass seed, some seeds take root and become strong blades of a vast lawn, shining a light on issues in their communities that need to be made known. Many blogs dig deeper, focus on issues and provide a much needed outlet in communities or for groups that are sunder served by an increasing shrinking and corporate mass media.
On the darker side, other blogs have become weeds that ruin reputations, cast rumours afar and taint the blogging world for those with an honest belief that a voice needs to be heard. Those who troll the waters of defamation or only wish to ruin reputations with no facts to back up their mental wanderings, should rethink what it is they are trying to achieve. The problem is that the attention that those who are off the wall and only out to slur and defame, is starting to chill those who merely want to voice an honest opinion.
With legal firms threatening multi million dollar lawsuits; even if they have no intention of following through with them, the chill in the blogging world is suddenly more than just a draft or wayward breeze.
Bloogers now wonder just where they stand and think twice about posting anything controversial, a bad moment for freedom of speech in countries that already have fewer and fewer avenues for the common folk.
Blogs aren’t the only thing getting caught up in the chill of libel warnings, on line message boards the bastion of free speech, wild conjecture and flame wars have also begun to attract attention from the legal profession.
Anyone now logging on to drop a quick thought, a snide comment or a caustic report on some happening in their hometown, might want to think twice and watch their language in the closest of terms.
While the internet is chock a block full of truly horrid websites that endlessly recite the owner’s breakfast menus, exercise regimens, disputes with best friends or the latest burp and belch of the family pet, there is also some fine reading material available, opinions that should be heard, providing information that has fallen through cracks, from folks who are picking up the torch for free speech.
It would be a shame if they get crushed by over zealous lawyers, seeking to quiet the crowd through fear and intimation. Some countries use tanks and guns to snuff out the right to speak your mind; others use lawyers, lawsuits and a legal system that surely could be used to deal with more pressing issues.
Obviously if someone steps over the line there is a need to make them accountable for their actions, but by no means should the system be used to shut anyone up, just because they’ve brought attention to things that the public should know about.
Don't get me wrong, I hardly think that the ramblings of Tom in Toronto, Sally in Saskatoon or Vijay in Vancouver are going to change the world. In fact, for the most part they write for an audience that probably numbers less than a hundred souls on the best day. Most we would hope aren't taking their hobby so seriously that they are under the impression that society is going to change on their word alone. Blogs are kind of a vanity project, everyone has an opinion, its up to the reader to decide if the author's is worth listening to.
But if they have something to say and aren't recounting stories that have no basis in fact, then they shouldn't have to worry that someone is going to try to stop their right to have an opinion.
Democracy is only as strong as the people who support it, if we allow our right to speak our mind to be eroded; we’ll be on a slippery slope to a place most of us probably wouldn’t want to call home!
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