self discipline for Chinese bloggers

China is going to launch a self discipline on the bloggers' writing from June, according to Yang Zuojun, a official with China Internet Association(should be a non-profit one). (news in Chinese)

The first impression to me is: wow, China is going into the front of the bloggering world. I know U.S. bloggers are talking on this too, but still in talking. However, China is going to have its own code.

But after reading the details, I found this code is totall based from the view of blogging hosts, instead from bloggers themselves. It said the bloggering hosts will not be responsible for the wrongdoings of the blogggers, though they have to have certain "hotline" for the complaints. And also, it suggested the usage of real name in the blogging world, easy to manage, I guess.

For the Blogger Code, it is just in five items: (1) no illegal information (2) no racial discrimination (3) no offense to others and fake information (4) no copy right violation (5) responsible for managing the comments on the blogs.

In fact, I would say the five items are very simple and very general to be either misused by the regulator or the bloggers themselves. Also, a self-disciplined blogger should need more than that, such as balanced view, fair comments, double-checking facts, or in simple words, just like journalism.

The world is flat, and the media is flat, too. Now a mainstream media could even follow a blogging post, which means blogs should afford more public responsbilitiy to seek truth, not rumors.

Saying this, I felt hard to follow rumors these days. And I have lost my creativity.

The new Chinese rule is going to seek public consultation from the beginning of June. Keep tuned here (very interesting, the self-discipline working committee put it 2005 working plan on April 24 2007, a bit of late, isn 't it?)