Seems like Mr. O’Reilly has updated the “Bloggers Code of Conduct”, with quite a few thoughtful adjuncts.  I won’t belabour them here, but what he does do is finish with trying to emphasize the spirit of his actions, and that was to try and encourage a level of civility within the blogosphere.

So, I’ll ask an obvious question: *DOES* Civility Matter?

I think in a larger scheme of things, it does to most people.  After all, most people like an educated discourse free of personal attacks, peppered with a savoury side of passionate debate.

I think it *doesn’t* matter to a petty few, who, for whatever reason, feel the need to leave sophomoric comments which add little if nothing to the debate at hand.

Wanting to elevate the level of discourse around the blogosphere is a laudable idea.  However, the very nature of a (semi- / perceived)  anonymous system that the blogosphere, or even the Internet, thrives on, will always have its percentage of pathetic punters who live on the fringe, and who get their jollies leaving behind disparaging remarks. 

In fact, the very thing that attracts us to the Internet will always provide fertile ground for this kind of trenchant behaviour to continue, and as a result, this behavioiur something that we’ll always have to contend with — and some would argue, *have* always contended with, pre Mosaic-era.

Bloggers, as I wrote about initially, were never the problem.  Or, if they are, they’ll never identify themselves behind the cheap attacks and potty-mouthed vindictives. 

And elevating the level of Civility, no matter how well intentioned, will never rid us of this kind of behaviour.  You could even argue with the kind of turnover that blogs have, well, what does it matter if the remaining and existing 10% of blogs adhere (let’s suppose willingly) to some kind of code of conduct?  The ones that remain after a few weeks, few months or even a year — many, if not all, are reasoned individuals, which is reflected in their blogs *anyway*.

And that’s why, at the end of the day, while we can debate and wax philosophical about how boorish some commenters are, the real solution is not a badge, nor self examination, because many bloggers are pretty good at that stuff anyway.

[I wonder what the blogosphere's reaction to Mr. O'Reilly's call for self-examination will lead to?]

Rather, the solution is merely a way of recognizing that which we find acceptable, and not acceptable for what runs as discussion on our blogs — and doing our best to enforce it.