Should blogs be regulated?

Hmmm. Let's see. As a blogger, “I object”. As a student of journalism I say "Definitely not." And, as a citizen of a Sovereign Socialist Secular Democratic Republic, I say "F*** you!"

Why? For one reason and one reason only. Because I can!

That is what a blog is about. It’s about you. Being able to say what you please. You’re not claiming it’s factual. Or that it’s legit. You’re not persuading, forcing or coercing people into agreeing with you. You’re simply exercising your fundamental right to express a personal opinion.

In a public forum, yes. That changes things, sure. We need to be careful about what we say, Yoo Hoo. Responsible publishing, that’s what we need. Agreed. Here’s my question but – What is it and where can I find it? Books? I don’t think so. Newspapers? Chuckle. TV? Yeah, right. So what then? Nothing, that's what.

Okay. For a moment, let’s be imaginative and suppose that we do agree upon the regulations bit. Another of my annoying questions – How does one suggest we implement it? From what I read somewhere, there are more than forty thousand active bloggers in India. And about ten times that, have registered blog accounts. So, how then is content amounting to at least a million pages (and counting) in web space going to be regulated? More importantly, by whom is it going to be done? Who gets to decide what or what not to put on my blog? Finally and most importantly, what is objectionable content?

Will all of us bloggers be given a list of taboo topics we can’t post on? Here's another one. Have a censorship body that has their illiterate geniuses scour our blogs to “regulate” them? Or better. Send us to blog rehabs so that we are cured out of the very urge to blog? Dude, I have to admit. Sounds like a plan, it does.

So, I ask again, should blogs be regulated?

Sure. I'd like to see them try.