I've largely avoided the rising storm surrounding a series of unfortunate events that culminated in the decision of one prominent blogger to leave the blogosphere after a number of threatening and unsavory comments were posted about her on a number of sites.  It's not that I don't care about such things.  I just try to stay out of the middle of things when I don't know the parties involved.

Since this series of events unfolded, some have been calling for the creation of a blogging code of ethics.  The thinking goes that such a code would help alleviate these problems in the future.

Over the weekend, Tim O'Reily answered that call and published a draft version of what he thinks a code of conduct for bloggers should look like.  Reactions have been mixed.  But most are not positive.  Andy Beal at Marketing Pilgrim says the code of conduct "must die".  Social Media Club says it's "DOA".

I'm not going to pick it apart and say why I don't think it'll ever take off.  You can find that on either of the sites I just mentioned and a quick blog search will point you to dozens more.

But I am going to tell you why I think it's a bad idea that will never gain traction or do what it was intended to address:

• Writing, and by extension blogging, is expression.  People don't like to have their expression curtailed.
• Even with a code of conduct, events like the ones that prompted this outcry will continue to happen.
• Regulation is rarely embraced online.

Even with all of the rules, regulations, and laws imposed on us by the governments that rule us, we continue to do what we want… and break those rules, regulations, and laws.  A code of conduct will not stop people who want to misbehave from doing so.  It wouldn't have prevented the threats against the blogger in question here and it won't prevent them in the future.

Unfortunately, that kind of behavior is just part of human nature.

On top of that, people don't like regulation of the Internet in any form of fashion.  Coupled with the fact that writers don't like being limited or restricted or confined… and you've got the formula for something that's doomed from day one.  It just won't catch on.

I'm all for being civil on the Internet.  I'm a firm believer in taking responsibility for your actions, both online and off.  But I'm also a realist.  A code of conduct will not stop people who aren't civil or responsible for their own actions.  It just won't.  It flies in the face of human nature and it flies in the face of the history of the Internet.

So will it work?  No.  Will it catch on?  No.  Should we bother with it?  No.