I’ve just had a call from someone on the BBC’s Today programme, who is looking for someone to come on the radio tomorrow morning to comment on Tim O’Reilly’s proposed blogger Code of Conduct.
It seems they are having a bit of trouble finding someone who actually thinks it’s a good idea — and who is in a reasonable time zone for an early-morning slot.
Balanced BBC coverage of course demands a voice in favour to counter all those against, and it seems that the lack of dripping vitriol in my earlier post on the topic has made me a potential candidate for the gig.
I actually think the code is a rather bad idea, but didn’t feel the need to re-hash all the arguments that have been laid out by many, many others already when I posted about it earlier today. Personally, I think Neil McIntosh sums up the arguments against best over at Complete Tosh.
So come out of the woodwork if you’re in favour. The Beeb wants to hear from you. Leave a comment below or drop me an e-mail and ‘ll pass it along.
Update: It seems Tim O’Reilly himself has been tracked down and will be appearing on Today tomorrow morning.
Update, 9am 12/4: Looks like the item didn’t make it on the programme after all.
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Thanks for the link, Martin.
The Today programme did get in touch, but scoring O’Reilly means they won’t need my special blend of early morning vitriol and incoherence. But I have urged them to set John Humphries on him.
Jonathan Freedland and Charlie Beckett would have made very good choices as well.
Both reject the code in practice, but seem to support the idea that it may be necessary.
Ironically given its subject matter, Freedland’s CiF post on this was actually the model of a sensible blog debate, as Kevin Anderson points out.
I’m amazed the Today programme or anyone is interested in this. Is it just me, or is this a total non story? This is one variant of a perennial blog thing that goes nowhere and rightly so.
Yes, I thought I heard the sound of barrels being scraped, too. But both the New York Times and the Daily Telegraph had it on their front pages.
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