It is a wonderful thing to have an archive of your very own. A place to dip into the past and be reminded that just a few short years ago people seriously thought that blogging was going to replace journalism. Well, here we are in 2008 and the seeds sown may be bearing something unexpected - the fact that aspiring to professional publication status means you have responsibilities. Before we get too far, however, let me lay down some of the background with some old GX40 posts:

• October 2004: "A Notice To Readers"
• October 2004: "Good Use Of Blogging"
• March 2005: "You See The Problem, Right?"
• March 2005: "Bloggy Triumphalism"

OK, you back? Read the archives at your leisure, guys, but bear with me as I have a point of an undetermined value to make. Darcey posted yesterday about the legal proceedings that a few bloggers have found themselves drawn into or - like Jay - have thrust upon themselves for giggles. My observation is that you can't have it both ways. Either blogs are a publication and a vanguard of the new e-knowledge sector [Ed.: hint - they're not] or we are dealing with the overly vocal pajamaed who lash out unskillfully and with wanton disregard for the effect on others and the judicial ramifications upon yourself. But either way you have to take responsibilities for your actions. Freedom has its counterpoint in duty and sometimes duty means not using your mouthpiece as a place for wrong doing. The law is filled with civil criminal and administrative processes that unrestrained lashing out can plunk one within. These are bad places to find oneself.

I make no particular comments about the people involved or whether lines have been crossed as that is the job of the court or tribunal...except for Jay as he is clearly playing the Charles Bronson role in all of this and I want to see if that rescue helicopter shows up. But did we really think there were no consequences for anything? Did we really think the problem was that the law "didn't get it"?