Plea addressed to my fellow bloggers
This is addressed to my fellow bloggers:
I speak not as a spokesperson for you, nor do I pretend to be one. The below are merely my own thoughts--a plea, if you will--in the hope that you will find them reasonable and acceptable. With the publication of AcidFlask's statement, I believe that it is now all the more important to keep in mind certain things:
(1) Ultimately, the issue between AcidFlask and Mr. Yeo/A*Star is exactly that--between the two named parties. In a very important sense, we are bystanders; and bystanders that are not in a favored position to pass judgments on the true merits of the case between them. Nor do we need to. What I (and I suspect most bloggers) have found deeply problematic is the fact that legal action should be threatened so quickly against a blogger when much less precipitous actions would seem more reasonable (and probably more effective as well). This is not a "us vs. them" thing, nor need it be a "zero-sum game". I for one still hope that matters will be resolved in an amicable spirit between the parties.
(2) We must remain vigilant and not allow non-blogosphere partisans to highjack what's happening for their own opportunistic purposes. We protest not because we are partisanly critical or out to undermine the established order. We are not here to win votes, merely to provide feedback. Our interest in this is predominantly an interest in the freedom to express and exchange ideas and information in a civil and lawful manner, and to do so in the spirit invited by PM Lee.
(3) As befitting non-partisans to the specific issue between Mr. Yeo/A*Star and AcidFlask, let us strive to keep our comments and reporting--even if they are critical--civil, rational and reasonable. We should carefully separate fact from opinion, and our readers should be made amply aware of that important distinction in our blogging. Freedom and responsibility are two sides of the same coin.
All indications are that the recent events will be a true watershed. Whether we like it or not, the eyes of the nation and the world at large will be upon us. We must all the more conduct ourselves according to the highest standards.
For your consideration
Huichieh Loy, Blogger
* * * * *
update: My plea has also been posted at Tomorrow and Ivan's Chimera: thank you! (2136 hrs May 6 -0400)
The AcidFlask Affair covered on From a Singapore Angle: Part 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5
I speak not as a spokesperson for you, nor do I pretend to be one. The below are merely my own thoughts--a plea, if you will--in the hope that you will find them reasonable and acceptable. With the publication of AcidFlask's statement, I believe that it is now all the more important to keep in mind certain things:
(1) Ultimately, the issue between AcidFlask and Mr. Yeo/A*Star is exactly that--between the two named parties. In a very important sense, we are bystanders; and bystanders that are not in a favored position to pass judgments on the true merits of the case between them. Nor do we need to. What I (and I suspect most bloggers) have found deeply problematic is the fact that legal action should be threatened so quickly against a blogger when much less precipitous actions would seem more reasonable (and probably more effective as well). This is not a "us vs. them" thing, nor need it be a "zero-sum game". I for one still hope that matters will be resolved in an amicable spirit between the parties.
(2) We must remain vigilant and not allow non-blogosphere partisans to highjack what's happening for their own opportunistic purposes. We protest not because we are partisanly critical or out to undermine the established order. We are not here to win votes, merely to provide feedback. Our interest in this is predominantly an interest in the freedom to express and exchange ideas and information in a civil and lawful manner, and to do so in the spirit invited by PM Lee.
(3) As befitting non-partisans to the specific issue between Mr. Yeo/A*Star and AcidFlask, let us strive to keep our comments and reporting--even if they are critical--civil, rational and reasonable. We should carefully separate fact from opinion, and our readers should be made amply aware of that important distinction in our blogging. Freedom and responsibility are two sides of the same coin.
All indications are that the recent events will be a true watershed. Whether we like it or not, the eyes of the nation and the world at large will be upon us. We must all the more conduct ourselves according to the highest standards.
For your consideration
Huichieh Loy, Blogger
* * * * *
update: My plea has also been posted at Tomorrow and Ivan's Chimera: thank you! (2136 hrs May 6 -0400)
The AcidFlask Affair covered on From a Singapore Angle: Part 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5
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