Dave asked me to explore this topic for the next Bloggercon, and in thinking about it, I see a big open, interesting question around both philosophical issues as well as practices specific to online activity. I need to first think first about the ways people treat each other, the kind of respect and consideration we enjoy from people we respect and consider that underlay core values. I then thought about why the web is different and how we might carry our values around with us online, because of it's not often so obvious how to carry these values in our online relationships. Lists follow, and I hope to get some help understanding the question and the qualities of these values.

Things we might value in communities or consider in some way to be qualities a good citizen might have: - nodding hello to people and their contributions to the community - allowing people their human foibles - holding certain values above personal or financial gain - being honest - being generous - keeping the commons well - not polluting each other's private space - taking care with those less fortunate and considering the ideas, not the person, in critical evaluations about thoughts so as not to personally attack - passing on knowledge and skills to those who are newer - defending other's basic rights - participating in the community

We enjoy these values in communities, regardless of whether they are online or in real space. I think what is key in considering core values on the web then, is how do they manifest in practice online? What is special about the internet? Does the internet make interactions that are easily abused (spam) therefore push us to other ways of interacting (email -> RSS feeds)? Have we come to see certain behaviors as good for the web community and the blogosphere? Here are some practices I practice or see others using: - communicating in ways that nod hello, like a blogroll or mention of some kind, because of their work, contributions, creativity, etc. - linking out to those whose work or ideas we are referencing, building on or quoting in some in some way (see this post on the rule of links) - publishing and creating things that enrich the community and iterate us closer to the truth - keeping trollish and other destructive behavior minimized - balancing controls or restrictions on the use of ideas, methods and expressions between those who create and the commons - passing on what we've learned about technology, the web and the blogosphere - participating in the community by contributing knowledge, tools and information, and supporting those who do

Why do I care about this? Because I think that sharing our understanding of core values might make it easier to come to some common understanding of practices and behaviors, to facilitate communication and keep a healthy commons. I don't believe this list is exhaustive, and want to hear from the community about the kinds of practices that demonstrate or encourage core values of the web. I want to think more about how and where these values might develop into behaviors and why we need them, and what we can do to make online activity more reflective of healthy offline values. Please leave your comments and suggestions here.

I want to iterate on suggestions from commenters and blogger's posts on what values there are, and then discuss how and why these values and practices have evolved, and are valuable, viable, and why they exist.

Thanks, mary hodder

# Posted by mary hodder on 9/28/04; 1:21:42 AM - --