Sunday, October 17, 2004

LIVING IN A SOCIETY - ONE YEAR ON

Yes, I've been contributing my feeble influence to the blogosphere for one year now. There's not much more to say on the occasion other than that I'll keep posting because I love the discussion this medium generates. I think the influence and relevance of blogging can only increase.

Postscript: There are a couple things I have been meaning to blog lately but school work is keeping me pretty busy so I'm just going to handle them in brief here.

On the Warren Kinsella incident:
Its really unfortunate that the Canadian blogosphere has been subjected to this whole unfortunate business. The blogosphere can be a rough place at times, with un-friendly accusations and names being hurled about but everything is done in the spirit of open dialogue. I agree with most who found Kinsella's tactics to be hypocritical and bullying. As I have said before the best way to respond to the expression of opinions you disagree with is to counter them with your own. Kinsella certainly has a large enough platform through which he could have accomplished this yet he resorted to threats and demands that others censor themsleves to his own liking. That's simply bad form in my opinion and counter to the whole spirit of blogging. But I think Kinsella is coming to the realization that his actions in this whole debacle have hurt his reputation, with many, irreperably. Although it was threatend, I think the self-reguating nature of the blogosphere recovered to work as it should.

On the Ontario government banning pitbulls:
Why, why, why? When the government outlaws the ability of citizens to enjoy particular types of property under the justification that said property has the potential to cause harm, we're continuing down a dangerous road. In a free society laws should be passed against actions that cause harm. Owning a pitbull does not automatically result in maiming of children. Rekless pitbull owners are the cause of harm. Legislating against these dogs is an assault on rights of property ownership, shows a fundamental distrust in the citizens of Ontario, and worst of all is only a reactionary response to media fearmongering and misplaced public outrage.

Another year of Living in a Society coming up. As long as society makes it.

Posted by Matthew @ 1:56 a.m.