The Dark Shadow Shrine

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Friday, February 08, 2013

No Internet Code of Conduct for Singapore

Promoting media literacy as an alternative to the more controversial implementation of an internet code of conduct or other harsher meaures like censorship to rein in internet etiquette:
After the spate of online controversy (think NUS Chinese scholar's comparison of Singaporeans to dog, Amy Cheong's disparagement of Malay void deck weddings, SAJC student's use of the F-word on DPM Teo, Malaysian NUS ASEAN Scholar's exhibitonistic sex photos), there has been greater call for an internet code of ethics. But the govt has come out to say NO to it, opting instead for the softer approach of education and promoting of greater media literacy, as implementing an internet code of conduct or other forms of govt intervention such as censorship and the blocking or banning of certain offensive websites are often seen as a surreptitious way of controlling free speech online, and a curtailment on our rights.
Note that as mentioned in the previous posting, media literacy is not just about sensitising netizens to OB markers, making them aware of what one should or should not post/upload, in the hope that they would exercise self-censorship when it comes to posting material online. Media literacy is also about educating netizens how to differentiate what is true/right vs lies/wrong when accessing info online, in the hope that armed with this discerning/differentiating ability, they will be less adversely harmed by it and can even go on to use their collective group influence to pressure those who flout the rules to adhere to the 'proper' way (think online vigilante).
Relevant Singapore features in this context: highly-educated population (maturity?), high internet pentration rate