After 46 years, still a child

Come next week the nation will be celebrating its 47th birthday as a child that refuses to grow up. The recent bashing of adults for commercial sex which in many mature countries would have brushed aside as a normal human failing and quickly forgotten is a case in point. Why such a big hooha and such a big issue and imprisonment? Are we morally so high up in the clouds that it is necessary to take such a strong view against some indiscretion when no one was hurt in a willing buyer willing seller commercial transaction?

Now we are hearing minister unable to go to sleep because of the bad things being said in the net and children are affected. And there is a need for a code of conduct for bloggers. Is blogging so different from any other pursuits in life that a separate code of conduct is needed? Or is any misconduct that is unacceptable or criminal in blogging not cover by the law? Some terminologies and peculiarities may be new to old verbiage, but these could easily be covered by some amendments to existing legislations and there is really no necessity to reinvent the wheel.

How about a blogging code like the Highway Code and bloggers must sit for a test before being allowed on the net? Come off it. The net is real. This is what the real world is, with a bit of pungent smell now and then, but not life threatening. The life threatening part would definitely be covered by the law and people affected would be protected by the law. The sanitized main media is an artificiality that is good in its own ways like speaking proper English. Speaking Singlish is not an offence. A little indiscretion in the net is a true reflection of life and it is better that children get use to them quickly and grow up quickly. And this growing up process should similarly apply to adults as parents and as regulators.

Is the situation really that bad that a code of conduct is absolutely necessary or is it a case of nothing better to do? What is there that normal ethics and good manners do not prescribe or the law does not cover? There are certainly serious violations in the net, like obviously scam jobs, spamming, spreading viruses etc that should be stopped but everyone closed their eyes so wide that they could not see the harm they are causing. Now we are so worried about what, a little verbal diarrhea, a little vulgarity, a little bullying?

What is the problem that cannot be handled with existing social norms, ethics, morality and the legislation that people are so restless about? Isn’t it time to grow up or nanny is still having an obsessive urge to be over protective? Is this a kind of bipolar disorder or fetish behavior? Do we need COC for cycling in the park or playing football in void decks as well? Or do we need COC for visiting dance halls or discos? These are definitely more dangerous places than visiting the net.