...Internet Free Speech?

It’s sad to say that the freedom of speech in cyberspace is as limited as trying to buy yourself an ice cream with a penny. No…that didn’t come out right.

Anyway, as mentioned before by I believe it was Newton, “every action has an equal or opposite reaction”. In other words, whatever we do, there are consequences. Though used to explain phenomena in science, the act of blogging suffers the same fate as well.

I’m sure many of you are well aware of the Naked Blogger scandal. Oh my, what a huge ruckus that kicked up. Even the famous blogger Kenny Sia got into hot soup for not only the things he said but also an image he used in his blogsite.

A little closer to home, another blog-related issue came up when a student from was caught defaming a student body through her blog. Yes, she was charged and had to pay pretty dearly for her misdemeanor. This incident really caught my attention and at the same time made me a little angry.

The internet has long been known to be the safe haven for the freedom of expression, speech and imagery all the same. Yes, there still are laws imposed to supervise internet use. But how can there be freedom of expression when something you do in the virtual world brings forth real-world repercussions?

I’m not advocating a lawless cyberspace. All I’m saying is that when someone blogs, sometimes it’s that person’s way of escapism from the real world; a time for one to be uninhibited by the world outside and a chance to freely express oneself. One has the right to say what he or she feels.

That is why I always advise bloggers not to know who their readers are. That kind of information inhibits ones freedom to write. It’s also the reason why a friend of mine refuses to let his mother know where his blog is ;)

So why was I angry when I found out that the student was punished? I honestly believe that something external (the internet) should not spark an incident internally (school). She wanted to express herself outside school. At least she didn’t pass out papers in class or start a rebellion during recess. She chose to do it on the internet, which I personally felt should not have been brought in as a school disciplinary issue.

Take back the internet?

Note: Sometimes it’s not very nice to discuss matters brought up in other people’s blogs. Of course it’s fine if the blogger doesn’t mind.