Every other week, I attend a blogging group at the Berkman Center for Internet Life. We often discuss the qualities that “real” bloggers have in common. It’s far more than just writing a blog. There’s an understood blogger code to which the veteran bloggers subscribe.

Here are some of the characteristics of the code:

-The blog accepts comments

-The blog properly cites secondary sources

-The blog displays a Blogroll

-The blog is formatted for users and best usability practices

-The blogger is a citizen journalist in his or her respective field

-The blogger produces original news and / or commentary

-If s/he accepts advertising, it does not cheapen the blog.

-May write one many subjects so long as the perspective is unified

For many of the original bloggers, even word ‘blogger,’ has a special meaning. Like with the word samurai, to some the word ‘blogger’implies not just a set a behaviors and actions, but also a governing identity. Now with blogging going mainstream, even fifteen year old Myspace addicts and AOL empty nesters blog, how will a blogger protect the values associated with blogging? Will they still want to?

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