Romanian bloggers react to Estonian MEP's initiative to reveal identity of weblog authors

Romanian bloggers have reacted promptly to a report calling for an European Parliament resolution saying that weblogs and bloggers should place quality labels and have their identity and reasons to write made public. The document was initiated by Estonian Socialist MEP Marianne Mikko early this month and was first reacted to by a Romanian blogger-politician Vasile Dancu, also a former member of the European Parliament. Other Romanian bloggers have been reacting to the issue for several days, in a mocking but cautious manner.

The author of the bill, who once was a journalist, believes that while blogs have been a place of good intentions so far, but calls for the clarification of the legal status of different categories of weblog authors and publishers. The report says that undetermined and unindicated status of blog authors and publishers causes uncertainties regarding impartiality, reliability, source protection, applicability of ethical codes and the assignment of liability in the event of lawsuits.

Romanian blogger-politician Vasile Dancu noted on his website that such debates would continue and would surely lead to crazy results even in the European Parliament unless a consistent resistance to the idea is built.

Other bloggers have also spoken of the document, defending the idea of self-regulation among bloggers and doubting such proposals would come to be applied.