A blogger code of ethics is another meme that seems to make the rounds every six months or so. This time, the call comes from Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar, Malaysia’s home minister, who said,

Blogging is touching the lives of more and more Malaysians. With such a powerful tool, bloggers are able to influence their readers and shape their perspectives. They can unite communities and they can divide them. The dangers of distortions and inaccuracies in blogging are very real and it is capable of destroying lives. Thanks in part to the blogosphere, dangerous assumptions often travel faster than truths…The comment and talkback sections had unfortunately provided a channel for people to espouse hatred and racial sentiments, using it as a conduit for constantly validating their negative opinion. There is no excuse for this, which is something all parties need to seriously look into.

Albar was speaking at the Blogger’s Bluff 2008 conference, which somehow escaped my notice. According to a report in The Star Online, Albar said the code would not rise to the level of legislation, but it would hold bloggers accountable for what they wrote.

Well, it’s not like Malaysia has served as a beacon of free speech.

The problem with Albar’s call for a code of ethics is the same for any such efforts: Those inclined to abide by a code of ethics are already behaving themselves while those who are not will reject it and continue merrily cranking out whatever they want.

Codes of ethics work only when they are backed by an organization that has the power to sanction members who violate them. My professional association, IABC, has a code of ethics that, without specifically referencing blogs, covers most of the unethical behaviors in which a blogger could engage. Other associations representing the communications profession tout their own codes. But few organizations have shown themselves willing to smack down members who violate their codes.

And even if Malaysia puts the power of the government behind its code, bloggers who reject it could simply blog anonymously, using Blogger.com and Wordpress.com. While nearly all the evil done on the Net has been enabled by anonymity, it’s also the reason bloggers representing political opposition are able to function within repressive regimes.

What’s more, if countries begin implementing their own codes of ethics—different standards for each nation—things get even muddier. If I visit Malaysia, can they hold me accountable for something I wrote that violated their code but not the U.S. code?

It’s not that I don’t agree with the goals articulated by those who support a blogger code of ethics. It’ll just never work.