Many of my readers have noticed my recent tiff online. Thankfully I have left that battle where it stands, although my counterpart tells me that I am to expect a “slam” of an article on Monday. Oh well!

However, as a follow up to my own thoughts on the subject, I recently received a delightful and honest question. I believe it should be shared with you all because the answer is terribly important in light of recent events: “Where do you look when you are examining questions of ethics in writing?”

Naturally the Internet is a medium in which almost every person on earth can enter out their thoughts without much regard for who they hurt or what rules they break. However, many bloggers are taking up the metaphorical pen and urging all online writers to follow some decorum online.

Personally, I follow the Society of Professional Journalists’ Code of Ethics as my model for writing and journalism. For everything online - questions about blogs, comments, flaming, and more - I defer to the excellent advice of The Original Mud Puppy and Lisa Williams’ weblog.

Armed with these three advisers, it is difficult to err in your quest for a decent, ethical article. I encourage all writers, especially those holding themselves out to be experts on a topic, or even those holding themselves out to be commentators on a given topic, to follow the codes of ethics. Doing so will not only reflect well on them as a writer, but it will also create a sense of decency and politesse around the web.