Watch before you blog?

I am a new blogger so when I read the news about the Supreme Court ruling saying that bloggers should be held accountable for what they blog, I wondered oh dear why did I start blogging?

Then I thought again. Should people be careful while blogging? Yes, to a certain extent definitely. Let me state at the outset that these are my very personal opinions. :)

Years ago I was giving job interview and was asked what I thought about censorship in the press. Of course the first reaction of any person who cares for democracy is"censorship..no way!"
was I supposed to give a political correct answer or was I supposed to state what I felt. I remember feeling cornered because while the independent freedom loving part of me balks at the thought of censorship, another part of me has an opposite opinion!

Take the recent Mumbai attacks. After a while I found the TV coverage appalling. Like every other person I was initially glued to the TV. Then I thought this is just overdoing it and I switched off the set telling my children enough was enough. At a time like this should there be certain rules for censorship? I would think so. OK as a news reporter you are just doing your job but what about as a good human being? TV journalism and its hunger for sound bytes is of course altogether another topic!

The same I feel holds true of a blog. Oh sure write want you want, trash the person, but think how would it feel if you were the victim? I for one would rather avoid a libel suit against my writing. It's not worth it.