Blawgging

If we talk about the interplay of ICT and the law in the most literal and obvious sense, blawgging would come to mind. Blawgging is the modern day equivalent of the legalese we can only find before in the opinion columns or the PLJ. Yes, it is weird sounding. But blawggers don’t curr.

I can imagine that blawgging, which is a law blog in the most general sense, started among bloggers who have this weird penchant for the law (though no one will ever know why; it’s one of the mysteries of life like that). They were bloggers first who later developed a desire to propagate a culture of profound and intellectual discussion in the upper echelons of the blogosphere. They rival that of bryanboy’s high fashion, flickr’s or deviantart’s high art, and perez hilton’s high(?) celebrity scoops.

The question now is this: can blawgging help one to become a better lawyer/law student/law enthusiast? If you find wisdom behind the behavioral principle of “naming your emotion in order to deal with it”, then blawgging is for you. Blawgging can help untangle the twists and turns of an increasingly profound legal mind whom no one beside that mind can usually understand. Legal thoughts normally elude the ordinary blog reader, or any other reader for that matter. Blawgging is the venue that enhances access to justice and concretizes the right to information.

On the other hand, as much as blawgging typically enriches legal discussion on any legal issue, it can also muddle it. How many students of law have failed the Bar because they put premium on legal opinion over legal doctrines actually enunciated by the Supreme Court. It is also not uncommon that some extremely opinionated practitioners have been cited in contempt and show caused (ahem!).

Like any other innovation, blawgging presents great opportunities and dangers. Now at the risk of sounding like Spiderman here, I dare say that with great power comes great responsibility. I’m sure that these blawggers, supposedly well versed in the language of the law, know the parameters of enjoying freedom of speech. But the responsibility of blawgging not only lies in publishing responsible opinions; it is also in making creative the legalese. Otherwise, if it’s just another annotation that is as dry as a codal, I’m sure the blogosphere is better off with Perez Hilton and friends.

Entry # 4