Let’s Talk Bookish is a Friday post, created by Rukky @ Eternity Books and hosted by Aria @ Book Nook Bits, where we discuss a prompt about Bookish topics. This week’s prompt was picked by Anna.

Can bloggers just write whatever they want? Or are there boundaries they should respect even on their own platform?

This is a loaded question. The internet does not fall under “free speech” rights (and not all of the internet happens in the US so the First Amendment does not apply). However, I think that certain topics should not be allowed by platform service providers for ethical and safety reasons but I also believe that people should be allowed to discuss nearly anything they want, as long as it’s not hurting anyone or encouraging others to hurt anyone. So, no using blogging to engage in terrorist activities, no using it to encourage xenophobia, and no harmful topics related to children, just to name a few.

If a blogger is called out for something they post, are they obligated to respond?

If you’re going to make the choice to put your thoughts and beliefs out on the internet for people to read, then you should be prepared to encounter readers who might not agree with you. No, you’re not obligated to reply, and in some cases you shouldn’t (like if the call out is offensive or threatening), but I think you should stick up for what you believe in and engage with the community whether they are supportive or not.

This is especially important to remember when making reviews about books. There’s a wide range of preferences that readers have, and a massive amount of readers in the world, so it’s likely that someday, someone will disagree with your negative review of a book they love. I think it’s important to engage with that commenter to find out what they loved about the book and recognize the differences in book preferences. No one is wrong in that situation, we’re just different.

---

| Join me on Goodreads |

---

Never miss a post, subscribe below!

---