Ethically responsible blogging requires thoroughly honest pursuit of accurate, truthful works.

When we err, as everyone does, then we must and will publicly and immediately acknowledge and correct the error.

We acknowledge and correct the error or errors in the most current blog entry, where the largest possible audience will see the correction, and at the point of occurrence, thus both preserving and correcting the original entry.

For example.

If a blog entry were published in which someone's name was cited and mispelled -- Firstname Lastneema Lastname -- a well-accepted form of in-place correction is the one in this sentence.

Likewise, if a blog entry were posted misstating someone's state of birth, the "at the point of occurrence correction could be as follows:

Tennessee North Carolina.

The opening HTML tag for a strike-through is <strike> and the closing HTML tag for a strike-through is </strike>.

The literal result of the foregoing is and.

As a part of the most current blog entry, with emphasis and placement in keeping with the seriousness of the error, one would write something like:

I regret having misspelled Firstname Lastname's last name and having misstated his state of birth (he is a North Carolina native) in the Month Day, Year, blog entry entitled Whatever it was. I apologize for the error.

When errors are extreme enough, involving ongoing damage to the reputation of a person or corporation, for example, strike-through will not do and redaction may be both appropriate and required by law.

In such cases, a correction in the most current blog is still required, and typically at the point of original occurrence as well. The linked-to file should preserved in some form, however, even if all that is left of the original occurrence is the correction.

Innately defamatory errors of such gravity are rare, but they do occur.

Except in those extreme cases, bloggers should regard themselves as ethically bound to do all that they can to preserve the original post. complete with both error and correction.

As Rebecca Blood explains:

Changing or deleting entries destroys the integrity of the network. The Web is designed to be connected; indeed, the weblog permalink is an invitation for others to link. Anyone who comments on or cites a document on the Web relies on that document (or entry) to remain unchanged.

Through our blogging, and through the corrections which are one aspect of that blogging, we are striving to create a record that is as honest and true as we can make it, and to protect the integrity of the linked informational network of which each post is a part.