Some problems I have with a National Alliance of Bloggers:
- Most bloggers are anonymous. They, furthermore, mostly have sites not based in Malaysia, and is hard to indentify who they are. Even if this National Alliance allows for anonymity, it is just one more avenue for Big Brother to get you. Make no mistake.
- Because bloggers are dispersed and disparate, targeting one makes no difference in the larger scheme of things. Having a recognizable “body†allows the government to put everything at the feet of this National Alliance. Say you blog about keeping snakes mostly, you suddenly find that the so-called National Alliance is under heat for some other blogger’s unsubstantiated revelations about the colour of a minister’s underwear.
- Is this another PKR? Because it seems to me that the only reason this National Alliance is kicking off is to support two bloggers who are being taken to court for defamation. So let me get this straight: is this a National Alliance of Political Dissident Bloggers, a National Alliance of Agitators, a National Alliance of Apathetic Bloggers, or what?
- Wong Chun Wai asks ministers to find out how many actually blog. The implication is: not many. Hence, why the fuss. What that article, stupid in my opinion, fails to point out is how many websurfers there are who read blogs but don’t maintain one. Which brings me to the point: you’re letting the government get its mitts on a handful when it should be thinking about controlling web-surfers. They obviously can’t. So why present a delicious target for the government?
- And what the fuck is a professional blogger? Someone who makes money off blogging or someone who maintains an online diary? Wait a second, what’s the difference between an online diary and an offline diary? That one is public and the other is private? But both are about sharing one’s thoughts, isn’t it? Oh, wait: is a professional blogger one who shares thoughts with everyone? Fuck your labels, ZAM.
- Codes and practices? Hey, the government has the PPPA to regulate the mainstream media. Now you’re instituting self-regulations that, even if minimally enforceable, dictates what you can or cannot say.
The only reason to join up with said National Alliance is that when the government finally comes up to your door and starts knocking, more people will know about it, but will be just as powerless to stop the inevitable from happening.
No, man. There’s got to be a better reason and a better point for such a National Alliance.
Comments (11)
Well said. It’s one of those reasons why I would always correct someone indignantly that I am not a blogger but ‘a filmmaker who happens to have a blog’.
Still wondering whether I want to attend the event on the 19th, even if I do, it’s really more about wanting to videoblog the whole event than to join the brotherhood.
If anything, the event is a great opportunity to meet up with people we only read about online, you know what I mean? But beyond that, I’m not sure what will come out of it. Maybe it’s better to be optimistic about the meeting on the 19th itself. I’m still not sure about this National Alliance deal, though.
I’ve become a social network service rejectionist.
That’s kewl, but dudes, you guys have got to get on Jaiku. It’s freaky cool. I just started an account last night @ http://catatonic.jaiku.com :) That way I get to track you people down heh heh.
Been hearing a lot about Twitter instead. Actually have an account, but won’t really use it until more people adopt it.
MyBlogLog rules.
I’ve got a twitter account too @ katatonic.twitter.com but jaiku appears to be more flexible as it handles multiple feeds like from your blog’s rss, flickr account’s rss feed, tumblr account’s rss feeds, even the twitter feed etc. Twitter has basic functionality but quite a bundle of things have cropped up using twitter’s API.
hey guys, the gathering on 19 may has nothing to do with bloggers united movement (the one started to support jeff and rocky) nor anything to do with all-blogs. it was initiated by howsy and i jumped in to help him. it was meant to be a social and fun night for bloggers to fellowship with each other.
don’t lah be too paranoid over the gathering. :)
Yah, was talking to howsy about it, I don’t think it’s got anything to do with this National Alliance thing, so perhaps it’s better to be optimistic about it. :)
hello! i’ve got you and zero this from iraq. click on link hehe.
yes that’s right xpyre. however we had invited rocky to talk about all-blogs - just 5mins talk, that’s all.
hey i like your new design. neat and nice colours too. thank god you do not choose to use black background as i dislike blogs with black background.
yah, I was getting depressed just staring at my own blog with the previous theme hahaha…
I’m planning to be in KL maybe on Saturday afternoon or Friday night. Maybe I’ll call howsy when I reach there :)