Prudence and Madness

I think everyone will agree with me when I say that the year 2007 has been a year of blog events for the Philippine blogosphere. Being a blogging newbie that I was, this has also been the year when I started going to offline blog events and meeting other bloggers in the flesh. In a sense, my blogging world expanded and I realized that there’s more to blogging than just being able to write my thoughts online (and yeah, of course, there’s blog traffic rush too).

And since bloggers being humans really, we tend to form our little communities, both online and offline. With formation of such communities, it is expected that there will be some skirmishes here and there, some bouts of misunderstanding, and a little argument everytime somebody talks about a debatable issue. It could be particularly energy draining, having to sustain your sanity in such hair-splitting situations, especially when people are getting so pumped up with emotions. But then, again, things like these are expected to occur and I think it’s healthy. We just have to go through it like rational beings that we are. Learn, grow, and most importantly, to remember to actually have fun (it’s what we always forget, I think, being so immersed in the complicated web of things).

It would be nice to look back at such memorable events, both online and offline. I have compiled some of the blog events of the year and the controversies that had been playing in the blogosphere (if I do forget an event or a controversy, just leave a comment and I’ll add it up! I won’t pretend that I’ve been to every blog event because I haven’t. Hehe):

BLOG EVENTS OF 2007

1. Blog Parteeh! 2007 - is purportedly the largest Philippine blogger meet-up ever. It was held last January 27 in the afternoon at Classica Tower 2 condominium poolside in Makati. Must be a 150+ bloggers who attended and it’s actually the first blog event that I went to (so I was a blogger event virgin then, haha). I won a Bubbagump GC back then, which is still a Bubbagump GC now. And I remember being mildly surprised that Benj (that was Benj, right?) didn’t actually have slash wounds on his arm and that Jester really does wear a jester hat. Haha.
2. The 2007 Philippine Blog Awards night - this was held last March 31 and the first ever in Philippine blogging history. It was really a fun night, though I regret not having gone to the after party (damn hospital duties!). This event also has its share of controversies. More on this later.
3. iBlog3 - It was the 3rd Philippine blogging summit held at the School of Economics Auditorium in U.P. Diliman last April 13-14. Speakers were the popular, experienced bloggers of the country who talked about blogging ethics, niche blogging, politics, photoblogging, and more. I wasn’t able to go, though, because of my damn back pain. Now, I’m just looking forward to attending iBlog4, if there will be one.
4. Taste Asia Blogger Food Fest I - This was held last July 3 at Taste Asia in SM Mall of Asia. There were about 160+ happily fed bloggers then who got crazy with the chocolate fountain and the cliquebooth, hehe (and lots of beer too!). And this event taught me to always bring my calling cards because one just never know when a raffle is going to be held. Or rather, I’m just forgetful even when constantly reminded to bring something because there’ll be a raffle. Haha. And who would forget the Virgin Bloggers’ Circle?
5. The Top 10 Emerging Influential Blogs in 2007 Eyeball - Digitalfilipino started a writing project last May in which one has to come up with 10 blogs that can be considered influential and write a blog post about it to join the project. The projected ended last July 28 and the winners were announced during the EB last August 1 at Max’s Restaurant, Park Square 1, Makati. However, this event has been hunted by a lot of controversies, with some questioning the criteria by which bloggers have chosen their “emerging influential blogs”. And yeah, this was also the time when I went home at around 8 a.m., and surely not because the event lasted until the next day. Haha. So that’s how waiting for stores to open in the morning feels like…
6. The Blog and Soul Launch and the Second Coming of Mrs. Fields - This is one blog event that I really regret not coming to. I mean, how can you say no to Mrs. Fields cookies?! But then, of course, engorging myself with cookies would have also worsened my tonsillitis then. The event is also the formal launch of the blog and Soul movement which aims to transform blogging into a reputable arm of Philippine Media. This was held last August 21 at Mrs. Fields in Manila Pavilion.
7. Taste Asia II - And, of course, once is never enough sometimes. There’s part 2 of Taste Asia Blogger Food Fest! And this was held about almost 2 months after the first Taste Asia (August 23). It’s purportedly the biggest blogger party ever. Also it was the event in which the winners of the SM Hypermarket Blog Writing contest was announced (it could also be said that 2007 is the year of the blog writing contests).
8. Bloggers’ Kapihan 1.0 - This was held last September 8 at the Philippine Science Highschool in Quezon City. The event is the initiative of the younger bloggers, aiming to bring together young Filipino bloggers to discuss matters that affect the youth and the blogosphere. There were also speakers like Manuel Quezon III on political blogging, Abe Olandres on professional and technology blogging, and Victor Villanueva on student blogging. And again, I was M.I.A. (Missing In Action). But I did go to the after-event get together at Giligan’s Trinoma. One has to learn that in events like this one, there’s always an after-party. Always.
9. Bloggers’ Kapihan 2.0: Blog Ed 101 - This was held last October 13 at the Ramon Magsaysay Highschool in Quezon City, featuring teacher bloggers like Mr. Martin Perez, Professor Danny Arao, and Mr. Tonchi Tinio. Topics included introductory tips on blogging and how it could be used as a teaching tool and, of course, the controversial CyberEd project of the Department of Education
10. iBlogMini - this was held last November 24 at the Sarmiento Room, U.P. College of Law in Diliman and was about blogging and the 2010 elections. I wasn’t able to attend this because of, again, work (damn, work does get in the way of living!).
11. Filipina Writing Project EB - another writing project by DigitalFilipino, which she started in August, culminated last November 28 at Ponciana’s Kitchen in Quezon City. The project aimed to bring more relevant results when the word “Filipina” is entered as a search term and to topple the exploits to the word. At the same time, it’s also a Christmas party for the bloggers.
12. Red Box Blogger Christmas Parteh (or the Pinoy Blogger Christmas Talent Night) - as if bloggers haven’t had enough of parties just yet, here comes the last blog event of the year and, perhaps, the loudest as bloggers share their singing talent at Red Box Greenbelt 3 last December 18. Oh yeah, M.I.A. again for me (I’ve been M.I.A. in other blog events as well, but I kinda regret missing this. I don’t sing but, well…just because).

The Trinoma Food Tour for Bloggers would have been included here, if it wasn’t moved to January 9 next year. But then, I think it’s still good news because, now, we’d have something to look forward to when 2008 comes!

And now we come to the Blog Controviersies of the Year. A bit of warning, though. Again, we’re going to unearth the issues that have been the topic for discussions both online and offline. I do not mean to re-open healed wounds. But rather, let’s just reminisce what we’ve gone through and learn from it, like what we should always be doing:

1. The Philippine Blog Awards and the Issue on Religious Prayers During Secular Gatherings - Several days after the 2007 Philippine Blog Awards, there had been several discussions about the propriety of having religious invocations in a secular gathering. The blogger more vocal about this was Benj in his post, “Apathy Towards Zealotry Is Not An Option“. Some were rather puzzled at the fuss about the prayers. Others were in agreement that there shouldn’t have been a prayer in the first place. Lots of posts, of course, were written, showing the dynamics of the blogging community. I have posted about this too, and gave a little summary of the bloggers’ views. Many inflammatory comments thrown back and forth. But in the end, everything has been settled. And hopefully, there’ll be PBA ‘08.
2. The Top Ten Emerging Influential Blogs -this writing project of Ms. Janette Toral did spark some controversies in the blogosphere regarding its winners. In Mike and Marco’s Fobcast episode 1, they thought that not all of the winners were influential. But they weren’t the only ones who raised some reactions about it. There were those who thought that the project was a failure because it defined “influential” as “popular”. Some found it that the words “influential” and “emerging” is hard to reconcile. Some folks got offended, others just brushed it aside. After all, the blogosphere is a space for exchange of ideas. Something that means to you this way, may mean differently to others. We all just have to tolerate each others’ differences.
3. The Carl Ocab Issue - I think Ms. Noemi’s thoughts in her post, “Ethical Blogging” and Andrew dela Serna’s “Making Money At Home Through Your 13-Year Old Child” started all the furor. I guess people are just at a loss at how a 14-year old can write about money making online. There were heated exchanges of comments, including in Sassy Lawyer’s post “Disclosure Policies, Carlocab, and Blogging Ethics“. Manuel Viloria tried to remove some of the tension on the issue by asking the Ocab father and son about the authorship of the blog. Abe Olandres made his own investigation too. I think this issue taught us that it is definitely hard to remove from people the tendency to speculate on matters that are controversial or mysterious. However, it is not up to us whether a person should have a right to blog in whatever way he wishes to do it. All of us are free to have that space in the internet. If something offends us, then just stay away from it.
4. The Misrepresentation Issue - This started with Jayvee’s little cryptic message in his post. It was about a blogger “misrepresenting” the blogging community during her presentation in a certain conference. Gibbs had to comment about Jayvee saying these things. And Jon writes on having to worry about a blogging mafia in the Philippine blogosphere. In the end, everything’s settled. It’s when bloggers talk over things that matters come to a resolution. (By the way, if you want to know more about the Carl Ocab, Misrepresentation, and the Top 10 Emerging Influential Blogs issue, just go over to my post. I’ve an encapsulated form of the issues which can be easily digested, especially by a blogger who’re always in a hurry hehe).
5. The Malu Fernandez Issue - Obviously, this isn’t just a blogosphere issue because OFWs all over the world, especially those in the Middle East, have reacted violently to Malu’s article in People Asia Magazine, ridiculing the OFWs she’s riding the plane with on her way to Greece. But the issue got to bigger proportions because of the power that blogging has to spread information fast. Tingog.com has started the call for boycott of Manila Standard Times and People Asia Magazine. The issue even had to be discussed on ANC’s Media in Focus. That’s how widespread the issue had been, which I think is because of how the blogging community has talked about it. The good thing about this issue having gotten to bigger proportions is that it showed the world the potential the Philippine blogging community has. The bad thing about it is, in my opinion, was that the issue showed how ugly the blog wars can get. In my post regarding this issue, I’ve always encouraged bloggers to maintain decency in their comments. It’s not about being nice to that woman but rather, it’s what any self-respecting human being would do. Like what I’ve always said, the manner by which we express our anger shows our character. However, no matter how good the intention may be, there will always be people who’ll get rubbed the wrong way and would launch personal attacks at people who do not agree with their views. This, I think, is the ugly side of the blogging community: the lynching. And I thoroughly disliked that I got misquoted in one of those online news sites (I’ve already forgotten which news site it was).
6. The Desperate Housewives Episode Controversy - I think this issue has shown the ugliest side of the blogging community (by the way, see my blog post about this issue). For most, it has only been a heated discussion whether the episode had made racist comments or not. But unfortunately, lynch mob got its tooth and claws again and in some blogs, it has gotten to being downright racist, arrogant, and insulting towards those who do not agree with the views of the “majority”. There was even a Filipino-American who was told that he isn’t Filipino enough to understand just because he doesn’t agree that the DH episode made a racist remark (I personally find that commenter offensive and arrogant. Who says that just because you were not born in the country and did not live in the country but were born of Filipino parents, you do not have the right to be Filipino?). And I think, up to now, there are still those who’re blogging about it, as evidenced by the google alerts I still get in my email inbox about it (which reminds me, I better unsubscribe soon). I wouldn’t say that this issue is over because it is very far from over. I’ve read in a pinoy mailing list I’m subscribed to that Filipino-American leaders who had a summit at Caesar’s Palace, Las Vegas last November 10 had been discussing the pros and cons of boycott and litigation against ABC regarding the DH episode. However, the inflammatory comments in most blogs about the DH issue had already died down (perhaps, they have found some newer controversy to talk about?).

So that’s 2007 for you, folks (and that was rather exhausting, I think I’m going to have Carpal Tunnel Syndrome). Again, if I left anything out (of course, I’m being my forgetful self), feel free to leave a comment and I’ll add whatever you think should be included in the list.

What am I looking forward to 2008? Simply put: more blog events, more blog controversies, more blog readers, and more time to blog! Yey! And yeah, more ad revenues wouldn’t hurt too.

Let the countdown to the New Year begin…