So yeah, basically, once again, just like before, I bailed out on my blogging. Bleh. Hehe. I just couldn’t stand seeing that last entry over and over again for the past week so that basically pressured me to blog tonight. Haha. And what I’m gonna post isn’t very sensical, but a friend interviewed me about blogging for her Media Ethics class, and I’m posting my answers here. Yay, how fun! Now go read.

1. When did you start blogging?

Technically, I started blogging way back July of 2002. Blogging was new at that time, and the blogging platforms aren’t as sophisticated as the ones we have now. Blogger.com didn’t even have a text field for titles at that time, hehe.

2. Please share your first blogging experience.

Hmmm, what do you mean experience? The first blog post I wrote? If that’s the case, well it’s pretty mundane actually. As with any beginnings, I just introduced myself and wondered what I could do with my blog. Then I wrote down some thoughts, narrated what went through my day, and that’s it.

3. How many blogs have you had since the first one?

Honestly, I lost track. I guess if I’m going to estimate maybe there’ve been six or seven blogs out there that I used to own. Most of them are offline now. Some are tucked away in my blogger account (which I don’t use anymore)

4. What do you like about blogging?

Well as with many other bloggers out there, at first, blogging was very therapeutic for me. It provided a venue for me to vent out whatever thoughts or insights I wouldn’t normally blurt out in real life. Of course this got me into trouble and taught me to act more responsibly next time. But the fact that I’m able to voice my opinion–especially because I’m a very shy person who tends to keep his opinion to himself–is probably the best thing about blogging.

Also, through blogging, small communities are being formed. There are those who view certain things the same way and so they communicate within themselves and in effect start a small community of interests. There are a lot of “communities” in the Pinoy Blogosphere right now, and they’re all interesting, to say the least.

And lastly, blogging helps promote advocacies. There are a lot of advocacy blogs out there and the best thing about being in the Pinoy Blogosphere is that unlike in TV, Radio or Print, they are given ample space to promote their advocacy. And what’s enlightening is that bloggers tend to listen to them, and they give feedback as well.

5. What do you hate about blogging?

As with any other forms of democracy, at some point you gotta abide by some rules. And rules or regulations tend to get restricting sometimes. While there is no existing law or ordinance prohibiting people from blogging about certain things, sometimes self-regulation for the sake of “peace and order” tends to get the better of what you can or cannot write. Primarily regulation is preferential, but is most highly encouraged in the web. Anyway, I’m blabbing. What I’m trying to say is that even though blogging provides you with means to voice out your opinion, there will come a point when you won’t be able to TOTALLY express EVERYTHING. Come to think of it, there’s nothing wrong with that. Hehe.

Another thing I don’t like about blogging is that there are very cocky bloggers who don’t have even the slightest idea of respect when it comes to voicing their opinions. Also, there are a lot of irresponsible bloggers who don’t think about what they say and tend to create conflict and misunderstanding between people.

6. What do you think are the advantages and disadvantages of blogging?

Hmmm. I wrote a paper on this one way back in highschool. As I’ve said, blogging provides a platform for self-expression–that’s the main advantage. Anyone who has the gall to speak up and the technological know-how to create a blog can publish anything they want to publish over the web. Blogging has revolutionized publishing so much so that experienced and accomplished bloggers are now being called as “New Media Publishers” and are being invited in Press Conferences, just like normal media people.

The biggest disadvantage of blogging, I believe, is the lack of control. While we frown at the slightest sight of regulation of the press, sometimes, people tend to get overboard and needs regulation. And in the Pinoy blogosphere, since it’s a democracy, it’s a hodgepodge of ideas that tend to overlap one another. You can’t keep track of who’s saying who, so much so that you can’t gauge the reliability of every blogger. I’m not proposing a law or an ordinance regulating the web or the blogosphere, because logistically, in a third world country like ours, that’s impossible. What I’m saying is that there should be some sense or measure of control that every blogger should be aware of.

7. Please share some unforgettable experiences with regards to blogging. Both positive and negative.

Hmmm… it’s hard to sort through my most unforgettable experiences with blogging… I guess I’ll enumerate only a few.

• Well, just like I’ve said earlier, blogging creates communities. And I’ve met a lot of people through blogging, which enabled me to build up my contacts and everything. Bloggers are a peculiar bunch, they have different personalities which sometimes are hard to relate with, but generally they’re a very social people.

• Also, because of this blog post which The Explainer Manolo Quezon read himself, I was once upon a time contacted to co-host his show as The Explainee. Hehe. This blog post, on the other hand, got me published at CodeRed magazine, where I am now a regular contributor.

• And because of this blog post which sparked quite a heated debate over at my multiply page, I’m now the subject of numerous cold stares and scary glances thrown my way by radical activists in UP. It caused me to lose some acquaintances as well. Plus they tag me an elitist, which is quite ironic.

8. Do you think a Code of Ethics in Blogging is necessary? Why? Please explain and cite some of your personal experiences.

Hmmm… I wouldn’t say necessary. Maybe recommended. I don’t know. “Necessary” may be imposing too much. But encouraging bloggers to act responsibly and to blog ethically would make the world a better place, so to speak. Self-regulation is always the best kind of regulation. And knowing bloggers, they won’t stop at anything if people tend to underestimate them. Just read this post. Encouraging the practice of ethical blogging will surely reduce the amount of conflicts brought about by irresponsible blogging.

9. Do you have your own Blogger’s Code of Ethics? Please enumerate them.

Well, I don’t really have a standard Code of Ethics but most of the time I make it a point to see if I’m going to stir up a conflict with whatever I post. When I said my opinion about the Collegian, it took me about a week to be able to write all those things because I thought real hard about it. I know I was going after a giant who has a wide influence in UP. But I pushed through anyway, because that’s what I thought with the recent things that are happening. It may seem pretty arrogant but I believe that’s the power that blogging gives you–to confront whatever you think you can’t confront.

Also, I make it a point to cite my sources, especially with the images I include in my blog posts. I believe it’s only appropriate to give credit where credit is due, and I believe bloggers in general should practice this habit, lest they get caught in some legal debacle.

10. Who are your favorite bloggers? Why? Please cite their blog/website urls as well.

Pano ba yan, andami eh. Hehe.

• TonyoCruz.com (Tonyo Cruz) - cyber friend and co-member of BK Crew. Very opinionated.

• Ederic@cyberspace (Ederic Eder) - host ko siya eh kaya obliged akong maging favorite sya. Hehe. GMANews.TV Researcher. Principled. Head ng BK Crew. Advocate ng wikang Filipino.

• Yugatech (Abe Olandres) - I like technology blogs and I love the fact that it’s always updated.

• Bikoy.net (Victor Villanueva) - fellow MassComm-er. Great photos, very personal blog. Been following his blog ever since. Co-member of BK Crew din. =)

• Rising Sun (Danilo Arao) - Sir Arao’s blog is very informative and also a very effective tool for informing students on latest updates about the class.

11. What do you think is the future of blogging?

Hmmmm… that’s a pretty hard question to answer, because the blogosphere and blogging in itself is full of vast potentials and is open to a whole lot of possibilities. And since we live in a so-called democracy, every idea is very much welcome with blogging. I myself couldn’t believe it at first that Inday, that english-spokening-dollar maid we so love in text messages, has her freakin’ blog. Haha. See. The blogosphere has limitless possibilities. I guess I’m looking forward to politicians doing their own blogging, which is slowly happening now. And I’m also looking forward to the day that blogging–new media in particular–will get the same amount of respect given to and received by the traditional media we worship so much today. Which, by the way, is slowly happening now.

That’s all! =)