Bloggers under siege

Just found out that Malaysia’s case against bloggers isn’t a first. Egypt made serious attempts to clamp down on bloggers since May 2006 and to date it is the first one to jail a blogger because of his blog posts and comments (yes, even a comment could land you in jail!). Filipino blogger Yuga is also tackling a case against him for maintaining a forum that contained libelous items against a certain company.

These cases highlighted the threat to freedom of expression on the Internet and various organizations expressed concern including Reporters Without Borders, an international organization advocating press freedom.

Blogs are increasingly becoming popular means of expression of any ordinary person. It has become a tool of power on the blogosphere and certainly most bloggers are aware of this responsibility. This development highlighted the dangers of tackling very popular but sensitive issues like politics and religion online and also showed that blogs are not taken for granted and have some influence on a nation’s politics and religion.

But sometimes even a personal blog could cost one’s job. There are many cases and the first case in Britain came from a company considered as a bastion of freedom in the UK. There’s also this one guy who worked for Microsoft then took a photo at his office during a sensitive delivery and posted on his blog site the next working day his boss asked him to resign. Yes freedom of speech has its consequences.

Blog Post Number 51 (1, 2, 3, 4, 5….)

A thousand and six hundred seventy-eight views with 60 views as best day ever, 50 posts (plus 10 more in the drafts), 28 tags, 40 comments (I’m still contemplating to delete one, which seems to be a spam) and just 18 spams, I’m still on it.

Deciding to indulge on this stress-relieving therapy was challenging but satisfying experience. I’ve been blogbastic early last year and zoomed to writing over a third of posts in this blog just late last year. From Friendster Blog to WordPress. NOw that this has become a habit, I’m trying to juggle things up and hopefully I could keep the balance.

Ralph Fiennes’ urge

This is old news actually but the new scoop is that they did it for second time(????) when they landed, oh yes, with a condom. But Ralph Fiennes claims that he was a willing(?) victim.

---

What, no condoms aboard airplanes?
DOUG CAMILLI
The Gazette
18 Feb 2007

Here’s a little more about Lisa Robertson, the Qantas stewardess who visited an airplane washroom with Ralph Fiennes on a nine-hour flight from Oz to India last month. You’ll recall that in her statement to her employer – she might end up fired over… read more…

Tech Tags: The Gazette newspaper Arts & life

RP TV goes after Youtube

Just learned from Yuga that Philippine Media Giant, ABS-CBN, asked Youtube to remove their clips for copyright infringement. Here’s an excerpt of his blog.

Ok, it’s basically just ABS CBN actually. It’s been widely covered by other fellow bloggers since December last year. Rickey just sent me an update on that as well.

I guess the saying that you can’t teach an old dog new tricksalso applies to media giants like ABS CBN. No wonder they’re not doing good in the ratings war and fiscally as well. YouTube is great for marketing and if you don’t believe in the long tail effect, you’re missing a lot of opportunities. I know the network needs to earn some more dough (to be able to pay its huge debts?) so locking off everyone and requiring them to subscribe to be able to view the episodes seems to be a logical maneuver to do.

The Network invoked the Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998in forcing Youtube to block users uploading ABS-CBN Materials. Most bloggers who learned about this news are just shaking their heads on this aggressive move of ABS-CBN–seen as a way to monopolize profit on every front of every industry available one of the leading media industry in the Philippines, they are very creative in converging various industries under one roof, short of putting up a political party (their on print, managing talents, movies, records, news and yes even a youtube wannabe this list could go a long way I tell you).

This would be the second time that I would be hearing youtube being asked by a third party to help in blocking copyright materials. The first one was in Brazil. 

If you see objectively on this case, copyright was indeed infringed. While there’s a worldwide campaign to address piracy–in all fronts, whether online or print among others, most of the producers are coming out with ways to creatively tackle copyright infringement.

The US National Hockey League, for example, made a deal with youtube to allow its clips to appear on youtube. The CBS apparently got a boost in its ratingsafter partnering with youtube.

I agree with Yuga that ABS-CBN should have approached this in a different way. I hope it would not be detrimental to them in the long run, well they still have hordes of other racket to maintain so I think they are not worried about the possible repercussions.

Caro

During my recent trip to the Philippines. I was on official trip for a consultancy and this personal trip was just a squeezed-in itinerary.

This is the Caro Family. The lady with white hair (second from left) is my granny, the family’s 88-year old matriarch–she still manages her sari-sari store and is as strong as a bull. My parents are behind me (fifth and sixth from the left).

Though the visit was a mere two hours short, it was sure spent well.

Love

Back in my elementary days, some of my classmates, specifically the girls, have their custom-made slum book. They ask friends–especially their crushes to fill it up. Now we have friendster profile. What’s your name, nickname, likes, dislikes, who’s your crush among other things. Then there’s a part where you define life’s most amazing phenomena–LOVE.

I’m sure one time or another we’ve filled up a such a document and was asked to define love. Certainly, we’ve come up with various definition of love but I think The Word defines it best. Happy Valentine’s, read on.

1 Corinthians 13

Love

1If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.

2If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.

3If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. 4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.

5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.

6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.

7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

8Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.

9For we know in part and we prophesy in part,

10but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears.

11When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me.

12Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

13And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is LOVE.

And probably the greatest love story in the Bible:

John 3:16 (New International Version)

16“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

Made it on the Top 10

I’m a young blogger as a matter of fact my first official blog was over Friendster on March 23, 2006. Everything was a challenge then, what’s blogging–I didn’t do my assignment and say I just learned along the way. So, when Lynette introduced me to wordpress, I finally appreciated blogging (especially problogging), CSS, tag clouds and the stats better!

The wonders of stat has sinked in to me only a few months after I got the grip of blogging (and moving to wordpress)–thanks to blogmates Lynette, Jonas, Yuga, Joey, Massa P., Prof. Arao among others (well, just see my widget at the right :)).

I usually write in English so I set my language to English. However, I found it pretty hard competing with native speakers and professional bloggers on wordpress. So, I was wondering how to increase the exposure (read: traffic) of my blog. Remember Massa P. suggested link exchanges while Yuga suggested that a contest might do the trick. I even joined Pinoy Top Blogs to test the waters.

A few months, posts and comments on popular blogs on wordpress and other blog hosts I’m finally getting there. The other day, I hardly noticed the news on my dashboard-well I hardly check–when my eyes caught a familiar icon. I made it on the wordpress’ day’s top hot blogs! My post re Inquirer.net radio made it to the day’s hot posts, too including my post re my home coming. Here’s how the list looked like:

Top Blogs

The most popular WordPress.com blogs are ranked here according to a special formula.

Tagalog

1. They Call Me Maruja: A Colorful Life at Random

   : Maruja ang Itawag mo sa Akin: Isang Makulay na Buhay sa…Ano ba ang “Random” sa Tagalog?

2. i-am-not-your-average-geek.

   : comfort found being under an oversized jacket.

3. kuro-kuro-ko-to

   : ang mga kapepotan ng aking isipan

4. JONCABRON

   : born with an insight and a raised fist

5. Kalabuan at its clearest.

   : Ang nansu-small talk, bagong lipat!

6. zomgwtfhpjhasablogzergrushj0000!

   : yeY! Pj has a weblog!

7. Blogbastic!: Jim’s hues and point of views

8. We are Family

   : Daddy, Mommy and Baby

9. Portfolio sa Filipino

   : Just another WordPress.com weblog

10. A Sham Life of Mhee

    : buhay ng isang dukha at feeling middle class

Top Posts

These are the most popular posts published recently on WordPress.com.

Tagalog

1. Random Hot Men: Manhunt International Sizzlers

   : Si Mr. USA na lang at kumpleto na ang line-up ng this year’s Manhunt International na gaganapin sa South Korea on […]

   They Call Me Maruja: A Colorful Life at Random

   Tags: Online Life, Hot Men.

2. manood kayo. mamaya na iyan.

   :”DR. NURSE” I-Witness ni Sandra Aguinaldo Ngayong Lunes: Pebrero 12, 2007 Sa taong 2020, mangangailangan ang […]

   kuro-kuro-ko-to

   Tags: kurokuroko.

3. Heroes Episode 14: Distractions

   : currently listening to: Rolling Star- Yui  In this episode, Claire gets to meet Meredith, her biological mother, […]

   i-am-not-your-average-geek.

   Tags: TV Shows, Drama, Heroes.

4. G0 o9!

   : One night, i received a text from Mr. Luigi Manzo. The exact words aren’t correct, but if i’m right, they were along […]

   zomgwtfhpjhasablogzergrushj0000!

5. Sa computer 49

   : Mga kapwa ko Atenista, mag-ingat sa pag-iwan ng mga gamit niyo kahit sa loob ng guwardiyadong kuwarto. Noong Sabado, […]

   Kalabuan at its clearest.

   Tags: waah! cruelty of the world!.

6. Bato-bato sa langit, ang matamaan ‘wag magalit….isang koleksyon ng ilan-ilan mga call center bloopers

   : Galing ito sa isang friend ko na taga-MySpace.  Dati siya nakatrabaho sa call center rito pero napagasawa siya ng […]

   Pasensya ng lang muna habang humahanap pa ako ng pamagat para ‘tong blog….

   Tags: MySpace, Call Center, Bloopers, Work, Career.

7. tungkol sa UP fair 2007

   : magandang balita!  maganda nga ba? depende, kung me NSTP kayo kinabukasan gaya ko. hehe. tama ba na ang up fair […]

   POV

   Tags: Anonymous, Karls.

8. Maquiling: Mt. Maquiling view from the side of Batangas Province. Originally uploaded b

   Blogbastic!

   Tags: Blogging, Philippines, Travelog.

9. Breastfeeding Experience : Day 1 to 3 months

   : We’ve been breastfeeding for 10 and half months now. Just a little bit more and we’ll hit our 1 year target and from […]

   We are Family

   Tags: Breastfeeding, Andre Miguel.

10. sino si efren?!

    : natutuwa ba kayo pag habang nasa kalagitnaan kayo ng tulog galing sa 10pm to 6am shift yung tipong bumabawi yung […]

    JONCABRON

    Tags: rants.

Looking good!!!??

Here’s more, I also made it on Top 50 of Pinoy Top Blogs!

Satisfying indeed. Well, if you’ve noticed there’s a secret for this. I noticed that blogs listed, well, under Tagalog, that is, are mostly written in English anyway. So, I made the shift and set my language to Tagalog, while I write mainly in English. So, exposure followed. Right now my hot posts were dislodged from the top 10 but I’m still rated as one of the hottest blogs on wordpress and currently the fourth fastest growing blog on WordPress.com.

I’ll set it back to English if I’m already at my comfort zone. So, for now to my few readers from America, to Europe, Middle East, South and Southeast Asia and Australia–thank you for visiting and reading my posts.

Mabuhay kayong lahat!

2007 Philippine Blog Awards

Yes, the Philippine Blog Awards is on. So, if you especially love some blogs out there, nominate them by Valentine’s Day! For more information click on the above link or here. Should you wish to sponsor the event click here.

Brain

There’s nothing right in my left brain, and nothing left in my right brain.

–A bumper sticker seen on a taxicab in Los Angeles, California

Abbey Road in Singapore?

The concept was Abbey road but the kids can’t hold their pose so they made a monkey of their pose.

As you can see my youngest (right) is wondering what’s happening–she always do that whenever the camera’s on, well outdoor, i.e. This was taken during our recent Singapore holiday. Taken near Esplanade Park near the famous Singapore landmark–the Merlion.