May 4th, 2007
A state of disarray?
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Elia Diodati has written an interesting perspective on the state of Singapore blogosphere, and he surmises that it is declining. He provided a fair number of evidence to prove his point, and it appears to be a pretty compelling argument.
Writing is a tough job (a point constantly emphasized by my journalism professor), and only those who have tried their hands at writing regularly will know how hard writing is. To consistently be able to produce “good” blog entries is a huge challenge. It’s small wonder that some will eventually feel fatigued and end up dropping out. Writer’s fatigue is something that is very real.
For other bloggers, they cease blogging because they started with unrealistic expectations. Blogging does not change politics or social issues overnight. After ranting and raving for a while and seeing that nothing happens with this new “tool”, it is understandable that one would feel disillusioned. As the saying goes, the higher up one goes, the harder one falls. So, some bloggers cease blogging as a result.
Does this mean a state of disarray in Singapore blogosphere? To answer this question, in the very first place, what constitutes “normal” state of blogosphere? Could this “decline” or “disarray” very well be the “normal” state of things? In fact, I am inclined to think that attrition is normal. I am also inclined to think that the lack of updates, or the so-called “self-degeneration” of blogs are normal too. Not everyone wants to say something all the time, and not everyone has something good to say all the time. Bloggers are not paid professionals. They have other things to do as well. It could be that the blogger has hit a rough patch and decided to take a break. Pseudonymity is a good example. Who knows, people like Kitana, Gayle and Zyberzitizen might make a return some day?
And, I agree with Mr Wang that bloggers (the content providers) are only one part of the equation. The other part, which is easily overlooked, are the readers. The state of blogosphere cannot be truly assessed without factoring in readers. Even if there are many active bloggers, if no one reads them, what’s the point of them playing to an empty hall?
Indeed, as Mr Wang has accurately observed, the whole issue of civil service pay revision (as well as the GST increase + Budget 2007) has resulted in a large increase in web traffic for many bloggers. No one can truly estimate the number of people who read blogs, but I would estimate that more and more people are reading blogs. That in itself is a crowning achievement, for Singaporeans are actively searching for alternative ideas and opinions other than really on the pro-government SPH. And, I believe the existence of blogs have forced some editors in the ST well-known to be pro-government (such as the Chua sisters) to subtly play Devil’s Advocate once in a while.
While there has been some movements in blogopshere in the recent couple of months, I don’t think that blogosphere is declining. To assume that it’s declining might be too early a conclusion. In anycase, why is there a need to observe or conclude whether it is declining or not? Let’s take things as they come. In the meantime, just enjoy the going while it’s still good.
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As I had wrote on Mr Wang’s blog, the reason why I stayed off the topic of readership is not because I think it’s unimportant, but because the effect of readership is difficult to quantify. Readership data is not something I am privy to for the blogs I read, and even so it’s hard to interpret raw readership figures.
Elia,
I understand that readership is hard to quantify. However, this does not mean that you should not account for it. It is not a good excuse to say that because you cannot properly quantify something (yet), you therefore drop it out of an equation. I believe that in scientific research, something like this will be mentioned under limitiations/suggestion for future research. If one doesn’t even give a mention for the reader to consider for himself/herself what possible effects other factors could have, it would lead to a less than accurate observation.
I think you made great points, but it would have been wonderful if you have just added in the “limitations” instead of dropping it from your argument altogether. It would have made for a much more compelling piece that would be hard to fault with.
Diodati & Aaron,
Well the guy who is writing more than any of us bloggers is Mr. Chee. I saw him selling his writings outside Raffles Place MRT for many days…occasionally someone would buy but many know who he is and just walk pass. After many books, internet articles many days at Raffles MRT later, how many turn up for his May Day talk at Hong Lim …10? 20?
It is a pipe dream to change Singapore through blogs and writing books. Less that 1% of the Singapore population read blogs….vs 60-80% exposed to the state media everyday. Besides, most of the people who read political blogs are ‘already converted’. Even if they go read a blog, it will be siaxue’s rather than the political stuff.
What do people hope to achieve writing blogs? …I don’t really know. For me, everytime I see some profound logic expounded by the highly qualified men and women in power, I just have to reach out for the keyboard and write something.
Why do you really blog, Aaron?
Actually, readership or not, I don’t think the blogosphere is ‘declining’. It’s always in a state of flux. The exit of two bloggers (who are related anyway) and a seasonal slow blogging period does not a real decline make; in fact, if you compare the state of the blogosphere now to a few years ago, it’s slightly more mature and diverse, IMHO.
Also, um… I blame the aggregators. Obscure entrances are well… more obscure. Prominent exits are more prominent. Aggregators present a sort of ‘activation energy’ to surmount for newbies to their meteoric rise to prominence. But when they do, their rise is made more meteoric by the aggregators…
They are the reason inane stuff gets discussed much more widely than it otherwise would have been; however, the same applies to ‘interesting’ topics.
Lucky,
The difference between bloggers and Chee is that there is only one Chee. Some people, rightly or wrongly, find him disagreeable and obnoxious; some people, rightly or wrongly, find individual bloggers disagreeable and obnoxious, but are unlikely to find all bloggers that way (even if they do, like the PAP a year or two ago, they’d grudgingly come to realize that something is going on, hopefully the PAP approves of your non-partisan, objective, pro-government blog :D).
Ah, who cares what you hope to achieve? It’s not about you or Chee or anybody; it’s about words and ideas. The pen is mightier than the sword — the effects, whatever they are, and are there regardless of what you hope or dream or fear. The effects ARE your hopes, your dreams and your fears — and of those who read you.
OK, that’s enough mystic speak for now.
aiya it is not so bad la. Talk as if the world is coming to an end like that. To be honest with you what really is a good blog? Is kitana a good blog? I really dont think so nothing there. Dont hammer me, that is my pov. Is xiahue a good blog? lagi worse, many readers so what all 5 yrs old. Is brown a good blog, used to be, but now like broken lekod. Is miyagi good? who is miyagi? Never heard of him.
so when you say it is in disarray I dont agree lah. I think things come and things go. Like the leader of the brothers say, the internet is already very mature. One person go another person will come. So come lah and go also the same one lor.
This attitude I think is quite good
I dont think anyone should be indispensible or try to believe they are too big. Look at wang he tried to hammer the brotherhood, look at him now.
I heard that all journalist in SPH have been told, if he is contacted for comments ever again. That journalist will be boycotted.
Mati lah as you can see. That is what happens when ppl think they are big fish another one will come along and makaner them.
Hello Aaron,
I don’t know very much abt the brotherhood apart from the very little I have read recently.
But through the years I hv always been an avid follower of Mr Wang. However, I felt the way he went after them was very vindictive and uncalled for.
I am very disturbed by the numerous comments of gay bashing or using it in such a manner to suggest people who have a gay sexual orientation are inferior or handicapped.
I felt very betrayed by Mr Wang for allowing those statements to be made by many of his anon commentators.
Worse I felt very demeaned by the whole idea that my sexual orientation was used as an object of slur. No one for instance will take offence to the statement so and so is a bunch of straights, but do it with a gays and it becomes an insult.
Frankly speaking, I strongly suspect, it could just have been him and perhaps his gay hating new employer. Something to consider?
I have a feeling Aaron I will not be going down to Mr Wang for a very long time. I don’t know what Alex would think of all this, but in my view the whole incident was just disgusting.
I think I seen enough of Mr Wang’s freedom of rights or whatever it is and whatever comes his way will simply come.
Water always finds its level. So yes the net is definitely a sick man, lets hope the likes of Mr Wang has the courtesy to ………
I think the end will be coming very soon.
Well Mr Wang has enabled comment moderation on his posts. And if you read what Mr Wang wrote about the brotherhood, there was nothing which showed that he was going after them in particular. In fact, it was an anon who was calling for brotherhood blood rather than Mr Wang himself.
I know the devil very well. You leave him alone, he will leave you alone.
You take pot shots at him and it doesnt matter whether you choose to call it freedom of speech because even if you say all you have done is to allow others to take a swipe at him and its not you but just anon posters.
Im my POV, its like opening the gate and allowing a pack of wild dogs to chase a man down and claim no responsibility or to say it is simply the dogs that did it and you are no more to blame that the rising sun.
Be very careful when you use that line of logic with the devil. I say be very careful, bc I have seen it at least 8 -9 times in the net.
The problem with the devil if you do that after he has finished with the dogs, he will go up to you the man who opened the gates and allowed the dogs to seek him and say,
“let me teach you abt democracy and freedom of speech.”
And he will start talking and if you try to stop him, he will say, you want democracy is it? You want freedom of speech? I am giving it to you now. And they always cry, they always do, like a baby, they cry.
I think for now evil has left Wang’s site for the time being. If Wang is smart he will just ignore them from now onwards and like us treat them as if they do not exist. This will allow him to reclaim his previous readers and rebuild his site again to what it was formerly.
I personally think Wang deserved it. He was getting a bit arrogant. You can never drive the devil like WSM, too many ppl have tried.
In my view, if you disturb people by claiming it is not your fault bc it is not you posting and just an anon. Then if the devil decides to exercise his so called freedom of speech on your blog. You dont have a right to say he is disturbing you or disrupting etc - all he is doing is playing by the same rules, you used to play him.
I know this people, they just want to be left alone, they dont want to interact or even discuss etc - they just want to be left alone and do they own thing.
Trouble only comes in when we all disturb them. Its a lesson we can all learn from.
I am telling you all the truth.
I am the longest reader in the bro-hood. I was there from the very beginning. I even have special privileges that normal readers dont get - thats why they all call me “obby” or observer - I have seen it all from the very first day that is.
The devil just wants to be left alone. If Wang doesnt take pot shots at them and moderates his anons to do the same.
I cannot think of one reason why the devil will go and disturb ppl.
Many years ago, bfr the devil became the devil. Many said he was a god fearing man in the real world. His church elders saw promise in him. Because he was very charismatic.
But one day they did something unforgivable to him, from that day onwards the good man turned evil. It started very slowly but once it started habis.
Till today the pastor who drives the sportscar and preaches in the mall are paying for it. A unconditional state of war exist between them with zero signs of reconciliation. For what? Worth it or not? Got meaning ah?
In my view it is stupid, why kachau ppl? If you kachau them they will kachau u! Then dont go and said he is disruptive or u want to leave bc of him that is damn immature and childish. Bc u kacahu ppl first mah!
So better pretend u dont see them. Never read them. Never hear them etc. That is how the living always treat the devil.
Sorry to take out so many space and be so losoh. I felt the need to explain their history on their behalf bc many new readers no get the ball.
Obby,
“In my view, if you disturb people by claiming it is not your fault bc it is not you posting and just an anon. Then if the devil decides to exercise his so called freedom of speech on your blog. You dont have a right to say he is disturbing you or disrupting etc - all he is doing is playing by the same rules, you used to play him.”
I think Wang is learning himself like all of us. He has started to moderate his blog. And I think the comments are not as inflammatory as they used to be. I really dont know how much more responsible a person can be.
We all live and learn observer.
Observer aka Obby, why call others the devil? How do you like it? If I referred to you in the same vein? Frankly speaking I have a feeling those boys are going to give you another round of public hammering for posting all this rubbish in public again. Did you ask their permission? I think not, so pls get ready.
Hi Folks.
I want to make one thing clear. Darkness is not the devil. So stop calling him that, its very hurtful, though I am sure he would forgive you Obby.
On the issue of Wang, let me be clear. A threat to “name and shame” was made on his blog. He allowed it to be used as a platform for an anon to do this on the grounds of freedom of speech.
Q: Is this a rightful exercise of freedom of rights?
Well I can say I have a right to my privacy. And no one should be allowed to infringe it. Its a right, so there you go.
Where do you draw the line? Which one takes precedence?
Again something to consider.
Q: Can a webmaster absolve himself from all liability by saying, its not me, its an anon. He has the freedom of speech. I cannot stop him.
Then consider this. I regard you a co-accomplice, that is to say, you are just as good as the man who drives the car who allows the robber to hold up a bank.
Because I could say my freedom to privacy would never have been compromised if not for you facilitating him to do so.
And I would be right. So I have a right of action to hold you equally responsible for the threats made to me. You as the webmaster cannot hide behind your freedom of speech and say it has nothing to do with you, bc I can turn it all around and say, well if it has nothing to do with you then why am I feeling threatened - I have a freedom to live in an environment where I am not threatened.
So which rights take precedence this time, my freedom to live unthreatened or your freedom of speech?
And consider this, if you say that anon has rights and you are not going to moderate his post.
That’s fine with darkness he would just go to your website and sit there and spout poetry, the eye balling rolling, hair sticking, toe curling, peng san and swooning variety.
Then why does Mr Wang stop him?Where now is freedom of rights that he values so much now? Cannot be that poetry can less important or more important than a threat by a anon. Unless you tell me a threat can be construed to be more important or relevant the discussion anymore than poetry is or not - so why has Mr Wang suddenly received a divine revelation that there is no such thing as freedom of rights now that he feels the need to moderate all his comments? When bfr he obviously didnt see the need to do so. Is it because now he sees these poems as attracting a different segment of readers and even driving out his own traditonal readers or perhaps even swarming them to the sideline?
So he is smart, I give him that bc some webmasters dont see it till its too late, but he spotted it and very rightly so, he considered it a threat. Just as we were threatened - so now he moderates comments because he is threatened by his blog being suddenly transformed into a premier poetry appreciation society, the first in Singapore blogosphere - and let me tell you all something that looney can actually do it - I have absolutely no idea what they see in him, but trust me he can do it - and give him one week that blog will be filled and over spilling with spinsters. Now if that happens and we all still have our freedom of speech hats screwed on tightly to our heads, let me ask you a question, what if all of those new readers want darkness to stay and Mr Wang to go? What if they only read his stuff and not Mr Wang’s - Can Mr Wang then say, “hey I have the freedom to enjoy my property. This is my blog!” But remember we all still have our freedom of speech hats on and guess what darkness would say to Mr Wang?
Again which one takes precedence. Freedom to ownership. Or freedom of speech.
So to cut a long story short. Be very careful when you start using the word freedom of speech.
Some ppl like that looney will take it seriously and they have the internet charisma to make you eat your words edge ways and length ways - till of course even will have to moderate your blog and then everyone will ask the final question - and here comes the kill - are you ready? Here it comes!
What happened to your freedom of speech? Why are you suddenly moderating your blog?
Something to think abt when you consider the state of the internet.
He is gone from Wang’s site, it will heal again, it will take time, but it will heal. Just make sure he doesnt come back again. I am not his keeper. I cannot control him.
Nacramanga
I think at the end of the day, if one wants to claim freedom of speech, one must be prepared to walk the talk. I recognise that I might be held liable (despite a disclaimer) for things posted on my blog by readers, I don’t think I should moderate comments. It is the price to pay. You cannot have the best of both worlds. Everything has a tradeoff. I think that many Singaporeans are afraid of taking some risk but yet want to aspire to do great things. As any investor will tell you, if you want high returns, you need to bear bigger risks. I will maintain a policy of no moderation (except against spam), unless I have been compelled by law or by request of the original writer.
Obby, u call him the devil??? Remind me knock u over the head on the next bike run!
The only reason ob why no one dares to touch u is bc darkness is a cincai fellow. Nothing ever bothers him.
For some strange reason he likes to keep u around. none of us know why, u r a liability idiot!
U r just like a bro mascot, so stop spouting rubbish. Idiot! U idiot u revealed confidential info idiot!
Wah lao… Shhh!!! You all damn noisy can??!!
Lim peh want to sleep! Shuddup!
I have special rights. Who do u ppl think u r talking too? If anyone touches one hair on me. I am just going to tell darkness.I even have his personal contact etc. So u all better give me abit of respect.
The best thing a prince can do for himself, generally, is not to have the people against him.
—Niccolo Machiavelli, The Prince
Surely obby is smart enough to know that??!
Why would anyone attempt suicide, indeed??
Obby is insane! He prefers Death to Life!