Blogging as a Responsibility
Apr 29
I’m not all that new to the blogging, but I’ve never been active in the local community. It’s only now that I get to meet the “giants” of the local blogosphere. When I first started my blog around 3 years ago, Waukster Online, my only goal then was to serve quality content to my readers about gaming, anime, and gadgets. I then moved on to make a political blog and then became a contributing writer for Filipino Voices. I didn’t stop there, and I decided to make a food blog and finally I was able to make New Media Philippines. Everything was actually going well, until the day I mentioned a term in the post, 4 types of bloggers.
The Dreaded PGB
People have been asking me why I decided to take the term down. Even if the article was meant to be taken from the perspective of the Marketer or Business Owner, it was still a negative term that maliciously brands fellow Filipino bloggers. In the course of my discussion with Reyna Elena, I realized that and immediately decided to take it out.
Regardless of who we are, what we do, our stature in life, we have no right to judge other people, much less brand them as “Patay Gutom”. Again, if anyone was offended by the term when I initially used it in my article, I humbly apologize. To those who pointed out my mistake, I offer you my gratitude in making me a better writer and blogger.
It’s actually a vicious cycle. A blogger offends a person. That person retaliates. The communities of both blogs become hostile, get personal, and start hitting below the belt. At the end of the day, no one actually wins. It’s just hurt egos, feelings, and frustration over a hobby. It becomes a boiling pot of hate, negativity, and pride. It’s literally like two warring nations going against one another with the blogger as the General/President and the communities as the soldiers. Before you know it, you’ve become what you hate.
What’s disturbing for me is that there seems to be a really big rift between blogger communities in the Philippines. The term existed long before I made the post, and writing it in public just triggered the conflict. It’s as if the volcano was already about to erupt and all it needed was that one last push to make it explode.
And there I think is the inherent flaw and beauty of blogging. It is one of the purest form of freedom, to the point that you can really say anything, be heard, regardless if what you said is politically correct or not. If you’re a private type of blogger (Journal), then you probably won’t have to worry about this. However, if you’re a public blogger, then you should realize that your blog is a form of media, and as such you have to use it cautiously.
Blogging as a Responsibility
Will the conflict ever end? Not in the near future. There will always be people who won’t back down. The worst thing that could happen is that you run out of fuel and passion for blogging, and you give up on it completely and you end the relationship you have with your readers.
Which brings me back to one of my key points from an earlier article – focus on your community.
If you already have a community of readers, then you owe it to them, to yourself, and to whatever your moral code you follow, to deliver quality content. You have a genuine relationship with your readers – and that relationship is based on a foundation of trust that you’ve built through the weeks, months, and years that you’ve talked to one another through your blog posts. Your opinon now matters to them.
And that’s how I’ll end this post – with a tribute to the readers of blogs. The silent majority who put up with us when we make mistakes and fumble. The readers who come back and hear out what we want to say and they might even find value in our writing.
Let me just thank you all the readers of New Media Philippines for their support, understanding, and words of encouragement. Also, I would like to reach out and offer a sincere hand of reconciliation to any blogger who was offended by the post or by it’s mention in Inquirer.net. Thank you also to all the critics who have made this writer a better blogger. 
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there is one thing i’ve learned from blogging. if you want to write or rant something or to someone don’t generalized it cause the effects maybe crucial. we are not pleasing everyone to swallow what we serve. we have our own opinions and rights to write and be heard. every word has a double meaning, it’s up to you how you describe it. if blogging for them is a profession then they have to remember the famous tagline,”walang personalan, trabaho lan!” by the way nice post. a person like you that accepts mistake/s can sleep well at night!
very well said
“FOR MARKETERS: LET YOUR ONLINE MARKETING AGENCY DO THEIR JOB
If you hired a consultant or an agency to handle your blogger events, make sure they screen the invites well. The worst mistake you can do as a Product Manager is to just say “Get me as much bloggers as possible”. What if 90% of the bloggers that attend are PGB? Then you’re just wasting your money, effort, and time. Make sure that your consultant or agency does the following…”
I quoted that because, I honestly would not agree with your point. We all started with a blog without a following at all. Those whom you label as such might become “better bloggers” than the rest of us. It is not actually a waste of time and money. It is an integral part of the greater whole of what the company would want to have – a growing number of bloggers is really being encouraged, I believe.
This New Media site does not have a good following when you started it. It only earned a few good stats when you started that dreaded word (like you said).. You are being apologetic but you never intended to removed it from your post.
From the standpoint of an SEM, this is a clear link bait using a controversial post. A very bad practice but effective.
Moreover, Inquirer.net is not really a fault because they just copy pasted your post. Now, we have two versions.
One from Inquirer (edited) and one from you with the word still intact.
If you want to move on, just simply mean what you say when you are apologetic. Remove has what to be removed as per your comments and statements planted all-over other blogsites.
I don’t know if this comment will be approved just like how your group does. Afraid of their insinuated posts.
Are you?
@walk the talk
Hi bro, of course your comment will be approved. It’s done in good taste and you make sense. Let me just clarify a few points:
1. More bloggers the better: I still disagree. From a marketer/business owner point of view, you will really be wasting money if majority of the audience you have for your event has no reach. It’s a matter of cost-effectiveness. The reason why a lot of people tap new media and the internet is precisely because of how cost-effective in can become.
However, if the sponsor has a good budget, then an open invite would be okay. But there is a risk that you won’t be able to get good reach and hits unlike really targeting the bloggers you want to bring in.
2. Why the original text is still in the original post: For the simple reason that I let it stay there to show that it was an honest mistake on my part when I failed to edit it. I was engaging RE and his community for the past 2 days. I’ll gladly take it out in a day or two.
3. Inquirer is totally not at fault. It was my mistake, I own up to it, I accept responsibility. I am not afraid to admit when I am wrong.
I’ll be back in like a few hours to edit this and fix the comment. I have to rush to a 2-4PM meeting. Be back in a bit!
“More bloggers the better: I still disagree. From a marketer/business owner point of view, you will really be wasting money if majority of the audience you have for your event has no reach. It’s a matter of cost-effectiveness. The reason why a lot of people tap new media and the internet is precisely because of how cost-effective in can become.”
For the sake of discussion:
1. Cost-effectiveness cannot just be coined with the “value bloggers” that you just pointed out because as long as the pinoy blogosphere is concerned, those “value bloggers” you cited are not really valued bloggers. Rather they constitute the super minority group of the pinoy blogosphere. In fact, they already dented an impression of selectiveness and “kami-kami” attitude innate to pre-hispanic mentality. They are in no-way valued by the majority. They have instilled an “ire” to the many.
You are looking at the wrong side, Carlo.
Why bloggers?
Yes, I believe that, it is about cost-effectiveness.
But then again, as an SEM, I would want that my presence to be scattered as much as I can (like what you are doing). From there, you get to position yourself higher in ranking. SERP can give you the exposure, traffic and leads that you want. Besides, the fact that you as a company/marketer/business owner who encourages them to blog, that engagement, that involvement, that true-to-its-sense of getting them into your event will certainly be VALUED and SHARED to their would-be communities.
Is it not the point of marketing is all-about ReACH, engagement and conversion?… It may not have an immediate result but it will be lasting and more EFFECTIVE.
2. You don’t have to engage them. They know.
3. Good.
Hey bro,
1. At the end of the day, it really depends on your objective. If you want a program that’s geared towards SEM, then yes, the ideal scenario would be to invest in an open invitation and get as much bloggers as you want possible in the event. And like what I said earlier – if you have cash to burn, then an open invite event would also work because of all the reasons you listed above.
However, let’s say you have a small budget, and you can’t afford to throw a big party for 50 pax. If you have a limited amount of resources to work with, you are better off inviting bloggers that have good traffic that’s in line with your niche.
For example… if I were to open a restaurant with a limited budget, I will not do an open invite. I will ask the events organizers to short list for me 10 food bloggers and I’d ask for their stats. If it works and the restaurant earns more money and I have enough resources to justify a bigger event, them I would go for a larger party.
Yes, marketing is about reach, engagement, and conversion. You have different programs for each.
Lastly, for your comment on value bloggers, I don’t believe I ever mentioned names so I don’t know exactly where you’re coming from with your comment. What I’m saying is that bloggers that have good local traffic and rapport with their community are ideal for invites.It’s really reach, quality of hits, and cost that’s taken into consideration.
In no means am I saying you’re wrong bro. There are so many ways to tackle a problem, I just prefer doing it they way I mentioned above and that’s what I would recommend to people who ask me for advice.
2. Based on their comments, they don’t. x.x; Anyway, I’ll take it out tomorrow.
3. Thanks.
All the best,
Carlo
“At the end of the day, it really depends on your objective..”
That is why you cannot just generalize that getting any type of bloggers (i don’t use labels though) into your events cannot be pegged as a waste of money/time. Your conclusion on such can only be applied to your specific scenario.
2. They do.
. Good, you are now synonymous to that 3-letter word. Bad publicity is good publicity anyway. 
Let’s not roam around the bush here. You know whom you are with that you consider as value bloggers and they are not.
The old adage would say, “Let me know your friends and I can tell who you are.” You maybe young for all these “warring bloggers” in our blogosphere and you are caught in a cross-fire where you are being used as a canon ball. The “art of war” can be very effective that even the lowly and stupid and the wisest man can be used to one’s advantage. I guess you know that.
Hypothetically, I do think that you did not know what will hit you when you opted to write about it. They don’t want you to remove it to get their message across but not you, you were just a dispensable medium to them. A served as a pawn to them. Admit it or not, maybe you were not completely aware.
Where I am coming from? I am coming from a perspective watching all these “warring bloggers”. I am just a spectator who happens to be happy with what I do online.
3. Welcome.
“At the end of the day, it really depends on your objective..”
That is why you cannot just generalize that getting any type of bloggers (i don’t use labels though) into your events cannot be pegged as a waste of money/time. Your conclusion on such can only be applied to your specific scenario.
2. They do.
. Good, you are now synonymous to that 3-letter word. Bad publicity is good publicity anyway. 
Let’s not roam around the bush here. You know whom you are with that you consider as value bloggers and they are not.
The old adage would say, “Let me know your friends and I can tell who you are.” You maybe young for all these “warring bloggers” in our blogosphere and you are caught in a cross-fire where you are being used as a canon ball. The “art of war” can be very effective that even the lowly and stupid and the wisest man can be used to one’s advantage. I guess you know that.
Hypothetically, I do think that you did not know what will hit you when you opted to write about it. They don’t want you to remove it to get their message across but not you, you were just a dispensable medium to them. You served as a pawn to them. Admit it or not, maybe you were not completely aware.
Where I am coming from? I am coming from a perspective watching all these “warring bloggers”. I am just a spectator who happens to be happy with what I do online.
3. Welcome.
Hey bro,
1. Really enjoyed talking with you. I hope you do stick around and continue to leave comments. I still stand by my statement though that in terms for bang for your buck, you still get more by getting specific bloggers. If you’re in Manila, I would love to meet up with you, have coffee, and discuss. Maybe we can have a roundtable discussion with other bloggers and have it uploaded on Youtube! Hehe.
2. Personally I don’t believe I was used. No one ever talked to me about making an article like that. It was a term that was floating around for the longest time. It was just a mistake that I decided to include it in the article.
I’d rather not focus on the “warring” bloggers but instead try to deliver quality content to the community here at New Media Philippines. I know maybe in a few months time I’ll say something controversial again (LOL) but hopefully it won’t be as bad as the recent debacle, hehe. I know I have so much to share, and I hope the people here find value in it.
I do hope you visit again! Your insights were really good.
All the best,
Carlo
Oh that reminded me of DB on subliminal advertising about your #2 reply.
Yes, I am from Manila. Sure when time permits.
Good for you. I myself is not focused on those “warring” bloggers. You should know what you ought to do.
At the end of the day, it is all-about being “true to yourself”. That sounds familiar I guess. Say what you mean and mean what you say. That way, you gain respect and credibility along the process.
“Desiderata” sums it solidly and sublimely.