20 posts tagged “blogging”
“What's your favorite carol or holiday song?”
“What is the best present you have ever given?”
“Write your own Wikipedia entry for yourself (or share the link if you already have one).”
“What's your favorite kind of homemade cookie? Share the recipe if you have it.”
Ever get the feeling that you’re being talked down to with the above QOTDs?
No, probably not. Everyone simply lurrrrves to talk about themselves. Nothing wrong with that. It reinforces one’s significance. Not a bad thing. But where is the complementary prod to concern yourself more with the interests of others. On an international level, there is no doubt that Vox thinks America as the centre of the world as evidenced by its focus on American ‘this is good’ pics, American politics, American pastimes, etc. How typically American. Sad. On an individual level, the self seems to be all that matters. One mirroring the other. Interesting. Egocentrism-cum-Ethnocentrism. Great proportions of each. I suppose that is what the ‘great’ in, ‘america is the greatest nation on earth’, refers to.
If one was to think about it, one would realise that the questions we ask later in life is significantly determined by the questions we were asked in our youth, or on a daily basis in our ‘adulthood’. It is the latter that determines what is worthy of focus. Of course, we cannot expect Vox, who opened up ‘vox’ for the sake of profit, to realise these things. (I remember informing them of the ‘bloggers 7-day strike for a free burma’ and they never even bothered to respond.) It takes genuine empathy to see further than one might otherwise do.
Don’t let Vox, America, the majority of ‘bloggers’, etc, underdevelop you. They, being abject ego/ethnocentrists, will fail to incite or respond to critical inquiry. It is the truth that suffers in the end, and along with it humanity – which America will predictably put down to ‘evil men’, ‘natural calamities’, ‘God’s will’, the late arrival of spidermen et al, and so on. The truth can never be ‘out there’ if America, and all those idiotic minds that it has played a significant role in retarding, has anything to do with it. It’s up to you. The truth can only be out there if you resolve to discover it, and put it ‘out there’ despite the intellectually ignominous tendencies promoted by the Juvenile State of America.
Ed-infinitum
p.s. no offense intended to my 'american' friends whom i view as 'despite' and not 'because of', America. But it must be admitted, that even they keep silent when other americans come by the spew forth inane rubbish mistaken for rational argument.
singapore malaysia hong kong thailand india taiwan japan asia uk australia philosophy blogging culture
“How much idiocy does it take to say, ‘ahhhhh’, for the sake of the participants being able to count the number of people whom are willing to do it?
Warning: clicking the following links in the following excerpt might ‘hang’ your browser for quite a while.
The following is an excerpt from Miss Scotch’s ‘compelling’ post which has to-date hit ‘533 comments’. Thoughts follow.
“If you are that bored, I would like to draw your attention to the Vox post with the most comments of all time. Before I read it, I was so excited, assuming surely it would be scandalous, racially-charged or at the very least, incredibly compelling. Turns out, it is simply 355 comments from roughly the same 3 friends going back and forth. Genius! Why didn't I think of that? I don't want to do it with this post, but soon, I am going to attempt to post something compelling and attempt to solicit conversation with anyone else bored enough to contribute.”
‘Tis unfortunate. In these 'modern' times, that which is ‘compelling’ is not necessarily that which is ‘insightful’ or an experience one would arise from less dumb than one was before one was, well, compelled.
Sensationalism, and that which requires the least thought whilst promising maximal ‘entertainment’, sells when a market-supply of ‘Consumers’, ‘Fans’ and ‘Celebrity-worshippers’(CFCs), as opposed to multifariously developed and, consequentially, thoughtful Human beings, predominates – if not the word ‘cool’ might not be as pervasively utilised. The word, ‘cool’, in this context, basically validates the individual as one in her being able to ejaculate a monosyllabic response albeit as meaningful as a statement of preference('I'm cool, therefore I am'). Now the above is a supreme example of that which lies at the core of the universe of the CFCs – an opportunity to engage whilst being cranially disengaged. Now that’s ‘entertainment’ for you.
The list of ‘commentators’ in the aforementioned site, however, might serve, on the one hand, as a list of ‘who’s who’ amongst the idiots in the vox-blogging world, and, via the content of their ‘comments’, provide the bemused observer an insight into what nether regions of the human intellect their ‘minds’ dwell within.
The question I’m left with, in consideration of MissScotch’s post, is,
How much idiocy does it take to say, ‘ahhhhh’, for the sake of the participants being able to count the number of people whom are willing to do it?
ed-infinitum
singapore malaysia hong kong thailand india taiwan japan asia uk australia philosophy life cultureblogging blogs idiocy flash mob entertainment
One might be inclined to ask,
“Why should I stop blogging about my personal interests for a ‘7-day blogger strike for a Free Burma?’ ”
Or,
“There are lots of evils going on around the world and these have to be spoken about right?”
Yes indeed! But as we approach the last 2 days of the ‘bloggers’ strike’ for Burma, I have to state the initially unstated, but intended, goal of the ‘strike’.
That is, to awaken bloggers to their significance as a sector of the humanitarian leadership as opposed to those who solely follow in its trail. If bloggers had observed this strike; if all directories listed nothing but, ‘7-day bloggers’ strike for a Free Burma – Day x’; if ‘Burma’ had stayed in the number 1 position on all directories; and especially if this is an initiative initiated by bloggers, the status of bloggers would have changed significantly, not only in the eyes of the world, but especially in the eyes of bloggers themselves. Then, their self-perception would have been significantly redefined to take on the identity of leaders and drivers of change. They would begin to think that they too can produce great ideas for resolving a myriad of global crises. They would have considered the ideas of, say, Noam Chomsky, Amnesty International, ‘I am an all round big sh*t because I can sing’ Bono/Yoko/etc, ‘I am a know-it-all’ because I can act and therefore deserve to address the UN directly ‘Carrey/Rice/etc’, and ask, what they, in their star-studded glory have failed to consider as a consequence of their professions. In this, the mind of the blogger would have relocated itself along the same trajectory as those of thinkers, academics and celebrated humanitarian organisations and begin to see itself fit to stand on the shoulders of those previously considered to be giants because of our relatively less-knowledgeable, publicised, or celebrity-worshipped status. That is when bloggers will think further, see further, and sense further than the celebrated leaders of our time. And in such a venture, bloggers will grow and be able to contribute to the thoughts of these celebrated leaders who are to be pitied as they, to-date, have no other thoughts and ideas to access but their own.
And then, after this 7-day period, when the minds of the thus empowered blogger turn to other significant issues despite their not being fronted by the celebrated leaders of our times, be it the so-called ‘war on terror’, ‘aids’, ‘poverty’, ‘human rights’, ‘cure for cancer’, etc, they will gradually stand, not behind, but beside the academics, thinkers, and celebrated humanitarian organisations. With their varied experiences from all walks of life and from various corners of the earth, they will be able to produce unique solutions that may not be available to other relatively narrowly or differentially developed sectors of society. Bloggers will transform into an intelligent ‘global citizenry despite borders’ online. They will become a democratic intelligentsia that answers to no authority other than Reason. They will not be narrowly developed as is inevitably the case in any organisation, university, media house or publication where one answers to a hierarchy or is subjected to a curriculum of thought. This does not mean that they would be superior to organisations as the latter will have paid more time to specialisation. However, the advantage of bloggers would lie in the free exchange of information, thoughts, ideas, and ideals on similar topics amongst all, whom though may not be peers in intelligence, are most definitely peers in potential. Their solidarity, as evoked by the ‘7-day strike’, would have them paying increasing attention to blogger-initiated initiatives and ideas as they would began to see themselves as a part of Solution Generation as opposed to apart from it. In their belief in their potentials, they would regenerate, rejuvenate, and reinvigorate the very idea of Solution Generation.
And then, armed with this sense of self-significance, when the global bloggersphere turns its attentions to any global crisis, the world will pay attention. This initiative had as its intent, the intellectual and anarchic enfranchisement of the blogging world. The inverse is intellectual incorporation into the global stress-management industry - of which celebrated humanitarian organisations are a part, and which they will continue to be a part till the bloggersphere puts itself forth as a sector worthy of consideration. That is, this initiative sought to impress upon bloggers the significance of their right, not only to think, but to lead in thought. When the latter is appreciated, the former will be more assiduously and systematically pursued.
One may lead the horse to the water, but this does not mean that one would be able to get it to drink…unless one can kindle its thirst. That was the main, and unstated, intent of the ‘7-day bloggers’ strike for a Free Burma!’
Ed-infinitum
burma bloggers blogging blogs culture philosophy politics psychology sociology left anarchism anarchy anarchists uk usa malaysia singapore india philippines thailand hong kong taiwan china europe asia africa south america australia news
Web 2.0. Whatever you think it means, it is only half-thought.
Web 2.0 has
generally been spoken of, or appreciated amongst the masses, as an advance in
technology as illustrated by the pervasiveness of ‘weblogs’, ‘RSS feeds’, ‘podcasts’,
‘wikis’, ‘etc’. In this, the ‘user’ is
taken to bring to the net ‘that which s/he is’, whilst ‘that which s/he is’ is simultaneously
developed by her/is experiences on a relatively more ‘interactive’ and ‘inclusive’
web. However, in this the end-user is still, as in
non-virtual reality, ‘market-led/driven’ whilst she becomes a part of that
market her/imself. The end-user, as a significant agent/leader of change, is
confined to her/is role as a consumer as it was in the web 1.0 experience of
the net. The end-user still finds nothing amiss in her/is being subjected
to the influence and initiatives of Corporations, Celebrities, Celebrated Organisations,
the mainstreamMedia, and so on.
In other words, to a large degree, the development and definition of ‘Web 2.0’ is largely a consequence of the role the user had previously played in the Web 1.0 era, and the role s/he played and plays as ‘consumer’, ‘fan’, and ‘employee’, in non-virtual life. Thus, we can say, that the development of Web 2.0 is dependent on the underdevelopment of the user in the Web 1.0 period. It would, therefore, be more accurate to say that the ‘end-user’ is ‘used’. The ‘end-user’ ‘interacts’ and is ‘included’ as a commodity and not as a significant sector within the perspectival leadership of the world. If s/he is ‘included’ in a more ‘inclusive’ web, if s/he ‘interacts’ in a more ‘interactive’ web, s/he does so as ‘market’, ‘fodder’, ‘fuel’. Nothing more.
The relative failure of the ‘bloggers’ 7-day strike action for a Free Burma’ may be put down to the ‘end-user’, who whilst indulging in a Web 2.0 experience, still operates in her/is well-taught ‘Web 1.0’ capacity as ‘consumer’, ‘fan’, and ‘employee.
ed-infinitum
burma asia malaysia singapore thailand india taiwan china philippines uk usa human rights blogging bloggers War on Terror web 2 internet tech
LATEST UPDATE :
6th October : I've written to the Burma Campaign UK/Asia/USA/Canada/free-burma.org regarding the 'blogger strike action for a Free Burma'. BCUK has passed this on for publicising on their exclusive 'upper class' 'facebook' site.
Rome wasn’t built in a day, neither was it brought down in one. Gandhi didn’t manage to evict the British from India by a single day of fast and prayer. It took a concerted and consistent effort.
A single day of action basically enables the powers-that-allow-the-Burmese-Junta-to-be to turn the apathetic cheek for a period of 24 hours from bloggers in the expectation that they would go on to mind their own business thereafter. Let’s not rely solely on the initiatives of official organizations. Bloggers must have a sense of their own cosmopolitan significance to initiate their own efforts to complement that of organizations. Hence, a 7 Day Strike Action for a Free Burma by all Bloggers would go a long way in catching the attention of the media and generate a life of its own in various forms after the period.
Thus, I call for a 7 Day Bloggers Strike for Burma commencing this Sunday – 7th to 13th October 2007.
Let’s resolve, for a period of 7 days,
- to publish nothing but ‘Free Burma’ related articles
Or
- to republish the post with our choice of ‘Free Burma’ graphics once every single day so that the directories, media, governments, will take note of bloggers’ strike action for a Free Burma.
Or
- To refrain from publishing anything and allow the post with the ‘Free Burma’ icon to stand as the first article on our respective sites for the strike period.
Please spread the word with virus-like tenacity to your friends, colleagues, ‘blogger neighbourhood’. Those suffering under the Burmese regime deserve your effort.
FREE BURMA!
ed-infinitum
Graphics
Please copy and post any of the following graphics as part of your '7 Day Strike Action for a FREE BURMA'
"Stereotypes of gamers are accurate for a reason: because they are true. But they are not necessarily all negative.
A good news day for gaming: a report from Nottingham Trent University's consistently level-headed Mark Griffiths reveals that online gamers are relentlessly social, with 81% playing in the company of friends and family, and around 75% forming firm friendships - or even falling in love -with the people they meet online.
Why good news? Because the research, it says, "finally dispels any myths of online gamers as asocial, introverted loners"."
bbc - State of Play: Winning Friends
“Associating with a million selfsame others is not dissimilar to existing in a roomful of mirrors
In truth, there are very few on the planet who are not ‘asocial, introverted loners’.
The problem with
the definition of words...
...is that the task of defining words is undertaken within an individualistic conception of reality as opposed to a collectivist one. For instance, a ‘loner’ is viewed within such a milieu as one who does not form meaningful ties or associations with other individuals. However, when we consider that most non-loner individuals generally form ties with similar others, it is not entirely different from the experience of being a loner. In other words, associating with similar others is not too different from associating with oneself.
The blogging world is not entirely
different either.
For instance, what
I term, the ‘loner collective’, can be diagnosed as such by the degree to
which, say, a ‘gamer’, a ‘musician’, a ‘music fan’, a photography enthusiast,
amongst others, reads non-interest
related material; the number of times, and the depth at which they comment on
them; and the degree to which they themselves concern themselves with and write
on these non-interest related subjects. And where they do exhibit interest in non-interest
related material, the question to ask is if it is generally in areas that
require little thought or development on their part. In this sense, though an individual may not be considered an ‘asocial,
introverted loner’ where s/he associates or communicates to a significant
degree and depth with similar others,
the degree to which she engages as
meaningfully with non-interest related
others can be taken as indicative of her/is ‘asocial, introverted loner’ status If the dictionary was to have been produced
in a milieu which is not vulgarly individualistic, such persons would quite
possibly still be considered ‘asocial, introverted loners’.
In other words, associating with a million selfsame others is not dissimilar to existing in a roomful of mirrors.
If you think the above is just rubbish/bollocks/'talking cock'/tripe/etc, because it is not accompanied with a tune, because it challenges your intravenously-fed and umbilically-maintained conception of reality, because it is not an opinion of a 'celebrity', or simply because it requires that you ‘think’ in non-interest related arenas, maybe you might be more amenable to the following,
“I used to live in a room full of mirrors
All I could see was me
Then I take my spirit and I smash my mirrors
And now the whole world is here for me to see
Now I'm searching for my love to be, Hey!”
- Jimi Hendrix, philosopher to the proles,
‘Room Full of Mirrors’, from the album, ‘First Rays of the New Rising Sun’
postscript: The accuracy of words is dependent on the degree to which the society within which it is defined is geared towards the all-round development of humanity. If not, words simply become bars that imprison humanity within a retarding and self-serving status quo.
gamers gaming bloggers blogging culture philosophy sociology pschology internet bbc news history relationships uk hong kong malaysia singapore india philippines
The thing about Music
– and I’m not speaking of the pop rubbish spewing out of the orifices of the superficially-inclined seeking fame and fortune in the boils on the loins of the juveniles of the planet – is that it contains far more than what the singer or musician intends.
In this, the musician creates from both the conscious mind, and the unfathomable abyss of her subconscious. That which is consciously created is actually a product of the conscious mind’s attempt to articulate, or ignore, the voice crying out from the subconscious swirl that absorbs far more than the conscious mind is, or wants to be, aware of – perhaps, one might even go on to speculate that a part of all artistic creation is utilised by ‘heaven’ or/and ‘hell’ to subliminally transmit particular perspectives of which the artiste is unwittingly the conduit. Thus, the artist/writer/musician owes a great debt to those whom intentionally or unintentionally have contributed to the creation of what is mistakenly believed to be her creation via ideas or attitudes that in turn nudges her along a particular creative path.
The same applies to the writer, and I’m not speaking of many so-called ‘writers’ of contemporary times who basically transmit ideas in a straightforward ‘simpsonian’ fashion (ref. ‘The Simpsons’), or who have committed the mortal sin of confusing the ability to cast an opinion with the logical or insightful quality of its content. I’m speaking of writers who use the palette of allusions, metaphors, rhymes, analogies, punctuation, and references to seemingly unrelated phenomena, amongst a host of others, to transmit more than the simple idea. In this, she enriches other aspects of the human persona that are otherwise left untended and left to wither in the desert of the growing demand for the direct transmission of an idea. Of course, this is wasted on those who’ve been trained to view ‘entertainment’ as that which requires passive, self-centred, and thoughtless imbibing as opposed to active involvement in the creative process. Such ‘people’ do not become a part of an ongoing creative process but rather its users and imitators, and, over time, far less than they otherwise could be.
And the same applies to the artist, whose every swirl, shade, perspective, focal point, crease, texture, shapes, and refraining from using these here and there, amongst a myriad of others, conveys far more than an illustration of Socrates accepting hemlock from his captor, Christ on the Cross, Nataraja doing the eternal dance, or ‘Allah’ in Arabic script. In fact, it conveys far more than what the artist intends as a corollary of the fallibility of the current version of human nurtured nature. Thus, when we appreciate art/music/writings, we do not only appreciate efforts of the artist, but also her deficiencies, the historical/psychological/sociological background that nurtured her, the workings of the subconscious mind, the agenda of the heavens or hell, amongst the myriad of influences and persons who have coalesced to use the artist as the artist uses the brush.
The most important point here is that insofar as the subconscious mind exists, any creation of an artist, be she a writer, musician, sculptor, painter, amongst others, transcends her. In other words, whether it is a God, providence, a single element within one’s human DNA, there is an unseen finger having her say in the work of every Artist.
It is in appreciating this that the true Artist realises that the mastery over her artistic proclivities has to be preceded by a mastery over one’s subconscious, or at least in her attempt to clear out the rubble and rabble of historically inherited bias, self-serving sentiments, or attempting to being a product or entertaining jester within the court of the appetites of any particular time and space. She will, in all likelihood, never acquire such mastery, but in attempting to do so, she will at least be afforded the privilege of, at times, catching a fleeting glimpse - like a lone sailor in the midst of the night catching a glimpse of the distant glow of a firefly on an oasis in the desert of the oceans that lies a millimeter beyond the horizon of her perception - of the Hand of God scribbling in the sands of her inner soul in the quiet of the night of our existence. That is when the shards of all time and space will pierce her soul and she will transcend her humanity to go a little closer to its potential.
OM
The credit for the above piece goes to the Rationalism of the united kingdom, the Metaphysicalism of ancient india, the Spiritualism of the Aborigines of the earth, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Psychology, Sociology, Philosophy, History, Socialism, the belief that the existence of God/s is evidenced by our ability to doubt….amongst others whom I’ve yet to appreciate because I’ve yet to acquire more than a fleeting glimpse of the firefly that hides within my subconscious.
art music blogging writers culture philosophy sociology psychology uk india history malaysia singapore hong kong philippines god religion
“I'm all for nationalism.....so long as it refers to a Nation of Humanity.
Cosmopolites
: from gk. Kosmospolites, from kosmos "world" + polites
"citizen," from polis "city"
sidebar code at the bottom of this Manifesto
The Cosmopolitan
- The Cosmopolitan refuses to be defined or identified by the physical place of birth or upbringing
- The Cosmopolitan realises that her/is identity is formulated by contribution from a myriad of cultures whether s/he is aware of them or otherwise
- The Cosmopolitan believes that all identity is learnt and therefore refuses to replicate in its entirety that which is presumed to be her/is culturally & spatially-defined heritage
- The Cosmopolitan views the entirety of the earth as her/is place of birth and will determine, through inquisition and selection, that which will make up her/is identity.
- The
Cosmopolitan realises that true progress lies with the fusion of the
best of cultures and thus seeks to embody this Truth in her/is Approach
& Appreciation of Global Reality. In this, The Cosmopolitan seeks to understand difference as opposed to discounting it.
- This
perspective and associated symbols are diametrically opposed to the
perspectival deficiency underlying those avowing perspectival
alliegiance, origin, or affiliation to any one particular nationality,
race, culturally distinguished state-of-being insofar as that
state-of-being is not representative of the best of all cultures.
The aim of this article is to incite a more conscious pursuit of cosmopolitanism via a resolute adoption of the perspectives enumerated in the article.
Being of ethnically diverse parentage, if not complemented by perspectival 'mixing' beyond the cultures of one's relations, leads to an individual's underdevelopment. This is where one's attributed culture serves as a ceiling as opposed to a launch-pad for further self-development.
This article is not meant to simply promote 'tolerance', but to promote a more open-eyed search for, and adoption of, the best elements of cultures. It aims to relegate the narrow notions associated with, amongst others, 'race' and 'nationality', to the proverbial dustbin of history.
The Cosmopolitan Blogger will try to not narrow her/is interests and articles to include only 'local' affairs or personal interests, but will seek to discover, appreciate and engage in 'foreign' affairs as a corollary of her/is appreciation of her Citizenship of World.
ed-infinitum,
Cosmopolitan
postscript,
I'm sure that the above Project would get more response if I was to put a tune to it - considering the age we're living in where anything of value has to be, relatively, superficially entertaining before being accorded any semblance of value - but I still hold the hope that it will strike a long forgotten chord within the reader of the present, or of the future.
cosmopolitan nationalism globalisation globalization culture philosophy politics uk usa sociology history left anarchism psychology malaysia india hong kong philippines venezuela europe asia africa south america australia middle east blogging blogs
“my basic
requirement when it comes to a neighbour, be it in the blogging world or
otherwise, is that of reciprocity and consideration. You may be interested in flora whilst I in
fauna. But with the bridge of
reciprocity, we’ll be able to learn and become far more than we otherwise
would.
In the common understanding of the term, it refers to people who live within the same locality. In Vox, it refers to?
- People who link to you so that you might link to them
- People who link to you because of the similarity of your interests
- People with dissimilar interests who desire to expose themselves to that which is not currently a part of their interests because they realise that they can never know enough
- People whom you’ve linked to initially because you like their view of things but whom you soon outgrow because they aren’t ‘new’ anymore
- People whom you linked to so that they might respond with a reciprocal link and will therefore know how to find their way back to your site though the inverse is of no interest to you
Perhaps, in a sense, Vox ‘neighbourhoods’ are a reflection of non-digital experiences. Some are as interested in what you have to say as you are in what they have to say, whilst others are solely interested in what they have to say and do not afford a reciprocal listening or consideration time for what you have to say.
After all, such
self-absorption is to be expected. Since
one is taught by The System that the Self is paramount and that all others are simply
means to one’s own ends, and since ‘blogs’ are generally an innovation that has
as a target such a species of ‘humans’, such behaviour in the blogging world is
to be expected.
Personally, I observe a few rules to guard
against The System’s efforts to incorporate my mind into its Self-ish ethos.
One, always read more than 2 articles in a particular site and ensure that at least one of these is not within my sphere of interest.
Two, always comment on something that
is written even though it seems to be completely outside my sphere of interest
– in this I force myself to think on matters that I normally do not.
Three, if I have something negative to say about something that is written, then I must attempt to find another article where I have something positive to say – criticism and complements are important, dialectically speaking, in the creative process (an application of the principle illustrated by the Hindu God, ‘Nataraja’, and later appreciated as 'dialecticism' in the west.)
Four, never confuse checking the ‘this is good’ checkbox with ‘forwarding an opinion’. ‘This is good’ is mainly a statement of preference (like other idiotic words like ‘cool’, ‘weird’, ‘nerd’, etc) and is as meaningful as ‘this is bad’. This way, I’m forced to articulate and make sense of my preference whilst also giving other potential commentators a rationalised reason why it might be bad or good. It also promotes a standard amongst others that experiencing something must include ‘thought’.
Five, keep going back to a ‘neighbour’
to see what s/he has to say and come up with an opinion even if that
‘neighbour’ does not bother to do so at your site.
Six, stop going back to a neighbour to do ‘Five’ if the neighbour does not do likewise after a while – a year, for instance – as this might very well indicate that this ‘neighbour’ is being encouraged to be self-absorbed by yours and others’ visits and thus does not feel the need to be reciprocal. The Self, in this case, is all that begins to matter. Such a neighbour might still go to sites and pass comments, but this will generally be only when it is within their sphere of interest. When the self becomes thus glorified, one of the consequences is its own sphere of interest becomes paramount as well. To continue to comment as such a site is to simply reinforce their self-absorption. It is not good to be good to the bad as it is only the latter that is strengthened to the detriment of those who come after us.
Reciprocity is the essence of
neighbourliness.
Through reciprocity in interest and initiative, not only will the neighbour be encouraged, but we too will learn, if not from our neighbours, at least through them when we force ourselves to take a second look at that which we are not accustomed. Where such reciprocity is made all too conspicuous by its absence – as it is the case with every single person I know in this sad country – all we are doing is validating The System’s, ‘The Self is Paramount’ message that is daily transmitted intravenously through a myriad of invisible conduits that are far more conductive than fibre optics. In this, we become the valleys that exist so that the mount may be, and in this we sacrifice our potentials as individuals.
Thus, my basic requirement when it comes to a neighbour, be it in the blogging world or otherwise, is that of reciprocity and consideration. You may be interested in flora whilst I in fauna. But with the bridge of reciprocity, we’ll be able to learn and become far more than we otherwise would.
ed-infinitum
vox blogging neighbour blogs culture philosophy sociology psychology society malaysia singapore india hong+kong uk usa commentary capitalism
The following is
an excerpt from an article published by 'yihfeng' on responsible blogging. Thoughts follow.
“ What is Malaysia’s constant facination with bloggers? What’s with blogging that is new anyways? It is just another publishing platform for the web. Before the actual “blogging” phenomenon caught on, plenty of people already had their own websites anyways. How does it even make a difference? Why the bad press? Here we’ve got our information minister commenting about bloggers.
He said he believed
that professional bloggers were those who were more responsible in ensuring
that their web content was based on truth and not mere rumours. ”
Logically,
…for blog content to be ‘based on Truth’, political transparency has to be true. It is only where the latter is not true, that web content moves from being ‘based on truth’ to being based on ‘mere rumours’, conjecture and insinuation. Thus, in this context, the evolution of blogs is dependent on the reality of political transparency. It is not an ‘irresponsible’ evolution. Rather, it is one emerging from conscientious and imaginative citizenship – inspired by the certainty of the fallibility of humanity – that serves as the only check on an, transparency-wise, imbalanced system. Thus, in this case, the source of rumours is not the ‘irresponsibility’ of bloggers, but the inscrutability of politicians arising out of both the lack of transparency and the potential of humanity to be economical with the truth or generous with untruths. Thus, the first cause of ‘irresponsible’ blogging cannot logically be located in the blogger but in the transparency of the socio-political milieu within which she is located.
Furthermore, it is not only (1)political transparency that has to be true, but the (2)transparency of the subconscious of politicians to their conscious minds. When the latter is true, and then the former is true, the allegation of ‘irresponsible blogging’ may be true. If the former two is untrue, than proscriptions against 'irresponsible blogging', in the context of this article, is simultaneously a demand that the masses believe that politicians are infallible.
In sum,’ Transparency’ and ‘Responsible Blogging’ share not only a positive correlation, but the former also plays the role of ‘the cause’.

