I wanted to write about this a long time ago but kept it off until today when I read several comments about the Phil. Blog Awards. Yes, blogging is a privilege. It is not for everybody. It is only for those who have internet access. It is only for those who have enough time on their hands. It is only for those who have something to write or say.
So, don’t be surprised to learn that the demographics of bloggers are the ones who can pay for DSL on their homes and offices or even that Visibility or PLDT WeRoam. Don’t be surprised that these bloggers are the ones who have enough time to write and bloghop instead of worrying about their 8-5 jobs (worse, look for a job) or studying for their final exams and do their homework.
If you join our online community at MotorcyclePhilippines.com and you happen to go to one of the EBs (eyeballs), you will realize that 99% of them have motorcycles. And yes, that does not represent the Philippine demographics (i.e. not 99% of the country have their own motorbikes). I co-own that site of close to 40,000 members and I don’t even have my own bike.
If you join a Photography club and 80% of the people who come to photo shoots have dSLRs, it doesn’t mean the 20% who have point-and-shoot cameras is the minority group in the entire country. In fact it’s the other way around — there are more point-and-shoot camera than dSLR owners in the Philippines.
So, if you go to events that require you to wear formal attires, don’t expect that people attending it is representative of any bigger sample population. The ones you might be expecting are still in school finishing their exams, or still at the office doing OTY (thank you overtime). The ones you will meet are the people who have enough time on their hands, the ones who have gas money, or the ones who can pay for a taxi cab. Go to our blog parteeh and you’ll see that the demographics of the people there are totally different from that of the blog awards.
More than half of the population in the Philippines are poor. My parents are poor. My brother didn’t finish college nor does he have a job to feed his 3 kids. That doesn’t mean I need to find a way for them to blog and be part of this online community. I can’t, because they have something more important to spend time on other than writing about their thoughts. I wish I could, but I have to fulfill my other responsibilities to them first.
Blogging is a privilege, it’s not a right. Do not equate it with your constitutional right to suffrage or to get a decent education (hell, not even everyone has had education). So don’t expect that the blogging population is in any way representative of the voting population.
It’s nice to blog, but the “privilege” you talk about is exploited by other so-called bloggers.They pretend to be members of the press, barging in at press events, just to partake of free food. I have no respect for scums like that. Also, there is a reason why Journalism is offered as a formal academic course in college. There is a Reason why Editors exist to fact check and ensure the integrity of a journalist’s work. Bloggers? Who does that for you?? Partake of free food, if you want, but NOT in the company of Legitimate members of the press who have worked their backsides off to gain Years of respectable experience and reputation. There is a reason why bloggers will Never be recognized as legitimate members of the press. For the absence of an editor, alone, I strongly support that reason.
I as well as my guys were actually going through the nice items from your website then all of the sudden got a terrible feeling I had not thanked the website owner for those techniques. All of the boys appeared to be as a consequence stimulated to see all of them and now have simply been having fun with them. We appreciate you really being well thoughtful and then for deciding on this kind of beneficial subjects millions of individuals are really desperate to be aware of. My personal honest regret for not expressing appreciation to you sooner.
I am not going to tell fibs, you have lost me here – Philippines, Technology News & Reviews. I know that you intended well and you manifestly know what you are publishing about, but I cant pronounce that I get where you are coming from. There is no smoke without fire and on that point there are no comments without articles.
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This post sounds a bit harsh and I feel like I can’t completely agree with it. I think blogging is a privilege but should be made available to everyone.
I’d like to know what Manong Manbabalot would blog. I think he should be given the privilege to blog as well. Is it starting to sound as a right?
Right now, I feel like there’s a long tail in our blogosphere (if there even is one).
(I can’t resist throwing in my 2 cents, so here it goes…)
The word “privilege”, legally speaking and as used by most people, implies something that is granted by authority.
Rights are more fundamental and speak to our innate sense of what is good, proper, just, or “natural”.
Granted, there is an apparent confusion with these terms (“privileges” are sometimes equated with “rights”). But when both concepts are used within the same discussion, what differentiates them, I believe, is that there is an “authority” that bestows privileges; privileges too, are not conferred to all.
To wit: All people have the right to blog. It’s just that the “privileged” are the ones able to do it (this situation, however, does not change the nature of blogging being a right).
I’ve caught up with the entries and comments about this post, from all over, and I bristle at the thought that people include economics as a factor in determining rights.
That is a failure to see the overtly fundamental meaning of existence: to freely do so.
Yuga clarifies his point, almost tantalizingly on the fence. The champagne analogy, well sure, everyone has the right to drink champagne. But not everyone can. Everyone has the right to own a fancy car, but not everyone can.
Blogging is speech. It is a right, and is even more free than most other forms of speech.
Like blogie, I’ve said my fill.
Yes, I agree. But I am under the impression that this is an intelligent discussion (a heated debate at some point). :)
Boys and girls tama ng ang awayan ninyo. Wala namang mangyayari. This is how war starts and why politics thrive, nag aaway kayo sa walang kakwenta kwentang bagay.
I could understand if you are quarreling about life and death issues…but this is not one of them.
Leave it and go on….understanding and genuine respect for each others opinion is important.
Sorry ha,baka naman awayin pa ninyo ako…para kayong mga batang nag aaway. I dont want to even delve on the issues you are discussing palagay ko nasaktan na ninyo ang isat isa,sobra na so tama na.OK!!! Peace Man!!! Make love not war. Corny but its true!!!
I tried to explain the issue through contrasting comparison from the priviledge side but the comparisons from the side that shall explain that blogging is a right is just as compelling.
Here are two of the most common and basic rights that are protected freedoms in a democracy; freedom of speech and right to privacy.
If we consider that freedom of speech is only availed of by a small fraction of the population, does that make it a priviledge? Very few are given the honor of speaking to a public audience. Are we to say that only print and broadcast media people have that right?
The right to privacy is guaranteed to all free people, but the homeless people do not have the means to practice that right because of their economic circumstances. Does it mean that the right to privacy is actually a priviledge?
Let me throw my hat into this crowded ring. Blogging, applied as a general term, is a right, which denotes that everybody can do it, simple as that. If you want to blog about how your cat destroyed your mom’s plants, then go ahead. Nobody should take that away from you.
But to call it a privilege due to economic reasons is a misnomer. Call it an inaccessible right if you will but based on the sense of the word, it is not a privilege. One shouldn’t contain blogging from all the other forms of expressions just because its relatively new. Everyone can write, sing, dance, paint, make a movie, make a website, hence everyone can blog, hence blogging is a right.
@Bloggie
I also thought of blogging as a right. But when I looked at the dictionary on the definition of “privilege”, this is just one of the definitions. There were lots, but this looks less harsh.
I realized not everyone has this advantage… unless all contraints will be overcome (those including the primary resources, and human intellect). And maybe, in the future, it will be a right not a “special right”. I’ll be looking forward to it.
*big hug to bloggie*
@Noemi
True, true
“No one can insult me without my permission.â€
-some quote from someone (not me)
@blogie – sarcasm is to the eyes of the beholder. A glass can be half empty or half full. Excuse me for being sarcastic if that is how you chose to look at it. Enough said.
ï¼ Noemi — Before you even try to argue what bourgeoisie or the concept of bourgeoise is with me, I suggest you look them up in the dictionary first. I will engage in a debate with people only when both parties are on the same intellectual plane.
I’ve seen your blog — how can you purport to write about God and spirituality when you can be as sarcastic as you are in your last comment?? Sarcasm, Noemi, has no other purpose but to hurt. Sarcasm has no place in intellectual exchange because it leads to nowhere. If you aim to have a meaningful discussion with me, stick to sober language.
@blogie- How sad you are. i happened to be around during the martial law days in high school.I have been out more than you even have in your lifetime. I presume you were just an innocent little boy or even a baby during the implementation of the martial law so “bourgeiose” is alien to you. I don’t think you even know what the “bourgeiose” means.
So I will just let your comments slide and hope you go out more as you suggest , be vigilant and blog on issues to help our country.
@Blogie
I know that it’s not like that.. what I’m saying is blogs are opinions on something, somewhere.. somehow.. so read between the lines. My blog is not even a review blog. So don’t put words in my fingers (mouth).
Also, why would I fret? LOL
I’m just saying that I dont agree with your opinion. No more. No less.
I just want to know why is it not a privilege for you? So don’t tell me to bloghop more since I’ve been blogging and reading and commenting on blogs for more than 6 years now. :D
Andrew, all tounaments have a ruling body or some semblance of it or you can’t call it a tournament hence the popular interrogative ‘kaninong pa-tournament yan?’ Even a sports event organized by a lowly purok (for all who live in private communities, a purok is a sub-division of a baranggay) has the purok as administrators of the game.
If you read closely at what I wrote, you will find what I pointed out that not all tournaments require licenses, precisely because only professional sports do so, I don’t see where you disagree with me there.
I don’t understand why you cited sports and driving to support the argument that these are priviledges and say I am citing a wrong example when I said exactly that these pre-occupations are priviledges, I don’t see where you disagree with me there.
Even if I want to disagree with you I cannot because that would be tantamount to disagreeing with myself.
Now for blogging, I don’t see how this is restricted by economic means. A lot of students are encouraged to blog from schools, not all of them are rich. My driver and househelp are welcome to use my computer for e-mail, well they can blog too if thay want if it doesn’t affect their responsibilities to me.
The leftist organizations are not a wealthy community, they are able to blog because they have community funds. The New Peoples Army even have a website, I’m pretty sure they blog even though they are an illegal organization. Now who could stop them?
My point in all this is that if you really want to blog, you can do so. If you can save money to go to the movies, then you can save money to blog, and no one can stop you.
@Chino Yray — No, bloggers today are so much more than just reviewers. Go bloghopping just a little bit more and you’ll discover what I mean.
As for the right/privilege discussion, like I’ve stated, I’ve said my fill on this topic. If you still don’t get my meaning, don’t fret, I wasn’t trying to convince you.
@Blogie
I do bloghop a lot.. and go out even outside my own house more than you think.
When I said opinions on something, somewhere.. somehow.. is it not blogs are like that?
Also, why is it a right? If you think it is not a privilege. Yuga already said the point. Not everyone has the privilege to blog so if it is a right, how can they exercise it?
Yuga is merely stating that because of the barriers which are currently present in this country, blogging becomes a privilege since only the privileged people gets to blog.
Everyone has the right to surf the net, read, view pages & etc… but only the priveleged ones can do it.
Hehehe… this is because we are arguing at cross-purposes here. In other words, we are not on the same plane.
For simplicity, I will just answer what you’ve put forth. Driving, drinking alcohol, scuba diving — these are NOT rights, nobody ever said so.
Your point is economics: since blogging requires resources, hence it is a privilege in your view, yes?
My point is the principle of it: if something is free to all and people can and are unencumbered to do something, then it is not considered a privilege.
I’ve been trying to say, the question whether blogging is a right or a privilege is moot. That should not be the argument. It is plain to see that it is a right. However, however, in the current situation, and due to present circumstances, people who are considered privileged are the ones who are dominating the blogosphere. That does not necessarily mean that blogging is a privilege.
Ok I’ve said my fill on this topic. :)
One last na lang. I get where you’re coming from and believe me I understand it. I can actually take your position and hold my ground as fiercely as you have.
Here are some analogies:
a) Not everyone who knows how to drive have the right to drive.
b) Not everyone who knows how to swim and dive have the right scuba dive.
c) Not everyone who wants to drink have the right to drink alcohol.
It’s not just about the economics or elitism. A man can afford to buy a hundred cars but still not given the right to drive. Or a 13-yr old kid may inherent San Miguel Brewery and still be denied a glass of beer at a bar. It’s not just about who can afford what. There are socio-political limitations as well.
We go back to freedom of speech and I’ll point another analogy earlier exemplified by Andrew:
1) Freedom to Talk – Tap Water
2) Freedom to Blog – Mineral Water
3) Freedom to Broadcast on Radio – Coke
4) Freedom to be Televise – Champagne
See, I refer to all these forms of speech as “free”. Yet, only those who are privileged can actually sip champagne.
Oh snap… I was supposed to use the word “info” instead of “opinion”. Didn’t mean to be sarcastic. Peace na. This discussion ain’t going anywhere.
@yuga — Consider this. Let’s say you are in a war-torn country in, say, Africa. The country is being ruled by a military junta, and they are controlling media, etc. The rest of the world believes in the right to freedom of speech, but in your country it is a privilege reserved for those who are in power. Are you getting my drift now?
No matter that something as fundamental as a right is temporarily inaccessible due to temporal constraints, it is still a right. Your African country’s junta might be overthrown by people power and a democracy installed, yes? And the right of everyone to vote and to express themselves freely will also have been restored then.
I wil put my foot down on this once and for all. Blogging is not a privilege. Saying otherwise is pompous, snooty, and reeks of exclusivity. But you know, like I said in my own blog about this topic, this argument is moot. What’s important is for bloggers to realize that blogging entails responsibility: because one is free to express, he/she is bound by certain ethics. The problem with bloggers, many of us tend to think that we can simply say anything we want, without regard for the welfare of others.
Don’t be so belligerent or sarcastic, Drew. If you read my comments carefully, you’ll see that I’m not attacking you. Like, I didn’t say you had ‘second-hand opinions’ — I said you got second-hand info re EDSA 1. Just consider my words and don’t entertain thoughts that you are being attacked or anything. This is an intellectual exercise after all, isn’t it?
Oh and about my “second-hand” opinion. Sorry about that, I wasn’t in the country that time and had no idea it was happening. But that’s beside the point.
@Blogie – Yes I know EDSA 3 was funded by the some very privileged people. But why did it fail? It’s because those privileged b@st@rds didn’t show up! It is quite nice to think that everyone can afford to blog. Wow, wouldn’t that be terrific? But the truth of the matter is, not everyone can. That is why it is a privilege. I’m not a hopeless romantic like many of you. But sure, it should be a right. But it ain’t gonna happen. I’m just being realistic.
Let me clarify my position about this. I wrote it in a time when everyone was criticizing our advocacy thru blogging events but allow me to add a little more.
I believe that blogging, like education and other forms of free speech, SHOULD be everyone’s right. However, the barriers to blogging currently does not provide for that. It’s not as easily achievable as our fundamental right to peaceful assembly or the right to vote. There are so many barriers to blogging – infrastructure, access, financial, and even the ability for basic read and write skills. Unless these barriers have been broken down, one’s ability to blog will still be taken as a privilege for those who can afford. This is unlike voting that IF you can unable to go to the precincts or able to write, the Law will make sure you can still vote.
Btw, when I said Chino Yray should go out / bloghop some more, it was because of his comment that “bloggers… are only a part of the net where they bring help through ‘reviews’ guides and opinions on something, somewhere… somehow.” Do you accept this, Drew?
And I said the same thing to Noemi because IMHO she displayed a myopic view of society. The poor, the underprivileged, the proletariat, the marginalized — however they may be called — are not beholden to the privileged class. It was such a condescending remark on her part, even I felt insulted.
But, Drew, I was already politically active during the first EDSA. Still in high school that time, but very much aware and vocal already. Believe me, you don’t know what you’re saying about this particular topic. What you know now about EDSA is second-hand info, coming from those who were privileged enough to have the means to be heard.
Allow me to break this one down into manageable pieces…
You are implying that the supposed EDSA 3 (that’s the one that failed, right?) did not succeed because it was led by the proletariat? That’s very simplistic. (What if I told you they were financed by privileged people? But that’s off-topic…)
EDSA 1 was not monopolized by the burgeoisie. It was remarkable that they came out in droves and joined the rest of the Filipinos. That was what made People Power an almost miraculous and truly meaningful event. It’s very sad that that sentiment is now lost on the younger generations.
You know, we’re missing one crucial factor here: the reader (or listener for that matter). Let’s not forget that we know various information only insofar as we are interested in them. What I’m getting at is this: maybe you don’t know the breadth of participation of the “less privileged” in society because you probably haven’t given yourself the chance to read/hear them. So, before you set word on paper, try to get more than just one side or source. You’ll be better able to form an informed opinion on the subject matter then.
@troy, sorry, not all sports tournaments are governed by a ruling body, nor requires a license to participate in them. You have cited the wrong reasons. Golf, for example, is the sport for the privileged few who can afford golf clubs and club memberships. Same goes for polo and tennis. Driving.. well anyone can drive can’t they? They need cars for that, ergo, they need money.
@blogie: You’re the one who needs to get out more. Remember which EDSA’s were successful? And which one was not? The upper- and middle classes have the real voices in society. That’s the truth. But sadly, the “less-privileged” who do have voices are mercilessly silenced.
If you can afford a computer and an Internet connection, or afford a few pesos per hour at a cafe, then who’s to stop you from blogging? It’s a matter of who can blog and who can’t. Those who CAN are privileged, those who can’t aren’t. Period.
So far, the only comment that I agree with and identify with here is troy’s. Very apt analogy.
@Chino Yray — you can’t be serious, man… get out some more, bloghop some more, dude!
@Noemi — wow… i’m flabbergasted… you too should get out some more. the bourgeoisie don’t do outcries. they do 2-hour lunches most probably, but not outcries that are of socio-political concern. and btw, the “less privileged” have their own voice; if the “more privileged” care to add to that voice, i’m sure that would be welcome. but i’m fairly certain the “less privileged” don’t need this kind of condescension.
@ talksmart:
Good one! Hahahahaha!
Driving is a priviledge because your driver’s license belong to an issuing body for revocation or suspension if the terms of using that license is violated; so is gun ownership, business ownership, broadcast operation etc.
The participation in any sports tournament is a priviledge because there is always a ruling body that can disqualify a sportsman, even though licenses are not required in a lot of tournaments.
Blogging is my right, as well as my neighbor who couldnt’ afford a computer and a connection but goes to the cyber cafe. I dont read his comments and am not impressed by his intellectual capabilities but how can I stop him. Its not like we have a cyber police.
Agree!
Yes. It’s a privilege. Not everyone who surfs the web are into blogging anyway. Most just search for their assignments and project needs. Some just search for games, what’s new and what’s hot in the gaming scene.
and..
Bloggers… are only a part of the net where they bring help through “reviews” guides and opinions on something, somewhere… somehow.
Ok time to heal wounds. It’s Holy week guys. I hope everyone believes that this week is Holy Week, otherwise I am in trouble. ;-)
i agree, blogging is not for everyone, period. ;-)
pWn3d!
privilege or right, bloggers should exercise utmost care and responsibility. the freedom we enjoy is not absolute.
agree!
I think it’s your right to blog if your privileged enough to afford it :)
Being a blogger is a privilege the same way others are privileged to become cops, firemen, doctors and crooked politicians, even bums. It’s the path one chooses that sets them apart. Sure, everyone can play blogger, everyone can have a voice. But the question is — is anybody listening?
If upper class or middle class bloggers decide to portray issues that affect all social classes in their blogs, well and good. In any society whether western or Philippines, it’s always the bourgeoisie that speak up for the rest of society. Think “martial law”outcry by the bourgeoise . For the priveleged few like us, it’s up to us to make a voice for the less privileged.
I agree blogging is a privilege and it’s our choice on how to use it for the common good of our kababayans.
Yeah… I love your posts…
To whoever/whatever this post points on…
This right applies to them:
“The right to remain silent” or in other words “Shut the F**K Up!”
Sad but true. Bloggers are an indeed an elite crowd. Not our fault, though.
Hmm… I’m missing something… what happened during the event?
Been busy with my new work (Web Content Developer) and with my main blognetwork down (currently re-uploading to a new host ^_^ wee), I lost track of what’s happening in our blogosphere.
But I agree, it is a privilege and not a right. And by the sound of your post (this one and the other one ‘we not I’), someone or some group said something not entirely accurate or true to the whole, or the bigger picture.
Anyway… God Bless to all, let’s enjoy the Holy Week.
Hmm…I knew it would come to this. But hey, me thinks it’s all part of the maturing Pinoy blogosphere that has reached critical mass.