Saturday, February 19, 2005

Netiquette on blogging

Since the advent of the computer, communication between individuals has been raised to a much higher degree. If we are to believe guru Alvin Toffler we are now in another age known as the age of information.

Finally, the age of information! Don't you find it interesting that in the course of our history as a human race, the age of information should only surface at this day and age? I feel we are a bit late as wars could have stopped had we mastered the art of proper communications early on. But as it is, we were more pre-occupied with war (stone and metal ages), making things a lot easier for us (wheel and the industrial revolution) and soaring to new heights (space age) that we forgot the most basic tool given us by the Great Provider which is the ability to communicate.

Late or not, communicating with one another is a lot faster today where interaction between two or more parties is more instantaneous. As a consequence of the computer revolution, the world becomes smaller as people all over the globe can interact with one another at a much faster rate. Other than the email, one of the offshoots of the internet is blogging. Blogging started out as a personal diary where one records daily events online which later on developed into personal commentaries on current events, personal notes on issues, etc. As Andrew Sullivan puts it, "But there are also news blogs and commentary blogs, sites packed with links and quips and ideas and arguments that only months ago were the near-monopoly of established news outlets. Poised between media, blogs can be as nuanced and well-sourced as traditional journalism, but they have the immediacy of talk radio." Blogging has been so popular it has been dubbed as person of the year in 2004.

Just like any other undertaking man indulges in, there is certain code of ethics that we should follow if we want to join the bandwagon of bloggers who interact with one another. Arlene Rinaldi writes about "The Core Rules of Netiquette" and these can be found here.

I am a relatively new blogger having started in January of 2004. And in the course of my blogging, I have befriended a lot of intelligent, talented and warm people I would not have known had I not started with this endeavor. I have also learned a lot of lessons along the way and as the teacher that I am, I would like to share them with you so that you can enjoy the benefits I have reaped, in the course of what I would say, my writing career. :-)

1. People will eventually read what you write. When I started blogging, I never thought I would be read by other people. I was thinking that the blogs I read which have comment boxes actually had comments from readers because they are established writers and have been blogging for a long time. I was insecured and paranoid that what i have written was pure garbage and that I was late in joining the ride. As anybody who writes, I needed affirmation, a pat on the back that what I have written is not for naught. But how? It took me sometime to figure out that in order for me to be known in blogosphere, I would have to go out and invest time. And that i did. I commented on blogs and eventually, they, too came for a visit and stayed. Now, I still visit new sites as it is through this means that I discover wonderful people and excellent writers, thinkers and opinion makers. I comment on them and yes, they come to me, too. This world is full of wonderful people.

2. Be origina! Remember these lines? "Listen to others, even the dull and the ignorant, they, too have their story." Why blog if you haven't a thing to say yet? It is a mortal sin to plagiarize. Copying another's work and passing it as your own is a big no-no! You are not only dishonest to other people, you are being dishonest to yourself Remember, we ahve different outlooks in life, different experiences, different backgrounds. Write about them, somewhere out there, there will be someone who will be interested. I think I have covered this extensively here

3. Be nice! This is the crux of the entire post. I have had occasion to ahve read nasty comments from readers in other blogs which were really way below the belt. For whatever reason, there are readers out there who find it fun to irritate a blog owner by putting nasty comments. If you get your rocks off by doing that, you are one perverted, pathetic soul. Example, "implying that going abroad is a sure way of a husband and wife eventually separating" is nasty. You are not helping the couple ease their pain but only aggravate the loneliness they feel for the absence of one another. I shall give that commenter the benefit of the doubt. Maybe he was just trying to be funny as the blog owner in particular is popular for his funny antics and writings. That's fine. Maybe you are trying to out do the blogowner or just plainly wanted to share the fun. But we must remember that we all have varying degrees of humor sense. It could be possible that we don't have it at all. So, my suggestion is to read and re-read your comments before hitting that "post" button. I know I may have posted something that was inappropriate one time or another but it was either unintentional or that I dind't know any better. Believe me I couldn't sleep when it dawned on me that i've hurt someone. But at least, I identified myself. The offended party can always get back to me and if the complaint has merit, I can and will apologize. That's the main problem with these nasty commenters. They hide under an alias and post anonymously. That's very cowardly.

I am still lucky I haven't gotten a nasty comment yet. But who knows? My blog had been threatened before. During the height of the Patricia Evangelista controversy, my good friend the Cat was ganged up in a forum where they threatened that I and other good friends Batjay and Sassy shall be next. Should that happen, i know what i am going to do. I am not going to argue and give you the fun that you long for. I have my picture and my children's pictues in this blog which make me very vulnerable. I wouldn't erase your post as i want people to know how rude you are but i won't dignify your nasty comment with a reply. If you are picking up a fight, go someplace else as you're not getting any from me.

3.

31 comments:

cathy said...

sometimes it is the green eyed monster that drives these people to post nasty remarks.

jay and jet are the sweetest husband-and-wife bloggers that may be the envy of some who are not blessed with their kind of marriage and partnership.


i kept those nasty comments about me from the blogsite where I was the favorite for a month.

Ate Sienna said...

Alam mo, unkel, (and you've read me say this), hindi ko maintindihan kung pinoy lang ba na trait ito na mahilig silang mang-hassle ng ibang tao? Pero the funny thing is, hindi naman magpapakilala, hindi naman magpapakatao na sabihin kung sino sila.

I don't know why some people would rather type invectives like this rather than say something constructive.. or better yet, not say anything at all! Sayang lang talaga sa internet time.

batjay said...

thank you very much for pointing out blogging etiguette tito rolly. especially the "be nice" part.

some people assume that because we are friendly and funny in our blogs, that they can just go ahead and say whatever they like. that they can immediately be intimate with us. it doesn't work that way.

you're correct - "be nice" and let the friendship develop. the intimacy and banter will automatically come later.

Rachelle Grace said...

naku tito rolly, naka-encounter na ako ng ganyan-mga taong walang magawa sa buhay. what i did was defend myself if they made some points that i thought were not correct, ignore them kung kababawan lang naman yun, display my battle scars (my advice: don't erase any negative messages. let the other readers decide. someone who posts something stupid or nasty is saying something bad about himself/herself more than about you by that act of posting), and of course learn from it.

Dr. Emer said...

I guess bad combination ang jealousy and boredom. Ignore these people.

Jhun Billote said...

hello tito rolly: your post is very timely...etiquette should be employed anytime, everywhere...be it at the table, on the phone or on the net. it is a ceremonial code of polite society. this is the substance of a good breeding.

maraming "pankista" dyan who are out to destroy by casting harsh, nasty comments for whatever intentions they may have but it is up to a blogger with a capacity of rational thought to control or simply brush-off these types of comments...or else, masisira talaga ang araw pag pinatulan mo.

yusop said...

Greetings From Mars...This is one of the most significant advises and hints that I have ever had since I started blogging just recently. Many Thanks to you then, Tito Rolly.

I just hope that i do not get those "unwanted" commenters in my blog and I hope there are just few of them. More power.

Pepe said...

one can only wish for absolute decency in blogosphere. internet is hard to tame. imposing netiquette, though a good thing, is next to impossible.

Tanya said...

a very timely post..

it's crazy how people leave comments that are meant to hurt the blogger. it's crazy.

thanks for the info on netiquette.. made me check myself too. hehehe!

Cerridwen said...

the offending comment I read fumed me that I had to vent it through my blog too. It wasn't only offending to the blogger & his wife but also to Americans like me. My country is nowhere perfect but have the knowledge of saying it with finesse. I respect everyone's opinion since we are all different but only if said with respect and due knowledge.

Unknown said...

Thank you for your post.

rolly said...

Cathy What else other than envy, huh? What is there to envy actually? As I said, write about something that you know of, your experiences and eventrually, people will begin to notice. Simple, right?

Yes, I've read those really nasty comments but they didn't have enough balls to even think of an alias signing under one name only. Bad!!!

Ate SiennaEwan ko rin. Marami na rin naman akong nasalihang forum pero pinoy lang yata yung nagtatago sa alias at talagang wala lang magawa. hindi ito naging productive kailanman.

Batjay Waht i couldn't unerstand is why they'd rather be nasty than try earning somebody else's friendship? They do not know what they're missing, actually. Actually, i really am giving the commenter the benefit of the doubt that he just didn't know any better. That in his attempt to look cute, he was already stepping on somebody else's toes.

Rache Arguing with these kinds of people is a waste of time. They will never concede. Nang-iinis lang naman sila e. Besides, mahirap yung ikaw kilala nila tapos wala kang idea kung ano hitsura kahit anino lang nila! They're not worth it.

Doc Emer That's exactly what I plan to do when the time comes.

Metal Precisely. Unwritten codes are as important as the written ones to an educated man.
Kung pankista man sila, kakaawa naman sila. Kukuha na rin lang ng idol, yun pang pinaka least productive ang ginaya. Manggaya ng isang bagay that is outside our culture is bad in itself, yun pang walang kakwenta-kwenta pa naisip gayahin.

Major Tom Thanks a lot for your kind words.

Pepe I don't intend to impose good manners and right conuct. It's imperative on mature, knowledgeable people and so would not need to be told.

Tanya I hope you have not and will never be visited by these denizens of blogosphere. They are pests in a civilized society.

Cerridwen Actually I read about the incident from your blog but was reserving comment until I have read what you were talking about. I blog hopped trying to find what ignited the post not knowin i need not go very far for it was a very good friend who fell prey.

Ate Sienna said...

classic example ba ito ng crab mentality, unkel???

rolly said...

luchie_g You're welcome. :-)

Ate Sienna Maaari rin. o talaga lang mga walang magawa kundi mang-inis. Whatever the motivation is, it is still deplorable.

Anonymous said...

i agree with them all ka Rolly, such attitudes are the result of what Doc Emer has described above..

i am still lucky that no one has commented on my post "bellow the belt" (yet) -- perhaps because of my stories? hehehehhe... nah but i remember the first time i wrote a story in my blog when one reader E-MAILED me (yes not at my comment box) expressing her angst on my writings, hindi ko na lang pinatulan kase she was kind enough to express her opinion privately..

i thank you for this post

(BongK, i couldnt log on my blog hence, anonymous)

Anonymous said...

i enjoy reading blogs hindi lang dahil naeentertain ako kundi marami akong natututunan although bihira lang po ako mag-post ng comments.

those nasty comments on cathy's blog re the pat evangelista case shows that there are people who really doesn't know about respect for one's opinions.

yung sa case naman po ni batjay ay parang yung experiences ng most comedians na porke't lagi silang ngpapatawa eh ang akala ng iba pwede na silang bastus-bastusin.

respeto lang po talaga ang kadalasang nakakalimutan ng iba sa atin.

lui

Mec said...

i guess some people

just because the internet facilitates connections and communications and exchanges...

start forgetting that, even in personal relationships, there are boundaries which you shouldn't presume to cross...

and criticisms, if any, should be stated in a constructive, positive, respectful way...

{illyria} said...

thanks for sharing this, rolly. god knows we all need a little bit of enlightenment.

Bing said...

hi,

such wit and candor... you are such a wow!

this is an informative one... i find it very interesting to read.

i salute you ('',)!

E. S. de Montemayor said...

"As anybody who writes, I needed affirmation, a pat on the back that what I have written is not for naught. But how? It took me sometime to figure out that in order for me to be known in blogosphere, I would have to go out and invest time. And that i did. I commented on blogs and eventually, they, too came for a visit and stayed."

- this is sooooo true. though we sometimes hate to admit it, we do need affirmation. we are not some nihilistic fools to think that we'll keep on writing if no one out there reads it. cheers to a good post!

rolly said...

BongK Ba't hindi ka maka access sa blog mo. Dito naman sa commenting system, ilagay mo lang yung username at password mo, lalabas na automatic ung pangalang ginagamit mo sa blogger diba?
Anyway, maswerte nga tayo't di pa tayo binibisita ng mga mapanirang commenters na ganyan. Mga walang magawa.

lui so true. Jan natin makikitang kulang pa talaga tayo ng maturity as a collective people no? Sayang naman, kasi ang sarap ng maraming kaibigan kesa kaaway. Tried your link pero it yielded the yahoo page.

Mec Oo nga e. If you a commenter wishes to give a crit, dapat constructive. After all, unsolicited naman yung advice na binibigay nya e.

transience yes, a lot of people seems to need some enlightenment so that they will learn respect.

bing That's very flattering. Thank you po!

julsitos yes. I do need some assurance that what I am writing makes sense. Otherwise, what for, right?

Anonymous said...

hello! well, i acutally experienced that before. i blogged about my feelings and emotions, not knowing that people are actually backstabbing me. it's my blog, my feelings, my emotions, and yet people make fun of you and say bad remarks behind your back. so right now, i don't blog about what i feel anymore, since people will make a big deal out of it.

sachiko said...

That is why I never post my picture.. I feel vulnerable,just like what you said. I post my kids pics a lot but they have been to our country only once. Internet is still a scary world for me,you'll never know who's lurking.Sometimes I look at the referrers and I see those suspicious looking url's and it gives me goosebumps.

Stan said...

Some good wisdom there, Rolly, not just for blog writing, but for life.

rolly said...

Aljo Sad no? Well, blogger is open to the public but that doesn't necessarily mean we're fair game din diba? Oh well...

sachiko Too bad I already have. No use taking it off now. So far, i've never had any nasty comments. I hope it remains that way.

Stan Thanks a lot. I try to inject wisdom in my entries sometimes. After all, I'm a teacher and once a teacher, always a teacher :-)

Unknown said...

totoo yan once a teacher always a teacher.
i hope you will continue posting entries like this. i noticed all your post are of relevance to life.
regards!

Apol said...

husay! sana mabasa ito nung mga commenters na yun na umatake ke ca t. =)

JMom said...

The www has many good points and it has it's bad. The opportunity to hide behind anonymity I guess is a temptation too great for many. Anyone who can't even tell you who they are, is not worth listening to.

Niceness has become underrated. A little bit of niceness goes a long way, and it doesn't cost you anything.

Anonymous said...

i'm not a blogger mr. rolly kaya hindi mo ko malink. i just stated there my email address. i'm a regular follower of your blogs and some other pinoy bloggers as well. i wish i have the time to read more bloggers pero i am able to read only several of them. you're one of my favorites. more power to you.

lui

kat said...

very wise words tito rolly.

rolly said...

luchie coming from a professional educator/psychologist, that is quite flattering. I try to make my posts relevant as much as possible for i want this blog to be a legacy i shall leave to my children someday. My wish is to see my words in print and leave it to all four of them.

Apol mukhang hindi naman sila nagpupunta dito kasi after this one pumunta pa rin kay jet yung pinariringgan ko e.

JMom Precisely! That's why it's a wonder why some people would opt to be annoying than nice.

Bayi I've learned that I cannot please everybody. I just can't. And I learned it the hard way.

lui so what's keeping you from blogging. I'm sure you have a lot of ideas we can all learn from. C'mon start one already/

Kat Thanks a lot.