The booth is full at Filipinovoices.com

Filipino Voices (http://www.filipinovoices.com) is the first attempt by Filipino bloggers to unite and share their views on raging issues in Philippine politics and news. It is a collaborative political blog, plain and simple. For me, it represented a fresh start particularly in raising political consciousness.

However, lately, it is getting old and boring, according to some readers. Well, that's their opinion. And some even commented that its losing its relevance. What's relevant anyway in the blogosphere?

I think the problem arose when every blogger who wants to get known goes into useless commenting. Comments are welcome. Yet, when a commenter goes there just to hijack a post or feels like waging ad hominem attacks or worse, just wanted to defend the undefensible, this spoils the good broth.

As more people read Filipinovoices, more bloggers want a slice of the action. And since the philosophy behind Filipinovoices is a Filipinized version of a Western concept of the Wisdom of the Crowd, things are getting sillier, more mundane and more irrelevant by the day. The direction of Filipinovoices is beginning to border between academic mumbo jumbo to plain and simple political opinions of stupid proportions. Those who don't even know what politics is,share opinions that confuse instead of clarify certain political actions.

I think the reason behind this is simple---there is no wisdom of the Filipino crowd. There is, always, a set of leading thought. Since the dawn of human civilization, every group, every gathering, every collective, and every crowd has leaders. This a requirement for any rational organisation to survive. If everybody boasts of having an IQ of 180 or everyone claims to be the genius, there can never be a resolution of anything. The result is mush, and political at that.

Hence, the fate of the site is turning into the direction of an infected site, being slowly destroyed by Malacanang online operators and silly paid hacks. Those who favor the present dispensation is destroying the site by using the very concept of its existence and turning it into its head. Nick of www.tingog.com, the editor-in-chief tried to cure the intellectual hemorrhage by imposing a post policy. Good. However, rather than cure the wound, Nick, unwittingly, created another wound, worse than the former.

" The Wisdom of the Crowd" will never work in a society which is as confused as those who claim to know the politics and the goings-on in this amorphous system. We are now yet ready to operationalize this philosophical concept. For as long as we, ourselves, have differing viewpoints especially of our history and there is no collective consciousness to speak of, there can never be a time when the wisdom of every individual Filipino will reach critical synthesis. It will always create chaos. Everything will always lead to confusion which, to my mind, harms the building of a national consciousness more than helping create a Filipino intelligentsia.

What am I saying? There can never be 1,000 voices shouting or saying something in a site bordered and limited by space. Filipinovoices should recognize that there is no congruency with the number of voices with delimitations of space-time. If we want to build a national consciousness, we must set the parameters, the platform and from there, let others share what they want to share, rather than attempting the impossibility of synthesizing elements which, in essence, and by their nature, cannot be synthesized. Hegel is not needed here because there is nothing to synthesize. The negative of the negatives over at FilipinoVoices.com is not the true negative, but a branch sprouting maliciously created by the devilish and philistinistic crowd.

What am I saying? Filipinovoices.com, unfortunately, is not, and will never be a microcosm of the collective debate. Nick should be reminded that those who first wrote there help build the FV brandname, hence, deserve more liberty than others. What liberty? The liberty of posting their opinions than making them equal with the new invited ones. Likewise, it's time to prune and have the courage to tell those who want to join that we're close already. We are brimming with intellectuals already, with their own weird streaks of grey hair. Time for Nick to consider closing FV from other bloggers. Doing that means not just limiting posts. Its like telling others, hey, your voice is good, but there's no mike left for you to use. Just build your own, will you?

What the Issue Behind Genesis?

Let me write it very plainly---the issue is a blogger reportedly sold a list containing names of fellow bloggers to a known politico. Now, that list contains names of bloggers whom this blogger did not know personally nor did he asked permission to write something good about this politico.

Simply this---this blogger in question SOLD the reputation and integrity of other bloggers just to get money. Do you understand this now? This is an issue of online graft and corruption. This only happens in mainstream media. Sadly, it is now creeping in the Pinoy blogosphere. And the reason for the post " The Genesis of Every Blogger Byte" and all other entries relating to this is very simple--cut this crap once and for all before this blogger institutionalizes this illegal and highly immoral activity.

Some would argue, what's wrong with having a living as a blogger? Nothing. If you are a member of ADSENSE, NUFFNANG, BLOGBANK, REVIEWME, you don't have to worry. There's nothing wrong, intrinsically, of what you're doing.

As what I discussed with a fellow blogger today, what's wrong is that if this guy sold you to another when you don't even know that he already sold and collected money using your name and reputation. Gets nio?

I also heard that a blogger also tried to allegedly scam his way in a popular blogger event. He reportedly made a shell company so that ad money is to be directed to this made up company instead of the organizing body. He was nearly slapped with a case but cooler heads prevailed.

Again, let me emphasize this:

1. If you want to earn money from your site, you may, for Heaven's sake! It's your life. It's your site. Do what you want with it for all I care. But, just don't use other bloggers' names for you to earn dough.

2. If you think compromising your principles is the way to go, go ahead. I'll not stop you. Who am I in the first place? It's your life. If you want to live like Joc-Joc Bolante or some other high profiled personality as a paid hack, go ahead. I'll not stop you. Think of my post as something to think about when you're probably old and withered.

The Genesis of Every Blogger Byte

I started blogging two years ago, with my maiden site http://redbluethoughts.today.com/. Like everybody else, it was a personal blog. It then blossomed into a socio-political commentary. I blog every so often; then this turned into a passion, then an obsession. The "tipping point" so to speak, was when Philippine Star columnist Carmen Pedrosa picked up one of my entries (it's about Soros) and got it published in its entirety in her column. It dawned on me that blogging is a serious activity; a tool to at least do my share in nation-building. Some other entries found their way in Philippine Daily Inquirer, Manila Bulletin and even foreign newspapers. Right now, this site is also making its rounds in coffee shops, OFW centers and of course, in that dark room called Kalayaan Hall.

Thus, New Philippine Revolution was born. NPR was my Sierra Madre, my Olympus, the apex of things I consider very important--the formation of the Filipino Nation. Thru this site, one is enabling people to empower themselves, not thru arms but through the lethal strength and power of Ideas.

Yes, NPR stands for new ideas. It stands for change and recommends new ideas to build this Nation and regain its former glory. Its ideals are being shared by a lot of Patricios; a brand name; a monopoly that is taking some root in the consciousness of regular commenters over at ANC Teleradyo. A lot of Patricios are springing in other places left and right. From the hinderlands of Ilocos to the breakwaters of Davao, people are becoming Patricios. And they are taking it seriously and raising their voices in newspapers and television shows. Credit goes to these new change agents who are creating history in their own backyards.

That prompted me, a writer named Patricio Mangubat, to expose myself in some blogger activity. Janet Toralba, that bundle of boundless energy, invited me to the 2008 MOst Influential Blog. I met Marck Rimorin (http://www.marocharimexperiment.com/) and Arbet (http://www.awbholdings.com/ ). Talking with Marck convinced me that there are still young minds out there who are concerned about what's happening to their country.

This led to my meeting Juned Sunido of baratillo.net, then Jen, then Flow, then JV Fernandez, then Markku Fernandez, then the other bloggers in this little planet called Pinoy Blogosphere. It was a delight meeting the Jester-in-Exile, a brilliant kid with a rock-solid nationalism. Talking with the Jester makes me all the more optimistic that things will become better in due time.

Jester and Marck are two wonderful young ones whose legacy online will be lasting way up to old age. I also admired the entrepreneurial nationalism of Jon Linjap, the wit of Cocoy, the sexy words of Caffeine Sparks and the in-your-face kind of blogging by Pau (a new blogger). It was also refreshing to discuss things with DJB.

I was surprised to even meet my former DZBB boss, Ding Gagelonia of http://midfield.wordpress.com/. It turned out that he was reading my pieces over here and at http://www.filipinovoices.com/ and he was unaware that his former protege was the guy behind PM. That started a relationship, a journey of partnership to rediscover life (we're not lovers, okey?). Ding is a passionate guy. Initially, I was asking myself what was Ding's personal "tipping point". I know Ding to be a MSM insider; what prompted this guy with a humongous intelligence to spend his time blogging and plurking? Why he so suddenly turned into a nationalist? Was it because he saw how dirty the system was when he worked for Erap as his Radyo Ng Bayan station manager? Was it when he saw those midnight meals, those high-stakes gambling being done in a supposed to be hallowed place called Malacanang? Or, was it because he's seeing filth turning into an institutionalized sticker under this present regime? Who knows. What's important, Ding is one sonafabitch (pardon my French) who will risk life and limb just to see a brighter and better future not only for his kids but for everybody's sake.

But, the one thing which Ding likes to share with me is his passion to make Smokes (Rom to many and blogs at http://smoketalk.blogspot.com/) appear. For Ding, Marck and Jester, seeing Rom in the flesh is a wonderful xmas gift.

So, the online revolution is reaping its fruits. People are slowly rising up. People are arming themselves with knowledge. Filipinos are proving to the world that we are not the people being described by this blogger calling himself BenigNo.

BenigNo is a poor anthithesis of Manolo Quezon III (http://www.quezon.com/) , a true-blue nationalist with royal blood running thru his veins. BenigNo promotes himself and lectures us with a poorly constructed paradigm that harms the intellect more than it nurtures new ideas. Manolo, meanwhile, analyzes using newer paradigms that cuts across a swath of smoking mirrors to reveal the hidden and naked reasons behind every historical action. As a historiographer myself, I relate to what Manolo is trying to say and find it juvenile to even give BenigNo a precious attention. Those who self-promote themselves obviously lack intelligence and self-confidence.

Having said that, I found it rather revolting to learn that some bloggers (I would not mention names here since I exercise ethics in this site) are selling themselves to the highest bidder. Yes, they are selling their very souls to corporate Public Relations practitioners (and Malacanang press operators). Worst, some blogger even sold their own colleagues to these reputation agents for reportedly a huge fee. A list supposedly exist, with the names of political and non-political bloggers and given to a politico who reportedly paid this blogger a huge sum.

Everybody who considers himself a member of the Pinoy blogosphere expected this to happen. Like any other field, there will be rotten ones who would corrupt and would offer the poisoned fruit. But, no one, expected it to happen so soon. People like Butch Dado and his lovely wife Noemi, Dang, Janet, JV and all others are trying their darnest best to keep the Pinoy Blogosphere clean as a whistle but this stupid ingrate tried to spoil everything.

YOU--YOU KNOW WHAT YOU DID--SHAME ON YOU! Shame that you sold your very soul to the highest bidder. Shame that you even sold your friends, telling politicos and marketing managers that you own them when you know in your heart that you don't own anyone. Bloggers are not commodities. We are not for sale!

To my fellow bloggers, hear my plea---MAKE THE PHILIPPINE BLOGOSPHERE CLEAN. DON'T ALLOW THIS HALLOWED PLACE OF FREE EXPRESSION BE CORRUPTED BY CORPORATE SPONSORSHIPS, POLITICAL OPERATORS AND WHAT HAVE YOU. WE MUST POLICE OUR RANKS. WE MUST STAY CLEAR OF PEOPLE WHO USE US JUST TO PROMOTE A DEFECTIVE PRODUCT, DEFEND A DIRTY POLITICIAN OR DESTROY REPUTATIONS.

BLOGGERS ARE PURE SOULS. BLOGGING IS SACRED. BLOGGING IS THE TRUEST EXPRESSION OF THE SELF. BLOGGING IS OUR "I".

THOSE WHO SOLD THEIR SOULS SHOULD EXPECT THEIR DEATHS VERY SOON. AND I MEAN SOON. (THAT'S FIGURATIVE, FOOL!)

My take on the Bloggers vs. Trad Media Thing

First, do bloggers need gatekeepers? Answer, no. By the very nature of blogging as a journal we don't need an editor, unlike those in the mainstream media.

Second, is the lack of a gatekeeper the primary reason why traditional media practitioners don't consider us a part of the media industry? Yes. The statements of some journalists about the lack of gatekeepers are being used to delimit or even marginalize our important part in the information environment.

Third, is the lack of a gatekeeper a justifiable ration d'etre for bloggers not to be classified as true journalists? No. Bloggers are your online opinion-makers, your columnists, your influencers, your 3rd party endorsers even.

Fourth, is the blogsphere media? Yes, the blogsphere is media because it fits with the elements and description of a media outlet, especially since it has its own loyal audience.

Lastly, a blogger who's a bonafide member of the blogsphere, of this New Media, can he be considered a journalist? Yes. A journalist is one who professionally writes on what's happening in an outlet, either print or electronic media.

If a blogger, for example, writes due to his passion, can he then be classified as a journalist? Some would say, no, because he's not being paid to write articles for a living. Point to me a journalist that is not paid to write by his publication or a network. So, is a passionate foodie blogger or a tech blogger who writes for free and is not paid, will he be considered a journalist?

Yes, by all means, yes. Why? Because the money aspect is irrelevant. A blogger, like a journalist, is a writer. Whether he writes for money or his passion is irrelevant. A blogger has an outlet to express his thoughts, his observations, like a journalist.

So, those who castigate and belittle the blogger, think again. The blogger is the newest evolution of the journalist. He is the latest version of your everyday journalist. He writes because he loves writing. He observes because he loves to express what he feels, what he sees, what he hears. He's not only a citizen journalist.

In fact, the blogger is more than your ordinary journalist.

A blogger is your purest journalist because he writes without compromise. He is the purest of the pure. He competes with himself and does not write due to profit. No.

The blogger is your true journalist.