A blog about blogs
It’s been a year since I started this blog, ‘Refleksi
Minda‘. I have posted 42 entries and have received 42 comments from various
people. I do not have a timeframe for the posting of an entry, I basically
write whenever I feel like it.
And when I first started out, I didn’t expect anyone to actually read my
ramblings. And I still do not think a lot of people do, which is fine by me. As
I’ve stated in my very first entry, ‘Much Ado About A Blog‘, the reason
that I started blogging is because I have too many opinions of matters which I
do not want to just keep to myself. As such, I wish to share with others who
are willing to hear, so to speak.
Blogging is a widespread internet phenomenon. According to Wikipedia, a blog is
a;
‘type of website where entries are made (such as in a journal
or diary), displayed in a reverse chronological order.
Blogs often provide commentary or news on a particular
subject, such as food, politics, or local news; some function as more personal online
diaries.’
The role of blogs have become increasingly mainstream. According to Wikipedia,
even ‘political consultants, news services and candidates use them as tools
for outreach and opinion forming.’ Even some politicians have started using
blogs to bond with their constituents. Recently, even Iran’s President, Mr.
Mahmood Ahmedinejad has started his own blog,
promising to keep his entries shorter in the future! (it is too long, Mr.
Ahmedinejad, oh and a suggestion, why don’t you use bigger fonts?).
Blogs are even used for corporate purposes, either to enhance communication and
culture in a corporation or externally for branding and marketing purposes.
And blogs transcends all types of genres. There’s blogs about travels. Blogs
about politics. Blogs about entertainment. Blogs about adult entertainment.
Blogs about food. Anything that people can write, people will blog. It’s
another way in which the internet is redefining the notion of space and
distance, the world, indeed, is truly getting smaller.
And the practice of blogging has not escaped our fair nation. Many Malaysians
now take to blogging, either blogging about themselves in online diaries
(surely an oxymoron, as diaries are traditionally supposed to be personal) or
as a forum to voice their views on a subject. I myself fall in the latter
category, I try my best to keep my entries as impersonal as possible, perhaps
because my own personal life is not interesting enough for me to share with
other people.
But for those who do enjoy reading about people’s lives (and there’s absolutely
nothing wrong with that), there are a great many of these types of blogs made
by Malaysians. You would be able to know what Malaysian Girl A’s boyfriend gave
her for her birthday. You would know what Malaysian Guy B thinks about his
upcoming exams. Or how many languages Malaysian Guy C knows how to say ‘I
love you‘ in. Or what Malaysian Girl D thinks of her work experiences. It’s
can sometimes be very absorbing reading other people’s personal blogs, it’s a
way for one to get to know a person that little bit better.
Of course, these types of blogs do not garner a lot of audience. And they’re not meant to be, their purpose is to share experiences between friends and family, a way of keeping in touch when distance and circumstances make it hard to do so.
There more popular blogs by Malaysians exist, of course. Jeff Ooi’s ‘Screenshots‘ is widely considered to be the most influential blog in Malaysia. Mack Zulkifli’s ‘Brand New Malaysian‘ is pretty popular as well, although he has stopped blogging recently due to some reason. At one point, the Datin Diaries was also popular. Paul Tan’s blog is popular with car enthusiasts. Patrick Teoh has a blog, infused with his trademark humour. So does Afdlin Shauki and even Lim Kit Siang. On the government side, this person seem to be the only MP who has a blog.
More and more Malaysians are finding ways to express themselves on the net. And with such a diverse range of opinions, there are bound to be those that fall foul with our current government. Indeed, there is no greater way to spread information that through the medium of the internet. And with the increasing prominence of blogging amongst Malaysians, it is just a matter of time before certain quarters in the government would call for greater control in the Malaysian blogsphere. ‘Blog perlu dikawal’, says Information Minister Zainuddin Maidin.
If efforts have gone underway, then it is my opinion that it would be futile. Trying to control the internet is like trying to dictate the ebb and tide of the ocean; it cannot be done. And it shouldn’t be done. If our mainstream media is not independant, then the internet would be the last bastion. Without it, we would constantly be fed with news and opinions that cater more to one side of the fence.
Of course, like anything, blogging has its evil face. For every well-informed, objective criticism and opinion, there are those that uncivilised, insensitive and harming. Yet how do we separate the two? How is the government able to justify taking action on a blog which maintains constructive criticism and those that do not? The fear is of course that any blog which purports to criticize the government, whether unfounded or not, would be shut down, all for the ’sake of the nation’.
I’m not saying that this will inevitably happen. I do have some faith in our government, whatever my views on them may be. Yet the fear will always be there and I do not want risk it.
And even if there are efforts to do so, as I’ve said earlier, it would be futile. When one site is shut down, another will spring up in its place. No one can control the internet.
Ultimately, I think the best course of action is to fight fire with fire. If the government thinks that a blog is seditious, fight it the same way. Create a blog in response of that blog, or post a comment on the blog explaining the situation. By doing such, the government would also be able to interact directly with the people in a medium most familiar to them.
I also think that we should have more faith in our people. We’re not the backwards, ill-informed people that we were. Right now, Malaysians, more than ever, can consider themselves to be informed citizens of the world. A right thinking Malaysian will know how to weigh the good from the bad. And as for a Malaysian on the other side of the coin? Well I believe that people read and believe whatever they want to read or believe. An uncivilised person, who is harmful to the country will always be such. No amount of debate, explanation or whatever will change them. They will remain that way, regardless as to whether they read or write blogs or not.
Lastly, to those who have at any point within the last year who have read, or still read my two cents worth of ramblings, a heartfelt thank you. It’s nice when you know someone reads your opinions, even though perhaps in the end, they only come from a humble, 23 year old Malaysian who knows very little.
