As much as we have offline politics ongoing about ‘AP Kings’, we have our very own blogger politics taking place. Though not as serious that it might change the car import system, it’s right now at a stage where it’s hurting others. Topping that, the political debate are involving favored bloggers with their annonymous number of followers. Unlike during elections you can see supporters with bandanas or buttons, online its more of how each bloggers post let readers know who they are siding.
In case not many have been following the few pings on Project Petaling Street (PPS), many have written about the involvement of Kenny Sia and the elusive Sarong Party Girl at the recent Singapore blog conference. Yes, the same Sarong Party Girl (SPG) blogger that allegedly came out in the newspapers being branded as threat to our young readers.
If you recall the story of the nude SPG, it was questioning morality and heck, even questioning lawyers if such actions were allowed. And because Kenny frequents Singapore quite alot (I think he does), he attended the blog conference. I read his post about the experience before he took it down also because of the stir of politics. In it was the usual greatness of meeting fellow bloggers but the highlight is where the politcs began. He visually documented his meeting with the infamous SPG at the conference.
As far as I know, they snapped a few photos together and Kenny was being honest of his approach towards her as a person. Right now, I’m honestly not siding anyone because I refuse to get myself involved by saying who’s wrong or right.
Post edited after Minishort was banging me on the head with a chair. T_T
With that said, I think we have more than enough politics offline. Can we leave these kinda morality stuff to the bloggers themselves without involving others?
She has worked the entire blogosphere over with that battered chair *sob* *sniff* …so, you’re a web designer? Cool. Love your mini-portfolio.
whether online or offline, a blogger is a person blogging. and politics, be it APs and the entire gamut of political parties and their ideologies or morality issues, affects us all.
bloggers are not just unto themselves but are part of the world. blogging doesnt define oneself. character does.
as for kenny sia, he did what he did, blogged and put up a photo. so be it. thats his character. and if there are those who don’t like it, stop reading his blog. thats the choice.
pity he took it down. stay the course and withstand the criticisms that come. that builds one’s character.
funnily enough, listening to criticisms and taking action also does the same. either way, kenny sia now knows the limits of his audience. he can exceed it and lose the audience or meet the limit and keep his audience.
and that takes us to the next question? does one blog for oneself or for one’s audience? is this censorship?
maybe i should blog?
@Sotong:
thanks for the compliment. :) But I’m still aiming higher.
@TokDalang:
well, there’s been an endless discussion on who bloggers might be blogging for with exception of people who are being paid to blog for companies now.
As to the question of censorship, I hope we’ll see much change to our thinking. I read todays NST that we’re now looking to create ‘Glokal Malay’.
changing the mindsets and shifting the paradigms. those catchphrases has been done to death. be that as it may, yeah, it would great to see a change in thinking or rather, a broadening of the mindset.
one lives in hope. and how i wish kennysia would just stick to what he does best. writing and taking some nifty story-telling photographs. is that too much to ask?
meanwhile, glokal malays… now what is that about? was at the pwtc yesterday for the umno pre-council. think it will be sometime before “glokalisasi” happens though that would be impolitic to mention, you think?
oh yes, nice webdesign. cheers
Ah well, I’ll leave the politics to bloggers like Mack or Jeff. I’ll just stick to my own niche. :)
Thanks for the compliment. Cheers.
It’s interesting that most blogs I read said Kenny should have stuck to his guns & not removed the post/photo. The thing is: bloggers complain that the traditional news media always portrays them negatively or ignores them altogether, but they don’t realise that something like this could bring in even more negative publicity to the community as a whole. If Kenny had not taken down the post/photo, the story would have been much bigger than a tiny 3-paragraph blurb on page 29 of yesterday’s paper. Those who decry Kenny for giving in to pressure and surrendering his right to “free speech” don’t realise that his actions have actually helped to sort of safeguard the community as a whole — till the next dust-up, of course.
Well, I guess Kenny should’ve emailed the media if there would be any misunderstanding later. He could post the same email on his blog too if he wanted to prove that he did take action. Bloggers should be bolder towards print media if anything did go wrong. Even on LY forums now, a mod or staff might be emailing Computimes to clear ‘some subtle’ misunderstandings later. :)
ok