How seriously can we take anonymous bloggers?
January 22nd, 2007 gier Posted in Rant | 15 Comments »
Over the weekend, while skimming the blogs, I took a visit to SiPM, the blog of the cyber virtual political party (maya) of Malaysia. I thought that their 20th Jan entry, written by mamak Mydeen was particularly good. And therein lies the problem. It was the sort of post that makes reading blogs worthwhile, because you reckon you actually learn a thing or two, and yet, I had this hang up because I have absolutely no idea who these cyber virtual people are.
I mean, see Malik Imtiaz’s entry on his blog today. He explained rather well his point of view regarding defamation suits and “the crucial role that blogging plays in socio-political Malaysia and in nation building efforts”. Take Marina Mahathir’s 19th January post, Bloggers Fight Back! and the comments therein (which included mamak Mydeen’s). Good discussions, well thought out (to the extent that off-the-cuff comments can be). The common thing about those blogs and their bloggers are that we know exactly who they are. It brings a greater level of trust and credibility … no, it doesn’t actually. Not exactly trust and credibility. I think respect is a better word because we can appreciate that they’re sticking their necks out. With that respect, we have a tendency to accord more credibility to their posts, unless it’s that crazy nutter, Amir Hafizi who can and do write some side splittingly funny posts.
So, back to SiPM. I like their entries (not that that means much) but I just bloody wish that they’re not anonymous. This is because we need to have more intelligent commentary by people that we can identify with. The whole “healthy blogosphere” bollocks would be much healthier that way. So that, within the Internet there are also checks and balances. So that, for example, when the likes of Jeff Ooi occasionally behave like a pompous, preening, self-promoting prick, there’d be others to bring him back down to earth to continue whatever good work he’d been doing. Or when the Machai flers (who seem to have anonymously given up) talk out of their bottoms more than usual, they can get the crap shoved up again.
I get the fact that SiPM can be satire, parody, ekcetera. However, satire and parody don’t necessarily have to be anonymous. Btw, I suspect that the degrees of separation between me and the SiPM lords and ladies is less than six.
January 22nd, 2007 at 15:21
I don’t know about the other guys and the lady but I rather remain anomymous.
I believe there is a strong romanticism by being anonymous.
My favourite anonymous hero is not Batman, but the Sarlet Pimpernel…
“‘We seek him here, we seek him there,
Those Frenchies seek him everywhere.
Is he in heaven?
—Is he in hell?
That demmed, elusive Pimpernel.”
—Sir Percy Blakeney (ch.12)”
Six degrees of separation eh? You seem to sure… if it is six degrees let it remain at that :)
January 22nd, 2007 at 17:55
My gier dear,
SiPM is a virtual party. We make that clear. Mydeen was told that in the virtual world, you’re judged by what you say and the value of that. Nothing less, nothing more.
To equate that with who we are would influence the message, coloured by people’s positive and negative perceptions of us. Dek Mat, Tatak Sombong, Mat Merah, YB Maya Minah Black and Mydeen Aboo Backer will only be judged by our thoughts, opinions and writings.
As you’ve noted, identity doesn’t bring credibility. Respect however should be given on content and message. That is the be all and end all.
And Mydeen always serves his tea at 82°C consistently. His customers like it that way.
January 22nd, 2007 at 18:13
Thank you for praising the efforts of Brother Mydeen Aboo Backer. He is busy supervising for the evening tea break and has to prepare the nasi lemak. The roti canai is another matter but Alhamdullilah the factory makes it though with less eggs than we would.
But Dek Mat is right, we prefer the anonymity. What we write is what and who we are, does it matter what our parents actually named us. We just think the Internet could do with some common sense, which is itself uncommon. Yes, we are uncommon too.
See you at Mydeen’s.
January 22nd, 2007 at 18:21
eh dude… mat merah tried to comment but nothing came up upon refreshing the screen… you’re not categorising us as spam like kickdefella are you? ;)
January 22nd, 2007 at 18:22
sigh even i can’t comment now :(
January 22nd, 2007 at 20:44
Thank you for praising the efforts of Brother Mydeen Aboo Backer. He is busy supervising for the evening tea break and has to prepare the nasi lemak. The roti canai is another matter but Alhamdullilah the factory makes it though with less eggs than we would.
But Dek Mat is right, we prefer the anonymity. What we write is what and who we are, does it matter what our parents actually named us. We just think the Internet could do with some common sense, which is itself uncommon. Yes, we are uncommon too.
See you at Mydeen’s.
P.S. I think we boys from SiPM’s comments are loading up your spam box.. can you check pls?
January 23rd, 2007 at 11:26
thanks for unspamming us!
January 23rd, 2007 at 15:38
Mydeen wrote:
To equate that with who we are would influence the message, coloured by people’s positive and negative perceptions of us. Dek Mat, Tatak Sombong, Mat Merah, YB Maya Minah Black and Mydeen Aboo Backer will only be judged by our thoughts, opinions and writings.
Fair enough, but perceptions are important in defining the message, to a certain extent. And further, hiding behind the mask of anonymity (Scarlet Pimples or otherwise) can also manage to colour one\’s perception. In this case, my perception is that you are abrogating your responsibility for your own words. Which is a shame, because the message that you are trying to put across, imho, is important.
It\’s more than just the message. The messenger him/herself bears a message, which at the very least says that he or she is willing to stand up and be counted.
Mat Merah further wrote:
But Dek Mat is right, we prefer the anonymity. What we write is what and who we are, does it matter what our parents actually named us. We just think the Internet could do with some common sense, which is itself uncommon. Yes, we are uncommon too.
FWIW, I agree with what you say, that there sometimes seem to be a surfeit of common sense on the Internet (and specifically the Malaysian \”socio-political
pundekpunditry\” space), which is why when I read your posts and find them to be different, I keep wishing that you guys weren\’t hiding behind pseudonyms.But then again, I\’m willing to allow that this might be the most sensible approach for you guys. Horses for courses and all that.
Bloggers Disunite!
January 23rd, 2007 at 16:13
bloody eejit wordpress, escaping the damn apostrophes and quotes. got to figure that one out.
January 23rd, 2007 at 20:23
gier wrote:
Which is a shame, because the message that you are trying to put across, imho, is important.
Thank you, my gier dear. Then let the messsage speak for itself. The messenger is nothing but a vessel, a machine if you will, which bears the message.
Once again, thank you for your kind words. We will keep it close to us.
January 24th, 2007 at 17:17
Wow. Most comments. Evar.
February 5th, 2007 at 0:10
My, an incestious love affair going on here. My guess is mentera n sipm are same pppl. Then write love notes to each othr
February 6th, 2007 at 18:16
zeinza
if we are the same people how could it be incestuous?
the word is ‘wanking’.
;)
February 6th, 2007 at 18:22
Hahahahaha…. Wanking eh? That small town in China where they greet each other by pumping each others….er whatever!
‘Tis mental masturbation but what is significant is the attention to form and not substance, such a Malaysian malaise and affliction.
Oh…gotta go shake a tail feather now!
February 6th, 2007 at 19:10
Bangsar has wan King. All hail.