Two bloggers-against-bloggers issues have cropped up over the past week, namely, the Carl Ocab issue, which I’ve blogged, and a second issue about Janette Toral’s alleged misrepresentation of the Philippine blogosphere during her presentation at a certain conference.
While I don’t have a real stand as to the validity of these accusations or otherwise, I am starting to have the impression that there is this insider crowd — a clique, that one has to please, in the local blogosphere.
Connie Veneracion affirms my impression when she asks, with regards to the Carl Ocab issue, by which group’s standards Noemi Dado questions Carl Ocab’s legitimacy:
Now, I ask: Which community? What is “acceptable� The truth is, bloggers and other web site publishers willing to adhere to strict ethical standards constitute a minority. Surf the web. I do it everyday and guess what? The assholes far outnumber the good guys. Splogs, rip-offs, “manual aggregators†living off other bloggers’ content, parked domains and so-so blogs without substantial content put up for no other reason than to steal keywords and page ranks from legitimate sites, AND TO SERVE GOOGLE ADS, are all part of the norm.
So, which community, Noemi? Your personal circle of blogger-friends? Whose standards of “acceptability�[The Mommy Journals]
Reading further on the comment thread that ensues will give you a deeper insight as to just how serious the matter has gone.
If that isn’t enough, Gibbs Cadiz launches his own tirades against Jayvee Fernandez’s accusations on the Jannette Toral matter, wherein he states that Jayvee was merely infuriated that Janette cited her own projects without citing the projects of the “IN group”:
Now that an interloper deigns to encroach on territory you think is yours by entitlement, there is only bad faith involved. But no worries, of course, it’s a wrinkle that can be easily resolved with one simple gesture, if we parse your parting shot correctly. Next time, Ms. Toral or others of her stripe should be humble enough to receive guidance and tutorship from you before mouthing off.
[...]
Datu, a commenter in your blog, is right. This is nothing less than the Mafia, a “barkada of sorts where if you’re not part of the IN group, you get hammered for anything and everything under the sun that they can attack you with.” People like us who weren’t there at the Glorious Beginning are now saddled with rules promulgated by the gods of local blogging. [Gibbs Cadiz]
It is disturbing as it appears that this insider crowd is trying to assert some sort of authority when it comes to blogging. Ironic, because blogging is an intimately personal activity, to say the least. There are no experts and authorities here — that’s what makes it fun. That’s what makes it worthwhile.
Do I have to worry when, say, five years from now my daughter launches a blog when she is 7 years old and her English appears impeccable, which isn’t far from impossible because she exhibits a very good command at the language at merely 2 and a half years old?
Do I have to worry when, say, I speak to a group of people about blogging (I already have) and I do not cite certain bloggers or blogging projects other than those that I know closely of, or were started by me?
Are there “powers that be” in the Philippine blogosphere whose nods I have to earn everytime I do something that can be remotely considered as a ‘big deal’ in blogging?
Does this mafia exist?
Please tell me they don’t. Please assure me that they don’t.
48 responses so far ↓
1 Eugene // Aug 15, 2007 at 2:45 pm
I’m not a close friend to any of the other bloggers, though I am acquaintances with a lot of them. And as an observer and participant in the local blogosphere, I can honestly say that there is no mafia.
I think that Jayvee *was* being too sensitive when he felt “misrepresented” though I completely understand his point, but Gibbs’ assertion is stretching it too far already. The seemingly cliquish behavior is not really cliquish at all.
2 cocoy // Aug 15, 2007 at 2:57 pm
ah politics, guess it’s human nature in action.
you know i always go with the rule of thumb “build it and they’ll come”.
after all, does this mean, if there was a mafia… google becomes irrelevant?
anyway, people can always tell what is crap or not or what they like or not. you said it yourself: no experts here. our epoch now is… indie is in.
3 Toni // Aug 15, 2007 at 3:24 pm
You know the saying: There are no tyrants where there are no slaves.
You have a blog. You have the power. Let the “powers that be” cringe as they slowly realize their relentlessly fading influence in the blogosphere.
They might be the “parents” of Pinoy blogging, but that was just a fortunate function of being someplace at some early point in time.
But just as parents have to come to grips with the reality of quickly maturing “children”, so too does this “mafia” have to learn to give way to the youngblood of Pinoy blogging (or whatever term it may morph into in the future).
Ngayon, does this mafia exist? Oh, most definitely! But only in their minds, and only for a rapidly dwindling amount of time. 3… 2… 1…
The harder they feebly cling to immortality, the faster they’ll come face to face with their own e-mortality.
4 Jon Limjap // Aug 15, 2007 at 3:56 pm
@Eugene,
Lahat naman ng tao mabait when you know them personally. At least that’s my experience :p
After all has been said and done, Noemi stretched some things, Connie stretched some things, Jayvee stretched some other things, Gibbs stretched it further too. No wonder it went too far.
@cocoy,
Ah, true! Kahit nga sa plastic scale model club namin may pulitika, may breakaway group!
But as you said: indie is in!
Anti-establishment rules? LOL
@Toni
You sound like you have your own story to tell. :p Wala ka bang blog?
5 Toni // Aug 15, 2007 at 4:35 pm
Naku… malapit na akong mabuking ni Jon! =D
6 Jon Limjap // Aug 15, 2007 at 4:54 pm
toni,
Your IP reveals that you are somewhere.. south. Diklap, ikaw ba yan?
7 Two fronts « The Lonely Vampire Chronicles // Aug 15, 2007 at 5:30 pm
[...] who? ‘Misrepresents,’ my foot Dealing with hurting people (that hurt people) Do I have to worry about a mafia in the Philippine blogosphere? Poignant Criticism and criticism (Will update this list when I get to find new posts.) Hey, you [...]
8 Juned // Aug 15, 2007 at 5:46 pm
Anytime you post something its open to comment and criticism. The style and manner maybe different. It may round-about, subtle or confrontational but its there. And you might be misunderstood or understood fully as well. The thing is have the talk going its discourse.
Mafia it was not orchestrated effort to critic or even attak Janette. A person just posted his opinion and reacted to it. If that is a mafia and then every blog around is a potential mob.
9 sparks // Aug 15, 2007 at 8:58 pm
i miss the old days…tahimik pa noon. eto ba ang resulta ng pro-blogging? since you want your blog to make money you need to be popular…and being popular means pleasing the (supposed) powers that be? tsk tsk tsk. wag naman.
10 Eugene // Aug 15, 2007 at 9:18 pm
Oh, by the way, to correct a misconception: Connie is actually one of the pioneers of the Philippine blogosphere. Not Yuga. Not Jayvee. Not Noemi.
11 Jon Limjap // Aug 15, 2007 at 10:05 pm
@Juned,
I wonder if that means we have to fend for ourselves. Is the wild wild west better than than the glamorous 30s? Hehe.
@sparks,
I don’t know with you but, while I’d be lying if I said that I don’t care if my blog were popular, neither do I care if my opinion were unpopular.
Maybe this IS the real reason I haven’t put any Google Adsense on my blog.
@Eugene,
I am aware Connie is one of the pioneers, although I’m not sure how identifying her as *the* pioneer is relevant in this issue.
Perhaps, she IS the blogging god that Noemi displeased?
12 Juned // Aug 15, 2007 at 10:43 pm
@Jon, We have to start with ourselves. In the movie About A Boy the term no man is an Island was talked about a lot. And the main character declared he was an island he was Ibiza. In the end he did say he was still an Island but now he had other islands around him.
The Wild West or the The Roaring 30s I would prefer the age where indoor plumbing was in use
13 Eugene // Aug 15, 2007 at 10:56 pm
@Jon, I just stated that to counter wordings like “People like us who weren’t there at the Glorious Beginning” and “They might be the ‘parents’ of Pinoy blogging, but that was just a fortunate function of being someplace at some early point in time.” Valid grievances need not be saddled with those kinds of impressions.
14 Jon Limjap // Aug 15, 2007 at 11:19 pm
@Juned,
Plumbing or no plumbing, it’s best that every blogger polish, clean, and practice shooting their guns — their writing prowess — lock, stock and barrel, to defend ourselves from any mafia that might eventually wish to wrest control over blogosphere
@Eugene,
Ah, then perhaps I was mistaken in including those statements in my quote.
Maybe you should point that out to Gibbs Cadiz then.
15 andianka // Aug 15, 2007 at 11:41 pm
mafia or not, i don’t think we should be worried if there are pretend God’s within our blogosphere. let’s all go back to basic where we blog to entertain, to express, and disregard the rest. people will comment, they will give their opinion, but NO ONE will ever have control over us, especially if we don’t let them.
16 Jon Limjap // Aug 16, 2007 at 6:26 am
@andianka
“especially if we don’t let them.”
Rightly so. I could rephrase that to “especially if we don’t let ourselves go their way.”
And that means keeping ourselves from being self absorbed and overwhelmed by our readership and “influence”.
17 joyfulchicken // Aug 16, 2007 at 6:29 am
Yes, a mafia does exist, and everyone should bow down to it. Yay! >:)
OK, I guess I’m biased.
18 Jon Limjap // Aug 16, 2007 at 7:37 am
joyfulchicken,
I knew it! The Mafia are chickens! LOL.
19 Now What, Cat? » Blog Archive » Demographic profiling in marketing-when blogging gods don’t agree // Aug 16, 2007 at 11:28 am
[...] I got wind of this mispresentation- of- the- presenter- in- her- presentation issue from kapenilattex. [...]
20 ems // Aug 16, 2007 at 2:23 pm
grabe Jon matagal ko ng gustong mag blog tungkol dito. Pero wala akong panahon sa mga seryosong at sensical entries hahaha
pareho tayo ng sentiments (if I understood you correctly hahaha)… Please lang.. sana nga walang mafia. Parang ewan talaga dito, pati ba naman blogsphere eh may pulitika na din.
Pero sa totoo lang, kaya maraming nag blo blog kasi eto ang outlet nila. Wala lang gusto lang nila (parang ako). At hindi naman kailangan maging sobrang philosophical at intellectual ang mga entries. Kung hindi, ano ito, dyaryo? Libro?
hay naku. medyo asar lang ako sa mga ibang tao na sobrang makapag comment sa mga ibang blogsites (kahit wala pang sense yun mga sites na yun) na para bang ang galing galing nila. And why they do that? They want to hail their own blog sites. They want to be popular. they want to be “in the mafia” so to speak.
Sorry but that’s how i feel. pati blogspehre nagiging politics and cliques na din
21 Jon Limjap // Aug 16, 2007 at 3:57 pm
ems,
Sa tingin ko as long as people come together hindi talaga maaalis yung pulitika. Especially when the subject involves money — napakaraming blogs na may adsense. Napakaraming blogs na nag-aagawan ng traffic. Kapag may usapang pera na, ayan, pulitika na.
As for the comments, well, that really depends on the relevance of their comments. Kahit na napakayabang ng dating nung comment, kung may sense naman, walang kaso. Kung walang sense — well, kaya nga ako nagmomoderate ng comments eh!
Punta ka dun sa Taste Asia event sa Aug 23. Let’s check out the blogosphere, see it for ourselves in person.
22 benj // Aug 16, 2007 at 4:30 pm
^ Oh, by the way, classmate ko pala HS classmate mo - si Vince Varilla.
Uy, punta karing Taste Asia?
I think we could compare this to the opium trade.
Back in the day, the Chinese were contented with the life they were living. Then came the Spaniards and Brits who introduced them to opium.
It’s just like the blogosphere. In the beginning, people blogged for themselves. A few parties, events and freebies later, they’ve assimilated the culture. And it’s so hard to quit and divorce oneself from it.
23 Jon Limjap // Aug 16, 2007 at 4:51 pm
benj,
Yep, I’ll be there.
Ikumusta mo ko kay Vince.
Blogging as the opium for the… bourgeoisie? And what would blogger Hong Kong be?
See you at the parteeh!
24 benj // Aug 16, 2007 at 5:13 pm
Close ba kayo ni Vince?
His mom is confined at PGH now.
25 Bob // Aug 16, 2007 at 5:52 pm
wow. look what a 2-yr hiatus can do. been back to blogging for only 2 months and little did I know may ganito na pala. What happens to blogging being “personal”?
Showbiz na din ba ang pagbablog? Where do I audition?
26 benj // Aug 16, 2007 at 6:08 pm
And oh, for more references to how badly the mafia responds to similar incidents, refer to my blog (last week of March - first week of April).
27 tutubi // Aug 16, 2007 at 6:47 pm
blog mafia? hmmmm….
meron na ba talaga at now ko lang nalaman? or was i busy blogging in my own small world?
28 sparks // Aug 16, 2007 at 8:15 pm
jon,
i think we need to distinguish between the need to be “acknowledged” and the need to be “popular.” i’m sure we both blog for the same reasons, to put our 2 cents worth and to be acknowledged for it.
29 ems // Aug 16, 2007 at 8:34 pm
Jon, im not referring to comments sa blog. i was referring to people who undermine other bloggers… dahil sa opinyon nila walang kwenta yun blog ng iba …
gaya nga ng sabi mo, kaya nag eenjoy ang mga tao sa pag blo blog dahil walang pulis, walang rules, walang authority. and kaya din blog which means “web log” or web diary so to speak. so hindi ko maintindihan bakit kailangan pang mamintas ng ibang blog dahil ba feeling nila eh napaka may kwenta ng blog nila? Kahit na may kwenta pa, nawawalan ng kwenta yun blog na yun sa paningin ko dahil sa kayabangan. Alam mo naman number 1 kong kalaban yan kayabangan at feeling superior
May taste asia na naman? naku may pasok ako sa august 23. team lead na kasi role ko ngayon (totoong team lead hindi team lead lang sa pangalan hehehe) kaya hindi ako pwedeng mag absent ng mag absent, at super dami ng trabaho..
I hope I can join you guys too.. isipin mo nalang andun ako.. hahahaha!
Miss ya! teka d ko pa nakikita ang inaanak ko. Pa email ako ng sketch sa bahay niyo baka mabisita ko sya sometime in September. Ill let you know ahead of time naman.
30 ems // Aug 16, 2007 at 8:38 pm
And yun complete address mo na din… who knows *wink*
31 Jon Limjap // Aug 17, 2007 at 6:37 am
@benj,
Di kami close ni Vince, pero sabihin mo sa kanya na if ever he needs help and support he could contact me or any of our batchmates. Nagkakausap pa naman sa yahoogroups ang batch namin.
@tutubi,
It’s okay to mind your own world. It was meant to be that way anyway.
@sparks,
Ah, but alas, some people do blog to be popular. Meron mga blogs dyan puro buhatan lang ng bangko ang nangyayari. Tipong, tight circle of bloggers tapos nagco-commentan sila on each other.
They never argue online. They never freely argue the points raised in their respective posts, probably not unless they were agreeing to what has been stated, which translates to nothing more than that — buhatan ng bangko.
Nabibilaukan ako kapag nagbabasa ako ng mga blog na ganun.
@ems,
Yun nga ang nakakaasar sa nangyaring ito eh. When one raises a blog-vs.-blog or “my blog is bigger than your blog” argument, there is no real issue: all it becomes is a pissing contest.
The same happens when one questions the legitimacy of a blog, or worse, the legitimacy of the blog author. All of us are valid authors here, and at the same time all of us are editors of our own blogs.
Hindi na kailangan i-raise yung mga topics na yan, but rather, let the erring blogs either find its own niche audience (which won’t affect you) or fade into oblivion (which happens a lot anyway).
Email kita. :p Sayang naman kung di ka makapunta
Pero baka next post ko tungkol kay CJ ulet. 
32 Jon Limjap // Aug 17, 2007 at 6:42 am
@Bob,
Di ko alam kung san pwede mag-audition eh. Secretive daw ang mafia (not sure if it even exists). LOL
33 Shari // Aug 17, 2007 at 7:04 am
We’re all labels in this world called blogging. But I think hindi talaga mawawala ang pulitika sa kahit anong bagay. I’ve already realized this when I was jolted by the fact that there’s an existing Pinoy blogosphere pala. When I started “blogging” kasi, puro foreigners lang, bihira Pinoy. Even then, may mga existing cliques and dramas na. What more pa kaya ngayong unti-unting nagkakaroon ng so-called authority pagdating sa blogging dahil sa mga nago-organize ng events and contests?
Truth be told, I believe there is a mafia in the Philippine blogosphere. It may not be true, but because of the circumstances, it’s what I’m led to believe.
34 FOBCast Episode 3 - Blogarchy and Beatboxing : Mike Villar: Rising Internet Star // Aug 17, 2007 at 7:07 am
[...] Do I have to worry about a Mafia in the Philippine Blogosphere? Standard Podcast [3:15m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download podPressPlayerToLoad(’podPressPlayerSpace_63′, ‘mp3Player_63_0′, ‘300:30′, ‘http%3A%2F%2Fmikevillar.com%2Faudio%2Ffobcast-episode-3.mp3′); [...]
35 Jon Limjap // Aug 17, 2007 at 8:14 am
@Shari,
In the end the mafia might not be an intentionally created entity — but people can’t help but feel that way. Some friends of mine who opted not to comment here admitted to me they feel that way during some events. It doesn’t prove that there is a clique, a mafia, or an elite group out there though.
36 benj // Aug 17, 2007 at 8:49 am
Your stats are going off the roof, man. You got 10 unique hits from clicks through my site alone. Crazy.
2 weeks ago, you probably didn’t care about these things…
now, you’re at the brink of internet stardom! haha
37 Jon Limjap // Aug 17, 2007 at 10:54 am
@benj,
Me? Rising internet star(TM)? Don’t use the stardom word on me, that’s only for Mike Villar. LOL!
38 sparks // Aug 17, 2007 at 7:39 pm
jon,
ah talaga? hahaha. siguro hindi lang ako napapadpad sa mga blog nila. i guess i’m also cliquish…as in i choose to read blogs na may saysay. hehe.
39 ems // Aug 17, 2007 at 11:26 pm
@jon:
well yeah, kaya naman yung iba nakiki-ayon nalang sa mga ginagawa ng iba kahit naman alam nila sa sarili nila na hindi nila ugali yun para lang maisalba ang mga blogs nila. dahil ayaw nilang ang blog nila ay mag “fade into oblivion” heheheh
ewan ko siguro ako ang isang tao na mahirap ma bend ang mga prinsipyo at paniniwala ko. You know that Jon
and Id rather be different from others (kahit na wala pa sigurong mag comment sa mga entries sa blog ko) than to follow other’s people’s “ways”
so yeah, I agree that at the end of the day, this matter is about “personal choice”, and that if we don’t let others affect us, we will not fail.
So yeah (ulit), totoo ang sabi ni Toni na “There are no tyrants where there are no slaves”
40 R.O. // Aug 18, 2007 at 3:12 pm
ay, you dealt with this annoying issue na pala. :p
41 Jon Limjap // Aug 19, 2007 at 8:28 am
sparks,
Be happy na hindi ka napapadpad sa mga ganung blog.
not worth your time.
ems,
Yes I know that ems, and I admire that. I’d like to think that I’m like that as well. Kahit na lone wolf na lang — basta walang prinsipyong nababali.
Hindi yung naghahanapan ng kakampi.
R.O.,
Annoying indeed!
I’m glad it’s over. Or so I think.
42 PinoyBlogero.com » The Blogosphere: A Battlefield of Ideas and Opinions // Aug 20, 2007 at 5:06 pm
[...] Of False Imaginings Part 1 and Part 2 by Steve Misrepresent my foot by Gibbz Cadiz Poignant by Benj Do I have to worry about a mafia in the Philippine blogosphere? by Jon Limjap If Your Son is Attacked, Defend Him Fast, If You Must by Dine Racoma Should [...]
43 ems // Aug 24, 2007 at 11:16 pm
sorry d ko mapigilan hindi ipost ito dito
you may want to read this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6O6qzpiZkM
44 Connie // Aug 29, 2007 at 12:10 pm
“@sparks,
Ah, but alas, some people do blog to be popular. Meron mga blogs dyan puro buhatan lang ng bangko ang nangyayari. Tipong, tight circle of bloggers tapos nagco-commentan sila on each other.
They never argue online. They never freely argue the points raised in their respective posts, probably not unless they were agreeing to what has been stated, which translates to nothing more than that — buhatan ng bangko.
Nabibilaukan ako kapag nagbabasa ako ng mga blog na ganun.”
HAHAHAHAHA So you noticed that too. Sickening, isn’t it? More so when these very people start measuring their blogs’ popularity in terms of Technorati links and number of comments. LOL Even if the links are nothing more than enumerations of parties attended and the comments are just hi and hello.
45 Jon Limjap // Aug 29, 2007 at 12:47 pm
Connie,
Well, it’s difficult for bloggers not to focus on technorati trackbacks and links and comments when their primary concern is Adsense revenue.
If a person focuses too much on revenue rather than on content, they’ll focus more on personality cults and popularity rather than on issues. Then they start thinking of themselves as authorities when, in fact, all bloggers are created equal.
I don’t have anything against those parties (attended one recently myself in fact) but when a blog begins to become a “blog about blogging” or a PR ticket, then the blog becomes really really pointless. And disgusting.
46 Connie // Aug 30, 2007 at 12:38 pm
Hey, Jon, some bloggers glory in the title “PR blogger”. LOL
47 Jon Limjap // Aug 30, 2007 at 2:02 pm
Connie,
For the record, ikaw nagsabi niyan, hindi ako. LOL.
48 2007: The Year of Philippine Blog Events and Controversies | Prudence and Madness // Dec 27, 2007 at 2:49 pm
[...] conference. Gibbs had to comment about Jayvee saying these things. And Jon writes on having to worry about a blogging mafia in the Philippine blogosphere. In the end, everything’s settled. It’s when bloggers talk over things that matters [...]
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