When I first heard of
The Association of Bloggers (Singapore), being a blogger and a typical Singaporean... my first instinct was - I have to be a part of this!
But looking at it now, I can't help but ask myself - Why would I want to be a part of this? What's in it for ME?
And quite honestly, the answer right now is... nothing!
I'm under the impression that the ABS is somewhat like a workers union - to protect bloggers who associate themselves with this entity- only doing it under a grander (or stupid, the choice is yours) sounding name.
But do I need protecting? Am I not able to self regulate? Must I be part of a collective to be safe/successful?
And even so... Why should being a part of an association suddenly give me the privilege to just say anything I want on my blog (political or otherwise)?
And who exactly are these people running this association? Would I really I want to be associated with something that is set up and run by a clique of people with not much credentials and resource.
My blog is my labour of love. It is a big part of my identity. Why would I even need to be part of an association to validify my existence as a blogger of any worth?
Scratching below the surface, could this really be just a bunch of people capitalising on societies' natural tendency to want to belong to something... the herd mentality? (I am not stating anything, merely asking for your opinions.)
Somehow... for the average blogger like me, I feel that there is a no win situation here. I don't want to be part of either camps. I just want to be myself.
OK.. maybe it's too early to criticize... and some months down the road... I might have to eat humble pie and tap on the doors of ABS begging them to accept my $110 which would allow me to be associated with them.
Good thing I have a rich boyfriend eh?
(The last line above was in jest, please don't bombard me with emails screaming that I am with my BF cos of $$$. Have a sense of humour ok)
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Update at 12.40pm
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OK.. this is getting interesting. I was poking around for information on ABS. And look what I found.
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Apparently, on top of the membership fees... they have now casually mentioned that you need an "invite" to join this association.. and it has to be
approved by the "council".
And when queried about their selection criteria, they(she) said "We have a list :)"
Is it just me... or is this sounding more and more like a petty attempt at being elitist and exclusive. Would it be a surprise if that list went like -
People to be invited : number 1. me, 2. my friends who make up my council 3. my boyfriend, 4. the man from the yogurt shop that gives me discounts, 5. popular bloggers whom I can use to elevate the elitist status of my club
Something tells me it's going to be a cliquish - I don't like the way you look at me so you can't join my club! - type of association.
How are they ever going to make the changes they propose and create the waves (in the blogging scene) they dream of if their base intentions are so akin to that of a bunch of cliquish high school girls? I shudder at the thought.
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Another Update
CLICK here for link to article in TheNewPaper regarding wat bloggers ( including moi) think abt the association.
LOL... I find the Association a stupid thing. Why let yourself regulated by other ppl especially when a blog's a person's identity?
ReplyDeleteNo one wants to be told what he/she can or cannot do. And when we step out of the 'boundaries' they set, what will happen? I think it's just some people's way of trying to glorify themselves and try to make everyone conform to what they want. Anyway, I'm a Malaysian so I don't really care anyway. LOL
hey, thx for dropping by. Yeah, I don't think its gaining much ground now, nor will it in the foreseeable future. With an association and "standards", blogging will lose its original intent of expressing individuals' thoughts!
ReplyDeleteIt's just an assoc and anybody can form one. It's just to vest enough power to make people in awe.
ReplyDeleteits a waste of time and $$$ oso
ReplyDeleteto me ABS is going to be a blud of elites?
i dunnoe seriously speaking doesn;t sound as a casual group but more of a 'club membership' kinda thing?
oh well XD
even if it were free i would not join... it's just a popularity contest!
ReplyDelete"We have a list"
ReplyDeleteWah, it sounded like those tea parties of the whiter-than-white party.
I think that there are two lists, one to invite and one to reject.
woooo... a list of who's naughty and nice... compiled and approved by The President, i assume?
ReplyDeleteThe problem with the Association of Bloggers is started by a group with no credibility. The President ECL is a controversial person and there are two members who run a blog ad network called Blog2u, and they have a competitor called Nuffnang, where none of the bloggers there are involved.
ReplyDeleteHaving an invitation list doesn't make a blog association, more like a group of gangsters to act united when others are doing it without standing on anyone's side. Well, in the end this will go no where. HJ, $110 a year is hell A LOT okie? Nice sense of humor as always XD
ReplyDeleteshe removed the latest tweet, me thinks..
ReplyDeleteJoin MY blogger association on Facebook! No fees, no approval necessary! http://tinyurl.com/fatas
ReplyDeletethis is just a bunch of hot fart.
ReplyDeletesit by and wait for the smell to dissipate. frankly, some of the so-called members can't even write grammatically.
pap will be very happy to hear some of these comments..LOL
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone know what kind of power/influence this association(singapore) will have? (if any?)
ReplyDeleteJust wondering what might become of it... esp with govt support.
Influence? Let's put it this way...since they are registered with the Government, maybe the Government sees the Blogosphere mouthpiece in this ABS. So whatever they say will be taken pars pro toto for the entire Singaporean blogosphere. The name is already confusing enough for the undiscerning reader to think it represents the entire Singaporean blogosphere, anyway.
ReplyDeleteSelf-regulation is a great concept, born of the theory behind democracy and freedom of speech. But like it or not, as blogging becomes a staple medium for the exchanges of ideas and information, there will eventually be some form of regulation by the government. Just look at the couple of cases where bloggers stepped beyond certain boundaries and were jailed.
ReplyDeleteBut I get ahead of myself. For far as I have seen, the association did not claim to be a regulating body. Their objectives are different at this point in time. Let's not crucify them for trying something which these group of people find worthwhile. Isn't that a form of self-expression too?
But like you said here, some of the naysayers may eventually decide to join the association if and when it proves to be something for the greater good.
hello there thanks for your grat post, as usual ((o:
ReplyDelete