A ship has its captain, an orchestra its conductor. In the case of a new media network, we have our publisher to look up to as our leader. For the past three years that Splashpress Media has existed, we’ve looked up to the capable leadership of our founding publisher Mark Saunders. A private person who preferred to let others shine, Mark has been a kingmaker in this industry and has worked with editors and bloggers who have found their careers and businesses thrive in this increasingly competitive environment.

Sometimes, though, it takes a drastic change in leadership for an organization to take stock of what it has, what it can do and where it can go. For this reason, Mark has decided to turn over the reins as publisher of Splashpress (of which the Blog Herald is part of) to another capable individual, optimistic that the current success of the organization can be further surpassed.

Folks, let me introduce to you Paul Scrivens. “Scrivs” to most friends and acquaintances, this new media maven probably needs no introduction. He has founded a host of networks, blogs and other online properties that have met success, and are to-date thriving. Some have eventually found their way into Splashpress, such as 9rules, Wisdump and Forever Geek.

Scrivs will be our captain and conductor, managing our assets, coordinating our efforts and hopefully expanding our reach. Along with this new leadership comes a bit of reorganization. Andy Merrett (a regular contributor here), who has been a community manager and channel editor to sites like Forever Geek, 9rules and Performancing, will take the creative lead as Editor of the network. Andy plans to continue outgoing editor Jayvee Fernandez‘s thrusts to enhance the networks’ reach and status, and we are confident that Andy will use his creative vision well in ensuring that momentum is maintained.

The rest of the core Splashpress team, which includes myself, David Jones, Dee Barizo, Ia Lucero, Damian Manifold, Will Vacher and Ali Hussain, will be continuing to provide our best efforts in helping to bring the network to its highest potential.

So here’s a congratulations to our new publisher, Scrivs!

The post Paul Scrivens Takes Over as Splashpress Media Publisher appeared first on The Blog Herald.

To many, he was the kind and gentle–and sometimes singular–journalist who always had an eye out for truth. I say singular, because you can usually notice him from afar. He always wore ethnic-inspired clothing, and had Bob Marley-esque hairdo, which sets him apart from the crowd. In fact, that was how I discovered he had passed away. I saw his picture framed by his wake at the Parish mortuary just recently after I attended mass. I was surprised to learn that a fellow blogger (and a prominent one in our sphere, at that) had passed on.

I first met Alecks when I was working as a government economist, and he was doing research for feature stories (or were those exposés?) for the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism. We then became colleagues in the local blogging scene, sometimes sharing the spotlight as speakers in blogging summits and events. Through the years, we rarely met, but whenever we did, I surely recall that those were very interesting moments.

Alecks was often cited as a resource for striking a balance between blogging and journalism. After all, he is primarily a journalist, with years and years of experience with investigative journalism, starting from his University days. He then moved on to be a part of the PCIJ, which was known for its fearless fact-finding and reportage, especially in a country with a record of journalism-related violence. Alecks is a big supporter of the use of technology and multimedia in journalism. He was largely responsible for bringing the PCIJ online, particularly the PCIJ blog, which had risen to its peaks during periods of high profile political scandals in the Philippines.

But apart from the serious professional Alecks is known to be, some would perhaps know him best for his lighter takes on life. His humor is subtle, but profound. I guess I can strongly relate to him in that regard.

And so, here’s a tribute to Alecks Pabico, from the Blog Herald team–some of whom know him personally and have worked with him in various capacities. Thanks for all the good times, Alecks! You have fought the good fight, and now it’s perhaps time to rest and let your fellow bloggers and journalists carry the torch in bringing out the truth, and possibly even being part in the making of those truths.

The post Alecks P. Pabico – Journalist, Blogger appeared first on The Blog Herald.

Performancing Jobs is a great resource for any freelance blogger or network blogger for looking for great opportunities. It’s also a good place where blog networks, corporate communications departments and blog owners can look for talented writers to fill in their rosters. The job board features both want ads and service offers.

Posting a job listing is free, and listings remain visible for seven days each. The board also offers premium listings at $20 apiece, which will stay at the top of the list for 30 days as a highlighted item.

Have a job opening? Are you looking for a blogging-related job? Post a listing now at Performancing Jobs.

The post Performancing Relaunches Jobs Board appeared first on The Blog Herald.

Case in point: a few days back, I attended a meet-and-greet with the Aussie band Hi-5. After the usual question and answer session, it was the cast members’ turn to ask us what blogging was all about. I’m pretty sure they’re familiar with new media, as they do admit running their own Facebook and Twitter accounts. But perhaps what’s not clear to some of them is the relevance of our meet-up and interviews with them. Maybe they’re more used to the usual gatherings with the mainstream media, where they get featured in magazines, newspapers or televisions hows. Where does a blogger fit in the picture, then?

In my mind, what makes me a relevant part of this particular gathering is that I have pre-school aged kids, who are the very target audience of the band’s television show and upcoming concert tour. And I do run parenting blogs, too (both for Splashpress and my own). So for a publicist promoting a tour with this demographic in mind, I’m probably a very apt candidate for being part of a blogger meet-and-greet.

Sometimes, though, I feel as if I have to justify myself. “I run a tech blog,” I often explain when I attend gadget launches. “I run a lifestyle blog,” I say when I attend food tours. “I run entertainment blogs,” I explain when I get invited to movie premieres.

Some people I know carry Media ID cards given to them by colleagues in the mainstream media. These give them better access to events in which the organizers are perhaps more familiar with mainstream media, and not as familiar with new media. Hey, even blogging rockstars can be just ordinary people when they’re in the offline world. What more with the rest of us mortals?

How do you explain your credentials as a blogger? Or do you have to?

The post How Do You Explain Your Credentials as a Blogger? appeared first on The Blog Herald.

Ethical implications of online reviews (whether sponsored or not) aside, I do wonder what people think of dads who are bloggers. Perhaps I can be considered a “daddy blogger,” myself. I work and run my business from my home. My wife and I share the responsibilities at home. We do take turns in taking care of the kids, and in most cases, we also share the household chores.

Where do people like me fit in? Should businesses also be trying to push their products to dad bloggers like myself. In the course of my being a blogger, I have been sent product and service samples–some free, some borrowed. Some of these I have reviewed. But most review requests I get are for gadgets and software. I have yet to be approached for household products and kids’ toys and clothes. I’ve participated in food tours, though, which I think is a realm that mom and dad bloggers share.

I would think that dad bloggers are also a good target for marketing. For one, a lot of household purchase decisions are made by dads, or at least jointly by both spouses. For example, if you’re buying a high-end washing machine, doesn’t the dad have a say in that? What about the big-screen LED TV? Or the home entertainment system? Or the family car? Or how about the school you send your kids to? Sometimes these decisions can be on small items, like the brand of soda, coffee or cooking ware you use.

And as a guy, I do talk to my friends and relatives about these things. Hey, I’m proud of the fact that I bought a high-end washer. I’m proud of the fact that i grind my own coffee, and that I stand behind the brand coffee grinder and brewer I purchased. And I can explain the technologies behind these household gadgets. Doesn’t that count for word of mouth?

I’ve been reviewing some items I’ve purchased myself, whether favorably or not. Do my reviews carry some clout? Maybe to some people the reviews and opinions are useful, especially to those who are aware of what kind of lifestyle I lead.

Is there any merit to labeling someone as a “mommy” or a “daddy” blogger? Is there any use differentiating these from the rest of the blogosphere? Perhaps for someone like me, this might be reasonable. We all lead different lifestyles. Perhaps not all dads who blog are as involved with the home and household as someone like me.

Now the question I would pose to both readers and also myself would be the implications of such marketing efforts, and how these would affect our blogging. Would reviewing or recommending products make us less trustworthy, especially if people know some of these are freebies? Would you recommend something you wouldn’t use yourself? Would you feel bad writing a poor review for something that was given to you gratis?

It’s the classic issue of wielding power in the form of the published word, and how responsible you can be with this. And in the case of dad bloggers like myself, it’s being able to deal with different lifestyles and circumstances.

Image credit: flickr/marrymerry

The post Are You a Daddy Blogger? appeared first on The Blog Herald.

Not necessarily. Blogging does have its costs. And these can sometimes be attributed to you, while it can sometimes be carried by someone else. Offhand, one could think of several costs that you can directly attribute to blogging. For instance, here are a few costs that I think I’ve been incurring through the years.

Software costs. WordPress is free, indeed. But the software I use on my several computers is not exactly free. At my home office, for instance, I run one laptop with Vista, which I bought at about $130. Two other laptops one came bundled with Windows XP Home, and let’s say the imputed cost was at about $40 each. My Mac Mini came with OS X Tiger, and at that time, the imputed cost was, I think about $130. That’s a total of $340. I’ve also paid for some other software over the years, but those are not directly related with blogging use. If a computer had a serviceable lifetime of two years, that’s about $14.67 per month for me.

Equipment Costs. I didn’t buy my computers all at the same time, but for discussion’s sake, let’s say every one was bought at the same time. That’s about $2,400 in all (two low to mid-range laptops, one netbook and one Mac Mini), from which I’ve already taken out the software costs. So for my serviceable lifetime of two years, that’s $100 per month.

Hosting Costs. I host my personal sites using mid-range accounts that give me sufficient bandwidth, disc space and allocation for unlimited domains. I pay a monthly subscription of about $20 for these.

Utility Costs. I run my office from home, so I subscribe to residential DSL. And I would say part of my electricity bills would also cover for my home office use. These amount to $60 per month, including the fraction I consider part of my electricity use.

Travel Costs. When you work as a blogger or writer, you don’t actually have to spend money on gas or train tickets to commute to work every day. But one is sometimes invited to attend events, press briefings, movie screenings, and the like. And you get to spend for transportation, food and even coffee, including occasional visits to a WiFi-enabled cafe near my kids’ school. I guess it’s safe to say I give myself an allowance of about $25 per week, or $100 per month.

Yes, I live in a country where cost of living is cheap.

Opportunity Costs. Now this is one aspect of costing that’s a bit more difficult to compute for. Opportunity cost basically refers to the money you could potentially earn or gain if you were doing something else. For instance, instead of earning $2,000 a month from ads on your blog, you could be earning $6,000 per month working as a designer or a developer at a local company. So the opportunity cost here is $6,000 less $2,000, which amounts to $4,000.

In my case, my previous jobs (including corporate and government work) earned me substantially less than what my online undertakings are earning me, and so I don’t think I have lost opportunities. That’s unless I count non-monetary benefits, like free meals during meetings, free coffee, free health insurance, and the like. I could also perhaps count the free use of office equipment, bandwidth, free vacation trips, and others.

I guess computing for your monthly blogging or other Internet-related expenses could help you determine how much net you are earning, particularly if you’re running an online business like blogging, design, consultancy, and the like.

Costing can even be more difficult if one considers those expenses borne by third parties. For instance, your blog network or your boss could be subsidizing your hosting expenses. Your blog software could be subsidizing their “free” offering with advertisements or sponsorships.

In all, my monthly blogging activities would cost me about $294.67 per month.

I don’t usually feel it’s this big, though since the regular cost I really get to attend to are the utilities and the hosting fees. That’s unless I pay for computer and software purchases on installment basis, which I don’t usually do.

May I ask you, using my methodology, how much are you spending per month? And do you have a better way of computing for costs?

Image credit: flickr/ginnerobot

The post What Is The Actual Cost of Your Blogging? appeared first on The Blog Herald.

The company had ordered employees to pretend they were satisfied customers and write glowing reviews of its face-lift procedure on Web sites, according to the attorney general’s statement. Lifestyle Lift also created its own sites of face-lift reviews to appear as an independent sources.

Lifestyle Lift was ordered to pay $300,000 to the state for what is said to be an “attempt to generate business by duping consumers was cynical, manipulative and illegal.”

While online reviews are a marketer’s dream, they can also be a nightmare to unsuspecting consumers who rely on reviews and testimonials on the Web before purchasing products or paying for services. On the other hand, negative online reviews can break a company’s reputation, as what the cosmetic surgery clinic cites. The company claims it only posted positive reviews to counter the negative sentiment prevalent in the review sites that feature Lifestyle Lift.

Marketers specializing in new media know the power of blogs, lifestreaming services and social networks in enhancing the image of a company or brand. However, some practices, like the above-mentioned activity of employees posing as real customers, borders on deception. There’s nothing wrong with trying to offer freebies and gifts to bloggers for honest feedback and reviews, for instance. But with spin doctors try to manipulate the game, then it makes sense to be wary about reviews you read online.

The post Company Ordered to Pay Fines For Fabricated Reviews appeared first on The Blog Herald.

Splashpress Media has recently announced the launch of Twitter Buttons, which easily lets bloggers create “Follow me!” buttons for pasting into their sidebars, social social network profiles, or just about anywhere you could insert HTML into.

The site’s function and dedicated service is to provide attractive looking buttons for Twitter users to display on their websites. One would have thought, with the huge popularity of Twitter in mind, that there would be a mass of similar services out there, but it’s really not the case! And this might explain the huge success that our site is already having with the hundreds of thousands using the buttons on their sites and so many users signed up to the email subscription.

Twitter Buttons makes button creation as simple as typing in your Twitter username and clicking “GO.” Users don’t even need to sign up for an account.

We are currently adding new buttons to the collection. There are currently 64 colorful and cute buttons you can choose from; or if cute is not to your liking, there are also more subdued-looking ones. We’re also thinking of new features, and if you have any ideas, do drop us a line!

Twitter Buttons was recently featured on Makeuseof.com and Killer Startups, where the service was lauded as a pratical, no-fuss way to help promote your Twitter profile.

For updates, follow us at @tbuttons, the Twitter Buttons Blog or Splashpress Media’s own @splashpress.

The post Get Your “Follow Me” Twitter Buttons Now! appeared first on The Blog Herald.

Cellphones.org has announced a call for nominations for its 2009 Blogger Appreciation Awards. Noting that most bloggers are probably feeling the worldwide economic crunch, the prizes at stake would surely be a big help, especially if it would cover for a year’s worth of mobile phone bills up to $1,000, free cell phones and discounts.

Do you actively blog? Do you use a cell phone like most people? How would you like to have Cell Phones .org pick up the tab on your cell phone bill for a whole year? We at Cell Phones .org want to make your life a little easier and show you our appreciation for hard work you do. Interested? Read on:

Nomination closes on the 28th of February, after which the winners will be selected through voting.

The post Cellphones.Org Announces Blogger Appreciation Contest appeared first on The Blog Herald.

We had the opportunity to work with Michael when he produced videos for Tubetorial, and all I can say is this guy is top rate!

As for the interview, Michael shuns the blog rockstar title and discusses how the move from Tokyo to Sapporo has done much to improve productivity (more snow meant less trips to the pub). He also shares how he likes the visual medium more than writing text and how he thinks better of being a trailblazer at your own niche rather than copying ideas that have already been done before.

Be a specialist in something, an obsessive, otaku, fixation level specialist. The world is full of generalists trying to sell magic beans or regurgitate the same echo chamber garbage. In short – if there’s plenty of information out there on how to get started at what you’re planning to do, you’re probably too late. The lazy way is to try and emulate – it feels low risk, but chase the stuff going on at the edges and I think the chances of making it big are much higher. The world needs more blogs about where to buy toenail clippings, obscure Japanese sound systems, and authentic victorian erotica. Not TechCrunch II.

And as any content produce–be it writing or producing videos–would advice: be sure you come up with top quality content, or else languish in mediocrity.

I get tired of seeing average bloggers jumping on video and becoming… sub-average video bloggers. I mean, making video you can’t hear, can barely see, and in need of an hour less of content. Don’t do video because it’s trending. Shit video is shit video, just as shit blogging is shit blogging. And people are far less willing to sit through bad video than they are to skim a semi-literate blog post. In both cases, there are resources out there – free ones – that make a whole lot of difference – but lazy video makers stick out even further than lazy bloggers.

Read more of Franky and Michael’s lively exchange at BloggerTalks.

The post Michael Pick Interviewed at BloggerTalks appeared first on The Blog Herald.

Officials of the Quezon City Science High School (QCSHS) recently suspended four students who allegedly posted a blog that criticized the school’s principal.

The concerned blog … contains articles and photographs against Sadsad’s policies and person as well as the students’ gripes over irregular lunch hours and required subjects, among others.

The personal attacks against Sadsad in the blog even included violent declarations such as “Sadsad must die.”

While much of the students’ blog postings are on locked Multiply accounts–meaning they not for public consumption, but rather accessible to friends only–the Star cited another Multiply account as subject of the controversy.

I’m not taking sides on this issue yet. For all I know, the students’ gripes might be valid. But i usually get taken aback when people overdo it when they air their gripes online–especially if one resorts to personal attacks. This often results in a knee-jerk reaction, which can similarly be personal in nature. As bloggers, are we becoming a community of whiners? And because of this, are other people becoming overly defensive and over-reacting whenever they are attacked online? And why do we resort to ad hominem attacks?

On some forums and sites that I manage, I have experienced being on the receiving end of personally-directed attacks, too. Some are through private emails, some through public comments. Sometimes the argument gets lost in the midst of name-calling, swearing, and typing in all caps (probably the worst of ’em all, eh?).

Then again, there’s a difference between launching an attack on one’s person and the recipient’s taking a valid argument too personally. But whether it’s one thing or the other, the perception of people reading rabidly-written complaint blog posts might not be too good.

Perhaps it’s the impersonal nature of blogs and other online media–not being a face-to-face medium–that emboldens us to write with the impression that we can get away with anything. So it’s still best to watch what we write. Think if what you’re writing would be appropriate if you were to say it to another person’s face. I’ve written a few complaint letters and blog posts in my life, and so far I’ve tried to apply what I learned way back in consumer ed.

First, you introduce or identify yourself. This would help put your complaint in context. You don’t have to explicitly state your real identity, particularly with anonymous blogs, for instance. The important thing is you establish why you are being negatively affected by the product, service, or persons you are griping about. Instead of saying Acme electric shavers suck! you can perhaps say something about your personal experience

Hello folks, I’ve been an avid user of Acme electric shavers for ten years. But when I bought the latest model this weekend, its performance left much to be desired.

This way, folks who read your blog post can identify with you, or at least sympathize. Hey, this guy’s been a loyal customer, so this should put some weight to the argument.

Next, share some specifics about that thing you’re griping about. You can’t just say Acme is a stupid company that sells stupid products. For all you know, you could’ve bought a lemon, and not all their products are bad. So how about this, instead?

The shaver I bought was Acme model XYZ 2000, which was a rechargable, portable model. I bought it at the Acme store at the mall last Saturday evening. It was supposed to be portable and rechargeable, and I have a habit of shaving while driving on the way to work (bad habit, I know). But my shaver’s batteries died out inexplicably even if it had been fully charged the night before. And I had to come to work the right side of my face unshaven, much to my embarrassment.

Next, propose a solution or a compromise. Instead of just shouting out for your money to be returned, or for the people responsible for the product or service to fix things, do propose a constructive solution.

I need a shaver, and my old one gave out after ten years of faithful service. I really like the Acme XYZ 2000’s features, except for the fatal battery flaw. But if Acme can replace my unit with one that can work as promised, I would gladly agree to an exchange. Otherwise, I would rather be refunded the amount I paid. I will most probably switch to another brand, and report the incident to the better business bureau and tell everyone I know about my bad experience.

Get in touch. Most of these complaints would perhaps be best addressed directly to whoever it is you are feeling bad about–whether through email or talking to someone who can help you. I would usually only blog about a bad experience if there were no other recourse, and so I can warn other potential users or customers. But I don’t have an assurance that the company or service I’m complaining about would even read, let alone respond to my blog post. So it’s still good to directly get in touch with someone who is in a position to do something about your issue.

I guess my examples mostly referred to a bad product or service. But of course, this can also apply to just about anything else. If you’re complaining about your school principal’s (or government’s) policies, then perhaps you can raise your argument in this way. I’m for constructive criticism and helping each other out!

The post How Do You Blog A Complaint? appeared first on The Blog Herald.

The criteria for a blog to be able to enter is purely that it “should be helping to make the world a better place”:

This can be achieved in many different ways, from increasing our awareness as a society, being a symbol of hope through example or more obvious ways- such as fundraising or research.

The previous winner of the contest was Gifter.org and the Million Dollar Blog Post, the brainchild of Austin Hill and the Project Ojibwe team. Incidentally, Gifter asked us to donate the proceeds of their winnings to the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF).

As before, to recommend a blog or to apply, please leave a comment or email us before midnight, PST, Jan. 31st: editor[at]blogherald.com.

The post Time to Give Again appeared first on The Blog Herald.

Even with the fresh injection of funding, the economic times aren’t cooperating.

So, it all ended with another Skype chat. Well, sort of. On the 14th of January 2009, I used Skype to pay for the call to the b5 conference line – where the company COO and CEO broke the news to me.

Times are tough.

And that’s how it ends.

I’m not sure I am at liberty to quote or discuss the actual contents of the email, as it appears to be privileged communication between Jeremy Wright and his fellow b5’ers. But it appears that this move was due to some belt-tightening measures that the company has had to do in line with its trimming of costs, refocusing of strategies and exploring of new opportunities.

I know these are tough times, and I guess new media outfits are as vulnerable to the economic downturn as everyone else. Does this signal that monetization that is based on CPM (cost per impression, which is prevalent among big blog networks) models is suffering? Or perhaps this is an all-encompassing phenomenon, after all, which includes other business models like cost-per-click, sponsorship and the like.

Are we facing a “bubble” of sorts, about to burst at a moment’s notice?

For one, I think other business models like subscription and consultancy are still thriving (or surviving?), as is the case with some of the brands I manage for Splashpress Media. There is only so much that you can earn from a “free” mode of content delivery. But premium services, when marketed well, could still do well in an environment like this. Take for instance premium themes and premium theme clubs, which have grown in popularity of late.

One thing’s for sure in these troubled times. Times are surely tough, but people can be tougher, in our ability to change, adapt, and improvise. I’m with Shai in quoting Gregory Peck: Tough times don’t last, but tough people do.

The post Shai Coggins Out of b5media. Tough Times Ahead For All of Us? appeared first on The Blog Herald.

I’ve been reading through Stephane Grenier’s Blog Blazers (my review at Performancing) and one of the common blogging mistakes cited by the interviewed top bloggers was exactly this. The point is that if you’ve been busy, then you shouldn’t have to explain yourself. Just write. Just publish. Just blog.

But then the deeper issue is that the fact that you haven’t been blogging lately probably means you’ve lost interest or focus in your blogging. For a casual blogger, this is probably all right. But if you use your blog for monetization or marketing, then this makes for a bad blogging habit.

The solution here is to set a schedule and stick to it. Find a good pace, so you won’t have to force yourself to write when you aren’t at your best. If you can publish one good post per week, then do so. Quality trumps quantity. But regularity is important, too.

I have made this mistake many times, myself. Not only have I had dry spells in my blogging. I have, one time or another, written a “Sorry I haven’t posted lately …” post, trying to explain why, and trying to point to other sites I’ve been active in. I know I’ve tried to avoid trivial posts by focusing on meaty, substantial blogging. But by being too much of a perfectionist, I had deprived my audience of updates they deserve.

So don’t make excuses. Just publish. Just blog.

The post Don’t Give Excuses. Just Blog. appeared first on The Blog Herald.

This was the topic of a recent Ask Performancing feature I published, where I summarized some advice and suggestions from Performancing Hive. With the year ending, some folks are worried about how to pay for duties from income earned during the year. This would vary across countries and jurisdictions, of course, but the point is, whether you like it or not, you would have to face this problem one time or another.

Some bloggers and writers might file as self-employed, or as professionals. Some might start limited-liability corporations, which might be more beneficial, given that you get deductibles from capital expenditures and other expenses. Some bloggers might be employed by companies that specialize in content creation or online publishing. Some independent bloggers might rather sign up under umbrella services and act as contractors (which may be the case for those in the UK), for instance.

So how do you handle your blogging-related finances?

The post How Do You Handle Your Blogging-Related Finances appeared first on The Blog Herald.

The prize package includes:

• HP TouchSmart IQ816 PC with Windows
• HP HDX 18 series Premium Notebook PC with Windows
• HP MediaSmart Connect
• HP Pavilion dv4-1145go Entertainment Notebooks with Windows
• HP Mini 1000 series with Windows
• HP Photosmart C6380 Wireless AIO
• HP 564 Series Photo Value Pack
• Microsoft Office Home & Student 2007
• Corel VideoStudio X2
• Kung Fu Panda widescreen DVDs

You can visit the list of participating blogs, and readers are eligible to join all 50 contests for better chances of winning.

The post HP Giving Away Gadgets Through Blog Contests appeared first on The Blog Herald.

Max Soliven, the late, long-time publisher of the Philippine Star had one peculiar habit. Even with the popularity of laptops and word processors, Max typed his daily columns with a manual typewriter and had someone at the office encode the piece for him. Even stranger, whenever he was out of town, he still wrote his editorials on his manual typewriter and faxed the dozens of pages back home for encoding.

But I guess that was how Max wrote. That was how he got into the groove of writing. He has been a war correspondent and a political detainee, among other travails, and perhaps you get to appreciate the wonders of manual technology this way.

Perhaps many bloggers today have never even seen a typewriter in action, moreso a manual typewriter–you know, the one that sounds a loud DING when you go past the right margin. But most of us do have our own blogging habits, be they strange or not.

I, for one, have a few hard-to-break habits. For one, I almost always type complete URLs on the URL bar rather than use bookmarks or use a site’s search box. So rather than use the Lijit box here on the Blog Herald to look for something, I am fond of typing www.blogherald.com/search/xxx. Or perhaps I’m writing a new post, I key in www.blogherald.com/wp-admin/post-new.php. When I need to edit theme files, I usually type in the complete URL to that PHP script, and sometimes even including the file name of the file I intend to fix up. Somehow, I find it faster to let my fingers type rather than have a look at bookmarks, let the mouse cursor wander toward a link and then click.

Being old school, I opt out of any visual text editor, and often type in HTML tags manually rather than click on the buttons above the text editor. I’ve found visual editors to break the markup and thus become more of a trouble than help most of the time. Same with the code buttons.

And being paranoid of browsers crashing or WordPress eating up my latest updates, I copy my post text, paste it to notepad and save it as a local text file for later re-posting in case something bad happens.

And usually through all this, I just drink up my coffee up to half-full (or half-empty?), spend minute upon minute on writing a blog post, and when I finally get back to my coffee it’s already too cold to drink.

Perhaps these may just be bordering on the weird. Maybe there are other bloggers who have habits really worth mentioning, to which mine would pale in comparison.

Quirks, weirdness, peculiarity. If these things help get you in the writing mood, then perhaps it’s your thing. I’m interested in hearing if you have habits that define your blogging activity, and if you find these strange.

The post Any Strange Blogging Habits? appeared first on The Blog Herald.

The Senate version, for one also stipulates penalties including fines and even imprisonment if a publicaton or broadcast company fails to comply.

Is there any sense to having such a law at all?

As with any issue, there are pros and cons to this. Media groups claim that if such a law were to be passed, it would be unconstitutional as it would be abridging on freedom of speech and freedom of the press. Journalists, they say, do their part in trying to get both sides of any story, but it is ultimately the prerogative of editors, publishers or producers what to publish or air. Moreover, Philippine libel laws already provide for stiff penalties for libel (when proven in court).

Also, publishers worry about the cost and logistics involved. What if, for example, a news article published offends a group consisting of a thousand members, and those thousand people complain? That would require thousands of pages of print material. And what if a publication goes out monthly or weekly? One version of the bill stipulates that a response be published within 24 hours. It simply cannot be practical.

The bottomline, for publishers and media practitioners, is that the legislators involved want to impose their editorial judgment on the media industry.

On the other hand, proponents of the proposed law claim that it is intended to ensure fairness in what the media publishes. This is perhaps in light of Philippine media being often critical of the government, or various parties that are involved in governance.

This is perhaps particularly important in a culture where “trial by publicity” is often the norm. People can be quick to judge based on what they watch on TV, read in the newspapers (whether the news or opinion pages) and even on blogs or emails. And we cannot forego the fact that publishers do have their own interests, and could possibly be using their media outfits for such.

What about blogging?

Both versions of the law include “any electronic device” as part of media outfits covered. So if passed, blogs will definitely be covered, being an electronic medium. One question here, of course, is jurisdiction–which bloggers are covered by the law? Does this only include bloggers residing in the country, or citizens thereof? How about if the blogs are hosted on foreign soil?

And of course another concern is whether a blog is inherently immune to these legal issues, because by default, blogs allow any party to contribute to the discussion through the comment areas. Or should bloggers publish the response on the very same space where the original article had been written. If so, where should this be? Below the original article? Above?

Some things are certain here. Firstly, when a damaging statement is published, whether that is true or not, then the burden of proving it or disproving it would be on the part of either party. But then the damage would already have been done. So the bigger issue is the responsibility of publishers–in our case bloggers and new media practitioners–to check facts, and to make sure we are fair in what we write in the first place. If you post something, then you better be prepared to defend it, or at the very least you should know what you are talking about.

The post Blogging and the Right of Reply appeared first on The Blog Herald.

Based on the comment thread and the one on the follow-up post detailing an interview with Adjix’s CEO, readers mostly had negative impressions. Many were appalled at the thought of monetizing Twitter readership in this way. It was tantamount to facilitating spam, they say, and this would most likely result in loss of credibility. Others have commented that Adjix is impractical because of its use of frames rather than redirects, which effectively makes bookmarking difficult.

If you ask me, I don’t think monetizing Twitter is inherently bad. Much like blogging–initially blogging “pros” were perhaps seen as sellouts, going against the perceived independent nature of blogging. However, blog monetization has grown to be an accepted norm. It is writing, after all. It is publishing, after all. If you have ads on newspapers and magazine, why not blogs, right?

As for Twitter, Twitterrific does monetize by displaying ads in its freeware. New media mavens use Twitter and similar services to gain or share insider info or opinions. Twitter does have its business uses, like status messaging and collaboration, or perhaps getting customer feedback. But my opinion is that directly monetizing Twitter–or at least attempting to–still comes with that negative perception. Could this change anytime soon? Given the 140-character limits for each tweet, I think this needs creativity and luck to pull off.

As an endnote, Jeff posts the results of his experiment on Performancing. With a grand total of $0.01, Jeff has his doubts.

The post Monetizing Twitter? appeared first on The Blog Herald.

The 2008 Philippine Blog Awards was concluded Saturday evening with the awarding ceremonies at the Esplanade in Pasay City, Metro Manila. Finalists in the 23 categories were narrowed down from hundreds of nominees, with winners selected by judges from various fields, mostly in the new media industry.

With the aim of recognizing notable Filipino-owned blogs in different niches, the Philippine Blog Awards was launched in 2007 to showcase notable blogs with quality content that engages readers from around the globe. This second year of the event marked the inclusion of network blogs written by Filipinos, blogs written by mainstream media practitioners as well as local corporations that use blogs are effective communication tools.

Two of our folks from Splashpress Media (which also owns the Blog Herald) were also finalists: Sophia Lucero’s Stellify.net was a finalist for Best Blog Design, and this writer for Best Network Blogger.

A list of winners can be found at itot54joni.com. Update: The official list has been published.

Postscript: Read organizer Jayvee Fernandez’ closing remarks, which talks about the three head fakes of blogging.

The post The 2008 Philippine Blog Awards appeared first on The Blog Herald.

It all started when I was in preschool. Being the obsessive-compulsive kid I was, I always used a ruler to straighten the lines of my letters. I loved it when I wrote those I’s, T’s, X’s and other letters with straight lines. When there were curves, I even used the rounded edges of coins just to make ’em nice and round.

I had nice, straight lines, and nicely-shaped curves. But my teacher kept scolding me because I was always the last to finish writing works. And so I was forced to learn how to write without guides. And without these, my handwriting really deteriorated. My hand easily got tired, I had sweaty palms, and while I’m right-handed, I wear my watch on my right wrist, adding to the strain.

Meanwhile, I had my first experience with computers at ten, when we had our first PC-XT compatible at home. That really changed things, because I quickly became very adept at computing. I often topped my school’s computer classes. I typed the fastest. I encoded and finished programming works easily.

I started being comfortable working on computers. My hobbies even mostly involved tinkering with computers. I ran an online BBS when I was in high school. I played with HTML in the olden days when tables and flashing and marquee text were still the rage. That being said, I was never fond of writing notes on paper. I do try, but I end up having headaches trying to understand those strange, alien-like markings. I did once attempt to use PDAs for note-taking, and that was marginally better.

I was an early adopter of netmail messaging and email (relatively). And I got hooked on joining online forums that discussed my various interests–whether in computing, mobile phones, gadgets, and the like. One way or another, that led me to knowing some of the people whom I got involved with in the new media industry.

And now I make a living with blogs and blogging. Whether writing posts, tweaking designs, maintaining blogs, or coordinating with other bloggers, one would often see me in front of a computer (or several), typing away. In a way, I would think that my relatively early exposure to computers paid off.

I wouldn’t directly attribute my breakthrough in blogging with my handwriting difficulties. However, if I didn’t have an appreciation for typing the use of the computer early on, I would probably not be in this field enjoying what I would call a lucrative career and business so far. I remember that most other kids my age found typing a chore and tried to avoid it as best they could. One could understand the aversion to computers–the computing experience back then wasn’t as easy and exciting as it is today. Sure, the Mac was already popular, but it wasn’t as cheap and readily available. So the only computers we had at school and at most homes were PCs that ran DOS. How un-exciting, right?

So if not directly, then perhaps my being challenged with writing the old fashioned way was one factor that helped me get started in this line of work.

My firstborn is now five, and she writes and draws really well–she’s probably going to be an artist someday. She’s very articulate with the pen, brush, crayons and all that–a skill I didn’t get to develop well. But she also likes computers. She mostly plays flash and kid-friendly adventure games, but I see that the interest is there. She’s comfortable with various equpment and platforms be it Mac, PC, mice, trackpads, and such. I’m hoping she gets to enjoy the best of both worlds–digital and analog! And with the increasing prevalence of computers and Internet use, I sure hope her generation still gets to appreciate both.

The post Blogging and the Handwriting Challenged appeared first on The Blog Herald.

I’m like this sometimes. And it’s not only because I’ve grown desensitized to ads (ad blindness). But it also stems from being overly-cautious. For one, clicking on bad links seems to be one of the popular ways of getting infected with malware. Because of this I try to avoid clicking emailed links. I usually copy the URL and paste. Or if it’s a service I use, I type the URL directly. And when browsing, I always check the URL on my status bar before clicking. If I find an AdSense ad interesting, I usually just type in the URL–if the URL is visible–on another tab to see what it’s all about.

Does that make me evil? Or just overly cautious? What if all users were like this? Would the whole pay-per-click business model fall? Perhaps this is one advantage of advertising systems that are not pay-per-click, like those based on cost-per-impression, or ads that are not dependent on the number of clicks or impressions (like our very own Performancing Ads).

Not everyone is like me, though. People still click on ads. And I don’t consider clicking on ads as a hat-tip to a blogger. As a publisher, I do earn from ad revenues. But as a writer and blogger, I don’t consider it a compliment when someone clicks on my ads, because that means readers find something else other than my articles more interesting. It’s a tradeoff. Having people stay on your site means they find you interesting, and might even mean they will be repeat visitors. Having someone click ads after just a few seconds of landing on your site means you’ve earned a few bucks (or cents?) off of their click, but they’re now browsing elsewhere. Not everyone browses with multiple tabs or windows, after all.

For me a better way to send your regards to a blogger would be to leave a comment, link to his/her site on a blog post of yours, or even just an email with nice thoughts.

Do you click on ads to “tip” a blogger? If you do, then clicking probably serves your purpose, and that of the blogger, particularly if you’re a loyal reader. But all he/she gets is that incremental increase on his earnings report. How about emailing your favorite blogger today? Or how about leaving a comment that adds to the conversation?

The post Are You a Non-Ad-Clicker? appeared first on The Blog Herald.

Instead of the stereotypical “gofer” work, such as photocopying, my job consisted of tasks such as thinking of questions for interviews, proof-reading Marci’s blog posts, and keeping an eye on her dog, Sinatra, during phone interviews.

On my first day I noticed that the line between work and home life was blurred, which may be expected from the author who coined the term “slash” as a type of career. I quickly learned that for working out of a home, versatility was essential. One minute I was answering the phone “Hello, Marci’s office” and next it was time to walk the dog or fix something for lunch.

I would agree with the blurring of the lines between work and home life, and I would say this is perhaps common with bloggers (and other professionals) who have all the comforts of home and the rigors of work within easy reach. Running a home office myself, this line would often be crossed. Yes, there are advantages and there are disadvantages, too, which I don’t think we need to expound on in this post.

What I find interesting is how well the internship job went, particularly with the home-office setup. In my experience working in government service and in a corporate environment, interns were often assigned menial or tedious tasks. Most interns we took under our care with were usually asked to do the most boring of work, like encoding, photocopying, filing, or the like, even if sometimes their capabilities appeared to exceeded that of the regular staffers.

Perhaps because of the nature of writing and blogging work, the casual environment of being in a home-office would mean that otherwise menial tasks like walking the dog or preparing food would actually be part of the job.

I have yet to see the day when someone would email or call me asking for an internship. If that ever happens, I would probably hesitate to accept. My home office is practically a disaster area, with equipment, files and kids’ toys cluttered about. And being a few steps from the bedroom, having a stranger here would be somewhat of an invasion of my privacy. But then again, blogging being mostly online work, I could probably accept interns if they were to work at their own home offices!

The post Blogging Internships, Anyone? appeared first on The Blog Herald.

August 15 2008, Blog Action Day has launched. In the next two months we hope to encourage thousands of bloggers, podcasters and videocasters to learn about poverty, and on October 15, take action. This might be through posting on the theme of poverty and educating your readers about the issues and actions they might take, it might be donating your day’s earnings – there are many ways you can get involved.

An annual non-profit event that aims to bring bloggers all over the world together in discussing a chosen theme, Blog Action Day for this year will focus on poverty. With the diverse backgrounds of bloggers, it is hoped that the issues at hand will be better discussed. And as a blogger, or as a blog reader, you can help in many ways. First, for a single day out of your daily schedule, you can post about poverty. Or perhaps you can donate a day’s earnings to your chosen charity.

In my case, I live in a country where more than 70% of the population lives below the poverty line. With prices of food, energy and other commodities always on the rise, and with income not always able to catch up adequately, more and more peope are living in difficulty. A lot are forced to go abroad for better opportunities, often leaving their families behind for extended periods.

The opportunities to help fight poverty are endless. And even blogging, the blogosphere and new media have helped the needy in more than one way. For example, new media gives people opportunities to earn money in ways never before possible. Instead of looking for work abroad, people can now earn from writing work, or other home-based jobs like virtual assistance, design and even programming, thus saving on a lot of expenses. I know a lot of people who had been able to improve their lives through blogs and blogging, and other new media.

How about you? Are you participating in this year’s Blog Action Day? And how do you plan to help fight (or at least discuss) poverty?

The post Blog Action Day 2008 Launches appeared first on The Blog Herald.

The site aims to bring interactivity to governance, by allowing readers to field questions and submit electronic petitions to the Prime Minister’s office.

Our new site aims to keep you up to date with all of the developments of the PM’s activities through news stories, videos, Flickr images and our Twitter channel.

There are also plenty of interactive features available, including the opportunity to post your video questions directly to the PM, submit e-petitions and take part in webchats with ministers.

Readers reported slow loading and a few errors during the first few hours of operation, but that was attributed to traffic spikes; the caching plugin supposedly did its job in optimizing for speed once the static files were in place.

The post Number10.gov.uk Launches appeared first on The Blog Herald.