Quirks Of The Singaporean Blogosphere - Trust Issues
August 17, 2008 – 8:42 pm | by Daryl TaySheylara and I were just talking about Social Media Breakfast: Singapore 3 and talking the pros and cons of expanding the team, one of the cons being politics, especially in Singapore’s blogosphere, where overnight, friends can become enemies and form opposite posses.
I got emailed by someone anonymously (the person went through the trouble of creating an email account just to send me this email), showing me the contents of a private Plurk between some people with fairly malicious content about me, my blog, Social Media Breakfast and my professional life.
I only know one person personally from that private Plurk, so I messaged the person on Facebook asking what was going on. It’s seemingly turned out to be a misunderstanding and I take it as it’s sorted out, but I don’t understand how people can have so much malicious intent inside them, especially towards someone they don’t even know personally.
One of the issues behind the misunderstanding was that the person thought there was a “blacklist” for SMB3. Firstly, I’d like to tell everyone that there isn’t. SMB isn’t my “event”. It’s a team effort between Sheylara, Claudia, Derrick and myself.
Secondly, SMB is an open event, we would never stop anyone from attending. It’s for the community! We have never ever discussed who should attend and who shouldn’t. It’s open to all.
Thirdly, I don’t necessarily like every single blogger I meet, but that doesn’t mean someone else won’t like him or her, or someone else won’t get some value from him/her. That decision isn’t mine to make. An event like SMB is held so that everyone and anyone can attend, and each person can decide who to mingle with and keep in contact with from there.
I have two big issues with this particular quirk of the local blogosphere:
1) You don’t know who to trust
I can’t speak for everyone, but I don’t enjoy going to events like Social Media Breakfast and blogger outreach programmes and having to wonder who’s genuinely shaking my hand and saying hi, and who’s doing it with the figurative dagger behind their back. How do you know the next person you reach out to for help online isn’t going to take the opportunity to demolish you instead?
I think people have had their differences in the blogosphere (myself included). Some have solved it like adults, some haven’t. But regardless, I would like to think we can disagree and/or dislike each other, but we don’t have to let it devolve into outright hate do we?
2) It hurts credibility
Between this kind of behavior and that of our dear local female bloggers, is it any wonder companies are so hesitant to enter the local blogosphere? Can we as social media evangelists truly recommend a social media strategy in the best interests of their clients, knowing full well today’s “influential” blogger is tomorrow’s public antagonist number one?
I’ve two follow up posts to this (which I haven’t gotten down to writing yet):
1) How does this lesson translate to businesses involved or looking to get involved in the social media space?
2) Knowing how the local blogosphere is, how do organisations decide who to associate themselves with?
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Tags: blogosphere in singapore, claudia.sg, community event, facebook, local blogosphere, Plurk, sheylara, singaporean blogosphere, smb singapore, social media breakfast singapore, trust in the blogosphere
15 Responses to “Quirks Of The Singaporean Blogosphere - Trust Issues”
By Daniel on Aug 17, 2008 | Reply
I have the problem where I am both a blogger as well as a representative of a brand that is interested in the new media.
The problem is that I refer to is the potential conflict if, as the latter, I choose to engage some bloggers while seemingly “ignoring” others. I run the risk of alienating certain people whom I befriended as a blogger myself but choose not to engage in my other role. It’s a tightrope that I am not looking forward to walk upon.
I know I cannot please everyone whatever I do. I do look forward, therefore, to the second follow-up post you indicated you’d write.
By Vincent on Aug 17, 2008 | Reply
There was a group of 3rd year NTU students at SMB3 who had this project about companies’ thoughts on corporate blogs.
Both of you seem to be asking similar questions… whether companies and businesses viewing blogs, social media and other recent web developments, as having good return on investment.
By claudia on Aug 17, 2008 | Reply
To be honest, I’m pretty much confused about my role at times. I love engaging myself in community involvement and would try to help everyone who approached me to help in whatever way I can. Sometimes I tired myself out and neglected the basic things in life. But I’m happy and the community’s happy.
I’ve even been told that I’m too naive to do some of the things I’m doing, the more mature generations will tell me that all these people have hidden agendas and I should be careful. Some tell me that I’m being shortchanged… but whatever it is, I enjoy doing what I’m doing. If one day, perhaps some of these enjoyment is able to provide me a living, it’ll be great. If it doesn’t so be it.
To trust a person or not, well, I guess it depends on individual and their maturity.
By Daryl Tay on Aug 18, 2008 | Reply
@Daniel: Thanks for the comment! I will definitely try to factor that in when I write the post!
@Vincent: Yeah I heard about them but didn’t get a chance to talk to them. ROI’s still a touchy issue both overseas and here, but we’ll definitely get there.
@Claudia: Yeah I agree with what you’re saying. Though it totally sucks when you’re doing something to help out people or the community, and people are going around spreading malicious stuff behind your back!
By coleman on Aug 18, 2008 | Reply
There are more mature Singaporean blogging communities around, minus the petty political infighting that you might have witnessed.
Nor would I call these “quirks”, as they also exist everywhere else, except that we as outsiders don’t notice them very much because we don’t care.
Put a bunch of people together, and if you have an opportunity for power, politics will usually follow. Such is human nature.
By Rinko on Aug 18, 2008 | Reply
the problem we are all human, we are bounded by the same principle of to trust is to be open to being backstabbing….
its hard to tell who is who, i mean u can;t tell facevalue of someone u just met, as u get more friendly with the person u’ll find out more i guess…
IRL i have met ppl who to u are very nice but behind they say shitty thing, and dealing with it can get messy there’s one solution just ignore them XD
By Natasha on Aug 18, 2008 | Reply
The whole point of social media is that it’s beyond control. This means it creates and circulates information that is disagreeable, incorrect and biased. As well as the useful stuff.
As in the case of other media, individuals have to be discerning in their assessment of the information they consume.
If you think a blogger is bullshitting you, feeding you lies, you stop trusting them. I don’t think you stop trusting everyone who blogs.
If businesses do think in such a limited and simplistic manner, perhaps the work is in letting them see it another way. Blogging is an expression of free thinking, it’s a chance to say what you think.
Sometimes this possibility scares people. But the truth, about your breakfasts or about how good OSIM’s new massage chair is, will be revealed by how good people’s experiences of the thing itself actually is.
By rei on Aug 18, 2008 | Reply
hi daryl…im inviting you to promote you blog in new social blog directory, please visit http://www.bloggerunited.com, cheers
By Tianhong on Aug 18, 2008 | Reply
I don’t know what happen but still I appreciate you for bringing the group together. Without the events, it will be hard for everyone to meet up. Of cos this is secondary issue.
Don’t be too sad about it. Backstabbing occurs everywhere.
By Walter on Aug 18, 2008 | Reply
Actually what we are seeing in social media right now isn’t something new.
When Internet Relay Chat (IRC) first became popular with early servers like pacific internet and cyberway being hosted, there were also politics and bad blood spilled between friends, which subsequently led to the closure of several popular channels. The same thing occurred with forums like icered, and different online bulletin board groups.
What is unique in Singapore is that the social media scene here is largely focused on personalities and relationships rather than special interests and professional areas. Other than food (which is a national pastime), you can barely find people who blog consistently on specific topics. And we all know that whenever you put people together, an inevitable end result is politics.
I think you and your friends have done a great job in pushing ahead with social media breakfast, and furthering the agenda for social media in Singapore. What you should do is to treat those negative comments with a pinch of salt and just move on.
By cneil on Aug 18, 2008 | Reply
I don’t know many Singapore bloggers personally, but I’ve been reading Singapore blogs for almost three years now.
I don’t understand the fighting. Does that happen because you are competing for sponsorship dollar or are trying to be sensational? I was under the impression that after a few nasty flames you all went out and partied together and bragged about how many hits you happened to get from the tussle. Just like some celebrities who believe there is no such thing as bad publicity.
By Daryl Tay on Aug 18, 2008 | Reply
@Coleman: Actually I wanted to title this post a little more strongly, but decided not to. But you’re right, the fighting is not particularly unique, but I think our blogosphere being so small makes for a very different dynamic than in other parts of the world.
@Rinko: Thanks for dropping by. I guess sometimes it’s easier to ignore them and sometime’s it’s not. Again like in our small community where events and friends overlap, it’s not that easy.
@Natasha: You and Walter are probably expressing the closest sentiment to what I’m thinking. The community/audience will decide for themselves who’s full of crap and who isn’t, and decide where the value lies and who to ignore.
@Walter: True that. I remember the IRC days and instances you’re talking about. Such a pity that using IRC when I was 14 and now 10 years later nothing has changed. Thanks for the positive comments, we’ll definitely keep doing just that. If we were to stop, then these people win, right?
@Cneil: There have been some instances where it does look like they’re just being sensational and generate hits out of it, and sometimes it seems to be purely malicious. I don’t claim to understand it either.