Mindanao Bloggers Summit of Questions

All words in the strike format below are the original words of this post that I will not remove. Let’s say it is sort of a remembrance of what has sparked a plurk wide war between yours truly and one of the organizers of the Mindanao Bloggers Summit 2009.

Give me the benefit of the doubt that I raised my curiosity a little bit too early, without properly asking any of the organizers regarding the concerns that I stated in this very post, below. But it won’t change the fact that there have indeed been only 70 shirts printed, as disclosed by someone to me. IF it was indeed the fault of the sponsors, so why worry? I know, I headed into the blogosphere with my post a bit too fast, but you still could have explained it to me nicely so that I could’ve altered my post/s back then to note your answers and maybe totally edit my blog post into something else, something more of your liking.

The summit wasn’t bad, I tell you, I just got disappointed with the three points that I raised, nothing more, nothing less. I didn’t mean to harm anybody, or anyone, but wanted to express my concerns through this blog. Maybe many of us still need to learn more about media ethics, including me of course. But there are some who show no ethics at all.

Clicking on my Google Ads does not justify your anger about the opinion that I had, because I have the right to do so, as much as another organizer had the right to send out a rebuttal.

If you are mad at once post, you react to it, but you don’t hit the person behind the post personally, do you? You can talk about it, instead letting your anger out freely!

Let the issue that has come up be a lesson to all of us to communicate more in the real world. Especially when you have doubts about something, rather than (a.) writing about it on the web immediately (b.) hitting someone personally for a mere little write up.

Don’t act as if you are guilty of what I wrote, as much as I could’ve asked you about the issues that I had, is as much as you could’ve asked and talked to me in a proper manner about the concerns that I had instead of bashing around and clicking my ads.

I admit my mistakes about releasing a post so early. I tried to avoid writing with hate and concentrate on the three questions that I had, I didn’t wrote a foul word in that post, did I? I didn’t mention an individual in the post, did I? If it is really needed I’ll pull down my pride a little bit and say sorry for something that I’m not very sure about.

Mao ning pagbag.o ug papan-aw ninyo sa mindanao? Kung dili mo agree, tirahon dayon ang personalidad sa nagsulat? Kaulaw pud ani para sa Mindanao Bloggers Community. Even if you say that the head of the community is someone you don’t really like, we’re still a blogging community in mindanao, fights like this can happen, and fights like this can also be settled, if both sides dearly want to. Let’s move on and say PEACE

Words from an licensed and practicing Mindanao information professional: Hi Rob. This one’s from the perspective of a licensed and practicing Mindanao information professional. I guess we all understand that freedom of expression does not permit us to do so (i.e., request for items to be deleted). We also do not condone any such abuses to the freedom of expression. We probably just need to conduct ourselves as conscientious individuals with a clear sense of responsibility over how we express ourselves and our thoughts in cyberspace. Let us heed na lang siguro from the lessons of the past and move on. There are better things to do. Thanks.

This my second attempt to stop this. Don’t let anger overcome you and blind you. (I know you want to eat my words that I just wrote), that’s why nga undangon na nato ning walay kaugmaong away!

Kasabot? Naay na tay tanan na tun-an, unta itake-note nato ang atong natunan ug gamiton sa atong kaugalingon sa sunod. Lesson learned

Beyond the hardwork that every volunteer and organizing member has put into this event to have it be as flawless and successful as possible, there are certain things that annoy and bug my mind that make me say, that I wasn’t much impressed about this years Mindanao Bloggers Summit, unlike the year before in General Santos. Probably it is just the high expectation that I carried with me from the first Bloggers Summit that I have attended in Mindanao last year that made me feel unsatisfied about this years summit, or it could be the money that I have paid that made my expectations lift high.

I was so excited about the event, and that was for good reason, as this was the first paid Mindanao Bloggers Summit which is currently in its third year, and the press releases promised exciting moments that would satisfy the bloggers crave, I don’t know if you think my expectations are too high, but I haven’t really been asking much, just what the press releases promised and what the organizers behind it promised us.

In one of the press releases that I read about the Mindanao Bloggers Summit 3 in Cagayan de Oro, it stated that there are about 300 people to attend the event. One of the head organizing staff encouraged bloggers in the Mindanao Region to join the summit as this (paid) summit contains many many surprises and memorable moments. That person also stated that all paying bloggers will get home with a little kit, and a shirt along.

The capacity crowd of 300 that was mentioned in the press release eventually fell below a hundred but above seventy, note, seventy. The kits that bloggers received was also not very complete, well, at least not for me.

I know this may put the organizers and fellow CDO bloggers into anger, but I can’t help and think about a few questions that need to be answered to satisfy my curious mind.

• Why did the press release mentioned 300 bloggers?
• Why were the kits not complete?
• And why, have only been (around) 70 shirts provided?

It is not that I am comparing the Summits that I have attended. But there’s this urgency in me to have this question answered. I really don’t like the way they have promoted the event to pursuade more people to attend.

In the days of the old media, let’s say the Radio, Television and the News; people tend to exagge about certain topics and provide false information to persuade the audience.

(Before I proceed), in the new media days, (almost) everything is covered up by nothing but the naked truth as reported by the bloggers themselves. Nothing hidden, no layers behind it, nothing.

If this sort of act goes on, I am worried that the so well-praised new media will fall prey to its ancestor, a medium in which media is used to cover up false information in order to get people interested into something, instead of delivering the real deal.

-palowbat na ang laptop ko- edit ko lang maya.
I hope you get my point.

I am disappointed…

7 Lessons from MBS CDO

There are some people who can’t pull down their pride, which led to several small debates across Plurk, Facebook and this very blog regarding my opinion, or should I say my questions that I left in a earlier post of mine regarding the Mindanao Blogger Summit III in Cagayan de Oro last weekend. If you think that there is nothing good that I took from it, then you are wrong, because there are more than five things that I can take as a lesson from the summit that I may have not learned anywhere else.

• Davao City is my very home.

And nothing, but the MBSCDO made me realize this more. There have been times when I went to Manila that the traffic piled up along the streets made me miss Davao more than anything and made me say that I’ll never complain about the traffic back in Davao. My first and only visit in General Santos, at the other hand made me appreciate every breath I take in Davao more, due to the hot and dense weather conditions -that we had during our visit-.

All these small occasions made me love Davao more, but still it didn’t made me appreciate this place which has served me as my home since the fifth grade of elementary.

It was in Cagayan de Oro though, when everything has changed. The small streets making me remember the front of San Pedro. The Divisoria as an extended version of the Rizal Promenade. And the view from Divine Mercy Shrine (El Salvador) just like the view from the Shrine Hills. Not only that; the various expensive Coffee Shops made me miss Davao City’s Kangaroo too. There’s truly nothing like it, nothing like the home, your true home.

• Blogging isn’t for geeks, it’s getting mainstream

I used to ignore the fact that blogging is entering the mainstream already, it’s not only limited to geeks or people who have internet connections at their homes, but it is starting to become something that everyone is gonna exercise which makes me realize too that.. And oh, don’t forget the morning Politician Sessions.

• Adsense is one thing, but there is more.

I might be earning (arguably much, for some) in Adsense, but I cannot rely on it. Well, I shouldn’t be thinking about money at all anymore, and rather concentrate about something better, higher, solid. Ask yourself this: What happens to Adsense when everyone is a blogger and is aware that these advertisements are adsense advertisement?

• There is always someone, who appreciates you.

At times when everything seems too hard, people start turning your back, there is always someone who appreciates you and what you do. Janette Toral’s words of wisdom inspired me even more to do what I used to do with this website, and to continue strive to reach a new objective for this blog. It’s always nice when people believe that you are talented, and I’m sure that there is someone out there who believes that you’ve got talent too, but are just not ready to voice it out to you yet.

• Always put a goal ahead of you.

If you stop dreaming about something big, you’ll never be something big. But a goal ahead of you, set your plans for your future and try to reach it step by step. Not following PBA nomination for my blog meant was a shot in the water, and I just can’t explain how much I envy the winners, or even just the nominees. When you reach a goal, go ahead and reach out for another.I stopped at one point, and look where it lead me, down down the road from how my blog was looked and admired at a year back.

• It’s not just about Davao, Gensan, CDO

Just like I mentioned above that blogging is going mainstream, it is not just about Davao, Gensan, and CDO. Bloggers from other cities are emerging, Zamboanga, Iligan; to name couple. It is spreading all over Mindanao, the Mindanao Bloggers community along with the number of bloggers nationwide is exponentially growing.

• It is not all about blogging.

I noted it before, but I have to say it again. Socializing is something that every blogger (well, everyone human being) needs. Meeting the dozens of bloggers at the sumit made me realize it more than anything, lots of new people, and lots of people that I haven’t heard about or seen for months, like Runel and Bam.

A bonus lesson learned.

• Don’t engage in a debate with bloggers from Cagayan de Oro City

Woopra Statistics reveal that there have been multiple page views coming from the same I.P address from Cagayan de Oro City yesterday on a few (adsense containing) pages of the blog. Coincidentally, my adsense got clicked bombed. I think you can figure out what I am trying to say with that.

What did you learn from the Mindanao Bloggers Summit III Cagayan de Oro?

Thanks to the sponsors of the Mindanao Bloggers Summit:

Nokia OVI – www.ovi.com
Smart Communication – smart.com.ph
Havaianas – spruce.ph
1st Rafting Adventures
UltraCraft
OLX.com – free classified ads
Syntactics – www.syntacticsinc.com
Majesty Sales Center
Clara’s Shoppe
MakatiAve.com
Asterisk Event and Communications
Loretos Bar and Grill

Pre Bloggers Summit Day

We write the 23th of October, 2009. A day before the event that has brought us to this distant place, far away from Davao City; Cagayan de Oro City for the Mindanao Bloggers Summit which is on its third leg this year, after bypassing Davao City and General Santos City in the recent years.

We departed from Davao at around 6-7 in the morning, bloggers in attendance where Mindanao Bloggers Pioneer Blogie and fellow Davao based bloggers like yours truly, Charles Ortiz, Dulce (Negosyante) and Anya Belle. We arrived at our destination just about past the hour of 1 in the afternoon, and I’m very confident to say that most, if not all of us were pretty tired, specially Angel and Charles who have been talking the whole trip long. While attended my friends, (Anna) Clarissa, Rhea and co through text midway our trip when I had signal again.

We ate lunch at a Venue that I want to forget for some odd reasons.

I was supposed to meet up with my ex girlfriend since she offered her home for me to stay, unfortunately though her father arrived earlier this day making impossible :p

That’s why I accompanied Charles and the other bloggers to wherever they went, and eventually ended up with Charles, Blogie and Angel here at the Lamar in midst Cagayan de Oro City, instead of joining Lyle Santos and the other Davao-based bloggers at another hotel.

Dinner was served at a grill/resto title Barkadahan. It was fun, I tell you. It was the third or fourth time that I ate Halo-Halo and it’s I think the first time that I mixed it up right without spilling too much out of the cup!

When we left the said dining venue, we went off to hunt a nice Coffee shop where we could spend, and the venue we eventually found refuge at Bo’s Coffee Shop, where every blogger had his own little busy world.

Mindanao Bloggers Summit Attendees welcomed to CDO?

I wonder why we’ve been greeted so warmly through this banner but not have been given any free accommodation at this venue where I found this picture. It looks like MBS3 does has a lot of sponsors!

Mindanao Bloggers Summit 3 prepost

In about a weeks time, I may or may not be in Cagayan de Oro City for the Mindanao Bloggers Summit 2009 which is on its third year of existing, after bypassing Davao CIty and General Santos City in the past two years. The MBS 3 is looking to be something totally different from the latter two, something that the organizers are confident to say “exciting” and full of promises and memorable experiences.

But I don’t think so.

I have nothing against the idea of the Mindanao Bloggers Summit, I actually like it. But I don’t think that it is right to put payment to it, like someone disclosed that MBS’es should remain free of charge. The people behind MBS CDO might argue that a tour is included and that there is a water rafting (for additional 500 pesos) at stake for those who want to challenge the waters, but it still doesn’t justify the payment for the Mindanao Bloggers Summit. No, not at all, especially when we look at a much engrande event, the WordCamp Philippines prized at the same amount.

But I still look forward to make it to the Mindanao Bloggers Summit 2009 this year, because I was absent during the said WordCamp held a month earlier in Makati. Yet there is still this little glimpse of quarrel from inside whether I should attend or not. Not because I dislike attending events like these, but because I still lack money. Money for the fare, and probable accommodation (because my friend didn’t respond yet, urgh). I want to make it to the summit to start engaging the local blogging community in Mindanao and start networking again, which would then be the sign of a true restart of everything I’ve been doing on the internet the over the past year.

And therefore would also signify the beginning of a new blog that shall emerge in the next couple of weeks and months to come. A project that I won’t be the only one having my hands on, but a blog that will be aided by well, you’ll know when the word is getting out.

I may have never been someone in the world of blogging and in the online community, but I’m getting tinier as time passes by, I’m getting more worthless and the blog statistics are getting worse. It’s so important to make it to this kind of event to bring in some fresh new ideas and to have a checkpoint to start with and start over again in blogging.

What about you? What are your comments about the Mindanao Bloggers Summit in Cagayan De Oro? And, what can you say about the additional payment for the MBS 3 this year?

MBS2 – The Story in Links

I’m quite past the deadline, but still, let me bring out this post of thankfulness for all the people who made the Mindanao Bloggers Summit a even more memoreable event for me. Better late than never, don’t you agree? Anyways, here’s the whole event summed up in bullet format, wherein I’ll be pinging some of the other people who I met.

1. I was supposed to be accompanied by Grace’s Group to go Gensan, but it took them some time to respond, so I departed from Davao on my own.
2. In Digos City, my room mate in Gensan, Charles Arrived.
3. Kuya Avel assigned Aethen, one of the few bloggers I met at WordCamp Philippines to fetch us from the General Santos City Bus Terminal.
4. We arrived at Sleep Inn and had some accompaniment from other Davao People like Alritch.
5. We joined other volunteers and organizers for a Dinner at Grab-A-Crab
6. But before that, we enjoyed a lone time at Cafe Latecia at the Family Country Hotel, just to make use of the WiFi there.
7. We hanged out for until 1AM at the Coffe Shop at Grab A Crab and went home heading for a deserved rest.
8. The Main Event, the Mindanao Bloggers Summit was next on the line.
9. One of the hosts was Mindanao Bloggers Member from Davao City, Kuya Migs.
10. Oh, and I remember Ate Brendel accompanying us at the left side of the hall.
11. The talk that I really caught my attention was the one from Jester and his talk alone. Oh, yung kay Ate Ria rin pala
12. I was too busy with two laptops, the one of Charles and the other one from Bam.
13. After the main event and all the open forums, Kuya Lyle fooled us with his MrAlmighty Prank that really caught the most of us, especially Runel.
14. Then, the evening began, with a R-18 program, daw?
15. The WiFi Connection was gone, but I wasn’t the only one who was worried, Kat was as well.
16. Almost everyone went to the dance floor to have a good time while I instead went to the other side of the hall to exchange some words with Aice.
17. The next day, the Gensan Tour was on the list. And it kicked of quite well.
18. Thanks to Jester for lending me his laptop at the hotel to get 1 post out.
19. Miah took quite some pictures during the tour huh?
20. And as well as the others who were around. Ngek No links haha.
21. While at the Port, Dulce Negosyante shared some words of wisdom.
22. We arrived at Manny’s House and it was time to take a group picture and there have been quite a lot of cameras around, including Blogie’s one.
23. I guess this is all. Hehe. I need to take a bath, eat and go to school Absent na ako half day haha.

Need to hurry now!

Here at MBS2

So, I had quite a downtime yesterday and was able to garner only 200 visitors because of the goo d 14-20  hours downtime. And well, I’m here back online again, blogging lvie from the Mindanao Bloggers Summit 2008. The person in front right now as I post is Kuya Blogie who is sharing more about the Mindanao Bloggers Summit 2008.

I’ve been here for quite some time now accompanied by WhyNotCoconut owner Charles. I was able to take a picture with Ms Gensan which is courtesy of Kuya Lyle’s awesome camera. So, here we go, let me listen to what he’s saying now rather than keep you bored with this post.