we’re doing fine. And as I mentioned in my post I have no illusions about the purity of what I do. The onyl really uniqueness of the tech blog I mentioned and the only thing keeping the traffic is something so simple I cannot help but think others have to be so stupid not to think about it.

My blog, Philippine Commentary has been advertising free since it was born six years ago. It’s one of very few Page Rank 5 blogs that is not monetized. But that is no guarantee that I am not in fact a Mercenary. The truth is, I don’t want those ads for the Nu-Bra Paste-on Bra suddenly appearing on my site like it does on certain websites, or the latest tonic for my schwanstukka.

I doubt anyone in the Philippines is actually living off of blogging (unless they are also mooching off their parents). Even the ever-active tech-blogs are largely an incestuous orgy with all the actual innovation and development far, far away from the so-called tech bloggers, who try to look and sound like they invented all those cool gadgets and ever advancing software. They are mainly the outlets for the marketing and sales departments of old and newi companies with and endless array of products coming out of Technology’s Horn of Plenty. Lucky for them too, the real geniuses are generous with their knowledge.

But most tech bloggers are just living off that manna from heaven. What are most of them inventing or contributing but churn?

NO one is “pure” — not even the techiest tech blogger. If people can make money representing politicians or cellphone and telecomm companies, that is their business. They can even be dishonest if they want to. We cannot control, only detect and expose that.

Blogging is like life. How can it be pure?

benny,

So, how do we profit from Get Realism?

I dunno man. But I’m open to suggestions… ;)

My experience: good writers online are a chore, great writers are torture.

I care much for the writing aspect because I’m a writer by trade and my hobby is writing. ;) I don’t mind being on some list, for example, as long as I know that list exists and that that I don’t cost anything less than my salary, so to speak.

Like I tell people myself, it doesn’t matter that there’s a Big X Above that you can click if you don’t like what I wrote or that you were offended by it. The fact is that a lot about writing involves responsibility and commitment. It has a lot to do with love, but I’m getting way ahead of myself.

Policing the blogosphere has a lot to do with self-regulation, if you asked me. If you like the money so much, then take it. But if blogging becomes all ABOUT the money, then I suggest you get a job that pays better.

That’s quite a long comment for a claim that some things are better than money…

Sa Iba:
Pero hindi rin naman pera ang nakakagawa ng bansa. Hindi lang ang pera and end-all ng lahat. Marami pang iba. Poder, Ego at pribadong interest ng mga badette.

Si Pat ay isang Romantiko na papa. Kailangan ng mundo yan. Meron din naman mga intellectual na papa . Parehong puwedeng ma loko. Sabi nga na mga sisters ” matalino man ang matsing na iisahan din!”

So, how do we profit from Get Realism? ;)

even commenters have been accused of being hacks.
The two ben’s in this comment thread can relate to that. Yours truly have been accused of being pretentious some time ago,and i hated it,but I have learned to get over it.

I have a blogger friend who was even mentioned by an inquirer columnist coining the term: Luli Arroyo’s internet brigade. With all due deference to that blogger friend( whom I just trust that he or she knows my family even if I never had a chance to meet him or her face to face), I don’t believe that such a group exists literally,sure there are trolls,hecklers and alter egos that raises our bps just by the sight of their names ;but claiming that all of them are paid hacks is just such an incredible claim. (ok it may just have been a hyperbole)

as to Pat’s concern, the pinoy blogosphere is to vast to police.

As for ethics:
That too was a learning experience having outed a commenter (one with an IVY league sounding alias). two words: Lesson learned.

I told Patricio this in a previous exchange:

I never engage in anything that ain’t self-serving. I don’t really have much of a high regard for people who claim they don’t engage in self-serving activities because it is usually those types who are most likely to disappoint.