What is the blogosphere? Wikipedia defines it as a collective term encompassing all blogs and their interconnections. It is the perception that blogs exist together as a connected community (or as a collection of connected communities) or as a social network. ^[1]

The above definition is better understood by non-bloggers or blog stalkers readers and perhaps even most bloggers outside Singapore. It is seemingly lost on some local bloggers, however. And this is especially true for local bloggers who have come to regard only the opinion of their blogger friends who reads and links them as those which matters. They live in a fantasy world, believing that “I am handsome because all my friends said so!” They also expect complete and unquestioning obedience from their friends. Heil Hitler! Anyone?

These bloggers apparently forgot that when they started their blog, it is as good as shouting at the howling winds or whispering in a noisy market. They get no attention then and the truth is, the content on one’s blog is useless without readers. In short, I define the worth of a blog in terms of the effect, usually in the form of reaction from the readers.

Here’s an analogy: In medieval times temple bells may already worth a fortune. But at the same time they are worth much more because people who lives in its vicinity conduct their activities with regard to the tolling of the bells. For e.g. farmers in the fields breaks for meals or call it a day. There is more worth to these bells than its monetary value.

So, consider Rockson’s blog. One might dislike his style of writing or his use of vulgarities, but consider the reaction he gets from those some would consider as ‘beng readers’ (even though they might not be any more or less beng than any of us). Then consider Xiaxue, who would be nothing more than a feisty tart screaming at the top of her voice at the busy streets [泼妇骂街] if not for the reaction she gets from her readers.

Thus, whether the blogger is deep or shallow, pro- or non-pro, in- or out- of my group in the Drunken Masters Bloggers Association doesn’t matter at all. All that really matters is the reaction of readers to the content a blogger produces (preferably regularly).

Based on this, it is my considered opinion when a blogger is a successful social media person, it would manifest in the form of a high level of social interaction on the blog itself – usually in terms of the number of comments and trackbacks one gets, or even when bloggers actively and regularly engage his readers by writing a new blog post in reply.

Therefore, it is my considered opinion that anyone who claims to be a ‘social media guru’ or ‘somebody in social media’ while having negligible level of interaction on their blogs beyond their own social circle, is simply… talking cock [Hokkien: gong jiao wey 《讲鸟话》]. It is a testimony that these ‘social media experts’ have apparently failed to recognise that local readers are also less vocal and less willing to participate other than those they are passionate about. In spite of all the hot air, they have failed quite spectacularly in the department of doing social media.

Thus, it really doesn’t matter just how high profile they are in the traditional media or how many so-called social media events they have attended or organised. All they have really done is hoodwink other bloggers into believing them to be promoting social media, but in reality they are using bloggers to promote themselves!

Now, anyone is free to disagree with this opinion since my blog itself has nothing to show as far as ‘success’ in social media is concerned. We are all entitled to our opinions. Yet there are things that are even worse than self-styled social media gurus, and that is when bloggers commit acts that is detrimental to social media, which I will talk about in my next post on local blogosphere, when I get myself down to writing it.

Comics:

Recommended Read:
Cobalt Paladin: Square Room
ErniesUrn: Association of Bloggers Singapore
Freelance Writing: Have Bloggers Become Social Media Abusers?
Nocturne: Association of Bloggers Singapore