Many of us bloggers may simply see our blogs as a �pensieve� where we can keep our thoughts and reflections. Well, at first, that is. Then we get to realize that surprise, surprise, we are being read! Then we somehow form a community or friendships in the web as people comment on our posts and we reciprocate.

However we see our blogs, the truth is that the moment we post our entries, they are out for the whole world to see (unless of course if you have set your blogs to private mode). Whatever we write will be read, digested, criticized, and possibly be given a different meaning or interpretation by our readers. Our readers may agree or disagree with us, but the moment we have put them online, we no longer have control on how our posts will be processed by our readers. That�s why we should be careful about the things we post. It�s just like offering the food we cooked to our guests at home. While we were cooking it, we were the master of our specialty. But the moment we put it on the table and our guests partake of it, our control over it ends. How our guests will find it � tasty, bitter, salty, or bland � greatly depends upon their individual tastes. But while that may be so, there is still what can be universally considered good cooking and bad cooking.

As chefs in our own websites, we do have a big responsibility, whether we realize it or not. What we post not only reflects who we are, but also shows how much respect we give our readers.

I am not just talking about grammar; I am talking more about how we present our ideas, our take on the issues we tackle, and even our choice of issues to tackle. Why do we blog? Is it to draw readers to our page, and hopefully earn (for self-hosted blogs) some bucks out of it? Is it to share to the world the scrawls of our creative pens? Is it to share our life, our experiences, and our reflections in the hope that people who can relate can learn from them? Is it to become famous?�The issue on what our goals�in blogging should be was� elucidated by Mr. Arao in his lecture. From his talk, I had gleaned that our goals should be to write quality content, to help shape public opinion, and to make a difference.

What�s good about blogging is that there may be times when we are cooking the same recipe our fellow bloggers cook, but always, there will be something that make our �specialty� different, a secret ingredient that will tell our readers that it was us � not any other chef � who cooked it.

In a sense, we are like journalists, sans the �authority� and the pressures. Through our posts, we can help shape public opinion, open other people�s eyes, and even make people act accordingly. Our reflections, our experiences, our creative outputs, and even our rants and raves, can have an impact on our readers.

Here are some of the issues Mr. Arao discussed in his lecture. I am posting some parts here, with my own commentary, mainly because some of them have been playing in my mind for a long time, and also because I completely believe in them.

On freedom of expression. Freedom of expression is a precious commodity. It�s something we should treasure. But in exercising our freedom, we should also remember that for every freedom we have, is a responsibility. Our freedom of expression is not a ticket to malign other people. We may be free to express ourselves, but we should also be responsible that we do not overstep our bounds, that we do not curtail the freedom of others. A quote Mr. Arao shared that I love very much goes something like this: �The freedom of the tip of your umbrella ends where the freedom of my nose begins.�

On responsible blogging. As previously mentioned, blogging may be, in some way, a form of journalism. �Citizen journalists� is the term they sometimes use to refer to us, bloggers. And although we may not know the ethics of journalism, our ignorance should not be a reason for us not to know our bounds. Unlike the journalists who are paid to report about issues, we are not paid to blog. That, does not, however, free us from legal obligations should we overstep our bounds. Plagiarism and libel cases are as real to bloggers as they are to journalists.

On quality blogging. Journalists, says Mr. Arao, �adhere to professional and ethical guidelines.� Then he adds, �In theory, of course.�

We know of a lot of journalists who do not follow the ethics of their professions, especially those who write or broadcast �tsismis and intrigas,� some, if not many (or even most) of which are simply products of their imagination and makating dila, and those who shamelessly advertise products on their shows. Personally, I find these practices demeaning. They are among the reasons why I had not sat down in front of television for more than four years now.

A good point Mr. Arao raised to which I completely agree, is that the quality of our blogs need not, and should not, be dependent on the quality of journalism that we have.

I�d like to add that, to the contrary, the poor quality of journalism that we have should, in fact, inspire us to do well in our blogs, to present an alternative read to our fellowmen who are hungry of honest and quality posts, and to fill the void that is created as a result of poor journalism.

After all, blogging is a powerful thing. If we so desire, our scribbles, our small voices, can make a big difference in other people�s lives. We can inspire; we can make a huge impact; we can touch others, in the same way that we can also make others feel bad, be sorry, and miserable. The kind of impact we have may, in some way, depend on how people take our posts; but largely, on the goal that we have.

Indeed, blogging is a powerful sword. But like other forms of power, what comes of it depends on how we wield it.

//Sherma E. Benosa
09 September 2008

————————————————–

This article is also posted in my personal blog: BARD and BRAIN.

PS: Read Mr. Arao�s presentation HERE.

Pictures during the Wordcamp are provided by Salve and Hitokirihoshi. In photos are some bloggers, us, and Mr. Wordpress himself, Matt Mullenweg. The Wordcamp was organized by the Mindanao Bloggers.

.