by Ardee Aram (http://ardee.i.ph)

Connie Veneracion, more popularly known as The Sassy Lawyer, is currently one the most controversial bloggers in the Philippines to date. Tagged as the “most famous Filipino blogger” by the iBlog Summit press committee, Connie has utilized the internet infrastructure and the blogging technology as a means to amplify her voice about socio-political matters not only of the country but also of the world. Parser Tech Editor Ardee Aram interviews Connie about how she thinks blogging affects society at large.

Ardee: Ma’m, Konting background lang about yourself
Connie: Dito ako nagcollege [sa University of the Philippines Diliman], AB Philo. Tapos pumasko akong college of law. Pumasok ako as in pumasa ako sa exam. Di ako, ako deans discretion o kaya presidential discretion (laughs) sama eh. Di kasi marami akong kabatch na ganoon eh. Yung batch ko was the first batch sa college of law na inabot ng 5 sections nung freshmen year, traditionally 3 sections lang yan, 2 day sections, isang evening. Batch namin 3 day sections 2 evening sa dami ng nakapasok backdoor, usong-uso yan. Mga first week ng klase non, diyos ko yung pila doon sa pila ng dean lahat nagpapareconsider. Di ko alam kung ano ang standards nila for reconsidering pero lumaki ng 5 sections yung batch ko.

Ardee: Kailan kayo nagsimula magblog?
Connie: 2003, early 2003.

Ardee: Please describe your usual blogging day, or your usual routine, habits , idiosyncracies before, during, and after blogging.

Connie: Before, yung before, chores muna yung before. Pero minsan interspersed. Pero reading always comes first before blogging.

Ardee: Nag-blo-blog hop din kayo?
Connie: Bihira. Kasi, most Filipino blogs, diary type. Di ako voyeur Di ako mahilig, sa totoo lang. Merong a few na binabasa ko but that’s because kilala ko na yung mga tao, I mean, some of them I’ve met personally na, so ibig sabihin I can identify with them, pero yung sasabihin mong total strangers magbabasa ako ng diary-ng ganyan di ko kayang sakyan yun. Yun namang iba, among Filipino blogs, bihira naman talaga yung nagbloblog about social issues, di ba, so wala akong masasabing nababasa kong ganon, kasi bihira naman talaga. Sa news, pag nagbasa ako ng news ang binabasa ko yung news reports, hardly ever yung columns, yung opinions, and yung editorial kasi pag nagsulat ako ng commentary about a news gusto ko fresh yung ulo ko, ayoko ng tainted na ako ng ibang opinion, so I don’t. Yun if meron halimbawa, minsan, marami kasing nag-eemail, papadalhan ka ng link. Ayun yung ganito yung opinion ni Randy David sa ganito ganyan interesting ganyan ganyan, yun that’s the time lang na magbabasa ako ng column, and only to react. Pero yung binabasa kasi,di lang puro news lang kung minsan, maraming interesting na nangyayari na hindi mo naman talaga mapupulot sa local papers. I use three agregators, RSS agregators, para makuha ko ang lahat. Isa is feedreader, then I use google news, at yung isa pa is ano pa nga ba yung isa nakalimutan ko na yung isa, it starts with the letter A, ampethedesk.

Ardee: Yung feeds ko kasi galing sa international news. May alam ba kayong feeds galing sa local news? Kasi sa inquirer wala akong makitang feeds.

Connie: If you use feedreader, feedreader runs the feeds of moreover. Moreover syndicates many local papers including Sun Star, Philippine Star, Manila Buliteen, paminsan-minsan Inquirer, dati talagang kasama yung Inquirer sa services nila, pero ngayon bihira na, swapang ang Inquirer eh. Hindi dahil magkagalit kami no pero talagang ,di, ano sila hindi sila nagpapaaggregate, they don’t even provide you with the URL of their feeds. In a sense, that will show you kung gaano kabehind sa technology ang mainstream media dito, hindi sila naniniwala na mapropropagate sila via RSS feeds, they don’t see the benefit of that. They feel secure sa sarili nilang market tsaka sa sarili nilang audience, pinagdadamot nila yung ano yung stories, it’s their funeral, di ba.

Ardee: What is your definition of blog? In your opinion, what is the foremost purpose of a blog?

Conniie: Yung definition, I’d limit that for a specific format of content management system. Kasi, totoo naman na nageevolve yung definition ng blog. Pero for purposes of creating a distinction between a blog and a non-blog, we’d better stick with kung ano ang format talaga nung CMS which is considered blog. Which means, may permalink siya, may optional trackback feature, may commenting system, tapos entries are posted in sequence by date, pwedeng may categories, pwedeng wala, ang archiving niya its either by month of by year, by period magaarchive siya.Yun yung quote unquote normal definition ng blog. Ngayon naman if you consider in terms of purpose kasi kung finifilter mo yung commenting sa blog, as in ikaw yung blog owner and you only publish comments which you feel are favorable sa iyo, or sinecensor mo at ineedit yung language used, strictly speaking, I wouldn’t consider that blog. Although some would say na ok lang yan, kasi hindi naman strict yun na kailangan talaga free commenting yung pinapairal mo na sistema. Pero hindi eh, kasi sinabi mong blog pa rin siya pero sincensor mo yung commenting tapos finifilter mo siya, ibig sabihin may editing na yan. E yun nga yung pinagkaiba ng blog e dun sa ibang medium eh. Kaya wag mong sabihing blog yun. Case in point, is yung tinatawag daw nilang blog sa daw sa inquirer 7 .net, which became a big issue a few months ago. The comments are submitted via email, and then the section editor only publishes kung ano yung dumaan na sa kanila, di ba. They were insisting that it was a blog. We were saying no, it’s not a blog, kasi finifilter niyo eh. So, gusto nila kasi madefine sila as a blog within mainstream media,eh hindi ganoon yun eh. Once dumaan ka na sa system ng filtering, censorship, and editing, hindi ka na blog, di ba.

Ardee: So, sinasabi niyo na isa sa core elements ng isang blog ay yung comments and feedback?

Connie: Isa yun sa mga pinakasubstantial na parts ng blog. But there are also blogs na talagang intentionally in-off nila yung commenting. Siyempre I can only guess kung ano yung intentions nila for doing that, pero sa akin kasi papano ka magcrecreate ng interaction kung wala kang commenting system, e sakin essential yung interaction eh, kasi kung ang purpose ng blog mo is not just to inform but to create a venue for intelligent discussion so that people can form informed opinions, you have to provide that venue. Which is, kasi pepwedeng like sa bulletin boards yung mga forum o they have commenting diba threads diyan pero ang pinagkaiba niya sa blogs sa forums wala kang starting point tulad sa blog diba may blog entry yun yung starting point mo all comments posted under that entry are supposed to be related tapos mag discuss kayo. Sa forum walang ganon bibigyan ka ng isang category tapos free for all yan mag away kayo riyan which differentiate a forum also from a blog. Sa blog
streamlined siya kasi yung blog owner yung publisher siya yung nagdidictate kung papano dadaloy yung discussion. Eto yung entry mag react kayo diyan. Sa akin yun ang rule ko pag lumagpas ka sa parameter nung kung ano yung substance nang topic idedelete kita kasi non-sense na irrellevant ka na idedelete kita. Kasi yung ineencourage mo yung discussion lang hindi na yung side comments hindi yung smart aleck remarks so it’s useless they’re just wasting your bandwith which you’re paying for.

Ardee: yung blog niyo ba ay moderated?

Connie: Diyos ko pano mo pa imomoderate yun san ko hahanapin yung oras na iyon?! Kasi ganito yung system ko no, every comment posted, every trackback sent I am notified via e-mail kasi mahirap lalo na kung archive page yung luma na tapos paano mo iteterace yun di mo na alam kung sino yung nagcocomment. So ninonotify ako ng system via e-mail. Iisa-isahin ko yun. Pagka nakita ko doon pa lang na merong yung ganon yung irrellevant kasi maraming ganon yung mga … dahil parang may mga taong hindi makadaan sa isang comment box na hindi nila matiis na hindi nila pipindutin yung submit [button] kahit wala lang. Yung mga ganon diyos ko obviously idedelete mo na yun. So nakikita ko kung ano yung dumadating alam ko kung alin yung sasagutin, alam ko yung FYI lang na klasi ng comment na hindi mo na kailangang mag respond. But unless it’s patently abusive, it’s just a personal attack but it’s total non-sense I’ll let it be. Kung minsan lalo na kapag archive article kasi siyempre kasi you have to move on ano? Pag may nagcocomment sa entry na iyon hindi ka na mag uupdate ng blog mo? Para ka namang sira noon. So pagka ganoon minsan archive page na siya tapos mahaba pa mainit pa yung discussion,
minsan pinababayaan ko na. O sige kayo na diyan, although binabasa ko to make sure na walang abuse pero pinababayaan ko na sila because the interaction is not just between me ang my reader but between reader ang reader yun yung maganda doon.

Ardee: may nabasa din ako eh about Philippine history may nag comment atang amerikano…

Connie: Alin yung screen name kano pinaglaruan namin yon!

Ardee: (laughs)

Connie: Kasi sabi niya hindi daw siya amerikano spanish daw siya tapos ang wife daw niya filipina meron siyang sariling theory kung papano nangyari yung Philippine history as in kung bubusisihin mo yung comments niya parang excuse me ang sinacite pa ata nito si Gregorio Zaide na matagal nang obsolete. Talagang yung ginanon namin obsolete na
di siya maniwala na yung battle of manila bay stage eh, mga ganon di niya kayang tanggapin yon iiinsist niya yung sa kanya eh as in marami kaya kami pinagaonon-ganon namin siya tapos nung nag kakasti-kastila na. Marami yon may isa pa ang pangalan daw niya buwaya pilipino din. Karamihan kasi I object sa mga ganyan yung matatagal na abroad yung imbibe na sa kanila yung american culture to the point na yung american interpretation ng history nilunok na nila yon hook, line and sinker. We can discuss this on a very academic level or we can discuss this on a very emotional level gangon klase yon kung mapipikon ka walang patutunguhan yung usapan dito madalas mangyari yon na nagkakapikonan kung minsan naman the discussion gets emotional nang hindi nawawala yung thread talaga. Nadoon parin yung substance ng discussion pero dumadating din yung point na wala na personalan na pag ganon sinasara ko na yung commenting. Kasi pwede mo namang isara eh for this particular entry commenting is closed. Kasi talagang useless na.

Ardee: Why do you use English as your language on your blog?

Connie: Because of the international audience. Ayokong malimit ako na yung nagsasalita lang ng filipino, in fact even sa pilipinas hindi naman lahat nakakapag filipino talaga. Yung iba mas at home sila sa nagcecebuano, hiligaynon ayoko ng ganon. If I’m going to publish something gusto ko yung makakabasa mamamaximize ko yung medium na ginagamit ko. So
gusto kong ma reach lahat yon. Saka initially kasi yung food blog because it came first no, yung target audience naman talaga noon ay yung mga filipinos working abroad. So kung second o third generation filipino ka, doon ka na pinanganak maiintindihan ka ba naman noon kung filipino yung blog mo diba? Hindi ka babasahin. Yun yung talagang kasi alam mo yung parang ang tagal na namin dito naalala ko yung mommy ko nung buhay pa nagluluto ganon pero we cannot reproduce that kasi we did not grow up in the Philippines. You have to reach those people and then you establish your rapport with them tapos okay na yon. So it was the most logical thing: use english. Kung marunong ako ng french lalagyan ko ng french translation yon pero hindi eh.

Ardee: Do you think blog serve well as a means of spreading views, opinions and advocacies? How does blog compare to books, newspaper, radio or television in this aspect?

Connie: Oh yes. Okay isa-isa. Ang books hindi pang masa yan. There is only a certain sector of society na talagang regularly bumibili ng books at talagang nagbabasa ng books as their daily routine. So out na kaagad yon.
Unless yung gusto mo eh hanggang doon lang yung marating mo, class AB o di yon mag publish ka ng libro diba. Newspaper, in terms of dissemination of information effective siya pero dissemination of opinions, I don’t think so. Kasi pag sinabi mong opinion columnist ka sa isang mainstream media publication nandoon na kaagad yung, is this really how your opinion goes, or is this your opinion after considering that you can only publish things that will not fret your own advertisers, your own publisher, ganon eh. So kung titingnan mo in that context, hindi free yung opinion. So kapag hindi ganoon ka free how could it be 100% honest diba? So yung radio, yung T.V yan ang masa, yan ang nakakaabot sa masa. Ang mahirap naman diyan, although very effective in term of dissemination both ng information tsaka ng opinion, ang problema naman diyan dahil yun yung educational attainment ng masa, hanggang doon ang training nila hindi na nadediscern kung alin yung fact, kung alin yung opinion, kung alin yung fiction. Lahat nilulunok. So sakin parang dapat itemper, I mean, if the broadcast media were a little more responsible or a little less concerned making money and give more attention to talagang public service, yung news and media and dissemination of ekekekek yung
mga ganon ano, kung mababalance nila yoon, the most effective media is
T.V and radio. Kaso hindi mabalance eh. Aside pa yon from the fact na merong mga media corporations na identified sa certain politicians of political agenda or political groups. So saan mo ilulugar diba? Paano mo paniniwalaan tong mga taong ito di mo alam kung paid sila ng specific na tao, paid sila ng specific na organization or talagang ang concern lang nila
is gumawa ng pera in which case yung choice nila ng topics ng news na ilalabas as in yung category nila ng news tsaka ng opinion na lalabas itugma lang doon sa kung ano yung tingin nila bebenta doon sa tao para mabenta nila yung publication nila o yung programa nila. I mean that’s the case with mare and pare sa channel 7. Although sige ano kayo team kayo kasi up to date kayo sa issues. Pero susmaryosep tingnan mo naman yung format. Is this really a discussion or is this balibagan lang ng asaran among the panelist? Kasi dati nanunood ako noon pero nung bandang huli talagang nandidiri na ako eh dahil ano ba to gusto niyo lang gumawa ng kontrobersya? Eh para na kayong showbiz niyan diba? Iseparate niyo naman yung news medium tsaka yung information dissemination doon sa pure entertainment medium. Wala na eh, wala nang pinagkaiba. I mean
Dong Puno is also like that in channel 2 magpapadala siya ng tao doon sa Cebu papupuntahin niya doon si Doris Bigornia pagkatapos meron silang isang crowd doon hinihingan ng mga [statements]. It’s not discussion anymore, that’s just pinapakita niyo na tangkilikin niyo tong programang to kung pupunta kayo sa ganong lugar at this certain time you can see your face on T.V. Ganon ka cheap. Susmaryosep, ako wala akong
karespe-respeto sa ganon eh. Sayang kasi yung T.V and radio yun yung pinaka nakakarating from [class] A hanggang [class] E napapasok yan. Di mo naman masasabi na masa lang o nanonood ng T.V. Even the ultra rich watch T.V so napapasok mo rin yon. Sana, kayalang ganon talagang pera pera yan eh.

Ardee: Do you think blogs are influential enough to shape the opinion of the majority? If not do you see potential in blogs to be a major
socio-political voice?

Connie: At this point in the Philippines not yet. Unang-una para masabi mong influential siya to the max kailangan mararating mo lahat diba? Eh tingnan mo yung nature ng blog, kailangan mo ng computer, kailangan mo ng internet, which is not an item in the average filipino household. In fact minority. Kung titingnan mo nga no ibabase mo doon sa stats ko, let’s say bigyan natin ng figure. Ang rounded figure ay 4,500 readers a day. Doon sa 4,500 na yon, tingnan mo kung ilan doon yung nagaaccess ng blog mo sa bahay, ilan yung habang nasa opisina tsaka nasa eskwelahan minority ang nagaaccess ang nasa bahay. So they’re using facilities ng opisina at eskwelahan because chances are yung facility na yon ay hindi available sa kanila sa bahay. So paano mo mararating ang lahat? Hindi eh ‘di ba? Unless yung gobyerno magiging project nila yan na bigyan mo ng P.C. tsaka internet connection yung bawat pamilya then that’s the time na masasabi mo talaga na it can be so influential it can sway presidential elections or something. Pero hindi pa eh. Sana by 2010 ano, pero I doubt it.
Pero sa isang sector, paano mo ba sasabihin ito, it has arrived. Hindi na kayo floating lang doon somewhere na para kayong now you see, now you don’t. Hindi eh kasi alam mo na yon pinapansin ka na nung newspapers, pinapansin ka na ng T.V.

Ardee: Pwede kayong magbigay ng concrete example ng parang promising influece ng blogs.

Connie: Kasi pangit eh. Kasi ganito yan ano. Maraming batuhan ng accusations ng newspapers na nangongopya ng content. Hindi nangongopya as in word per word ah, kundi titingnan niya yung links mo
tapos from your links titingnan yung source tapos lalabas yan sa newspaper. Hindi lang yung extent na yon kundi more, sagwa eh. Labas ka ng opinion mo about a very current issue, as in nauna ka doon sa lahat ng coumnista. O magbilang ka, 1 week, 5 days o yung mga columnista maglalabas din. Basahin mo yung thread nung opinion nila, parang sounds familiar.

Ardee: Di kayo cinicredit?

Connie: Newspapers don’t credit bloggers. Kaya ng nag away kami nang Inquirer eh. They interviewed us tapos gumawa sila ng sariling project citing american bloggers, as in parang the filipino blogging community don’t exist after interviewing us! Eh kami yung nagsimula nang pinoy blog eh. Nag away, yon online as in sagutan talaga.

Ardee: Saan siya makikita?

Connie: Sa Inquirer at sa blog ko. Pero nasa archive na yon that was last year. Laking gulo yon. Ayon kasi nga they don’t give credit, they don’t even provide the links. You’re an online publication you don’t cite the links? What kind of publication are you. Much less magcicite ka pero syempre yung mga kayulad noon, mararamdaman mo naman eh kung kinokopya yung content mo or nainspire ng content mo to put it in another way mararamdaman mo yun lalo na kung nagsusulat ka araw-araw. But how can you accuse anybody of saying, ay hindi ka original? They did not use your exact words, they did not use your exact titles. Kinuha yung thought mo, yung idea mo tapos nireproduce in some other ways. Dati pikon na pikon ako sa ganyan kasi inis na inis ako parang kapal ng mukha niyo kayo yung may resources.

Ardee: Hindi lang ba kayo ang naging [biktima]?

Connie: Hindi lang ako! But that I will have to ask the person kasi hindi akin yon eh hindi ko blog yon hindi ko content yun hindi ko alam kung gusto niya yon as a public consumption. Pero hindi lang ako. Noon inis na inis ako sa ganon ang I told Chin Wong of manila standards nilabas niya to
sa column niya ang isyu na yan na ginagamit ng media ang bloggers for sources for links etc. Sinabi ko kay Chin there was a time when it pissed me off so much that I was actually entertaining ideas about sewing. Pero kung titingnan mo on a broader context it means I’m winning it means I’m so influential that they’re actually picking my ideas. So kung magiging makitid ang isip ko and I’m going to claim copyright and everything, I can do that ‘di ba? Pero at the same time ano ba yung unang intention ko nung nag-blog ako, e hindi ba para madisseminate yung opinion ko? If this is what it takes for my opinions and my ideas to get disseminated, then by all means do it. Just don’t copy my exact words, don’t copy yung talagang so blantant na talagang ang kapal na nang mukha mo.

Ardee: Copy paste na lang?

Connie: Oo, then that’s the time na mag-iingay na ako. Pero if it’s a genuine desire to alam yun yung parang, it’s my idea, pero mayroon siyang gustong idagdag. Let’s say 3 paragraphs yung idea ko. Mayroon siyang gustong idagdag an 1 paragraph na kanya. If it’s an addition to the discussion, then that’s good. That’s good. Kasi, the blog naman, the blog is not supposed to benefit me personally. It is supposed to benefit a bigger sector. You want to say your piece kasi you believe that everybody else is saying theirs, hindi na sufficient which means mainstream media. Kaya ka nga nagdadagdag, to supplement yung insufficiency nila. So kung kakalat yung ganoon, di magaling, di ba. So ngayon, wala, ok lang. Basta’t wag mo lang akong bigyan ng rason para idemanda kayo, that simple. You give me the reason, mag-aaway tayo.

Ardee: Do you agree with, nababasa niyo ba ang articles ni Andrew Sullivan, blogger din siya?

Connie: Dati. [pro] Bush yun eh. I’ve seen his blogs a few times. I don’t really read blogs of media men. Actually, he quit [as media men]. He became a full-time blogger because he was earning so much in advertising. Pero I don’t eh. At saka, sa totoo lang, mabibilang mo sa daliri ng isang kamay yung American bloggers na binabasa ko. And that’s not even on a regular basis. I don’t know. Meron iba na magaganda yung discussion. Pero iba yung politics nila. Their politics are so personal. They don’t talk about ideas, they don’t talk about political theories. Hindi social commentaries. Personal comments on persons. Ayoko ng ganoon. Unang-una hindi ako ganoon, ibig sabihin hindi ganoon yung blog ko. Anong mapupulot ko sa kanila kung babasahin ko sila. Wala. Ganoon sila. The American blogging community is a very closed group.

Ardee: Kasi may sinulat si Andrew Sullivan na article stating that blogs would replace conventional media….

Connie: That’s a lot of bullshit. (laughs) He wants to think so because he’s a blogger now and not a media man anymore. Of course not! Meron ka bang ipapasahod sa mga reporters para pumunta sa probinsya at maglakap ng information? Meron ka bang ibibili ng camera ng mga reporters mo, ng mga tape recorders, etc.? Wala. Meron ka bang pera para mag publish ng print? Ang mahal kaya mag publish in print. Meron ka niyan? Unless you can do that, then you can talk about overthrowing media. You cannot. Blogs are supposed to be the alternative medium. Wag niyong ambisyonin na ioverthrow ang media at kunin kung ano yung kanila. Kasi when you do that then you become mainstream media and you cease being effective as an alternative medium. Which is what you want to be, the alternative medium. Kung ikaw na yung mainstream media, meron nanamang alternative medium that will be born. Ikaw naman yung iaatack
kasi ikaw na yung mainstream. Who wants that to happen?

Ardee: Satisfied na kayo na yung blog is just an alternative medium?

Connie: Yes. Oo. Pag hindi ka na alternative medium, you became part of the system, eh sakin nga if you’re not part of the solution you’re part of the problem. So kung part ka na ng system nalunok ka na. Unless it is already the system that you can vision. Unless the system has been transformed into the ideal that you were espousing when you were in that alternative medium. In other words nabago mo na yung systema. Then it’s alright to become part of that system pero hanggang hindi ka dumadating dun sa point na yun, I’d rather be the alternative medium.

Ardee: So walang sense si Andrew Solivan [sa article niya]?

Connie: Well in that ano ah, dun sa ci-nite mong entry sakin noh, it doesn’t make sense.

Ardee: Ayun sa California kasi my nababasa rin ako na yung blogs, they claim that blogs should be regulated.

Connie: A that’s a law, that’s in San Fransisco. It’s a proposed law to regulate blogs. Hindi ko alam yung status, the last I’ve heard it was still a proposed law. I don’t know noh, pero San Fransisco kasi is a very conservative city. Alam mo yung issue diyan about gay marriages, nagkagulo diyan sila diba. So you have to take it in that context, San Fransisco is not America, and America is not the entire blogosphere. So if their going to implement that sakanila, it doesn’t necessarily follow na magiging precedent yon for the rest of American citizen and other states. Kasi San Fransisco is San Fransisco. Very conservative.

Ardee: Pero personally do you believe that blogs should be regulated?

Connie: In what sense?

Ardee: May censorship na rin

Connie: No. That’s the worst thing that could happened to blogs. I think that among bloggers themselves there should be code of ethics na infensible susundin yung lahat. Pero alam mo ang hirap niyan dahil sa category. But can you impose a bloggers ethics to a blogger maintaining an online diary. Ang hirap napakalawak ng mga category, napakarami. Pag sinabi mo namang code of ethics to bloggers who talk about politics and law, that would be tantamount to censorship already because you’re implementing a set of rules for a particular set of blogger and not for everybody. I don’t see how it can be done unless it’s on a voluntary basis. Ngayon when you talk about putting it on a voluntary basis, that’s setting a personal standard for your blog. Kung talagang ang taas ng level mo, gusto mo excellent ka parati, iimpose mo sa sarili mo yun. Pero doon sa mga blogs na walang silang interest kundi, ay gusto ko lang mabasa ako kahit na puro bullshit yung pinagsusulat ko kasi may mga taong ganoon, admittedly. They wouldn’t care. In fact, they would be as assholic as they want to be. They’d be more assholic if it would mean more traffic for them. Paano mo iimpose yun? Besides, blog exists in cyberspace. Hindi ito physical object that you can control the circulation off like newspapers or books or magazines. How can you control anything? Let’s say pinasara yung blog ni XYZ. All he has to do is go to another web host, assume another screen name, reinvent himself all over again and do exactly the same thing. What’s to stop him? Kung ang kinakatakot ng so-called “authorities” is that it’s going to be so unregulated na maging nasty na lahat and everything, I think the best way is, let be, let it find it’s own ground. Let its feet sink kung saan sya komportable. At this point, bago pa lang ang blogs sa Pilipinas. Ang pakiramdam mo ngayon free-for-all, pero magsesettle down yan. At tsaka, you have to see it in the context that blogs come and go. Yung nagsstay, yun yung merong substance, merong goal na gustong maachieve kung bakit minemaintain yung bloag. Pero since yung gusto mong i-censor ay yung mga ass-hole lang, they never last long. They don’t. They don’t.

Ardee: Meron akong nabasa na blogs na nagaadvertise ng politicians at nagbabasa ng funds.

Connie: …There was this guy, kinuha siyang consultant sometime noong election. According to him, sa America to ha, he announced it sa blog niya, and announced that he would not be updating for a couple of months because he was going to work as consultant for this politician. I don’t remember if it was Kerry or it was Bush. Honestly I don’t remember. Issue yun, kasi, kung paano inaadmit yung mainstream media by politicians and political groups para maging mouthpiece nila, the same can be done through blogs. Siyempre worry yun, kasi ideally we want the blogosphere to remain transparent. Yung wala kang kinikilingan, you don’t cowpow to anyone so opinions are free. Pero siyempre mapreprevent mo ba yun? Ang aasahan mo na lang doon is for the readers to be intelligent enough to discern kung ano yung opinion, kung ano yung paid statements na.

Ardee: Pero do you think hindi pa rin solution ang banning and censorship sa context na ganoon?

Connie: Hindi eh, marami kasing angles ang censorhip. What are you trying to censor? Is it just commenting? If its just commenting the blog owner should be able to police that. Self-policing na yung site mo. Ngayon kung icecensore mo is yung content, then for sure, bloggers would be claiming the same freedom of the press that mainstream media claims. You’re censoring us you cannot do that. We have a right under the constitution to freedom of speech, freedom of the press, etc. You cannot censor us. Sigurado yan, subukan ng congress na magpasa ng batas regulating blogs? Susmaryosep! Malaking gulo yan. Parang you’d do this to us, you’d do this to media. You’d do that to media, there’s going to be war. Sino pa ang magiging kaibigan ng politiko sa media pag cinensor nila ang media, wala.

Ardee: Na-dub kayo as the most famous blogger in the Philippines?

Connie: Nino, sabi nino? (laughs)

Ardee: Doon sa mga advertisments! (laughs)

Connie: Widely read, oo. Pero famous? Kasi yung widely read dalawang sides yan, famous and infamous. Kasi kalahati naman ng talaga ng nagbabasa inaaway ako. Hindi mo pwedeng sabihing famous. Widely-read oo.

Ardee: Kasi ang nangyari, isa kayo sa konting tao na yung blog, hindi diary-type, may socio-political concerns

Connie: Actually, a year ago, ilan lang talaga yung ganyan. Ngayon , medyo dumami na. Let’s say, ito hindi exact figure, pero in terms of percentage. If there were 10 Filipino blogs last year that deals with politics, government, etc., there would be about 20 or 30 now. But the difference between mine and theirs, they don’t update regularly. They update once a week, once every two weeks. You don’t get a regular audience na nang ganoon lang ang updating mo. Kasi para ka makakuha ng regular audience ang hinahanap mo talaga is for your blog to be a daily habit with them. Yung as in, binoobookmark ka, as in , nauna ka pa doon sa diyaryo na babasahin nila, or right after sa diyaryo sa iyo siya pupunta, yun yung hinahanap mo para ka maging widely read talaga. It takes work, as with anything. Kahit naman mainstream media. It takes work. You have to work at it kung gusto mong mabasa ka nang tao. Sino ba naman ang gaganahan kung once a week o once a month kang magbasa [sic] di ba? Kahit nama siguro kaibigan mo na nagbabasa ng, let’s say, diary type blog mo. Kung ganoon ka kadalang magupdate, tatamarin din. Kasi walang continuity yung interaction. Yung food blog hindi na everyday yun, kasi nagrerepeat performance din naman kami ng ulam no? Pero yung isa, as a rule, Sundays lang ang hindi. Pero minsan, like kung hindi kami lumalabas ng Sundays, minsan maski Sundays nagbloblog ako.

Ardee: Paano kayo nakakahanap ng time magblog?

Connie: Time management. Pag nasa school yung mga bata madali kasi maghapon kang nasa bahay because I don’t work anymore. Kapag nasa school, walang competition ang attention, nakafocus ka. Yung bakasyon medyo hirap ako. Pero still, disiplina, you have to make them understand, yung mga bata, you have to make them understand and appreciate what you are trying to do, what your goal is. Parang alam niyo, yung ako, hindi lang mommy niyo. There is a me beyond this house, beyond the family. I am significant beyond this family. I want to make a difference beyond the walls of this house and you have to understand my need to do that. Pag naintindihan nila yun they will give you the time and space to do your thing. Kailangan ipaintindi, kasi you don’t naman treat kids na tuwing iiyak o hihiyaw tatakbo ka at pupuntahan mo. Hindi ganoon yun. I am not your slave. I am me. I have my own needs. I have my own social needs to feed and to fulfill. Good girls yan, wag mo lang silang gugutumin, pag ginutom mo magaaway kayo.

Ardee: Meron kaya kayong final words para sa ating readers?

Connie: Ako I would encourage everybody to blog. The way I look at human history, kasi di ba, we have history subjects, we have history books. Pero kung tutuusin, kung iisipin mo, yung mga sumulat ng mga libro na yan, saan nila kinuha yung data nila? Saan nila kinuha yung documentations nila? I’ll give a very concrete example. There’s this book about Taal, it was written by an American who was working at the time sa IRRI. He was so in love with Taal. I blogged about it, nag-eemail na nga kami. His name is Tom something. He was so enamored with the tale of Taal. Siya ang nagresearch, then he wrote a book about it na merong possibility na merong sunken towns diyan. Noong nagreresearch siya, alam mo kung ano ang na-unearth niya? Journals ng Spanish friars. Old old documents, mga ganoon. So itranslate mo. Pagka yung historians nagsusulat ng history books, ano bang dini-dig up? Hindi ba personal documents din from individuals? So why don’t we write history according to us, according to ourselves? Not according to the government, not according to some interest group, but according to us. So yun, kung titingnan mo in that sense, there’s no reason why everybody should’nt blog. Everybody should, because we are history. I hate the idea of history na history is about the important people, of course not. History is about our way of life, and we want that documented the way we see it. So let’s all do it.

Ardee: Hindi yung history na ibibigay noong bata pa tayo…

Connie: Oo. That’s bullshit. E pucha kaya nga nagaaway hanggang ngayon kung sino dapat ang national hero eh. Kasi hindi dapat ganoon. History should be written hindi as a history of those that did something big, or did something. History is about the big as well as the small people, about the extraordinary as well as the ordinary. We are as much part of the history as let’s say, doon sa current times, I am as much as part of history as Gloria Arroyo or Fernando Poe Jr. or Joseph Estrada. I am not less insignificant [sic] than they are, so why shouldn’t I document this the way I see it.