In response to Jellybean’s posting, I would like to say that a critical mins cannot develop without a free market of ideas and robust debate. The blogosphere provides such a free market of ideas by providing competition to the monopoly of information by the MSM. Monopolies are not motivated to provide good service. Absolute power corrupts absolutely. Hence the need for competition.

I stronly believe in the free market of ideas where robust debate can take place. May the best idea win.

Do consider and remember one very important point whether one is reading on MSM or blogosphere I think it is important that Singaporean develop an effort to analyst the information received and decide if they are indeed the true or just information others want us to believe. The problem with many of us is that we choose to believe every thing we see or hear and take it wholesale, as time passes by we eventually lost our ability to form our own objective opinion and assessment on an issue. Most of time we display only knee jerk reaction and show off our frustration. Only when more Singaporean becomes mature in their thinking then we have a more supportive environment for pluralism in politics. Only when Singaporean is willing to dig deeper to discover beyond the obvious we can then collectively make some changes. Let’s together make an effort to promote awareness among Singaporean in a positive and constructive manner.

Happy New Year

The cycle of high and low readership – for any blog, I would contend – varies from month to month and also depends on the issues of the day. Thus, to ascribe this seesawing of numbers to poor content is not accurate.

Although TOC does aggregate some blogs, aggregation is not our primary purpose. That is why we are happy and glad that aggregators like Singapore Surf and Singapore Daily exist. And you are right, they do a much better job at aggregating than TOC. There is no doubt about it.

As for your saying that “You can recommend ppl what to read. But that does not mean you can direct them to read what you want they to read”, that is true as well. But it is also true for any blog or aggregator. Also, TOC does not force or coerce anyone into “reading what you want them to read”. I think clicking on the links provided – whether on TOC or any other blogs – is a choice that each reader has.

And that is as it should be – the readers decide what they want to read. And the more blogs provide aggregation, the more choices readers will have.

That too, is how it should be – in my personal opinion.

Regards,
Andrew Loh

The purpose of an Alternative Media is to provide viewpoints not carried or reported by the MSM. I have just debated on the Islamic education issue on this blog. I provided alternative views.

Likewise I appreciate what the blogosphere has provided Singaporeans with. Here is an outlet to channel our grievances – which is often ignored by the MSM. In the Islamic education issue for example – dozens of people, parents, Malay-Muslim NGO’s, Muslim scholars etc have given feedback to the relevant authorities. All channels were exhausted. Yet – nothing was done. It fell on deaf ears.

But enter the blogosphere – that Great Equalizer called the Internet. And now we can make all our grouses heard in the free market of ideas. Now there is an abundance of ideas which – quite frankly – OUTSHINES what the authorities can come up with. I guess the Internet is the poor man’s weapon against tyranny.

In the final analysis – people will NOT resort to blogs etc had our MSM been free, unbiased, objective and has compassion. It is precisely because of the failure of the MSM that blogs succeed !

Let the best ideas triumph !

Personally, I for one do not believe TOC does a good job of even aggregating what is usually produced in blogosphere. If you look around the same bloggers feature along with the same gripes, same narrative and same everything.

I prefer the Singapore Daily and I believe one reason why they have grown so fast is because while TOC still believes it is in a position to direct others to read what it choses to aggregate or now – in the case of the Singapore Daily, they dont put their self in that position.

Let me just share one thing with you. You can recommend ppl what to read. But that does not mean you can direct them to read what you want they to read. If you dont do it, they will just go somewhere else or find it themselves.

Why do you think the readership for TOC has been dropping like crazy this last 2 months?

How many active viewers (who read these blogs at least once a week?) of these blogs are there amongst 4 million Singaporean resident? 20,000 is 0.5% of the population.

Does the “anti-govt” views just continue to reinforce those who are already predisposed to these views, or do these blogs actually change a large number of viewers’ point of view?

Also, why are there no significant blogs that support the MSM or govt view in Singapore? Just as MSM is more pro-govt, blogs are more anti-govt, so is this healthy or desirable?

Thanks for your views.

The piece is not an attempt at self-promotion for TOC. There are several other things we could have included in the piece if our intention was self-promotion.

I accept your point that opinion pieces (and reports) – whether in the MSM or on blogs – will inevitably have, or perceived to have, certain slants or biases. Thus, our intention is to let the reader decide for themselves.

As for the “we-vs-govt and we-vs-msm” issue, it is unavoidable, at least to a certain extent, that socio-political blogs and blogging will take a counter stance to what the govt does or what is reported in the MSM. This is observable throughout the blogosphere in Singapore.

Blogs, even TOC, have not evolved to the stage where they can generate or gather news on their own on a consistent and regular basis. Thus, most blog entries are and will be reactionary. This gives rise to the impression you have (which is not necessarily inaccurate) that it is a “we-vs-them” scenario.

Also, there are very few pro-MSM or pro-govt socio-political blogs.

In the review above, we have tried our best to give an accurate picture of what transpired in 2007 – including not shying away from the role that TOC has played in 2007.

It, again, is not an attempt at self-promotion.

Finally, comments are not taken personally. :) And we very much appreciate your input. We will try and do better in 2008. :)

Regards,
Andrew Loh

1)On surface value, it reads more like a self promotion piece (i.e. events covered by TOC). While constantly at loggerheads with the MSM and the Government for framing events in their favour, isn’t the TOC doing exactly the same thing (there is nothing wrong in doing that as long as you are transparent about it).

2)MSM vs Citizen Journalism. Related to my first point, it is often argued that the self-preserving MSM is constantly placing itself as a reliable and objective counterpoint to the amateurish and rabble-rousing “citizen journalists”. Therefore i was a little disappointed that your highlights of 2007 were mostly we-vs-govt and we-vs-msm. If thats the angle you wished to take, then dont mask your intents as a review of 2007.

Dont take this personally. Just my thoughts on the matter.

Rather, it is not so much what Singaporeans can read online BUT THE FACT THAT OTHERS AROUND THE WORLD, FROM PRESIDENTS AND PRIME MINISTERS TO JOURNALISTS ALWAYS ON THE LOOKOUT FOR A GOOD NEWS STORY, THAT BOTHERS THE LEEGIME. It is this internationality that gives us local bloggers a reach, even if mostly potential rather than actual, that amplifies our voices and our thoughts. It is this ability to leap continents and to reach the minds of the rest of the world that gives us local bloggers a grudging if dismayed acceptance of our place from officialdom.

Finally, to keep this short, 2008 will see the further demise of MSM. Already, brilliant webresources like the TOC are proving invaluable to disseminate news and views and to dig up lies and falsehoods of the Leegime no matter how hard they try to hide facts, figures and data. MSM television will continue to lose ground with the rapid progress of IP TV or Internet TV where you can watch thousands of free tv stations from around the world, from sports to live news and documentaries, even the porn tv channels available in many countries. Try this free download of World TV Toolbar at http://www.worldtvtoolbar.com/ . [No malwares].

MSM Radio will continue its demise too, with the advent of high quality 24 hour nonstop internet music from HD stations without a single commercial to break your music, save for an occasional station ID reminder. There are hundreds of genres of music from tens of thousands of stations, streaming mp3 songs and music as good as from your hard disk, with only the rare packet break during the stream. Try http://www.clearchannelmusic.com/formatlab/index.htm for a sense of what I am saying. There are tonnes more online. MSM Radio is dead. You may soon not have to pay your Radio & TV Licence or subscribe to cable because you can get everything and more FREE online.

The writing is on the wall. The Computer is Everything. It will continue to be the Centre of Work and Life for more and more Singaporeans. The Leegime will give up. Resistance is Futile. The Golden Period is truly upon us. I look forward to more miracles 2008 will bring.

*Comments edited by moderator

politics 2.0, the next big thing. how will the govt respond? lets watch and see.

meanwhile, keep a lookout at TOC! ;)