I’ve said time and time again that our blogosphere has a dearth of quality, original content. My search for a credible, original tech voice certainly proves it.

Was looking for a tech blogger to work with me on a project. So I trawled PPS, Googled, ask for referrals from people in the know and came to these conclusions about a lot of so-called local tech bloggers:

1. Half can’t spell. Or construct paragraphs without at least three grammatical errors.
2. Half can’t choose original blog templates and instead copy their compatriots’. Same subject matter, same blog template, what is going to differentiate you from everyone else?
3. Some think blogging is copying press releases or linking to them.
4. Half copy another blog’s writing style and come off sounding like advertorials.

And instead of celebrating technology, reveling in innovation, proving useful sources, 70 percent of them are doing it just for the money.

Part of that is because blogging can be a potential revenue stream. Doesn’t help that paid bloggers share the love with other bloggers and talk about how so-and-so ad company paid them XXX money for an advertorial. "Wah, you know so-and-so just sits at home making money from blogging one ah?"

And they all want to get on the blogging bandwagon. They all feel entitled to get paid ludicrous amounts of money to say the exact same thing another blogger is saying.

No, you can’t throw stones at me because hey, look, no ads on my site. Not now, probably never will be.

You guys have it good right now but how long is the cash cow going to last? Seriously, you can’t call a blog much of a blog if it’s nothing but paid advertorials one after another.

Now, there’s another kind of paid blogger I do respect. The ones who are hired to write for big networks like b5media who get paid per post. No, not to pimp stuff on PayPerPost but write actual news on niche subjects, getting paid for relevant and read-worthy stuff.

Like the guys on WoW Insider. Or Engadget. Or my personal favourite, The Register. People on those big network sites are paid anything from US$5 to $15 per post. Posts that reflect news or opinions, not just pimping advertisers.

Tech blogger Robert Scoble has ads but not ZOMG A MILLION OF THEM WHEREVER THEY MAY FIT. 

So please, Malaysian bloggers, don’t just read each other’s posts and ape them. Try coming up with your own ideas, your own niche and not some SEO crap.

This is a public service message from someone sick of all the crap on PPS.

I really haven’t been motivated to post much lately. Blogging seems to be a danger to your health, your sanity, your credibility and your reputation. Especially if you move in the cliquish Malaysian blogosphere.

What irks me sometimes is the assumption that just because you read someone’s blog, you know the blogger.

No, you don’t.

A blog shows certain facets of a person. But it’s not an accurate representation of the whole of a person.

Don’t you think a blog could just be an elaborate fabricated facade? The cute, pink, with hearts and bunnies blog template might mask the heart of an evil bunny killer who laughs manically at books like The Bunny Suicides.

OK, the Bunny Suicides makes me laugh maniacally, but that’s besides the point.

It’s just the nature of our blogosphere. We like it. We like playing judge and jury, sentencing virtual strangers to the noose. Giving them neither the benefit of the doubt, nor the ability to defend themselves. And then we laugh at the destruction, we jeer at their anguish, we take pride in their tattered reputations.

Makes me just want to hop over to Livejournal, make all my entries friends-only and never bother making my thoughts or feelings public.

I guess all I can do is stick to what this site’s about. Earnestly saying what I think or feel, and not pander to the circus. It’s annoyed me that I’ve had lurkers visiting in the hope that I will stir some new crap to entertain them with.

Was talking to Irene about it and she agreed that this constant caution, the fear that someone might make too much out of what we post, rather dulls the urge to blog. I’m still here. Still writing. Still caring about what I write. And maybe, just maybe, that’s all that matters.

This is the last post before my holiday. For realz. This is for the people who keep following my blog though I keep changing my URLs, through the emo-laden moments, blog drama and increasingly crappy writing.

And for the people who have been better friends than I ever had the right to deserve.

moar funny pictures

What do you do when people bring up old wounds?

Call you names?

Or complete strangers speak about things they know nothing about?

I’m going to do what I should have done all those frickin’ months ago.

I’ll shut up.

The Wi-Fi is wonky. I am mopey. All over a Twitter that reminded me of someone I’d rather forget. It’s hard to do that when everything reminds you of days past. I remember a wet and windy screening of POTC. I remember waking up early to claim HP book 5. Your ridiculous duck fuzz hair. That damn coffee you like. How you never say my name and your misuse of the word ‘Yo’. Guess I need to go make new memories with new people. But you left such a big gap, it’s like the void overshadows everything. And I want to be over this. Really. But I’ve got a You-shaped hole where you were. And I don’t know if it will ever go away.

How do I run from what’s so intertwined? I don’t even want to remember your name.

"How do you do it?" Irene asked when I told her that, yet again, I was starting afresh with a new blog.

Irene’s the opposite of me in that regard. Through the years, she’s faithfully ported her archives along with her and if she lives to an old age, I have no doubt her blogposts will live on after she passes.

I like a new start, leaving the past behind and just moving on. Because I believe memories will remain where they should – my head and heart. I don’t need pictures or objects of sentimental value. They’re nice to have around, no denying that. The silver ring on my hand and the amethyst pendant I wear are the only sentimental things I cling to; everything else, I could very much live without.

Why start anew again? Well, it seems my past webhost had a severe security breach making me skittish about staying with them. I just don’t have the time and energy to look after my own webhosting account anymore. So I’m traveling light and just hauling my domain name with me to TypePad.

I’ve grown to like Movable Type. I’m just not crazy about the long, winding road to customise it. TypePad’s the comfortable, though slightly pricey, middle road. Someone else worries about the backend and software, all I need to do is pony up the monthly fee. And blog.

TypePad makes it easy so I don’t need to muck with script and though it’d be nice for my TypePad Plus account to give me more customisation options, I can live with what it offers me. So onwards to new blog horizons and a return to blogging on TypePad.