racoma.com.phJ. Angelo Racoma on technology, economics, writing, problogging, and getting things done

I’m now officially a columnist at the Manila Bulletin, under the TechNews section (edited by Art Samaniego, Jr.). My first article is entitled Netrepreneurship And The New Filipino Hero, and is about outsourcing, freelancing and government support.

The MB article seems to have been truncated, though. So after you read the TechNews article, here’s the conclusion:

Most of these people would probably have such a support structure, paid by their own tax money, farthest from their mind. But with the benefits considered, this may not be such a bad proposition. Any economist worth his salt may tell you that with taxation comes some deadweight loss. And those critical of government might say that our taxes go nowhere (or perhaps, more accurately, mostly into the pockets of corrupt officials). But still, I believe our sector merits taking care of. After all, in tough times, good jobs are hard to get by, and many people resort to going abroad just to earn money. Freelancing and online businesses provide Filipinos an alternative which does not require uprooting oneself and being separated from one’s family for long periods of time. Isn’t it high time that freelancers, entrepreneurs and small businesses are also considered heroes of our economy?

Being an economist (with whatever definition that might entail), I shall be focusing on the economic and business aspects of technology, and sometimes also how it affects our daily, personal lives, especially with regard to productivity. If anyone would like to give me tips on stuff to write about, please feel free to send me a message.

I was recently interviewed by a journalism student about citizen journalism. And as a matter of preference and policy, I like to post interview transcripts here in full, so I’m not misquoted or taken out of context. Here are the questions and my responses.

What is citizen journalism?

To me, citizen journalism is any action done by anyone that aims to share information to the rest of the world. This can be in any medium, but given the popularity of the Internet both as a mass “broadcast” and a “narrowcast” medium, blogs, social networks and other such new media are often attached to the term “citizen journalism.” However, as may be evident with “letters to the editor” or “citizen patrol”
portions of broadcast and print media, citizen journalism can also exist in mass media.

What motivates you to engage in this kind of activity?

My main medium for sharing information online is through my blogs. My main motivation is my love for writing, both creative and for informational purposes. Most of the “citizen journalism” I have done
so far would be about topics that i’m keen about, such as technology, literature, and the like.

How is the practice of citizen journalism similar and/or different from professional journalism?

The Internet has broken certain barriers, I believe. For instance, mainstream media has been picking up on grassroots reportage. Blog posts are often cited on some news reports. The other side of the coin
would be that professional journalists are also discovering the benefits of new media, and are also contributing their commentary there.

I could say that, in practical terms, what sets citizen journalism and professional journalism apart is that professional journalists earn compensation from their activity. Most grassroots reporting would come
out of personal interest or need.

In more operational terms, however, professional journalists do follow certain norms and standards. And there are editorial procedures often followed. There are fact-checking, protection of sources, and the
like. However, this doesn’t mean non-professionals cannot also subscribe to these standards and practices.

What sets you apart from professional journalists?

I can say that a “citizen journalist” would usually pursue this activity out of passion. I wouldn’t write about something that I’m not interested in. If I were to make a living out of something, then that
makes it less fun (and somehow less interesting).

Is it important to set and follow certain rules and standards in gathering and disseminating news on your part? Why? How?

I believe in being responsible with what one writes online. What you write, what you post, what you say becomes public record, and can often be archived through some means (even if you delete a post).

See following posts:

• How to blog a complaint (Blog Herald)
• The anatomy of breaking news (racoma.net)

What are the matters that the public needs to understand about citizen journalism?

In my opinion, the public needs to understand that a lot of people now have access to mediums like blogs, social networks, microblogging services (such as Twitter) and others, that enable them to spread the word about something at the grassroots level. Citizen journalism doesn’t necessarily have to be about a political event, a calamity, disaster, crime or whatnot. It happens everyday when you write about your personal experiences, when you review a movie, when you photograph your new gadget.

I guess it’s a matter of perspective and definitions. To me, citizen journalism is any act by any person in which he/she shares information online, be these fact or opinion.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of citizen journalism?

I would say it’s about empowerment. Information is no longer centralized. Perhaps the disadvantage of this is abuse and misuse. See my cited posts above. The power to inform, when used inappropriately, can cause panic and security risks.

For instance, if you witness a heinous crime and you post about it on your blog, do you honestly think you would just get away with it? (Why not try to be anonymous, instead?)

Also, bloggers, Twitter users, social networkers might not necessarily be too keen on following some rules or laws. Sure, we might get excited with leaked designs of the latest gadgets and products? But
doesn’t that constitute intellectual property infringements?

What are the limits of citizen journalism?

I can say that citizen journalism is only limited by the interest of people in any given topic. If there’s no one interested about something, then no one will share information about it. No one will
care. I guess it’s the same with mainstream journalism.

What problems do you usually encounter in relation to this activity? If there are any, why?

Overeagerness and irresponsibility. Citizen journalism is like a weapon. It can keep society secure by keeping the bad guys at bay. But what if you shoot the good guy by mistake? Or what if you shoot
yourself?

As with blogging, tweeting, or any medium, these are powerful tools that should be used wisely and responsibly.

My first notebook computer was a Thinkpad, and so reading this post on Yugatech made me wax nostalgic. It’s not that Lenovo hasn’t been releasing Thinkpads since it acquired the brand from IBM. But what I find interesting are the form factor and price of the latest Edge and x100e series.

Yugatech cites the x100e to have the following specs:

AMD Athlon Neo single and dual core processors or a Turion dual core. It comes in an 11.6″ form factor, a multi-touch trackpad. Aside from black, it’s also available in color red. WiFi 802.11n is standard but Bluetooth and 3G is optional.

The retail price of PhP 28,990 is particularly attractive, I think. Thinkpads used to be quite expensive (think PhP 100,000 plus expensive). I guess with the popularity of smaller, inexpensive computers, they need to compete. Thinkpads are, after all, geared toward the business market rather than the consumer market. Maybe that’s why I’m so attracted to it.

I’ve been on the lookout for an unlimited wireless data provider. Bayantel DSL service is known to be erratic particularly during severe weather, and I do need a reliable backup connection. I do think subscribing to a PhP 1,000 + unlimited subscription is a bit of an overkill, since my main DSL connection costs just PhP 999 per month.

But with an option to pay daily, weekly and monthly for an all-day connection, I think I’ll bite. Smart has recently announced its UNLI SURF plans for Smart Buddy prepaid. You have these options:

• PhP 1,200 for 30 days


• PhP 300 for 7 days


• PhP 50 for 24 hours

I think the 30-day plan is a great deal if you intend to use this as your primary connection. The one-week plan is also good enough, considering you get an equivalent 28 days for the price of PhP 1,200 (PhP 300×4).

But what I’m eyeing is the PhP 50 per 24 hour rate. I won’t be using this as my main connection, but it’s good to have this option when you need it. 3G and HSDPA are fast, but latency is quite high, and the throughput is not too reliable, especially if there are plenty of other users in your area.

Mobile WiFi router

I’ve tried using my SonyEricsson Xperia with a Smart SIM subscribed to the one-day package, and so far I’ve been able to use the phone as a wireless router (using this guide) so I can share the connection with my laptops and other gadgets. The speed is acceptable, although it can do better.

Using any prepaid Smart SIM, simply browse to http://m.smart.com.ph/surf on your mobile browser, and then choose your preferred subscription.

I’m an avid user of Globe Telecom’s Immortal TXT service, which essentially extends your PhP 10 prepaid load into 50 + 10 SMS messages (50 within Globe networks and 10 to other networks). Globe has recently come up with a new “immortal” scheme, which now includes voice calls. Dubbed Immortal Call, the service will give you 50 SMS within Globe networks (including Touch mobile and Tattoo mobile) and 5 minutes worth of Globe network calls. Cost is PhP 15, and you can activate this by sending IMMORTAL15 to 8888.

In effect, you will be extending your PhP 15 to PhP 50 + PhP 6.50×5 (since each voice minute costs PhP 6.50), for a total of PhP 82.50.

I’m not using Immortal Call, though, since I’ve activated Super DUO last month (now since lapsed, but will activate it again soon, before my local number expires). But I do think that Globe’s per-second charging (using the “232” prefix instead of “0”) may actually be cheaper at PhP 0.10 per second, given my telephone calling habits, which rarely go a few seconds each call. Therefore I prefer the Immortal TXT service. But if you’re a heavier caller, then Immortal Call + would be cheap, at PhP 1 per minute.