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

In light of my recently-instituted interview policy (as brought about by some interview experiences), I’m posting my responses to an interview by Ms. Myrna Co (a.k.a. Annamanila), which shall be published sometime soon on the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

The basic question was how I could describe myself as a problogger.

Start interview response.

I started blogging in late 2003, and these were mostly personal insights and writings. My blog was then hosted on blogspot.com. While I’ve had some experience with creating websites (very old school), I didn’t have much patience to play with my blog software, which was back then the old version of Blogger. In 2004, I started to have a keen interest in web markup again, so I started to post on my blog and edit my blog more actively. I was still working for Government this time (NEDA).

In 2005, I moved to the private sector, with domain registry dotPH. We developed a blogging service, i.PH, and having experience with blogging I was also assigned to be the company’s brand manager for the blogging service. Corporate blogging was also part of my duties. And so I started my problogging career.

I decided to leave the company within the same year, the corporate grind not being my thing. I survived on web development projects (one major project was for my old gov’t agency, NEDA). In February of 2006 I applied with a web content writing company, and I was assigned some blogs to ghost-write on. There I started my professional writing/blogging career.

That same year, I was approached by a small blog network, Bloggy Network who needed a good writer for their tech-oriented blogs. Pay was considerably bigger, and so I focused work there, while still doing a few freelance writing projects on the side. December of 2006, I was asked to be a contributor to the Blog Herald and become part of the Splashpress Media management team, so I had to leave my writing position at Bloggy Network behind (as they required exclusivity, which I could no longer give).

To date, I’m editor in chief at Splashpress Media, which means I handle creative and business sides of the network. I no longer write as much as I used to, since now I take care of assigning blogs and writing jobs to other people in the network, and I also help manage the finances and the revenue streams.

I would say I’m one of the more well known and respected bloggers in the country not so much for the money I earn from blogging but because I was one of the first who publicly announced that I was leaving a comfortable full-time employment to explore the possibilities of blogging full time as a source of income. And I didn’t do it solely by earning from ad revenues, but instead by affiliating myself with a few good organizations and networks who would pay top dollar for good talent.

Also, being an economist by profession, I’m an advocate of bringing blogging jobs to the Philippines. So instead of our people going abroad, and instead of our people going to work ungodly hours at call
centres and BPO offices, I usually encourage people to try telecommute and work-at-home positions or home-based businesses.

Also, my position and affiliation with said networks has made me able to help my fellow bloggers and connected professionals. During my stint with Bloggy Network and now my current position at Splashpress, I’m able to hire Filipinos into the network as creative talents (whether in writing, web design, web development, research, etc.).

End interview response.

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