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

It’s an exciting time for social media and mobile users, as the tech world is seeing a lot of changes and upheavals.

Skype now on the iPad

Sure, Apple has FaceTime and iPad users can talk to iPhone, iPod and Mac users. But what if you want to chat and video conference with users of other platforms? Now you can, with Skype’s native iPad application.

Bit.ly Acquires Twitterfeed

Twitterfeed rose as a popular means to publish blog content to social mediums like Twitter and Facebook. The service has since gone low-profile, but with Bit.ly’s recent acquisition, users and businesses will benefit from real-time social media data brought about by the partnership.

Android Dominates Smartphone Market

It’s nothing new. Android has been on the rise for some time now. But latest figures show that the platform has taken almost 50% of the smartphone market as of 2Q 2011. Now, will Android finally overtake iPad in the near future?

Geo-Tag Your Mobile Videos & Share With Friends Online

iPhones have cameras, but social video company BitFlx makes video-taking more location- and time-relevant. The BitFlx application lets you see videos being taken nearby, which can be great for events, grassroots reporting, and simple video-sharing with friends. Works with Facebook.

Google Launches Speed Optimization Service

Google has recently launched a speed optimization service for websites, which is currently free. But will you be willing to point your website’s DNS to Google’s datacenters and let Google serve your website from their own servers?

Publishing and social networking platform Vox has recently announced that the service is closing soon.

Vox has been a fun place to explore, create and connect with your friends. But Vox is closing its doors on September 30, 2010.

This doesn’t mean you have to say goodbye to your blog. We want you to make sure you can keep the great content you’ve shared on Vox, and continue to have a home for your blog. To help you make the transition off of Vox, we’ve added new export features that make it easy to move your blog to a free TypePad account, and your photos & videos to Flickr.

I’m not a big fan of Vox, but I setup an account when it first opened. I also have a few friends and online contacts who use Vox (or used to) as their primary publishing platform. The main come-on of Vox is that it allowed users to publish content they stored in other services under a single point of access, which is their Vox page.

I’m not sure about Six Apart‘s main reasons for closing down Vox. Perhaps it’s because there are a handful of services that offer just the same functionality, but with a bigger user base and perhaps better profitability.

What does this mean for people who use small services, then?

I used to work for a company that developed a similar service like Vox. Back then, it was also in my mind how the service can compete and thrive, in the face of the established services. However, it’s not always the case that newer, smaller services will fail. It takes two things to succeed (or at least survive): a thriving community, and a really good product.

Take for instance services or products that started out small, like Facebook, Wordpress and Twitter. Perhaps at one time they were just another product with a small community. But once you reach the tipping point and everyone starts talking about your product, and using it, and building on it, you’re assured of success.

But then, it’s up to you how to stay at the top. How many products or services do you know became obsolete because they didn’t change with the times? Or how many services or products became too successful for their own good, and just fizzled out through time, leading to their demise?

I guess the question here is how you can get people to commit. I must admit I used to be an early adopter. When there was some new online service, I’d be among the first to join. But getting people to join up and keeping them active are two different things altogether.

And for users who sign up for services, the question is this: how sure are you that the service you are using will still be there one, two years from now? If they promise to keep your files or photos forever, how sure are you that they will keep true to their promise? It’s a pain having to lose your “home” online and move elsewhere.

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.

I’ve recently rekindled my passion for all things automotive, and among these is one of my own sites, www.pinoyautoblog.com.

The site has actually been online for some time now, but it’s only now that I’m able to fill it in with actual practical tips and news. Just recently, I’ve been able to review a Toyota Vios and test-drive a Nissan Grand Livina and a Ford Everest.

I’m fortunate enough to be able to do a full review of the Vios. However, as it probably is with most auto dealers locally, it’s perhaps not as easy to get media units for review, like other gadget manufacturers (such as mobile phone and laptops). But we do welcome review requests. In fact, we’d be glad to oblige!

I often find myself envious of people who have the time and the passion to write thought-provoking articles and editorials. When I originally launched my blog, it was my intention to contribute such content to the world. I wanted to focus on making a point, making a stand, and helping people understand these.

I never realized I would gain a considerable followership (while a humble number, it’s the connections that matter, I must say). But then, one thing turned into another, and I found myself writing–blogging–for a living. And the pressure and constraints took me away from using blogging as a platform for truly expressing ideas and ideals. There have been so many “me too” posts, one-liners and link lists. There’s the pressure to earn. There’s the pressure to stand out.

Racoma.net is, in a way, the contradiction of those “me too,” one liner and link posts, in its every relaunch. You see, everytime racoma.net has been relaunched, it’s often been at a point in my life I’m trying to reach new heights (and that, perhaps because of hitting lows). And it’s a way of recreating and reinventing myself. The last time I relaunched racoma.net, it was in 2006. Now I find myself relaunching once more.

For some time, I have let racoma.net languish in obscurity, ever since I switched to this .com.ph version of my blog. Even with this most recent relaunch, it has been about 10 months since my first post. But now that is changing. I’ve been trying to be more consistent with updating the site with what I hope are thought-provoking, interesting, funny, or at the very least grammatically-correct posts.

And this is a discipline I intend to maintain.

And so, folks, I give you racoma.net. Redesigned. Relaunched. Reloaded. Re-impassioned. Re-infused with goodness and warm, fuzzy feelings.

Feel free to drop by at www.racoma.net. I have, so far, discussed Twitter, social media and, yes, even Rick Astley.

Image credit: flickr/jurvetson