Blogging is a privilege, not a right

Hmm…I knew it would come to this. But hey, me thinks it’s all part of the maturing Pinoy blogosphere that has reached critical mass.

Sad but true. Bloggers are an indeed an elite crowd. Not our fault, though.

If upper class or middle class bloggers decide to portray issues that affect all social classes in their blogs, well and good. In any society whether western or Philippines, it’s always the bourgeoisie that speak up for the rest of society. Think “martial law”outcry by the bourgeoise . For the priveleged few like us, it’s up to us to make a voice for the less privileged.

I agree blogging is a privilege and it’s our choice on how to use it for the common good of our kababayans.

I think it’s your right to blog if your privileged enough to afford it :)

privilege or right, bloggers should exercise utmost care and responsibility. the freedom we enjoy is not absolute.

i agree, blogging is not for everyone, period. ;-)

Yes. It’s a privilege. Not everyone who surfs the web are into blogging anyway. Most just search for their assignments and project needs. Some just search for games, what’s new and what’s hot in the gaming scene.

and..

Bloggers… are only a part of the net where they bring help through “reviews” guides and opinions on something, somewhere… somehow.

Driving is a priviledge because your driver’s license belong to an issuing body for revocation or suspension if the terms of using that license is violated; so is gun ownership, business ownership, broadcast operation etc.

The participation in any sports tournament is a priviledge because there is always a ruling body that can disqualify a sportsman, even though licenses are not required in a lot of tournaments.

Blogging is my right, as well as my neighbor who couldnt’ afford a computer and a connection but goes to the cyber cafe. I dont read his comments and am not impressed by his intellectual capabilities but how can I stop him. Its not like we have a cyber police.

So far, the only comment that I agree with and identify with here is troy’s. Very apt analogy.

@Chino Yray — you can’t be serious, man… get out some more, bloghop some more, dude!

@Noemi — wow… i’m flabbergasted… you too should get out some more. the bourgeoisie don’t do outcries. they do 2-hour lunches most probably, but not outcries that are of socio-political concern. and btw, the “less privileged” have their own voice; if the “more privileged” care to add to that voice, i’m sure that would be welcome. but i’m fairly certain the “less privileged” don’t need this kind of condescension.

But, Drew, I was already politically active during the first EDSA. Still in high school that time, but very much aware and vocal already. Believe me, you don’t know what you’re saying about this particular topic. What you know now about EDSA is second-hand info, coming from those who were privileged enough to have the means to be heard.

Allow me to break this one down into manageable pieces…

You are implying that the supposed EDSA 3 (that’s the one that failed, right?) did not succeed because it was led by the proletariat? That’s very simplistic. (What if I told you they were financed by privileged people? But that’s off-topic…)

EDSA 1 was not monopolized by the burgeoisie. It was remarkable that they came out in droves and joined the rest of the Filipinos. That was what made People Power an almost miraculous and truly meaningful event. It’s very sad that that sentiment is now lost on the younger generations.

You know, we’re missing one crucial factor here: the reader (or listener for that matter). Let’s not forget that we know various information only insofar as we are interested in them. What I’m getting at is this: maybe you don’t know the breadth of participation of the “less privileged” in society because you probably haven’t given yourself the chance to read/hear them. So, before you set word on paper, try to get more than just one side or source. You’ll be better able to form an informed opinion on the subject matter then.

Oh and about my “second-hand” opinion. Sorry about that, I wasn’t in the country that time and had no idea it was happening. But that’s beside the point.

@yuga — Consider this. Let’s say you are in a war-torn country in, say, Africa. The country is being ruled by a military junta, and they are controlling media, etc. The rest of the world believes in the right to freedom of speech, but in your country it is a privilege reserved for those who are in power. Are you getting my drift now?

No matter that something as fundamental as a right is temporarily inaccessible due to temporal constraints, it is still a right. Your African country’s junta might be overthrown by people power and a democracy installed, yes? And the right of everyone to vote and to express themselves freely will also have been restored then.

I wil put my foot down on this once and for all. Blogging is not a privilege. Saying otherwise is pompous, snooty, and reeks of exclusivity. But you know, like I said in my own blog about this topic, this argument is moot. What’s important is for bloggers to realize that blogging entails responsibility: because one is free to express, he/she is bound by certain ethics. The problem with bloggers, many of us tend to think that we can simply say anything we want, without regard for the welfare of others.

@Blogie
I do bloghop a lot.. and go out even outside my own house more than you think.

When I said opinions on something, somewhere.. somehow.. is it not blogs are like that?

Also, why is it a right? If you think it is not a privilege. Yuga already said the point. Not everyone has the privilege to blog so if it is a right, how can they exercise it?

Yuga is merely stating that because of the barriers which are currently present in this country, blogging becomes a privilege since only the privileged people gets to blog.

Everyone has the right to surf the net, read, view pages & etc… but only the priveleged ones can do it.

Andrew, all tounaments have a ruling body or some semblance of it or you can’t call it a tournament hence the popular interrogative ‘kaninong pa-tournament yan?’ Even a sports event organized by a lowly purok (for all who live in private communities, a purok is a sub-division of a baranggay) has the purok as administrators of the game.

If you read closely at what I wrote, you will find what I pointed out that not all tournaments require licenses, precisely because only professional sports do so, I don’t see where you disagree with me there.

I don’t understand why you cited sports and driving to support the argument that these are priviledges and say I am citing a wrong example when I said exactly that these pre-occupations are priviledges, I don’t see where you disagree with me there.

Even if I want to disagree with you I cannot because that would be tantamount to disagreeing with myself.

Now for blogging, I don’t see how this is restricted by economic means. A lot of students are encouraged to blog from schools, not all of them are rich. My driver and househelp are welcome to use my computer for e-mail, well they can blog too if thay want if it doesn’t affect their responsibilities to me.

The leftist organizations are not a wealthy community, they are able to blog because they have community funds. The New Peoples Army even have a website, I’m pretty sure they blog even though they are an illegal organization. Now who could stop them?

My point in all this is that if you really want to blog, you can do so. If you can save money to go to the movies, then you can save money to blog, and no one can stop you.

@blogie- How sad you are. i happened to be around during the martial law days in high school.I have been out more than you even have in your lifetime. I presume you were just an innocent little boy or even a baby during the implementation of the martial law so “bourgeiose” is alien to you. I don’t think you even know what the “bourgeiose” means.

So I will just let your comments slide and hope you go out more as you suggest , be vigilant and blog on issues to help our country.

@blogie – sarcasm is to the eyes of the beholder. A glass can be half empty or half full. Excuse me for being sarcastic if that is how you chose to look at it. Enough said.

@Bloggie

I also thought of blogging as a right. But when I looked at the dictionary on the definition of “privilege”, this is just one of the definitions. There were lots, but this looks less harsh.

A special advantage, immunity, permission, right, or benefit granted to or enjoyed by an individual, class, or caste.

I realized not everyone has this advantage… unless all contraints will be overcome (those including the primary resources, and human intellect). And maybe, in the future, it will be a right not a “special right”. I’ll be looking forward to it.

*big hug to bloggie*

I tried to explain the issue through contrasting comparison from the priviledge side but the comparisons from the side that shall explain that blogging is a right is just as compelling.

Here are two of the most common and basic rights that are protected freedoms in a democracy; freedom of speech and right to privacy.

If we consider that freedom of speech is only availed of by a small fraction of the population, does that make it a priviledge? Very few are given the honor of speaking to a public audience. Are we to say that only print and broadcast media people have that right?

The right to privacy is guaranteed to all free people, but the homeless people do not have the means to practice that right because of their economic circumstances. Does it mean that the right to privacy is actually a priviledge?

Yes, I agree. But I am under the impression that this is an intelligent discussion (a heated debate at some point). :)

(I can’t resist throwing in my 2 cents, so here it goes…)

The word “privilege”, legally speaking and as used by most people, implies something that is granted by authority.

Rights are more fundamental and speak to our innate sense of what is good, proper, just, or “natural”.

Granted, there is an apparent confusion with these terms (“privileges” are sometimes equated with “rights”). But when both concepts are used within the same discussion, what differentiates them, I believe, is that there is an “authority” that bestows privileges; privileges too, are not conferred to all.

To wit: All people have the right to blog. It’s just that the “privileged” are the ones able to do it (this situation, however, does not change the nature of blogging being a right).

I bookmarked this site a while ago because of the new content and I have never been unsatisfied. Continue the outstanding work.

I am not going to tell fibs, you have lost me here – Philippines, Technology News & Reviews. I know that you intended well and you manifestly know what you are publishing about, but I cant pronounce that I get where you are coming from. There is no smoke without fire and on that point there are no comments without articles.

It’s nice to blog, but the “privilege” you talk about is exploited by other so-called bloggers.They pretend to be members of the press, barging in at press events, just to partake of free food. I have no respect for scums like that. Also, there is a reason why Journalism is offered as a formal academic course in college. There is a Reason why Editors exist to fact check and ensure the integrity of a journalist’s work. Bloggers? Who does that for you?? Partake of free food, if you want, but NOT in the company of Legitimate members of the press who have worked their backsides off to gain Years of respectable experience and reputation. There is a reason why bloggers will Never be recognized as legitimate members of the press. For the absence of an editor, alone, I strongly support that reason.