June 12, 2011 12:39 Research Publishing : IJAS Sample ijas-0403
International Journal of Arts & Sciences, CD-ROM. ISSN: 1944-6934 :: 4(3):239-252 (2011) Copyright c 2011 by InternationalJournal.org
THE SOCIAL REALITY OF THE MALAYSIAN BLOGOSPHERE
Abdul Latiff Ahmad
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
This paper explores the social reality of blogging in Malaysia. The presence of blogs has created a change in terms of the flow of communication and how information is obtained, shared and accessed. With a Malaysian customized framework of press freedom and strong emphasis on the multicultural values and religion, there are various factors to be considered before one decides what to write in a blog. Thus this study aims at discussing three key components of blogging as a new media technology and how its presence has opened up new avenues of interaction and created an impact to not only the individuals at hand but also the reading audience. The key issues explored are issues related to identity, interaction and empowerment. These key issues were later analyzed using a thematic matrix schema which highlights six key themes that consist of disclosure: public vs. private debates, voice and expression, virtual environment, personal growth and life changing experiences, relationship and support systems and the influential power. Twenty Malaysian bloggers between the ages of 21-35 were interviewed for this research. The participating respondents write in blogs of various genres that include politics, humor, daily lives and entertainment.
Keywords: blogosphere, blogging, empowerment, Malaysia.
INTRODUCTION
The development of Computer Mediated Communication such as e mails, bulletin boards, blogs and etc. has allowed communication to take place in cyberspace without physical contacts. Over the past years, Malaysians are engaging themselves more into virtual communities and online interactions. Some had led to positive outcomes and some of these virtual arenas had been exploited tarnishing the true potential of the Internet. The study focuses on issues relating to the social reality of the Malaysian blogosphere. It explores the reality that exists within this new platform of interaction. The term social reality explores issues related to identity and the interaction that takes place within the realm. It also examines how blogging has actually contributed towards empowerment of the individuals. It is the exploration of the new world of interaction and what the new world has done to the bloggers. The blog culture has been gaining popularity in Malaysia creating a new breed of Malaysians with revolutionary ideas and thoughts and also more opinionated Malaysians. . Internet penetration is also gradually increasing. In 2009, the International Telecommunication Union reported that there were slightly more than 16.9 million Internet users in Malaysia which account for almost 65.7% of the population. The number is impressive for a developing country like Malaysia.
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How do bloggers carry their own identity online? Are they using blog as a manipulative tool or do they feel that their identity is empowered upon entering the virtual realm? An important issue to explore is whether an individual is truly genuine in the real world or are there even more genuine in the virtual world. There have been cases where individuals feel trapped in the real world, not being able to show their true identity and sort to the virtual scene to express their true identity. I also look at the virtual community as an interaction of identities. Both complement each other’s existence. The existence of technology has enabled individuals to enter a very different form of cyber social contract. The rise of virtual communities has led to the existence a new breed of Malaysian who undergoes a transformation of identity upon getting online. Do bloggers prefer to remain anonymous or are we really creating more opinionated Malaysians who are willing to take full opportunities of the technology as a libertarian means of expressing themselves. There is a need to study the rise and role of the new media as since its introduction, it has impacted the social life of many Malaysians.
The research objectives for my research are as follows;
1. To study whether there exist an empowerment of identity in virtual relations. 2. To analyze the impact of virtual interactions to the individuals
The research questions are as follows;
1. How does technology (blogging) empowers identity and culturally constructs societies in the virtual world? 2. How do identities, values and interactions that take place in the virtual realm?
OPERATIONAL DEFINITIONS
A blog is basically a journal that is available on the web. The activity of updating a blog is ‘blogging’ and someone who keeps a blog is a ‘blogger’. Blogs are typically updated daily using software that allows people with little or no technical background to update and maintain the blog. Postings on a blog are always arranged in chronological order with the most recent additions featured most prominently (www.matisse.net). The Merriam-Webster defined a blog as a web site that contains an online personal journal with reflections, comments, and often hyperlinks provided by the writer. Identity is a set of behavioral or personal characteristics by which an individual is recognizable as a member of a group. It is also the distinct personality of an individual regarded as a persisting entity; individuality. Castells (2004) defined Identity as people’s source of meaning and experience. Empowerment is defined by Page and Czuba (1999) as a multi-dimensional social process that helps people gain control over their own lives. It is a process that fosters power (that is, the capacity to implement) in people, for use in their own lives, their communities, and in their society, by acting on issues that they define as important.
MALAYSIA AND BLOGS
Malaysia consists of a multicultural society. The Government’s Population and Vital Statistics Report indicated that the main ethnics in Malaysia are Malays (which includes bumiputeras), June 12, 2011 12:39 Research Publishing : IJAS Sample ijas-0403
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Chinese and Indian which makes up to 66.9%, 24.4% and 7.4% respectively of the population of Malaysia. There are a lot of different religions being practiced in Malaysia which include Islam, Buddhism, Christianity, Hindu and etc. This creates not only a multicultural country but one with people practicing different faiths and beliefs The Malaysian framework on press freedom allows Malaysians to have a freedom of speech however the freedom is subjected to the Federal Constitution. Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights stated that “Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.” Malaysia positions itself as a country that practices the freedom of speech. It also emphasized the need for monitoring and control as things that are said and published could cause harm to individuals or affect national security. Article 10 (a) of the Federal Constitution stated that every citizen has the right to freedom of speech however it is subjected to clause 2, 3 and 4 of the article. The government emphasizes on the importance of intercultural and religious harmony between the various different cultural and religious groups... Blogs in Malaysia are bounded by various regulations in Malaysia. Among the regulations that bloggers would have to adhere too are Internal Security Act (1960), Official Secrets Act (1972), Defamation Act (1957), Sedition Act 1948 (Amended in 1969), Copyright Act 1987 and Copyright (Amendment) Act 1987, Cyber Laws of Malaysia, Communications and Multimedia Act (1998)- Content Code & The Printing Presses and Publications Act (1984) (Ahmad, Mohamad et al. 2006). The Multimedia and Communication Commission of Malaysia had also prepared a Content Code which described the proper content and materials allowed to be shown for public viewing. For example, issues regarding sexuality needs to go through censorship board. Thus displaying of sexual contents such as pornographies is illegal in Malaysia.
Below are some recent developments on blogs in Malaysia over these past few years:
The Star newspaper in February 2007 reported that there are over 10,000 blogs in Malaysia. The Sabahan research of the Top 50 Bloggers in Malaysia indicated that 28% of them write about personal stuff while 16% write about politics. A first defamation suit was also brought by New Straits Times of Malaysia (an established print media in Malaysia) towards two critical bloggers in Malaysia, Jeff Ooi Screenshots and Rocky Bru (Utusan, 2007). The rise of blogs has caused a stir in Malaysia. Members of Parliament have even demanded that blogs be regulated and that blog users need to register their account to the government (Utusan, 2007). Various genres of blogs are coming out in Malaysia and it covers not only politics, entertainment or bloggers who write about personal stuff but it also contains those who write about sexual experiences as well. In recent developments, Dr. Abu Hassan Hasbullah through a research conducted, claims that there are over 500,000 blogs in Malaysia which puts Malaysia just behind European Union and Indonesia (Utusan, April 2008). He also concluded on the power that the blog has in terms of influencing peoples mind especially in terms of politics. In the recent 2008 General election, blog was mentioned to play a strong role in influencing opinions and decisions on who to vote. Since the election, we have seen initiative with Radio Televisyen Malaysia having a program slot titled Blog@1 to discuss issues with bloggers and to have a better relationship among bloggers, the government and the community. Other developments in the Malaysian blogging chronicle include the previous Prime Minister, Tun Mahathir Mohammed launching his blog site at www.chedet.cc. As of the 1 st December 2010, he has reached over 30 million hits. Raja Petra is also another household blogger in Malaysia. He is still facing defamatory suit brought against him for his blog postings. June 12, 2011 12:39 Research Publishing : IJAS Sample ijas-0403
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THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
Marshall McLuhan’s Technological Determinism
Ess (2000) defined Technological Determinism as:
“The notion that once technologies are made available, they will inevitably shape the world- including diverse people and cultures-in alignment with the ostensibly valid values of democratic governance, free speech and etc.” The concept of Technological Determinism was undertaken because previously, there were no technologies available in Malaysia that allowed Malaysians to voice out their opinions which can be read by a mass audience. The study will explore whether the existence of blogs has created an opportunity for Malaysians to express themselves and create a sense of empowerment to them. This study will also examine whether in the process of empowerment do Malaysians question their sense of personal identity and create an identity which may not depict their off-line identities. The blog promises such a new platform of interaction. Blogs can be either personal life stories or columns that offer editorial comments. More Malaysians are investing themselves to this mode of communication which in a way establishes themselves as the content of the new media. This study will explore whether new identities also known as the new content are replacing those old identities promoted by the traditional media. A new setting may create a new form of interaction played by new actors.
LITERATURE REVIEW
Identity is a set of behavioral or personal characteristics by which an individual is recognizable as a member of a group. It is also the distinct personality of an individual regarded as a persisting entity; individuality. Castells defined Identity as people’s source of meaning and experience (Castells 2004). Individuals are identified or distinguished through their names, the languages they speak or the culture they come from. These elements allow individual to become social actors. There are certain cultural attributes that contributes to the forming of identities. At times there exists plurality of identities where one tries to accommodate their various functions in societies. However, the concept of identities is different from the concept of roles. Roles are pre- determined or structured by institutions or other social organizations. Identities are the sources for the meaning to the respective individuals, and they are formed through a process of individuation. At certain times, identities can also be constructed around these institutions. This is when the individuals are able to internalize and construct the meanings of these institutions. As stated by Castells ‘identities organize meanings, roles organize functions (Castells 2004)’. Castells further stated that in the network society, ‘meaning is organized around a primary identity that is an identity that frames the others, which is self-sustaining across time and space.’ He focused his study towards a collective identity which would be able to explain the concept of virtual communities. He further mentioned that the virtual communities will be separated through different time-space frames and also a different form of power and experience. This will lead to a new form of society that the world has experienced (Castells 2004). The blog is now the new technology that is advancing the notion of a network society. The blog consists of new players (actors) with identities that can be re-created as to how one may give meaning to it. Donath (1999) stressed an important element on the identity of the writer. June 12, 2011 12:39 Research Publishing : IJAS Sample ijas-0403
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The identity of the writer is very important to add credentials to the writings and contents. Writers do have their own personal motivation and political stand and that can exert power to the writers themselves. An important element of the virtual world is about the voice and language of the writer. This replaces the physical forms of an individual (Donath 1999). Goffman (1959) in his book the Presentation of the Daily Life highlighted to important fact regarding expressions. There exist two forms of expressions, expression given and expressions given off (Donath 1999). Expressions given explain how one wants to be perceived and expressions given off explains how one is actually being perceived. The former is an idealist perspective of the writers but the latter is beyond the control of the writer. It is the judgment made by the readers. Empowerment is defined by Page and Czuba (1999) as a multi-dimensional social process that helps people gain control over their own lives. It is a process that fosters power (that is, the capacity to implement) in people, for use in their own lives, their communities, and in their society, by acting on issues that they define as important. Empowerment is also defined by Tully (2000) as the process whereby those persons or groups who are defined by themselves or others to be without powers are enables, through a collaborative process utilizing personal narratives, to increase skills necessary for acquiring and controlling resources necessary for effective and satisfying social sanctioning, including personal, interpersonal and political aspects. Empowerment is viewed as dynamic and evolutionary and uses personal narratives as its core foundation (Tully 2000). Rappaport(1986) looked at empowerment as a commitment to identify and create context for even the most marginalized in social settings and organizations so that they can gain understanding, voice and influence over decisions that impact their lives. Empowerment is perceived as a form of reconnecting to one self in looking at the broader picture of gaining control of things happening around them (Rappaport and Hess 1984). The blog is also described as a projective medium where we are able to reflect ourselves. Blogs are not extension of diaries (Mohaini 2006). The selves that are projected in blogs are not the same as those put into an online diary. The selves in blogs are to be shared with others, aimed at having viewership which opposes the secrecy of the diary. Blogs are still very expensive and not accessible to many with limited technology, education and financial access. The media in this matter has changed the message. Wiley (1994) elaborated the concept of ideal values to the individuals which may not be attainable in the real world. He stressed the existence of operating values and ideal values. Operating values are those practices by individuals or a group on a daily basis however ideal values are those values that are unattainable in the real world. Thus people opt for the virtual world in reestablishing their identity ideal values. For example wanting to be part of a fantasy based community, believing in myths and experiencing nostalgic life again. The digital world is unique in which a social presence is not a physical presence.
METHODOLOGY
The research was conducted using the interview method. Twenty five bloggers were interviewed for this research ranging from the age of 21-35. This age group was chosen as it reflects a new and active generation within society with regards to technology and expression of ideas. The sampling method chosen was of snowball sampling due to the difficulty in determining the population size of the Internet. The snowball method chosen was also to see the interaction that takes place within the blogosphere. The questions were focused on identity, empowerment and interaction thus some of the key questions were on reasons to blog, online personas, offline realities, blog experiences, effect of blogs, their role as bloggers, virtual interactions with the readers, ethical concerns, issues relating June 12, 2011 12:39 Research Publishing : IJAS Sample ijas-0403
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to religion, culture and laws, concept of opinion leaders, online empowerment and their future as bloggers.
ANALYSIS AND FINDINGS
Table 1: General Information on the Bloggers Interviewed. No of Code Age Sex Ethnicity Profession Years HCM/ Admin A1 32 F M Associate 3 A3 34 M M IT system analyst 5 A4 34 M M Doctor 2 Senior Legal B2 33 F M Profession 3 B3 33 M M Recovery Associates 3 B4 31 M M Civil servant 3 Quality Control C1 35 M M Technician 3.5 C2 34 M M Educator 4 C3 28 M M Travel agency manager 5 M or C4 35 F M IT 6 D1 35 F M Housewife 3.5 D2 33 F M Senior contracts analyst 5 E1 25 M C IT Manager 3 E2 23 M C Self-employed 2 E4 28 F C Executive 4 F1 26 F C Marketing Exec 9 F3 32 M M IT Consultant 7 F4 31 M I Software Engineer 4 G1 34 M M Broadcast Journalist 6 G2 29 M M Editor 7 Supervising editor. Quality assurance G3 35 M M (Astro) 1.5 H2 32 M C Journalist 4 H3 28 M M Editor 2.5 H4 27 F M TV3 Host 1.5 I2 24 F I writer 3
General Information on the bloggers
Twenty five bloggers between the ages of 21-35 were interviewed for this research. The range of blogging experience is from one and a half years to nine years with an average of four years of experience between them. There were more male bloggers than female bloggers. There were fifteen male bloggers, eight female bloggers while one of them refused to categorize him or herself as men or women. Out of all the bloggers interviewed, 18 of them are Malay, five Chinese and two Indians. June 12, 2011 12:39 Research Publishing : IJAS Sample ijas-0403
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Identity: The Public vs Private Debate and Expressions of Voice
From interviewing the respondents, a majority of them mentioned that their identities are similar both online and offline. However, there are some restrictions. Some personalities can be shown online however may not be suitable offline while some maybe the other way around. E1 mentioned on how he seems a lot funnier online and when in trying to deliver the same joke in real life, he may not be able to make the same impression. F1 says that she is a very cheerful, chirpy and a very friendly person online and the readers have that perception of her when reading her blog. However, she said that there have been a few readers who were disappointed when meeting her because she does not seem to be the same person as she is in the blog. She mentioned that in life she may be moody and she may not be able to deal with things as how she does in the online world. Her reaction to traffic jams for example are different in the real world and how it will be told in the blog. In real life, you may just hate traffic jams. But in the online world, you can make exaggerations of the story and put it in such a way that it may seem less tensed but more humorous. G1 described the difference between his online and offline personality. He mentioned how his readers may expect him to be just how he is in the blog however in the real world, G1 mentions that he is very quiet and may even seem unapproachable. Online he is seen as someone very confident and giving out ideas and opinions on the entertainment industry. He was also reluctant to meet his readers in the beginning because of his real world personality. However he admits that this real life identity of his is changing over the years where he is opening up to people more. Now he is especially comfortable with people that he knows and he is no longer as nervous when meeting new people. In part, he acknowledge the blog to have assisted him with that in building his confidence level and empower his ability to communicate with others. A1 describes the difficulties in showing her true identity after establishing popularity in her blog. She was able to say whatever she wanted to before. However things changed over the years as more and more readers start reading the blog and building expectations as to how a blogger is supposed to portray themselves online. There were certain things that she may say, for example, a cursed word and the readers who commented back said that it was an inappropriate behaviour. Though she does feel pressured in terms of how to behave and what identity to portray, she does feel thankful to having such dedicated readers who wants to see the best from her. She described the readers as a very caring group of people with only the best of intentions. A1 even mentioned that there is a possibility of looking at having another blog to actually be more of herself rather than just being someone who is expected to behave in a certain way by a group of audience. A1 was quoted as saying, “There are times when I feel the need to open another blog. A blog that can actually release this voice within.” Three of the bloggers under this study practices a gay lifestyle and all of them found problems in different ways. C1 mentioned how through blogging he is able to share his experiences and talk about his conquests. He will not be able to talk about that in real life in certain aspect. Though he is very open about his sexual orientation in the current country he is living in, this identity still remains a secret to his family and some of his friends back home in Malaysia. He even described how an ex college friend of his found out about his blog that focuses on the gay lifestyle and told his brother about it. It was a difficult process but his brother treated him as an adult and respected his choices in life. He never reveals his real identity online but those who know him will know eventually. Most photographs of him are cropped or edited before it goes online. A3 described that the reason he remained anonymous was so that he could write anything that he wants to write about without having to self-censor himself. He stated “ For me, I need to feel secure in terms of being able to just write what I want to write. I don’t wanna (want to) be in a situation whereby I have to self censor myself because I know someone else knows me June 12, 2011 12:39 Research Publishing : IJAS Sample ijas-0403
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personally reads..” This raises the issue that people may feel secure talking about things as long as they are not identified as the person saying it. Thus the mask that he puts on or the fictional character that he plays is a form of protection when presenting himself online. A1, G1 and H2 also talked about the celebrity status that they have achieved through their blogs. People want to have photographs taken with them. This was something that they did not imagine happening just by being a blogger. A1 describes her experiences when walking in shopping malls and being observed by people who would later leave messages saying that they have seen her here and there. It can be quite scary as well because your readers know who you are but who do not who they are. Thus you also have to maintain that same identity that you portray online as it is a form of responsibility. It is about being honest to yourself. In describing which identity do these bloggers prefer, whether online or offline, many says that both identities are the same thus they do not need to be a preference. F3 described one good reason to identify yourself in your blog is that you can use it as a form of media tool. This is especially important for bloggers who actually have power or in high positions in Malaysia. For example people like Jeff Ooi and Malaysia’s ex-Prime Minister, Tun Mahathir Muhammad could use their blog to correct things that may have been misinterpreted by the media or could provide the audience with the greater picture of what they are saying rather than press snippets provided by the media. This allows the individual blogger to get the message across and be heard directly rather than the messages being conveyed by a third party, in most cases the media.
Interaction: Relationships, Support System and Influential Power.
C1 described the miscommunication that may take place through this interaction. He has seen many bloggers verbally fighting with one another through each other’s blog. At times there can be confusions as something’s are best to be said right in front because you don’t know the tone of their feelings. Interacting in the virtual realm, one must be reminded that the way you read someone and the way you listen to someone talk can give different interpretation. Individuals may build their own perception as to what they are reading and that could lead to misinterpretation of how information is being conveyed. D1 shared her experience on how her mom passed away and how she decided to share the news, her thoughts and grieves through the blog. She was so surprised as to the overwhelming response from the public out there. D1 was quoted as saying, “My mother’s passing is an example...It made me realized that my mother is gone but she gave me a whole bunch of new people who fill in the void she left, not in one person, but in many different people. “This was in reference to all the new people that she had the opportunity to meet and interact with through her blog that has provided her the virtual support. B2 discovered that at times she needs to share her feelings or emotions with people whom she does not know. She said that when sharing her problems with her friends, they have a pre- conceived judgment as to who she is as a person. Thus upon advising her, her friends may not be as sincere and tend to value their friendship more than honestly advising her on what steps she should take in life. When blog readers give their comments, it is more sincere as they do not know her personally and thus able to provide an unbiased comment which she needs in times of difficulties. Maintaining relationship with readers is also an important task. There are issues of trust and what can be expected from the virtual community.A1 describe how difficult it is for her to maintain relationship with her readers. With an average daily readership of 1500 people per day, she admits to knowing only 10% of them. She says that at times some bloggers would e-mail her and the amount of e-mail she receives is massive thus she will only reply the important ones. It is difficult to keep track of all the readers once it exceeded a certain number. Maintaining an June 12, 2011 12:39 Research Publishing : IJAS Sample ijas-0403
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exclusive relationship is also difficult once volume keeps increasing. However, she tried and have even organized a meet up session and also a futsal session with her bloggers. C3 admits that one of the ways he maintains strong relationship with his readers is through organizing a meet up session in the real world. He invited his tag board users, silent readers and also the normal readers who leave comments. This is a way of bringing everyone closer together. A1 describes that aside from those who are very supportive, there are those who try to belittle her or even leave malicious comments. These are people she describes as ‘lalats’ or flies which are common terms in blogosphere describing those who leave nasty comments on blogs not necessarily attacking the blog content but mainly the blogger.
Empowerment, Personal Growth and Life Changing Experiences
There were different interpretations on the empowering nature of the blog. G1 described the changes he had to go through from this guy who majored in information technology and founding fame online. His blog address is now regarded as a brand name. Due to his writings, he had landed a job with the country’s leading satellite channel in Malaysia. He had also become a broadcast journalist which requires him to report in front of the camera. He never thought that this could have happened to him as looking back at the day he started blogging, he was still not confident of meeting his readers. It was definitely a life changing experience which transferred from the online world to the real world. F1 had a similar story where she actually got a job through blogging. This was based on the contacts and the networking she has made over the years. Aside from that, she has grown so much from this emotional kid that had anger within her through someone who is more matured. It is interesting how blog performs as a dairy where you are able to look back through your life and see the developments you have made. It creates such a positive effect on her...
D1 agrees with F1.
“Well I think when I read my old blog postings I feel like I have grown in many ways...Things that used to worry me, make me feel depressed seem so petty and I have a different set of things now that worry me and make me feel down. It makes me feel like my life is not stagnant, always changing...But the experiences -the things that keep me awake at night, the worries, the things that make me smile. Those things change”
D1 describes how she has grown over the years by looking through her blog entries. However there are things that can affect an individual in terms of one’s self esteem. Blogging can also be a self-fulfilling prophecy where you may have a group of loyal readers who follows you through your life and they may leave nice warm accolades in your comment box. Through the comments left you may feel that you are this great woman because you can do no wrong. This is because people who read you tend to agree with you. D1 stressed the importance that bloggers need to remind themselves that the stories or anecdotes that most bloggers write in blogs are one-sided and thus the view points of the readers can be one sided too. Thus a blogger needs to stick to reality and not be over whelmed by basing their life based on only these positive comments. The comments made by D1 were similar as to how E1 describes it replacing the context of self-fulfilling prophecy with the terms egoistic. E1 describes how someone can become more egoistic through blogging as when you start blogging, you start to think that everything is right and you tend to connect with likeminded people. However, E1 does not feel empowered writing in blogs. He however does feel that he is happy, more relaxed and having more fun. June 12, 2011 12:39 Research Publishing : IJAS Sample ijas-0403
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An improved confidence level through the interaction with others has empowered both A1 and C1. A1 said this process has strengthened her communication skills and made her more confident to speak to others. C1 felt that blog has given the opportunity for introverts to speak out. Previously, this group of people did not have an avenue to make themselves heard but with blogging, they are given more opportunities. E2 was just a student when he started blogging but he saw the future and prospect of the blog community. What just started as an unintended hobby, updating his life to his friends has embarked into becoming one of the most prominent web based company in Malaysia and Singapore and just recently they had launched their service to Australia. Just through blogging he discovered that there is so much potential in bloggers gaining more from their writings, in the form of monetary gain. And to that many bloggers are now compensated for their work using this blog advertising form of network.
“Yes. If I didn’t blog, I wouldn’t have started AAA (not the real name), a blog advertising network. It started off in Malaysia…...Honestly, at that point of time, I never thought too much of being a blogger. I thought a blogger is like you and me. Later then, it was different. When I accidentally started blogging, I met the community; I met the people that we have there. The Malaysian blogging community is very vibrant. Even in Singapore. You meet people from all different sorts of background, ethnic background, professional, they are blogging. You meet people from IT at events. It’s then when I began to participate in the community and I thought that with AAA, the blogging community could be so much better off and with AAA they could potentially be a lot better.”
F3 shared how he was able to turn his hobby into a form of side income. Being an IT consultant in which he does ‘system implementation and system integration’ he was stuck within a 9-5 job. He would never have dreamed that he would venture into the entertainment industry. As a hobby he enjoys doing mixes on music where he would mash up different songs, like a personal disc jockey. With the existence of his blog, he decided to include some of his famous mixes online. What surprised him was that, his blog began to gain notice by people of the music industry and he was offered a job to do mixes for the “So You Think You Can Dance” Malaysian edition series on 8TV in Malaysia. He had the opportunity to edit the video and music for the performances. F3 stated “I think I wouldn’t have this job if I don’t have my blog because my blog is not merely the extension of myself but also a showcase of my work. It’s kind of handy to have (an) online portfolio where people can drop by and see what I can do and I was noticed through some of those things that I put on my website.” Having a blog changed his life to one that he has never dreamed of. The blog is not just an avenue to express your thoughts and ideas but it gives you the opportunity to explore what was once seemed to be the impossible. It is a way of realizing dreams
CONCLUSION
This is still an introductory and an exploratory qualitative study on Malaysian bloggers. The study had shown that blogging has actually created an impact on an individual’s life in three important aspects of identity, empowerment and interaction. The openness of the virtual realm has brought identity building and interactivity to a whole different level that differentiates it from what is available in the real world. Bloggers have admitted how blogging has created a change for them, providing a second chance and achieving a form of empowerment that could not have June 12, 2011 12:39 Research Publishing : IJAS Sample ijas-0403
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been possible. There is a need to explore bloggers from other genres and a wider age group to examine further on the impact of blogging and how it creates a new form of social reality.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
I would like to express my deepest gratitude to Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia for providing me the support in writing and presenting the paper. The research was conducted using the Geran Universiti Penyelidikan (Research University Grant) , UKM-GUP-08-11-287.
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