Raja Petra, Malaysia Today, Bloggers, Sedition & Tipping Points

One of the good books on the market to day is titled TIPPING POINT by Malcom Gladwell. It is a go0d book to read if we want to understand why some trends and fads catch on and die but some just grow and grow.

The word “Tipping Point”, for example, comes from the world of epidemiology. It’s the name given to that moment in an epidemic when a virus reaches critical mass. It’s the boiling point. It’s the moment on the graph when the line starts to shoot straight upwards.

I highly suspect that in MALAYSIA, blogging is about to hit its tipping point. Some times when we do things where we expect a certain outcome, we end up getting the reverse. In management we call it unintended consequences and what I am noticing is that the more “coercion” there is on bloggers … the more people start blogging. And there are 2 aspects to blogging: those who comment and those who graduate from commenting to starting up their own blogs.

I for example am a blogger who started by posting comments in various blogs – MT, Screenshots, Rocky’s BRU, Susan Loone, etc but the day ROCKY was sued, that was my tipping point and I launched MindaCergas. I find blogging healthy because it allows me to express my thoughts but more importantly blogs allow me to keep track of these thoughts.

The difference between blogging and coffee shop talk is that in coffee shop talk, my stories no matter how untrue become so believable because of voice, expression, energy etc. Whereas in Blogging all of that is removed hence when people read blogs their minds are much more objective as they are not caught up in the moment.

One of the greatest problems in Malaysia is our short memory. Electronic media – the combination of Google and the internet circumvents the short memory problem because with a few key strokes, all the information comes up. So when the Deputy IGP said we must discard the “I don’t know attitude,” I wasn’t sure who he was referring to, so I did quick google search with keywords – “malaysian I don’t know” and just from that I was able to do this post.

I have contended, during the IJOK by elections, that up to now blogging had no real legitimacy, that we were merely commentators and not agents of change, and this was later confirmed in an authoritative article from the Guardian that Bloggers wont change the world .

The reality for most blogs is that we would be lucky to get 100 hits a day and typically its from the same people mostly friend. So BLOGS while widely available, only attract a few who are interested in the angle that is been taken by the blog author. Bloggers, unlike journalist are not trained to write to sell. We just write.

The more the Government reacts to the perceived threat of bloggers, especially with threats and arrests etc, the more people are going to blog. Why? Simple, Most people realize that while they go out and vote, no matter how they vote, BN will still rule. Election rules in a any democracy always favor the standing giant. BN is like MILO. Every other chocolate drink can try to dislodge MILO but is will never happen. Don’t believe me, then go ask Oveltine.

The monopoly always has to be careful of unintended consequences. In this case, the unintended consequence of this perceived threat by bloggers: is that them more the government reacts to it in a way that is perceived as unfair or “bullying” more people will blog. And as more people blog we are starting to notice talent. YES, there are bloggers out there who, at least based on their writings, are demonstrating their ability to think and articulate issues very clearly, impartially with no racial bias.

While all political systems make it hard for talent to rise, blogs are creating opportunity for those who want to speak, to be heard, without the cost or patronage to any party.

My take is that for this election, bloggers will be making a lot of noise but little progress. It is still all very new. The next elections – blogging will become a real legitimate platform and the best bet for the government is to accept that – if good governance is practiced, at all levels of government and by the elected representatives, then there is nothing to worry about. If bad governance is practiced, with or without blogs, the news will come out.