Blogger Identity Crisis + Very Important News
I’ve been blogging for about a year but I’m still trying to figure out what type of blog I should go for. After realizing how I deleted my xml files from my old blog at Tabulas, I reflected on the way my blogging has evolved - or stagnated for that matter. Back in my Tabulas days, most of my entries were about national issues, atheism and some international news that only debaters care about. If you read the first entries on this blog, you would realize that my first posts contained my reluctance to go into a meme mode and aspire for a higher level of commentary - heck, I even cited this guy as a role model. Almost full year after botched NBA-related articles, java game reviews, band gig photos, hard-hitting anti-christian essays and a failed bid at punditocratic discourse, I find myself assessing the way I blog and the methods employed by the people whose blogs I frequent.
Howie Severino is one of the best journalists in the country today. He can pull off just about anything. He blogs about his travels and the work he does for the show i-Witness. My brother and I (along with a handful of friends) are die-hard fans of his documentaries, candor and wit. He may choose to go on a trip to the heart of Samar to go spelunking and then link it to the impending approval of mining deals in the country or opt for a simpler, more pedestrian topic like names but the end result will still be the same - you will ultimately be entertained and be passionate to whatever he’s talking about. Yeah, he’s the coolest Filipino in my book.
On the flipside of humorous reportage, Ade Magnaye of Noisy, Noisy Man puts the ass in
class. He rarely writes about himself, but he chooses to stick to self-deprecating, tongue-in-cheek articles that would almost always make his readers laugh. This blog never takes itself seriously and I would like to assume that everything’s done in the spirit of good clean fun - despite the intentional lack of taste that remains its selling point. For some reason though, our resident retard has been acting strangely. Over past week, Ade spammed spammed a well-known music forum his flaim bait article aimed against a certain sector of Philippine Society. As expected, the millions of Cueshe fans showed up in record numbers. Oh wait, there was only one. LOL
Quick, before we move on, LOOK FOR ADE!
In terms of capturing the jet-setting, cavaliering ways of Severino, nobody approaches the long-time blogger Bikoy. He blogs about himself and his day-to-day activities almost exclusively. The photographs that he takes look like they were taken from a magazine .
Recently, he dabbled into podcasting and took a stiffer position when it comes to national issues and what not.
So there. Three blogs that I read the most. Why did I do that? Well, for one, it seems clear to me that these three have a mandate on what they want to do with their web space. Each article cohesively falls under their niche and whether the posts are personal or very impersonal, most readers would still appreciate them.
It’s clear that I can’t choose one of these people to be the model I’ll pattern my self after. I don’t have the photography skills that Bikoy and Sir Howie have and I’m way too nice to do the insulting tirades and insensitive commentaries that Ade is accustomed to.
Dammit, why isn’t there a young prominent renegade atheist mainstream blogger?!
I will soon address this void. I am moving to my own domain (hopefully) within this week. 
Here are the domain names that were considered but were soon cut for one reason or another:
PackYourGod.com
Your official guide to packing religious paraphernalia.
Swingongthespiralofourdivinityandstillbeahuman.com
Home of Benj, and soon to be the site with the best name recall value.
DeathToTheChurch.com
To be honest, I really considered this. I just thought of the possible run-ins with advertisers just in case they actually try to advertise on my site.
BENJISM.com
Dammit, why did my name have to end with a J?! Hell NO! I would never want my readers to think of ‘jism’ everytime they read my entries… or wait… maybe that’s a great idea. This would be great for a racy website in the future.
Care to guess? :p
Aaron Roselo, you may not guess. You’re probably the only blogger who knows.
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I’m guessing Ade is the one in the middle standing? Lol. Congrats with your new new abode for blogging. You’re probably the only blogger I know who’s not afraid to speak up against the religion is covers the most of the Philippines. You’re one of the Filipino blogger whom I have respect for. =)
When I read those 3 blogs you mentioned, your description really fit them, especially Ade’s and Bikoy’s.
Sorry for the messed up English. I just realized. I’m high right now.
Looks like I’m missing half of my blogging life for not frequenting the blogs you mentioned. Hehe.
Nice domain names. Unlike you, I’m having trouble thinking of my own domain name. Awts.
Juice: yes, that’s ade. He will be arriving soon to give you a well-deserved cookie. hehe
Jhed: why do i have a feeling that your domain will be REALLY skanky? good luck with thinking. :p
@ Juice: Actually, I’m the one in the upper left side. The one who looks like a farmer.
How bout mercedesbenj.com? Hehe corny yata. Thanks for visiting my blog.:)
I guessed right, if Ade’s the middle guy. Anyway, nice domain names! Continue speaking up, that’s the real Benj! Kudos Benj!
lol. benjism sounds ok to me.
i appreciate the mention, btw. recent lang naman ata yung maraming nagbabasa ng blog ko. for the first, say 3, years of my blogging, ive honestly just had an ordinary mundane personal blog (if it isnt still now). just keep blogging and through the years youll soon find your own niche and audience. it took time (years) for me din naman. hehe.
you suck. kakabasa ko lang nitong post na to.
Go to http://philhosting.net
Everything you need to know is already there.
I’ve been in the same quandary too. Let’s say that I’m still finding my place in the Pinoy blogosphere.
I quit my rather promising career with an IT/education firm in hopes of finally teaching with UP which, thankfully, I’ll be in a few months. It was more than a month ago that Angelo introduced me to problogging. I started handling Lifespy.com then.
It was also then that I decided to move my blogging real estate to my own dotcom. I was really planning to have it as a place where I could self-publish my thoughts on discourse analysis (my aimed specialization) but lo and behold, I still write a few things about movies, sports, politics, and certain meme giblets (for which I have (very humorously) been ganged upon, hahaha). Well, those topics do involve discourse but I’m still not writing to the “academic” level I hoped (a la Vincent Maher’s Media in Transition, but who reads academic writing anyway? Geeks!
).
I admire your drive to be the first one to strike out on the topic. I mean not everyone’s out and out atheist or is just afraid to be. I’m a non-practicing Roman Catholic (kasi binyagan ako) myself. Still, I do consider myself still abiding by Judeo-Christian morals while practicing portions of Buddhist philosophy. So let’s say that I’m an agnostic rather than an atheist. But I sure know people’s reaction when they get to know that you don’t go to church on Sundays.
I really applaud your intentions. It’s one way to assert individuality to the blogging crowd.
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