OH MY BLOG!
Telecommunications across Asia were slowly being restored yesterday after earthquakes off Taiwan damaged cables and knocked thousands offline, but access in parts of South Korea and Taiwan was still patchy.
Article on TheSTAR Online.
Most of Asia's telephone traffic was restored while Internet access in many countries had also improved, a day after businesses and home users from Seoul to Sydney were hit by one of the most widespread tech disruptions in Asia.
The earthquake of a 7.1 magnitude, according to the US Geological Survey, struck off Taiwan's southern coast at 1226 GMT on Tuesday. But according to local newspaper "The Star", some of the worst hit are in the country thousands of miles away from the quake. They are the Malaysian bloggers. Here are some of the quotes by the bloggers as published...
“I blog very frequently – every five minutes if I may say so – and this breakdown has affected me emotionally as I am unable to interact with others,” said 26-year-old radio deejay cum music producer Johan Farid Khairuddin, who feels disconnected from his fans. (Wait a minute, who the fuck is Johan Farid? He's not even famous. Oh wait, maybe that's why he needs to blog every 5 mins. Attention Deficit Disorder!)
“It is really getting to me because I have all my information and contacts online and I cannot get my work done,” says Joyce Wong, who is known as KinkyBlueFairy online.
www.xanga.com/kinkybluefairy
“I feel wretched now because I have lots of pent-up feelings but unfortunately cannot write about them,” said Noor Faridah Zulkiflie, a 22-year-old student. She's contemplating using paper and pen for the time being, until her internet connection resumes per normal. Oh boy, if that doesn't work, how? Use blood ah?
BOO HOO HOO... These people can't blog, oh my god, how the hell are they going to put food on the table? Just like the earthquake-struck people in Taiwan? Oh no, it's such a calamity of unearthly porportions, not being able to post a few lines on the web telling others what you've eaten for lunch or what's on your playlist. Boo hoo hoo. You must be feeling suicidal, not being able to blog for a few minutes. And if you need to blog every 5 minutes, either you need to get fired soon or you should within this 4-minutes or so, get outside and please do something... get a life.
Being a journalist/writer myself, I know what a slow-news week is like... and perhaps the newspaper found reporting on these "supposed or not" incidents of bloggers complanining, newsworthy. Why the fuck should this make page 2 news or headlines? Goodness. Get a grip. Unless they're some US soldiers stuck in Baghdad and can't call home on skype or blog about what a week they had to their family, I find 2 days of disruption hardly... disrupting. Not at least to my mental health and well being. It's bad for work, but then again it's coming to New Year's day... and well, any reason to disrupt work is a good one.
SO, get a life Malaysian bloggers, if you are really complaining. If you're misquoted, well... that's the reality of life. Shit happens.
Labels: blog, blogger, earthquake, internet, Johan Farid Khairuddin, kinky blue fairy, kinkybluefairy, Malaysia, malaysian, taiwan, the star
oh man....you had me worried there for awhile. i tot you were going to jump on the bandwagon and whine about the damn "i can't blog cos of the taiwan earthquake" thingy.
the whole thing was getting so lame really especially the "i need to blog every 5 minutes" fella. it's giving us malaysian bloggers a really bad name! and to think they are supposedly part of an elite group of bloggers.
Posted by
kshern |
7:24 PM
Hi Kenny. Read your comment on, well, my comments in the star last year... So let me start by introducing myself. My name is Johan and one of my biggest goals in life right now is to raise the level of education for kids in Southeast Asia. There are more details on what I have done and what I am planning on doing here on www.myspace.com/johanfaridkhairuddin
Now re my statement in the star re the taiwan earthquake. What I was trying to say was that I felt sad because the internet allows me to connect to my friends and family -- some of which who want to hear from me more than "5 times a day".
I thank you for trying to understand where i'm coming from and hope that you would find it in your kind heart to please forgive me if I came across as a fool or a net-addicted junkey. I swear I mean no harm and my intentions are merely sincere and for others.
Looking forward to making yet another friend in our communications & media industry. I too am a computer geek, movie critic, music lover, love traveling and well... can be a "bitch" at times.. I guess? Haha...
God bless. Johan.
www.johanfaridkhairuddin.com
Posted by
JFK |
12:55 AM
Hello Johan,
This certainly is a surprise. Thanks for the comments. We all know too well, how the media engine works so it's not surprising that a lot of the facts that reveal itself as harmless and innocent makes way for sensationalism.
You're not the only one who has responded very strongly against the article in The Star. Sorry if my words were a little harsh. But you would be too, I am sure. If in the face of a terrible calamity, a very popular newspaper decided to plug a story like the one published, especially with a picture of Joyce Wong smiling, posing with a photo frame (what is up with that?).
Nothing against the photo, just that the writer chose a very inappropriate photo to accompany a supposedly sad situation. It made the article look even more insensitive, very un-PC.
Well, I always welcome a friend. Thank you for your comment and clearing the air. Johan Farid is a good guy after all.
Oh, good to know we have a lot in common. Look forward to reading your blog too... :)
Take care and be good.
Cheers,
Kenny T
Posted by
Kenny T |
2:39 PM
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