Tuesday 5 August 2008

It’s not about blogs or blogging?

Malaysia is famous for its variety of food and one business that always seems to make it big is the ‘food’ business. Many people have this perception that you will always make big bucks if you open up a restaurant. While we can see a lot of restaurants earning big money out there, do all restaurants made it big?

Much has been said about blogs making waves in the local scene, political or otherwise. You and I don’t need to be reminded of the barrage of names credited upon bloggers in the last year or so. Bloggers were belittled, somewhat threatened and branded as a threat to national security amongst other things.

But one cannot deny the power and influence of blogs as recent events showed, blogs nearly changed the course of this nation. I am sure those at the wrong receiving ends will testify that. You can call bloggers liars, ‘goblok’ or whatever not, but information they disseminate, many continue to sought.

This realisation sparked a sudden erection of blogging community amongst those who used to belittle bloggers. Suddenly, every big shot starts a blog. Suddenly, blogging is ‘hot’. Suddenly, all wants to play the game of ‘goblok’ so much so that even the dude who claimed that his ass was unwillingly screwed even started a blog.

But it is all about starting a blog and joining the blogging wagon?

Just because what was traditionally delivered to us via the mainstream media is no longer easily accepted, changing the delivery medium to ‘blog’ will not alter the result. Declaring your innocence or proclaiming what you want us to believe as truth via blogs instead of the traditional way will not suddenly make the people lose their discerning mind. It’s not about blogs or blogging.

Coming back to the restaurant discussion, not all restaurants will make it though food industry always seem to blossom. If your food sucks or you charge exorbitantly high prize, your restaurant will still face imminent doom. Unless of course, you engage the local ‘triad’ and force the food upon the patrons… which isn’t impossible given the way things go.

31 comments:

Yvonne Foong said...

Do you mean to say that these people jumped onto the bandwagon are expecting to become famous through blogging? Well, no doubt about that, for as long as the hooh-haah lasts/

the Constantly Dramatic One said...

Oooouuuuuu I like how you use the food/restaurant thing as a methaphor. Also Zewt a question...how do you do that pic of Zewt News thingie?

It's really cool.

missX said...

I like your blog Zewt and your news too ;P

Anonymous said...

Sad thing is some Malaysians these days would go to a restaurant time after time even if the food sucks... simply because the restaurant is famous.

myop101 said...

as for food, i travel with my wife and in-laws. they love to hunt for new places to try out...

Anonymous said...

I've been blogging for so long yet to become fame & fortune leh!

missironic said...

probably the case of, "belum try, belum tahu"? i mean ppl want to have their say (in their blogs) but how effective is their say is another story all together..same goes wif opening a restaurant..ppl want to try their luck in business, but how well they run the business is another story all together..

the case of wanting to be rich from these...i tink, just have to bend your own set of principles and do things commercially which can make these into pot of golds...tats wat im tinking la..hehehee....

Huei said...

that's the problem with ppl..all of them will go

wah! u programmer ar..sure earn alot la!

wah u accountant ar! pay damn good hor!

haih my work sucks lah..pay so low..u good lor

open restaurant..sure can wan! msia femes for food!

sounds familiar?

but i have this thinking..eversince the petrol hiked..food all hike! even fresh milk raised from RM4.xx to RM6..now that petrol is gona go down (so we've been told)..those price will remain..they sure rich la!! kakakakakka

n about blogging..good lah! they make bloggers sound so bad..i use blog to threaten ppl..
"I've got a blog u know..dun pray pray! dun make me angry!"

WHAHAHAHAHHA ^^

Huei said...

n about restaurants..i noticed..ppl usually say this femes restaurant is nice..damn alot of ppl..the food damn nice

wut's the definition of "nice"? i tot everyone has different taste!? or isit the fame that brings ppl there? oh well!

khengsiong said...

From what I observe, Chinese Malaysians will frequent a famous restaurants even if the service sucks. Chinese are most crazy about food 民以食为天. If food is good, everything else is bearable.

My sister, who now lives in Singapore, always goes to eat Ampang Yong Tau Fu when she is in KL. You know, the restaurants are crowded during public holidays. And they only serve yong tau fu and drinks - no rice and veggie. Why bother to serve rice, which costs RM1 per bowl, when all tables are full?

Yvonne Foong said...

Like, who doesn't go to McD despite their food being pre-made, factory product, not fresh, and not original? Blek

"Joe" who is constantly craving said...

hahah food blogging..what i do best..keke..

nice zewt news..maybe a bulletin in hard copy soon?

Mcmercedez said...

Very true.. They have belittled all the bloggers without knowing the power that it holds.. ehhe..

Being said that, I think nowadays blogging is just like part of a trend.. Its like everyone must have a blog whether they are really into it or not, correct??

narrowband said...

I don't really get your point here but I want to share a similar experience.

I was at a mamak eating with friends when the news came on and it showed Saiful's blog. In it, he revealed about the trips he made and stuff he did while he was still serving for Anwar. It was then when I realized that the press, police and media actually picked up Saiful's writings and take them as real. It is like taking his blog entries so seriously that they can pass as 'press statement' or 'official statement' (you know how some VIP would hold press conferences to give 'statements').

For us who know how easy it is to set up a blog (hell, even a 6-year old can do it for free) and write anything he/she pleases, it is kind of a surreal experience to be seeing what I saw on TV that day. It just dawned upon me that blogs are increasingly being taken seriously.

In Malaysia in particular, I think we have to credit people like Jeffooi, Raja Petra, Uncle KS Lim and Rockybru for 'educating' the government of the power of blogs. Else they would just brush blogs off as another youths' past-times and nobody should take bloggers seriously.

minishorts said...

erm ... ok kill me but honestly i still stand on the nobody should take bloggers seriously stand.

and btw, jeff / RPK / KS Lim / Rockybru were already 'giants' in their own field prior to blogging. Unfortunately their previous associations / positions bore the baggage of negative and untrustable connotations. Enter 'blogging' and 'bloggers', two words fresh enough to be yet 'undefinable', and even now people are still debating on how trustable bloggers are, how effecting blogging is. for an old phenomenon, it is still a phenomenon, and certainly far more 'positive' a label then 'businessman' / political activist/ politician / Malay Mail editor... I were them also I'd jumped to be called a blogger, at least its a way to 'start' afresh on new grounds.

But yah, CONTENT IS KING.

Anonymous said...

oh! yeah!

Blog is out sodomizing MSM!

Zwet it all the wall

Angie Tan said...

Like any media, the pen is often mightier than the sword.

However, what the pen is used for - malicious or good... It all depends. It also depends on us, whether to take it all hook, line or sinker or be informed enough to read, analyze and make an informed decision about it.

I think it's a stupid thing to get into the blogging bandwagon to be famous or turn people's opinion around. ;-)

zewt said...

Yvonne Foong - hmmm... not really that... :)

the constantly dramatic one - hehehe... it's a zewcret.... :P

Just jasmine - thanks... i am glad you like it.

YienJee - that is true... but it's just an analogy...

myop101 - hmmm... i am surprise you miss the point.

zewt said...

wuching - work harder lor :)

missironic - ahh... not the point here ler.

huei - i dont think those price will come down... they will just keep it there. shite!! hahaha... use blog to threaten ppl... only if your blog is femes ler... :P i am sure u can...

khengsiong - well... that's the thing about food here.

constant craver joe - if i can find a publisher hehe...

zewt said...

mcmercedez - korek korek korek... and i am glad you are one who manage to catch the drift of the post.

narrowband - i think you got the point of the post... :) this whole thing about saiful's blog is just so unbelievable. and they can choose to take whatever he said in his blog as truth... what about claims by others? lies... sigh...

chooki - that is exactly my point... it's not about blogs, blogger or blogging, it's about the content... it's about truth... it's about what is real... what is actually happening.

Edi - hahahahaha... that's right!

Angie Tan - it's never about blogging... it's about the truth... things that will stand the fire.

H.C. Tan said...

i get the point of this post..but on the other hand, yes, opening a restaurant is the way to earn big bucks! i myself would like to do so in 5 years or so...hahaha. but not sure what kinda restaurant yet la...

myop101 said...

:) we pick and choose what we want to comment ma... it is obvious the substance matters but seriously, food more interesting right now le...:P

missironic said...

i miss the point? knew it! oops? =P

Huei said...

not femes oso can wan..works on ppl who r not in this "era"..thanks to the local media..they think bloggers r all goblok! wahahha n blogs r damn scary..really..must thank them!

Anonymous said...

I have a saying "Ppl are like cows, they move in herds." So with ppl blogging or with business, etc there's always a herd mentality or trend. ;)

I started blogging after being encouraged by frens of mine (few bloggers and others not). However I never and don't go round publicizing my blog. :P

I actually wonder about the blog's of certain famous ppl (esp in this country). Do they themself write the posts and maintain their blog? Or do they have someone do all that for them? Hmmm.... After all their blog will help them be more famous (in one way or other) PLUS they can earn some pocket change thru the ads. Not insulting anyone who puts adverts on their blogs but this annoys me about 'celeb' blogs. :|

Anonymous said...

Here comes to Moo Moo era! Hehe... Should change it to Wawasan Moo Moo 2020! A vision where the theme is "We don't need a plan! Just follow the trend!" LOL

Anonymous said...

What...

Promote! Who!

ZEWT IS GOD-like ib blogspere

iamthewitch said...

Rather irrelevant question but for a newbie, please bear with me... What does Zewt mean? Is that your name? And how do you pronounce it? 'zoot'?

zewt said...

HC Tan - mamak la... apa lagi.

myop101 - tell me when you're ready... i will join u hehe.

missironic - it's ok... hehe.

huei - so we must rule the world! hehe...

pinknpurplelizard - i have a feeling someone else maintain it for them. just my thought.

Edi - what's ib? hehe...

iamthewitch - hahaha... you're not the one to ask. you know cute... try it with 'z'. as for zewt... read this...

http://zewt.blogspot.com/2007/06/zewt-mystery-in-century-entry.html

missironic said...

i got the point dy! *shy* so slow only get.. =.=|

zewt said...

missironic - better slow than never :)