How to manage a collective blog
There’s so much that we in B7 would like to share you all in terms of collective blogging, pramis. In fact, I even begged to the bones and asked Annalyn if we could write an article, back to back sa Manila Bulletin mula front page hanggang dun sa Classified Ads, namura tuloy ako!
But really, if you are thinking of forming a collective blog, ma-trabaho sya. You need three P’s. Pasensya, pasensya, pasensya. But in my mind, here are some key success factors that I know, based on experience:
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First, all of your member writers including the leader must be kyutly kredentialized, and i didn’t mean simply having a diploma, otherwise, pag wala kang eksperyenz or laminated diploma, it will show on your writings that its pure haka-haka baka nangopya ka pa.
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Second, your blog and your writing style must have the konek factor. Be different and unique para winner ka. Dahil, it doesn’t matter if you have a truckload of laminated diplomas because if you can’t reduce your credentialed thoughts and ideas to an understandable language of your readers, ain’t gonna work Matilda. Your readers won’t adjust to you.
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Third, follow the KISS formula, nah! Not the nasty one.
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Fourth, be ready to defend your turf and your member writers from the invaders of the lost kind.
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Fifth, keep the fun factor alive because blogging is supposed to be one
baliwfun activity. Tama ba?
So, yeah, we were on Manila Bulletin a few days ago and we thank Annalyn for the opportunity to share our experience on collective blogging and to those who are interested in opening and/or managing a collective blog. The article that run was actually a “community writing” of B7 writers, in such a very short notice pa, and let me thank these writers for a job well done:
We have an ex-seminarian in Bluepanjeet, a teacher/professor in Silver, a social media consultant in Rob Angeles, a journalist/writer in Annalyn, a PhD student & philosopher from Oxford University in Lalaine S, a former activist with wacky and hilarious blogging in Buraot, our IT consultant in Kotsengkuba, hilarious blogging from Malen, the hilariously funny Mel Beckham, our serious parenting blogger in Pehpot, our OFW blogger Cora in Indonesia na nanghahabol nang mga terorista, our celebrity/pageant blogger in Snow, games blogger in Jepoy, our cool mother world traveller in An2nette and John from San Franciso. Of course, I’d like to also thank Rosa, our reader from Canada. (Hope, I got them all! )
Here is the un-edited version of the interview:
Remember the famous line, “The Philippines is comprised of 7,107 islands…”? Well, during my childhood years in Bicol, the only bridge going into town gets flooded during storms, cutting us off from civilization, making us an “island”. It was at reyna elena dot com blog where “Barrio Siete” was coined, where “during low tide we hunt for food, during high tide we evacuate“. In my mind, we were the 7,107th island.
1. What made you decide to come up with B7?
Initially, anonymous blogging was acceptable. It still is, but when you begin to gain followers, become influential in some ways, readers expect validation from you. As an anonymous blogger, one blog challenged my credentials. I put them out, then asked that they show theirs. Credentials issue would explode on Pinoy blogosphere. After the dust settled, blogging anonymously became frowned upon. That’s when Barrio Siete came about.
2. What were your criteria in the selection of members?
Getting along with other writers, simple but effective writing and respect to our mission and vision. Satirically speaking, social climbing (social networking) is our mission and world peace (harmony in diversity) is our vision. Our views and opinions are biased and imbalanced because we lean more on truth rather than sensational and exaggeration.
3. What do you think makes B7 different from other group blogs?
Our writing style is unique. We are diverse, non-exclusive and non-elitist. Rosa, our Canadian reader said it aptly:
“There is a culture of diversity and tolerance in B7. Each one of the contributors and lurkers has their own perceptions and beliefs and no one tries to impose his views on others. Factor in the entertainment value. If you dig deeper, you will find that a lot of them are hard working citizens trying to achieve their dreams here at home and abroad.”
4. B7’s traffic at the start has been considered phenomenal for a new blog. What do u think are the factors that made u achieve this?
B7 is a great team of established bloggers forming a community with a concept that easily connected and endeared to readers. Our readers feel the teamwork and the respect amongst us. We do not cannibalize each other simply because we disagree with the author’s view. Our style of writing debunked conventional norms in blogging that only blogs written in English are the only ones that succeeds and earns respect. Our blog is informative and fun to read, tackling real-life and socially relevant issues in a light-hearted, humorous and satirical way.
5. Lessons you learned while maintaining B7?
Leadership is very important in maintaining a collective blog because the very core of our Barrio concept is maintaining harmony in diversity (“World Peace”). We don’t want B7 to end up in “World Pieces”. Proper time management of entries going live is important. We have to watch out for similar entries submitted to avoid unintended competition. Consultative blog management works for us because of different blog personalities. Dictatorial form of collective blog management is disastrous. Since we are working professionals, time constraints in writing articles is our single biggest challenge at the moment.
6. Any message to your readers and the blogosphere?
Everyone is equal in the vastness of cyberspace. To stand out is to be different and be credible. While there could be anonymous bloggers who are believable, credentials play a vital role in gaining blogging credibility. The ugly reality in blogging is that when readers disagree with your views, they will attack the author with ad hominems. It’s a jungle out here. There are instances when you will lose your cool and when it happens consult your team and let reasons prevail. When you make mistakes, be prepared to apologize fast. When you defend your position, defend hard with solid facts and stay away from ad hominems, unless it is truly necessary. Internal rivalries and squabbles have no place in collective blogging. This is not survivor series where there is one winner. It is always a team effort. Above all, have fun.
And here’s what appeared on Manila Bulletin:
Many thanks to Manila Bulletin!
Viewed 5408 times by 1431 viewers
reynz is one Uragon and a Filipino-American, has many years of public accounting & auditing, broadcast investments, housing tax credits and equity investments as his background. Based in the US, he maintains his personal and humor blog at reyna elena dot com. A graduate of Aquinas U, he went to GWU and Temple U in the United States.
walang thank para kay noynoy aquino?
hehehe yong mga pambabato saken by so many bloggers i think is more than enough siguro hehe
I will ask Analyn to submit more articles about this topic. I’m a fan FYI
thank you for the visit Art!
yeah, collective blogging is a new thing in the blogging world, evolution ba, i’d be interested to read what the rest of the collective blogs are doing and/or happening
yup.. i don’t really know such a type of blog would exist without barrio siete.
siguro nakita ko na siya pero hindi ko ma-classify as a legitimate blog..
pero ngayon.. look na lang.
WOW. B7 FTW!
What your readers should know is that….we don’t fight over money. HAHAHA
“we don’t fight over money” hehehe
Whose Lalaine S, Reynz?
Can I add one more? If you’re the editor of a collective site, do your job! Read the comments and moderate as necessary. This doesn’t mean kicking anyone out or banning them. It just means openly calling a writer out politely when they’re out of line and trying to make sure the exchanges stay on point. In the end, the editor is responsible for the tone and tenor of their site.
Good job, B7!
Lila,
Gawd! Thanks for reminding dahil I put the writers page on the side because I was editing it. I just put it back.
Check these pages:
1.) http://barriosiete.com/meet-the-writers-lalaine-s/
2.) http://barriosiete.com/writers/
I’ll take note of what you wrote and add it for future reference.
And if you invite someone to write for your site, you have an obligation to stand up for that someone as a courtesy if need be. You don’t leave your guest to fend for herself from dogs in the house.
good point norman. agree, that’s not right. i believe the word is COURTESY. one should always respect the writer, no matter what. and it’s pretty important to not leave them alone with the pack of wolves esp when things gets personal
Nah, this is not about me anyway, Norms. I can easily take care of myself.
But all the mudslinging was going on way before I got there (so many have left na, di ba?) and a committed editor could’ve easily nipped it all in the bud by setting the general tone.
Thank you Manila Bulletin. Sa uulitin. Sana next time 1000 words na at may pikchur. Charing lang.
Keep up the good work Barrio Siete. Dedma na sa mga trolls and detractors. Alam niyo naman sa panahon ngayon at medyo tag-init, ang punong maraming bunga…….ay mangga. Hahaha
sorry mel, natanggal kayong lahat sa billing hehehe buti hindi naging 1 paragraph o kaya 1 sentence hehehe pero salamat sa help dun sa article
I showed that article sa buong office namin. I told them, thats the Reyna Elena and Barrio Siete i was telling you all. Btw, i also showed them the Gorel shaming me and my children. Now they know who is really the evil in the blogsphere.
brian gorrell or brian shane – brian SHAME is better has zero credibiliy – even he created several personalities and chats with himself. his role on earth is simply to shame people and in so doing makes his soul rot in hell. he deserve whatever crap he is carrying
Ang galing!!!!!
Congrats, Ateng – a long way from when you just got of a hospital (nung nagpa tanggal ka ng matris without insurance, hehehe) trying to find something to keep you from boredom.
my laparascopic appendectomy, tsk tsk tsk pati dun matigas ulo ko, i still remember my doctor, telling me to “do the normal things that you do” ang leche at di sinabing bawal pala uminon! wala sanang blogging hehehe! classic me hahaha kaya wag akong gagayahin ha?
HAHAHA, yup, kung kelan ka natanggalan ng matris, saka naman naipanganak si Reyna Elena, oo davah vonggacious ang kwento mo? Talo ang byuti ni Sarah Palin sa memoire mo if evah.
Hahahhaha…
I remembered that particular monday when I made harbat of the newspaper from our dear librarian. Sabay punta sa computer lab para mega-scan! Hahahha.
Ipapalaminate ko nang todo ang B7 article na yan. Hahahha.
Congrats sa ating mga ka-barrio here – both writers and readers. Barriotic at jologs man ituring, nakakapuwing pa rin. Hahahah.
Ang galing talaga ng Barrio Siete.
nice nice!
And you continue to rock!
Bonggacious! Hinanap ko sa Manila Bulletin Online yan kasi di ako nakabili hehe. Congrats ulit sa Barrio Siete!