I came across an article on STOMP (Singaporean online tabloid), that has triggered some random thoughts and I want to share my opinions. It was posted in the section, where anyone can generate content. You can imagine that the stuff posted there is usually of very low quality - I'd never find this article, if it wasn't for Vampie posting a link on Twitter. The article is about a bigger Taiwanese guy, who has a skinny cute girlfriend and he posted his private photos online (probably on his blog, no idea, because no source was linked). Check the whole article here. It seems that the intention of the person, who wrote the article, was good, however it generated a lot of nasty comments, which made me write my two cents on everything I saw:1 The photos watermarked with Stomp.com.sg is just wrong!
The author took these pics from a private blog without the approval of the Taiwanese guy and he didn't even link to his source. That's just wrong. The least he could do is link to the guy's blog or photo album, so that the people could get a more objective impression of the man and his girlfriend. I admit that I also take photos from external sources, but I never use them to defame individuals (to the contrary) and I always quote my sources. Now I know that I may sometimes overstep the copyright laws, but most of the time I hope I am within fair use. I know I'm not always, but I try my best. I know many bloggers use external content, especially photos. The truth is: *We all break the copyright law, unless the third party gives us permission. But the thing is, so far those laws are not really enforced in the blogosphere, at least not in the personal blogs I and most of you write. As for me, I'm not afraid. Always quoting my sources and the fact that I don't make any money with my blog makes me the least bad of all those who take external content. But I don't take someone else's photos and watermark them as if they were mine. A watermark for me means that you claim the ownership of the photo. I only watermark photos taken by me. *Here's an interesting article on blogging and copyright (a must read).
- What's your opinion on blog copyright?
2. Does the Report as offensive function really serve any purpose,
if you can read comments like these (and similar can be found on other posts):
TongSumPa said on 24 dec, 2009 Report as offensive
bcos he got a big fat salami
florawinx said on 24 dec, 2009 Report as offensive
omg disgusting... it's impossible
ArizonaTea said on 24 dec, 2009 Report as offensive
Have sex? Use the fatass's dollar notes cover the entire body lor,
the girl see all the notes sure horny liao.
prince2yan said on 23 dec, 2009 Report as offensive
Last picture has a buttcrack for you too see ^^.
His face looks like something i see in the market. Meat section ?
getalifewillya said on 23 dec, 2009 Report as offensive
GOD! This guy face -________-" *puke*
AngelsCollide said on 23 dec, 2009 Report as offensive
he probably fat in his wallet also.
iluvstomp5 said on 23 dec, 2009 Report as offensive
How much the girl charging?
mudboots said on 23 dec, 2009 Report as offensive
This fatty is so disgusting!!!
Who will ever report 90% of all the comments on that website? And even, if someone does, do they really delete all of them? Because I saw nasty comments like that on various posts. Ok, I admit that the section mentioned above is just pure tabloid stuff or even worse (if that's possible), so the question is: What did I expect? I don't read Stomp's articles, I only read Dawn Yang on Star blog, which I find of very good quality, but the rest is not my cup of tea.
- What's your opinion on this?
3. Even, if you write a post with good intentions, if the comments are offensive, you're responsible for them.
I believe that I'm responsible for nasty and racist comments on my blog. Hence I delete them, if I spot them. Of course it's up to me to decide, which comment is acceptable and which not. I decide when the line is crossed. Same goes for the stuff I write. I may have good intentions, I may joke, be sarcastic, but for some people I will cross the line, like it happened to me here. You need a thick skin as a blogger and as a reader, that's for sure. You'll never please everyone. I'm ok, if people disagree, they can defend and argue their statements, but so can I. I will always defend my posts here or on another blog. But I won't allow racists, spammers and nasty people to abuse my blog. That are just my rules here and I don't even need a Report as offensive function. I'll settle that with my own rules. It is a public blog after all, there has to be a set of rules, a frame, even freedom of speech has it's limits. In Germany, for example, it's against the law to publically deny the holocoust or shout Heil Hitler!
- What's your opinion on responsibility of the comments?
4. What's wrong with those Singaporeans who comment such nasty stuff?
I know that there's a certain portion of young Singaporeans, who are infamous for being nasty netizens, bashing and picking on everyone, who's in the spot light. But I still think it's a small portion, Singapore has 4.5 million citizens after all and most of them (for me personally) are very nice people and the positive impressions prevail for me. I think every country has these kind of people, some countries more, some less. I know my country has them and I wrote about them here.
- What's your opinion on nasty commentators?
5. Why did the Taiwanese guy post these half-nekkid photos in the first place?
I think internet is not a perfect place. You should be careful what you post and reveal of yourself. So the guy is partly to blame, too. Although I do believe that bigger guys have the same rights to post private pics as skinny guys. It's just that this year few of my bloggy friends saw their pics taken and used on another blog. A friend who has like 1000 Facebook friends saw her pics taken and someone created another nasty account in her name. That taught me to always be careful, that's why you won't see pics of me on my blog, only as a small avatar in the comments and maybe on my About me page. Those of you, who do post private photos, really need to think well what you post, because you never know on what website your face might end up and in what context. Sometimes it's just someone who has no life and hates you for having one and will try to pull you down by posting your pics and trash you. Be careful, my friends.
- What's your opinion on posting private pics online?
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