Taking the cue from Aiz about long posts, I am pasting this reply in view of more discussion on this topic which appeared for the second last time here.
Since Asohan has appeared, I might as well say something:Asohan, I sincerely apologise for that line you quoted - I am the first to admit that I do have a tendency to exaggerate at times in my writing, but then again, what was glaring to me in that article was the horrendous typo in the so-called quote from me. ;)
I do agree with points that Ash and Lana raised, that bloggers are not journalists - and that we also recognise our accountability as citizens of a country.
On Asohan's guidelines, yes, I agree, we should all try to adhere to it as much as we can. But we have to bear in mind, bloggers write for personal enjoyment more than anything else (although some have causes that they are fighting for), whereas journalists are paid to do so for revenue-based publications (a point raised by a certain Bene Diction on IreneQ's post on this issue). There will be an obvious difference in the level of commitment, effort, or skill in complying to the same standards that journalists are obliged by profession to strive for. That is something the traditional media will have to bear in mind when dealing with content from the blogosphere.
A lot has been assumed of why I reacted to certain things. Mr Asohan, I am a woman operating in a man's world. Yes, that forces me to be a sensitive feminist of sorts when it comes to appreciation or recognition of women in technology in general. If you read my post, the main undertone was - yes, I was a bit irked that I was 'sidelined' - perhaps my contribution was not as worthy as the others. But this is the second time it has happened, and I wasn't about to wait for a third time to voice my discomfort that what this could have implied.
True, we women shouldn't think that just because we venture into areas that are non-traditional for our gender, that the world owes us something. But Mr Asohan, if I may share. While I was preparing the structure of this particular session at Infosoc, I never intended to be a speaker. I put out a call for proposals of female bloggers who were able to speak out in a way that was at least at the same level as the other 3 males speakers. I was disappointed to find that the list was short, and even then, potential candidates were adamant about remaining anonymous (I hadn't 'met' Irene then...).
I gave up on this quest and proceed to enlist a full male group - disappointed in that at least in Malaysia, women apparently, did not participate enough as social commentators in the online world. When Oon of Transitions backed out, I was left without a full panel, and based on suggestions by friends online and offline, I agreed to volunteer myself.
The media doesn't owe me or anyone else anything. That much is true. But if you can try to see from the point of view of the effort put in to perhaps show some semblance of equality in how we presented the arguments, and the subtle message we were trying to send out to the many young participants (that women too can join the bandwagon), you may perhaps see why I, and some others who read the article, may have felt a tad touchy about the matter.
Perhaps women in technology is not newsworthy. Perhaps the face of a woman who dared to blog as herself is not newsworthy. Perhaps the fact that a woman with some technical credentials speaking at a conference for youth on ICT is not newsworthy. If the emotions I displayed in my post, which was meant to be tongue-in-cheek, offended InTech, I apologise. I understand that the thoughts I pen on the web will carry repercussions - which is why in most cases, I ask questions rather than attempt to state answers. But I started my blog as a means for personal development, not to be a 'star' as perhaps implied by certain quarters. Those who know me know that I hate public speaking, I hate being photographed, and I hate being interviewed and would only reluctantly do so for a good reason. It was a shame that this time, that good reason did not see the light of day. But that's InTech's call and as a humble reader, I can only bitch around my little circle of friends.. ;)
Finally, it's good that people like Asohan has come out in defence of his team. It is also good that people like Irene came out to explain to the rest of us who are not in the media business the ins and outs of how things work. It's also good that members of the public who are readers of the publication in question are able to say what they think of what they read. It's good that this debate finally showed itself - matters on accountability of bloggers and journalists should be discussed in the public domain.