An Interview with Dave Q

Last week, Elizabeth “Ellie” Cabiling (yup, the lovely daughter of our beloved pastor) wanted to interview me for a school project (I think). Here’s the full excerpt of the interview:

1. When did you start blogging?

On exactly February 6, 2002 (here’s proof). I’m your typical early adopter so I was one of Blogger’s early users before they upgraded to the new Blogger. I was a blogger (though erratic) even before Google bought Blogger/PyraLabs

Here are still continuing bits and pieces of our wired life:
dave.quitoriano.org
go0dspeed.multiply.com
www.istalkr.com/users/goodspeed/
flickr.com/photos/goodspeed
etc. etc.

2. What or who convinced you to blog?

I don’t know. I wanted a repository (a lifestream if you will) of thoughts, ideas, important dates, pictures, etc. I guess Blogger invented blogging so that was the natural choice then.

3. Why exactly do you blog?

It’s the most efficient way to spread ideas. And I love sharing ideas Sharing is good. We were taught to “share” back in kindergarten. Wonder what happened to us along the way.

4. Who are your target readers (for the blogs that you write)

Mom. Dad. Si Lola. Mga kapitbahay. Si Chong. Si Chang. Si Cory. (an old ad joke)

I like blogging about the WOW stuff. I love funny videos. Interesting factoids. Witty ones. Technology. Innovation. The NEXT Big things.

5. What does one hope to accomplish when one blogs?

Depends. Some do it for money. Not that anything is wrong with that.

Some for storing their thoughts & opinions about things. Others simple want to connect with like-minded folks.

Some (like me) are fascinated with the network effects. How a simple website can have a profound impact in other peoples lives halfway across the globe.

Or all of the above.

6. Are there certain rules to follow in blogging (or can one just write whatever crosses one’s mind)? What are the parameters?

No hard and fast rules in blogging. Though there are a few people (me included) who advocate a loose Blogger Code of Conduct.

Just blog about your passion and interests.

7. Should blogging be censored? (e.g. What if a 6 year old comes across a blog that contains prostitution, suicide and/or etc? Does it have negative effects on minors?)

NO. Ironically, I don’t believe in censorship. (don’t get me started  ) Parents watching their children is still my best advice. Men who have a geniune change of heart don’t need censorship. Accountability, yes.

8. What age bracket and people group blogs the most? (e.g. businesswomen, youth, housewives, youth professionals, veterans, politicians, children, etc.)

I don’t know. Though the results would be interesting. Why don’t you start it? It’s easy with poll tools around. Multiply has it’s own poll system too.

9. Does blogging have an effect on people’s social lives? If yes, then what is the effect? (e.g. One chooses to blog than to socialize with people, thus making one anti-social)

YES.

1. You learn to communicate and sell and negotiate devoid of a face to face meeting.
2. You’re on your way to becoming a prolific writer (or novelist).
3. You have a gazillion friends.
4. You have a more diverse friends list (United Nations).
5. You are master of the weak tie.

10. What is the effect of blogging in the communication of the future? Does it have an effect?

Since everyone, literally, every single one of us has become broadcasters, reporters, transmitters, etc. we need powerful filtering tools to lower the signal versus noise (SVN) ratio. Meaning it will be so noisy (because all of us are talking) we need a mechanism to choose which ones we only want to hear that’s 6 billion mouths talking many times a day.

This is the effect of democratization of communication tools. Or in other words when the communication tools (handphones, SMS, lapotops, iPods, Internet, blogs) become more available/accessible to the masses and it becomes (nearly) FREE, we can WASTE IT.

We can waste “digital” products because it’s FREE.

We take for granted SMS and group send all our friends.
We can send as much email as we want.
We can take infinite pictures.
We can create endless blogs. Even our dogs have blogs.

11. Do you have any follow-up information that you would like to share?

Something happens when things become “FREE”. It starts revolutions.

e.g.
1. During medieval times, the Bible was in Latin and inaccessible to the common man. Then Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press. The people had access to the Bible– in the local language (German). A revolution ensued known as the Reformation (or the Protestant movement).

2. In the 1970s, the IC or the computer chip was invented. The chips began selling cheap (almost free). Homebrew groups created their own computers because they were fed up queuing to get Mainframe access time. This was the era of Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak and the Silicon Valley Empires. This was the Computer Revolution.

3. Open source and the Free software foundation was gaining traction in the 1990s. Developers and users were jumping on the bandwagon. Good for them. How could anyone resist “free” software. Free as in Freedom not Free as in price. The Open source revolution started and it’s threathening the bottomlines of many software empires that we know.

4. Sir Tim Berners-Lee, invented the World Wide Web. Thus giving access to “free” information worldwide. It was like one gigantic library. This was the Internet Revolution.

5. Hot off the trails of the Internet revolution, the personal publishing or blogging revolution happened. Anyone can create a blog. Push button publishing. There’s even micro-blogging now (Twitter, Jaiku, Tumblr).

Who knows what is to come when things are made accessible to many and becomes “FREE”.

FREE Music? FREE Movies? Free Designs? FREE Photos? FREE Money?

Credits: Chris Anderson, author of The Long Tail
Link to the PopTech! Talk.