animemiz’s scribblings..

With the news happening in Japan, I have definitely relied more on Twitter to provide me with news of what has been happening. Western media are at the moment, days late. So Japan is currently operating at normal schedule at the moment. However, with the boom of the internet, and social media.. what an elusive rush that being aware of news and the need to talk about it… can probably bring in a Trojian Horse scenario. This phrase usage is in relation to Homer’s story, not the computer scenario.

I have been mostly rt-ing on the basics a basics of being aware of things occurring, in Japan. Commends to Twitter.com to actually still be able to run like this. Still though, statistics are not settled down as of yet, and warnings are still in effect. Tsunami warnings have been lifted.

I spoke with a friend in Japan, and there are several things to be mindful of, dealing with Twitter.

• Don’t panic.
• Stop rt-ing old/dated news.. since with the more people, there can be more unnecessary panic.
• Don’t spread false news, unless it is confirmed by reputable sources.

I have been mostly watching NHK World and Yokoso via UStream, so right now Tokyo is trying to maintain normal lives, and donations can be made through a variety of sources. At this time, America has sent a large ship, and this military operation is called Operation Tomodachi. It is definitely important to be aware, but to also be aware that continually surrounding yourself with this type of news is not a positive experience.

Please don’t call the affected areas, since phone communication is very tied up. If you do need to be aware of a Japanese Earthquake/Tsunami news, consult here, and possibly as a source of seeking information on foreigners living/working in Japan, here.

Actually this entire post came out from my other post on Manga reviewing tips. I was busy compiling the tweets together, when I spent an hour just peering through the tweets. By the time I was able to put out the other post. I realize that the criticism aspect I was cutting and pasting, was way more off tangent than what I was even reporting on the first place. So now  the time has past, and since I believe that twitter is pretty much a tangible medium, I figure I’ll record it here as well.

This is a discussion regarding about negative aspects of blogging panels/RT at anime conventions, which I hope will improve more and more with the various bloggers and interests. I feel kinda obligated to post on this, since this was the only blogging panel that I was found myself briefly at. In my recollection there are two other anime blogging panels I have missed. The Anime Next 2009 and the New York Anime Festival 2008.

For the 2009 NYAF blogging panel, I didn’t know most people on the panel. I realized afterward, that a majority of these bloggers on this panel were podcasters, which is a medium I wasn’t as familiar with. I had prior conversation with other bloggers, and the tone was a matter of fact attitude. Would this panel succeed or not?  Ever since I started to attend conventions since 2006, I have been trying to go to various writing panels, but because of timing and hours I have never attended any of them. There is also just way too many bloggers on the internet.

Blogging is a medium where it is knocking down the traditional journalism perspective and that is a grain of salt for a lot of people. But I have made friends outside of these panels. So there is a community and niche in who enjoys what. Deb, Emi, and mbeasi made interesting points here.

Deb: @MagicalEmi that’s kind of my worry too. bloggers enjoy each other’s company, but i don’t think we have “fans” per se to warrant a panel

MagicalEmi:  @debaoki I think a panel w/ you guys would be 1 person saying something, and everyone nodding and agreeing

Deb: @MagicalEmi we did a blogger panel at NYAF, and i thought it was kind of… well, self-serving.

They needed a panel.. so it turned into a Round Table. That should have gone around like a hot potato instead.  Ahh well it did, but let’s just say that some people talked more.

For those who would be interested in seeing or remembering a video of this panel, here’s Moritheil’s video covering.

MagicalEmi: @debaoki y’all seem to have similar opinions, no one here (that I can see) seems to disagree enough to spark a lively debate/discussion

MagicalEmi: @debaoki Yah that might make it more interesting, and less preaching to the choir XD

mbeasi: @debaoki @MagicalEmi Well, I thought the real problem with that panel is that there was almost no discussion of *blogging*.

MagicalEmi: @mbeasi I’d be more interested in the technical aspect ^^ What blogging platform they use, templates, maintaining update schedules, etc

mbeasi: @MagicalEmi I actually think the technical aspect is not too far removed from the rest. One informs the other, in a lot of respects.

For bloggers knowing technical skills is an advantage. Now if you can meld writers and techies. That would be a great thing to have, otherwise pay someone else for that skill set then.

Deb: @mbeasi @magicalemi the problem is when we, as bloggers, start thinking we are “celebrities” of some sort. we are not.

Deb: @MagicalEmi @mbeasi yep. too much of that last blogger panel was about ‘who are you & what’s your otaku cred?’

Deb: @mbeasi well, that’s kinda why i was thinking it’d be better to just have a blogger/press mixer instead of a panel.

Deb: @mbeasi @magicalemi but that comes from not realizing who your potential audience for such a panel might be.

Deb: @mbeasi @magicalemi if it was promoted as a blogger panel by bloggers for bloggers, then the focus/questions would be different.

Deb: @mbeasi @magicalemi instead, the panel was more positioned as “meet the people that you read! they are cool!” — which made it chatter-y.

Deb: @mbeasi @johannadc @magicalemi yes — and that’s why such a panel needs to be more focused in that way than just “meet popular bloggers”

Deb: @palmie @mbeasi yep. blogging works best when you are giving as well as getting comments – you become part of the discussion.

I am going to conclude with this vein with a possible panel that Edsizemore and Moritheil might do in the future. So let’s see how the next convention blogging panel will go or not.

Would there be one?

Also bias on this post is that it is talking in regards to the East Coast bloggers. There are times where I do wish that I was able to go over to the West coast to meet the west coast bloggers, but since it is not possible at this moment. Shall have to see in the future then.

What I am getting slightly annoyed is this article in Japanator.

The premise of the article is of the blogger, Dale North going to Borders and finding the security tag, and of the most inappropriate place, the tag is placed. Of course he also mention vandalizing the book and stresses the book in a bad way on holding the book open to get the perfect shot of the tag.

Mostly it was probably Border’s fault for placing the security tag in such a bad location, but I was thinking the book did not do anything to the blogger other than being printed on bad quality paper and then molested by people stressing the spine for that one clear shot.

If the Borders personal didn’t feel paranoid about their products, then that’s the reason why they tag the damn thing.. to not get robbed..

Still there are those manga campers..who stay there to read the entire book with no intentions of purchasing that stresses the book.. which in turn makes it such an icky place to purchase book.

Call me arrogant or whatever, but my policy is to either purchase the book shrink wrapped or from Amazon to not get the security tag hassle.