May 3, 2007

The Best of Times, the Worst of Times

An interesting post by Elia Diodati - the State of the Singapore Blogosphere, May 2007. Among other things, it summarises the recent departures of several well-known bloggers from the blogosphere. The tentative conclusion is that the Singapore blogosphere is currently in bad shape.

I don't quite agree - there's one element which Elia Diodati didn't notice. In April 2007, there was a massive increase in my readership numbers. Emphasis on "massive". The main driver was the ministers' salary increase. I believe that many other Singapore blogs probably enjoyed a huge increase too.

My theory is that every time one of those types of events occur - eg a James Gomez election saga or the ministers raising their own salaries - a considerable number of Singaporeans flock to the Internet for alternative views, and end up discovering the blogosphere for the first time. In other words, the blogosphere gets a new big crowd of readers.

More importantly, if past experience is anything to go by, these new readers don't go away either. Instead they stick around for more and more. For example, in May 2006 (General Elections), my readership almost doubled, compared to April and March 2006. However, after the General Elections were over, readership numbers did not fall to the pre-May 2006 levels. Instead they stayed constant or resumed growing at a gradual rate.

In other words, controversial events drive up the readership of the Singapore blogosphere. And even after the controversial event is over, the new readers stay around. I guess they discover that many things on the Internet are more readworthy than the Straits Times. So the reach of the blogosphere just keeps expanding over time.

So, if you're new, Mr Wang says hello and welcome. However, do go visit other blogs too because Mr Wang has to start studying for his exams. In other words, Mr Wang won't be blogging very much for the next few weeks.

103 comments:

Val said...

Yes we ought to thank the internet, where some truths are only uncovered in the cyberspace.The pappies need to understand this, they are not David Copperfield!

Did you mention about ST? errr...be it 80cents or 5cents, i will only read when it's a free copy, no choice mah, when i am travelling, bored onboard..hehe

I hope you will blog more after ur exam..gd luck

Anonymous said...

Looking forward to you returning to blog. Have fun at the exams.

Elia Diodati said...

You must be very busy if that's the strongest criticism you can send my way... which is probably good for your exams ;)

Clearly when I say "State of the Singapore Blogosphere", what I really mean is "My Highly Personal Opinion on the State of Blogs About Singapore Or By Singaporeans That I Am Aware Of And Think Are Significant Enough To Mention To A Wider Audience And Have Enough Data To Say Something About", but that was a little bit too long to fit comfortably on the title.

WRT your point about your readership increasing, good for you! It's data I don't have ready access to though. Care to provide some readership stats, e.g. trends for feed subscriber numbers, hits/day over the last six months?

My perspective on this is entirely source-driven, since content sources (blogs, in my context) are by far the most important component of the blogosphere. I have neglected to mention increasing readership, but I am not sure how significant such evidence is in actually quantifying the vitality of the blogosphere. Is it necessary that good opinions be intrinsically superior because they are espoused on popular blogs?

Likewise quantifying the number of comments may not be that useful since there are plenty of false positives - trolls, spam and flames - and sometimes it may just boil down to the individual style on whether the blogger in question frames his/her posts in a way that invites discussion.

Anonymous said...

Recommend some interesting blogs you frequent?

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said...

I think the number of readers will be decreasing alot from now, Galye is gone, so in Kitana and now I hear the IS has been taken over.

Be happy don't worry.

On your point elia I really dont put alot of credibility on hit rates. Personally I know abt 20 ways to read an article without registering a hit.

I also know many people visit the same site 3 or 4 times a day. Just a waste of time.

Then what about the ppl such as the brotherhood who can move thousands of visitors without registering a single hit? How do you make sense of that.

Or what abt those who keep on hitting a site just to make up the numbers like Dick Lee and his friends. I know this for a fact, bc some idiot posted a MSM asking me to boost it up. I think he got drunk on American Idol.

What a poseur

Gilbert Koh aka Mr Wang said...

I've stopped using devices like Extreme Tracker to check my readership, the only thing I have now is the inbuilt Google Adsense functions.

At the end of 3rd week, readership for April already passed 50,000 unique daily views. Have not checked since then.

Many days in May had more than 2,000 readers per day. Highest single day, however, was not because of any post about ministers' salary, but because of my post about CEP in the civil service. That drew more than 5,000 readers in a single day. The effect, I think, of the post being simultaneously mentioned on Tomorrow; Intelligent Singaporean AND Mr Brown.

Note: in May 2006, (General Elections) my readership was only 25,000+. This was already a huge jump over the previous month April 2006 (something like 13,000+).

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Gilbert Koh aka Mr Wang said...

"I also know many people visit the same site 3 or 4 times a day. Just a waste of time."

AFAIK, most tracking programs will treat such people as only having visited once that day. The tracking program will not double-count or triple-count the reader who comes back many times during a designated 24-hour period.

Gilbert Koh aka Mr Wang said...

I really don't know much about who these "Brotherhood" people are, and the way they write, I don't think I will find out.

They talk very obscurely and half the time, they're basically talking among themselves.

I don't care .... Don't have time to find out.

Anonymous said...

When I read the opening lines of Wang's post, I, too, thought that the reference was to source and not content.

If elia's take is source-driven, I tend to agree. It might not be a popular thing to say but the better letters & articles in the 'mainstream' media and the topics themselves generally offer better reads than what appears on many of the 'serious' sites here (to compare local with local ). I'm nobody to be a snod, just giving my honest view ( 80 or 5 cents'worth ).

Hits? There can be plenty. But ask that same crowd to stand up and be counted in a survey, resolution or referendum and the silence would be deafening (spell check needed ). That may be the difference between what is ultimately voyeurism and netizenship.

Overall, aside from the novelty of the more balanced, reasonable and witty stick-it-to-the-gahmen posts, I can't honestly say I've been impressed.

Anonymous said...

My mistake, that's "source and not hits" The word content should be not be in that line.

Gilbert Koh aka Mr Wang said...

Well, the thing about the blogosphere is ... Source and hits, blog and reader, all share a very close relationship.

Very simply, a high number of readers ---> a high proportion will leave comments etc --> they are contributing to content.

Also, a high number of readers --> high interest in blogs --> likelihood that some percentage of them will start their own blogs. After all, it costs nothing; and the time you spend is only as much as you want to spend.

Finally the best-written posts mean nothing, if no one reads them. But if more and more people read them, then ......

Anonymous said...

"I really don't know much about who these "Brotherhood" people are (OK), and the way they write (so you know how they write then?), I don't think I will find out (OK so you drew a conclusion).

They talk very obscurely (I thought you never read what they write???) and half the time (so you read your fair share of halfs!), they're basically talking among themselves (another Kitana, pls do us all a favor close down your blog lah).

I don't care (if you dont care then why are you such a regular visitor in the IS. Of course we are not kitana, we do not make threats of exposing anyone, only be very careful what you say) .... Don't have time to find out."

(By the way do you happen to have proof that we multiple post?)

We do not wish war here, but for no apparent reason you seem to be taking potshots at us.

Harphoon

Anonymous said...

By the way do you happen to have proof that we multiple post?

Because we have proof to demonstrate otherwise.

Anonymous said...

You should not have attacked us for no apparent reason. I personally read your blog regularly. I really dont understand why you have to take such a personal line over this.

Harphoon

Anonymous said...

haha - Caleb said the same thing about Kitana and Gayle blogs - is Caleb part of the brotherhood? But it is true - we should not take pot shots at each other. Just focus on the common enemy - the highly paid PAP ministers !!

Gilbert Koh aka Mr Wang said...

Nonsense, I'm not taking pot shots at you. I was merely responding to the anonymous commentator who asked how I make sense of what the "brotherhood" is doing. And my reply was that I don't know who they are, and I don't think I will find out.

And no, I do not know if you "multiple post", whatever that means. I don't even know whether you are one person, or two, or three, or ten or 12.

Anonymous said...

Personally I have gone over the IS blog. The aggregator is really good.

However when you go into the comments eg
HAL 9000
B'hood Comms
Press Archives
The Confessions

It becomes like a private blog for members only and gets really obscure. Mr Wang, I have to agree with you.

And the Great Debate in Chernobyl. Lagi obscure.

Harphoon - it is ok. It is a public blog with private space for brotherhood members.

And it was someone else who brought up this topic on Brotherhood, not Mr Wang.

Both the IS aggregator and Mr Wang - you are both really good. Keep the focus on issues of Singapore. God bless!

Gilbert Koh aka Mr Wang said...

By the way, I have no idea what you and Kitana have been talking about. I only read her blog occasionally.

Gilbert Koh aka Mr Wang said...

"if you dont care then why are you such a regular visitor in the IS"

LOL. I like the links, they're very useful for finding good posts on the blogosphere.

An aggregator like this is very important for the Singapore blogosphere. That is why I helped publicise the "Intelligent Singaporean" when it had just started and was unknown.

Oh, in those days, it was just Inspir3d running it. A solo effort, and no obscurity. His "brothers" only appeared later.

Anonymous said...

"His "brothers" only appeared later."

Let me be very clear abt a few things. I have a working relationship with inspirid based on mutual trust, respect and an appreciation of our goals.

So if you dont think very much abt what we (the brotherhood) write.

That really is your prerogative. Not that it changes the read outcome even in the slightest. Trust me here.

As for inspirid, I dont want him to be tarred and labelled with the same denigrating attitude that you seem to dish out so freely on the rest of us (the brotherhood).

He is inspird the webmaster and owner of the intelligent singaporean.

We are just his guest. The brotherhood never blogs.

I will leave it here, if you say that you are just expressing your opinion, so be it. I shall leave it there, but let us be clear.

After this we may also wish to express our opinion about what you typically write to many of our readers.

I am sure you can understand how it works.

Harphoon.

Anonymous said...

brotherhood... tsk.. I get the hint you are trying to act like intellectual gangsters. observe the tone of your language.

high fallutin' nonsense..

you think you are illuminati?

Anonymous said...

Can we move on away from the Brotherhood stuff? There's a reason why I don't visit IS anymore.

Rob

Anonymous said...

Thank you Mr Wang and other critical thinkers (e.g. Molly Meek, Yawning Bread, etc) who analyzes local issues. Thank you for the alternative views, analysis, reasonings and giving voice to stuff which I (and I believe many other Singapore citizens) instinctively felt but could not express so eloquently.

I started visiting blogs frequently only after the May-2006 Yawning Bread opposition rally photo saga. Boy, was I happy to hear different tunes, not just the PAP-march. Have been a regular blog reader since.

Anonymous said...

Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeey! Hows in hanging wang man?

Anonymous said...

I mean how is it hanging Mr Wang? Let me tell you a few things abt life. You can sit down underneath a tree. Yeah all of you including you wang, like bunch of cripples in a brand new wheel chair and smoke your weed and say to yourself, the world is flat, the world is flat, the world is flat.

Will change nothing, we will still get the reads.

Let us compete that is what I say.

Trust me man at the end of the day - the reader is the one who wins.

So what you ppl say here or any where else amounts to roughly a piece of shit and a bit of spit on the side walk.

What you write on the otherhand, well that's a different thing.

You know elia diodati is a smart boy. He knows where the honey is, he knows.

You just all follow him and dont mind Wang too much, he is full of shit like me.


darkness

Anonymous said...

Wang is just running scared. I understand, everyday he looks out at his stat counter and he says,

"its drying up!"

He goes back into his mud hole runs around three times round his blog, spits on his palms, slaps himself three times and does head stands and looks out again.

And again the view hasn't changed. He says,

"its drying up."

Rest of u follow him, u just dumb. I know all of you are smarter than that.

So what you say man? Yes, the choice is clear the brotherhood press all the way.

See all there and remember,

"Its drying up."

Let me take you all to Avalon. We are leaving.

hahahhahaaaaaaaaaaaa!

darkness.

Anonymous said...

Wang I respect you alot for allowing me to post my shit on your blog.

A lesser man would have put me in a box like a pet rabbit and wished me away.

I want you to remember this, that I will extend you the same courtesy to do the same to me in the IS, if you wish to disrespect me as I have you here.

Thank you

darkness

Anonymous said...

This coming Sunday on the 6th at 8.00pm on the IS in Chernobyl.

I will met my old nemesis, Dr Chandra, the leader of the light bulb brigade extraodinaire.

Do you know I hear he has close to 30 scholars on standby for this debate.

They mean to take me to the cleaners this time.

I've got the car warmed up, so if anything goes wrong I am just going to go back where I came from.

But I want you all to understand, this debate will change your life. Especially if you are a dumb crud you has been reading wang all your life.

After that your life will change. Has too that how the cards come around.

Because you will see, feel and hear things that you never ever though possible bfr - the hum of your computer, the creamy texture of the paper even boiled water will taste like sweet waters.

That is how it is when a man begins to think for the very first time. You have no idea how I envy you!

Remember this Sunday at 8.00 pm in the IS.

See you all there

Darkness.

Anonymous said...

"Dr Chandra, the leader of the light bulb brigade extraodinaire." Come on, Brotherhood, if you want people to take you more seriously, you have to stop describing yourself as electrical appliances. Your writing style is just not very comprehensible to most people, and ... I have to tell ya ... it's not THEIR fault.

Anonymous said...

Singapore blogosphere is probably undergoing similar phases like that of economy restructuring and industry consolidation. In the end, only quality blogs will remain and continue to increase in readership. ;p

Anonymous said...

"Your writing style is just not very comprehensible to most people."

Highest readership in Singapore, ask Wang.

He will tell you after he has finished running naked around his mud hut of a blog.

Janice, you are one smart bitch.

You know what I am going to reserve a seat for you on the smoke stack in chernobyl - how is that?

You will be glowing after that and level headed enough for me to put my tiger beer on you?

We are finally moving to Avalon folks, walk on!

darkness

Anonymous said...

Boys & girls,

That's what they want you to think folks,

"Your writing style is just not very comprehensible to most people"

They want you to believe that so that you are blinkered and will happily part with your 60 cents.

They want you to doubt yourself (Sweet Jesus you have no idea how they want you to do this!).

They want to tell yourself again and again,

"you cannot understand this man, you cannot understand him!"

They want you so badly to believe, I am written in an alphabet that you can never ever read or aspire to even understand.

Do you know why? They want to give you the mushroom treatment? Feed you shit and keep you in the dark?

Do you really want to know why? They want to tell you again and again that the brotherhood press doesnt have the highest readership in Singapore!

Do you really want to know why? Do you?

You notice one thing folks, not a single one of them dares to challege me. Not one!

They are all anon i.e all trolls. Not a single one is prepared to say, this is who I am, this is my blog and this is where I come from.

Do you really know why?

Thats how desperate they are to preserve their world. I just want you to know this.

The truth is, you have the power to read the truth.

You have the power to understand the truth.

Above all: the power to decide resides in the palm of your hands. Its never left you, but they want to take it away from you.

This Sunday. I say this Sunday at 8.00. I say this Sunday in the IS.

There is where it all begins - your journey to the truth.

And they all know - they cant stop you anymore than they can prevent the sun from rising.

You have the power my dear valued readers.

P.S: they're going to keep hammering me from now till then, but keep the faith, fight the good fight and remember the truth is in the palm of your hands!

I am the man they call darkness.

Anonymous said...

Chronicler,

I want a garrison of elite Sardu-Khan troops stationed here.

nacramanga.

Anonymous said...

oh so lame. Sounds like Secret Seven or Five Find Outers from Enid Blyton. Mr Inspir3d - I get this feeling your IS is going to implode soon.

Anonymous said...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9eIKwHJPnHo

You called the devil Mr Wang and he came. Enjoy. We going to party here a bit, your got any hard stuff?

nacramanga

Anonymous said...

For the benefit of those naive readers, can some kind folks care to explain what this "brotherhood" is all about? It sounds so almighty. Is it some kind of Christian sect or gay brotherhood ?

Anonymous said...

darn. the post has been hijacked by "brotherhood", whoever they are. can you, gentlemen and ladies, pls spam elsewhere?

Catch-no-baller

Anonymous said...

See what darkness told you all. It has started the battle for the truth.

haha

You have no idea how many times he has done this.

nacramanga.

Anonymous said...

From where I standing.

I am not really so sure, we are the spammers.

You see folks now they have resorted to name calling. We are now religious fanatics and homosexuals that you cannot understand.

But like darkness said, you have the power to think and even take pride in it.

haha

nacramanga

Anonymous said...

Eh "brotherhood", get lost lah. Stop spamming this blog too. Because of you people, I am already avoiding IS.

Nabeh.

Anonymous said...

Dear readers,

OK. I am leaving now. Thank you Mr Wang, you are a real gentleman.

You never censored me and like Aaron, I really appreciate that.

It goes a long way to demonstrate why you have so many readers - bc that takes confidence. No conditions - no terms.

OK. I am really leaving now. Nacramanga lets go for a stroll.

Bye-Bye and thank you. See you all this Sunday in Chernobyl in the IS at 8.00pm.

darkness

OK. I leaving now. Really I am.

ps: happy harp boy? Anything for my buddy.

Anonymous said...

Who's truth? The Truth of the Brotherhood? Then what different is it from Gahmen's truth.

Seriously you will be better off writing a Brotherhood Bible and getting it published.

Anonymous said...

I can see now how the IS is going to crash and burn and get more bad publicity - inspir3d - good luck.

Mr wang, can you execise some deletion now - let those who are interested go to their blog and see for themselves. I think you have given them enough free publicity for now and we get your point :)

http://intelligentsingaporean.wordpress.com/

Anonymous said...

if u r really interested in the plight of the average Singaporeans, unite to take on the pap dictatorship.

Anonymous said...

wah me getting the sense dat Harphoon is a bit tulan with mr wang... Why ah?? how cum so petty one ah?? *runs away to hide*

akikonomu said...

I have this theory that the Brotherhood is basically a satire of anonymous commentors.

Strength in anonymity (no one knows who you are, that you're just the same person posting), strength in numbers (always intimidates people if you seem to be a huge movement), strength in incoherence (very easy to dismiss arguments if you have a dozen anonymouses posting non sequitur replies.)

Anonymous said...

See folks,

They dont want you to think. They call us gays, religious fanatics etc, and now you have this king pin idiot called akikonomu writing a whole lot of crap.

You know why folks bc they want you to be ashamed abt thinking. You dont believe me just consider this "Catch-no-baller" - what does it really mean - I tell what it means, it means liat boh que i.e I dont get it.

They dont want you to know the truth. They want you to be ashamed of even thinking that is why they take pride in not catching the ball.

Because when you catch the ball - you will see the truth.

You know better.

Nacramanga

Anonymous said...

They say we do not make sense.

I tell you what.

You have the power to find out right now. You go to this idiot's site:akikonomu

Read any one of his articles.

Then go over to the intelligent singaporean and read any article in the brotherhood archive.

Then decide for yourself which one makes more sense.

You have the power to do this. Dont say I never gave you the jalan. I am giving you it to you right now - the reader.

Once you have done that come down here and tell me who makes more sense? Who has done the reading and how hasn't? Who has done the thinking and who is just swimming in urine and shit water?

Remember they dont want you to think, but we do. That is why they hate us.

They want you to be ashamed to think. Otherwise why say things like, I catch no ball? We want you to be proud that you can catch that ball.

Think for yourself. Never say we never gave you the choice.

Ha

nacramanga

Anonymous said...

akikonomu's makes more sense. Whereas the brotherhood archives reads like some nutcase and secret cult.

According to elia, "akikonomu, is the former high priestess of Ise". So what are you "brotherhood"? A bunch of anonymous spammers?

Losers.

Reader

Anonymous said...

"you're just the same person posting" - yeah sure, one person have so much time, no need to work one are? got such kinda person in singapore so free one ah? - blogging 24 hours a day? Wat. Bo hua leh.

Let me tell you a few things about this idiot called akikonomu.

He wants you to read his blog, that is why he is here. To him this is just a publicity stunt. He is not interested in the truth, he just wants to wind you up like a toy rat so you go around chasing your tail.

You dont believe me you go to his blog. Do believe me go and see yourself. I sumpah on my dead cat, just mati 3 days ago - one day 3 readers only, that is his blog, his ah kong, ah mah and siau tt logging in only - I sumpah go and see for yourself.

3 hits one day, want to talk cock here. Mah chee bai, go and jump into the singapore river and die lah.

Darkness used to have nearly 30,000 a day!

Nacramanga

akikonomu said...

I also have this theory that the Great Hall Debate and the Great Chernobyl Debate are simultaneous satires of local parliamentary debates and online discussions that never fail to dissolve into brinksmanship, namecalling, thinly veiled threats, obfuscation, and fallacious arguments by the second reply.

Anonymous said...

In singapore today got siaow ppl talking this kinda of lan chaui language ah?

"high priestess of Ise."

Wah lau eh! You go to och
ard rd and talk like that la, see where you end up mata catch you and put you in happy garden homes in woodbridge

"high priestess of Ise."

And this idiot calls us spammers.

Nacramanga

Anonymous said...

Hahahahahahaha "high priestess of Ise." hahahahaha hello akikonomu. I thought you were a real threat, but sorli after you come out with the "high priestess of Ise." I need to sleep alredi, hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahha "high priestess of Ise." This are the type of ppl who visit your site Mr Wang. Matilah.

akikonomu said...

I have a theory that intelligentsingaporean is a parody of aggregators. In a political blogosphere that's as populous as the number of digits in two human hands, why on earth should people visit an aggregator instead of just use their own blogroll or rss feeds?

Elia Diodati said...

If you don't get the "former high priestess of Ise" thing, go read the Tales of Genji or Wikipedia あきこのむ.

Anonymous said...

Mr Wang, I'm sorry that this entry has just been decimated by those spammers.

And to those "spammers", don't worry, I would not be visiting IS anymore.

Rob

Anonymous said...

gssq commenting on the Great Debate in Chernobyl

Okay, I have no idea what this is about.

The last time they had a 'debate', besides the debators referring to "publications" only they knew (and which in all likelihood don't even exist), it was also horribly stage managed, with all comments not following their script (which for all we know was performed by one person sitting in front of a terminal) being deleted immediately.

akikonomu thinks it's one big satire, for the same reason he says Andy Warhol thought Valerie Solanas and S.C.U.M (the Society for Cutting Up Men) were a parody of feminism, even after the assassination attempt - the alternative would be unthinkable (who can forget the classic claim that Hitler was an evolutionary psychologist?) Meanwhile I was speculating that the name is a subtle dig - only UnIntelligent Singaporeans will be duped by the faux conspiracies.

So - good joke.

My only worry is that it impugns the political blogosphere among those who don't get the joke; beyond a certain point, the uninformed are unable to differentiate between the insane and those pretending to be insane, and it's not clear that it matters which either - whether or not Valerie Solanas was pretending to try to assassinate Andy Warhol, he had to wear a corset for the rest of his life. And it's not clear that those who *are* in on the joke think it's all in good taste either.

akikonomu said...

I think we should set up a Great Blog Spammer Fund to buy the Brotherhood tickets to the Ise Shrine for their next travelogue entry.

Anonymous said...

to the joker at the brotherhood, you (all) should concentrate on your god knows what over at IS. if its not obvious, its neither smart, funny or a successful parody

and like mr wang, i don't care who you are, don't read your dun know what at IS, know you are disruptive to various blogs.

but if i know who you are personally, I will find your actions over on the singapore blog world childish. study so much learn all these big words still so stupid

and nobody likes you wor.. dun know what you say 30,000, but i noe got much of blogophere dun like you... go ahead lar... continue your stupidity

mother day coming liao - you all shld go ask your mother do things liddat is good or bad

Anonymous said...

I get this feeling they are trying to get free publicity, so as to increase the eyeballs on IS on Sunday, and hope to make it big. Then sell off IS to the highest bidder - maybe SPH group - and hope to pocket $$ like hardware zone. I think we all boycott IS this sunday lah. Pass the word around. Damn lame man,

Anonymous said...

I find Darkness a really sad case. See his comments below. Like Mr Wang need to go so low meh? funnee....boycott IS. And darkness - go talk to your mom like the other guy said....
_______________

I want you to remember this, that I will extend you the same courtesy to do the same to me in the IS, if you wish to disrespect me as I have you here.

Thank you

darkness

Anonymous said...

Darkness said :

OK. I am really leaving now. Nacramanga lets go for a stroll.

Nacra asked us to think, and I am thinking.... yes, they should repeal section 377(a)

It was a touching brokeback moment..

sob sob

Anonymous said...

Section 377 (a) Read this again...hahaha Nacra to Darkness
______________________

You called the devil Mr Wang and he came. Enjoy. We going to party here a bit, your got any hard stuff?

nacramanga

Anonymous said...

Very interesting exchanges.
Thanks Mr Wang for this opportunity to read your wonderful blog. This is my first time taking the trouble to have spent more than half an hour reading your blog, though I have briefly visited a few times before.

Can you please don't delete these interesting exchanges.
May be a good idea to keep them on record for future references.
Thanks once again.

RgHgi

Anonymous said...

I really think they should repeal 377 (a).

I get this feeling Darkness really hates woman, and wonder what happened to him as a child?? Was he man-handled by a maternal figure?

This is how he writes to a lady on Mr Wang's blog - how unbecoming of a real man...

_________________________________

Janice, you are one smart bitch.

You know what I am going to reserve a seat for you on the smoke stack in chernobyl - how is that?

You will be glowing after that and level headed enough for me to put my tiger beer on you?

We are finally moving to Avalon folks, walk on!

darkness

May 3, 2007 8:01 PM

Anonymous said...

Ooops - another slip - I thought they write weird - I understand now....

________________________

darkness

OK. I leaving now. Really I am.

ps: happy harp boy? Anything for my buddy.

Anonymous said...

Darkness - happy now? (see comments below)

You are just another anonymous faggot (hail repeal 377A), as far as I am concerned. Brotherhood - (Harphoon, Darkness, Nacra) Now really get off this blog! The only one true person who dare speak up is Chee Soon Juan, actually, and he has my immense respect. The stuff below - all of us - bullshit actually. Let us all boycott IS for 1 month, make them sweat. Seems counting blog readers is all they care about, and let us make them hurt!

_____________________________

Darkness said .

Do you really want to know why? Do you?

You notice one thing folks, not a single one of them dares to challege me. Not one!

They are all anon i.e all trolls. Not a single one is prepared to say, this is who I am, this is my blog and this is where I come from.

Anonymous said...

Hey, let the Motherhood be. They belong to that highly endangered species, the l33t h4XX0r Goths, that are nearly extinct in the EU and US. Most western kids dump their black-clothes, black-lipstick, black-eyeshadow, black-hair, black-thoughts, teenage conceits pretty quickly, so to see a copycat rump surviving in S'pore of all places is pretty charming. Mind you, given that many S'pore males tend to suffer from arrested development (nancy-boy syndrome) I suppose it's not surprising that they have to play catch-up well into their twenties.

Some might recall our Great Leader lamenting the lack of buzz in S'pore compared with HongKong and regretting that he so ruthlessly decimated the ranks of our non-conformists. Result: loss of creativity, lack of independence in thought and action, no more risk-takers and entrepreneurs. He had failed to notice that it is out of the ranks of these mavericks that the Richard Bransons and Steve Jobs of this world would arise.

I ask you to consider for a moment that duckness and his ersatz blasé, world-weary, heard-it-all, seen-it-all, done-it-all, know-it-all, zit-riddled crew might conceivably represent the last traces of rebel DNA left in the nation! Cast aside your disdain for the toe-curling prose and incoherent gibberish. Look kindly upon the juvenile hahahahaha and limp insults. Smile playfully at their important pretend anarchy. Respect their right to howl at the honky-tonk moon. I say Motherhood and her children duckness, 1ns3p1d, and scarymanka might well become the next great leaders of S'pore, defending the weak and helpless with their Sword of Truth and Shield of Justice. Yes, it's true.

Now run along and play with those nice YPAP people, there's a good boy. And mind you close the closet door quietly behind you on the way out, thanks v. much.

Love, Mummy.

Anonymous said...

This so-called brotherhood is giving IS a bad name. Arrogant and acting like online gangsters. I will not visit IS anymore.

Brightness.

Anonymous said...

Hi Mr Wang.

I don't know what really happened here. To be honest with you. I really do not care.

All I know is you can call them what you want - the brotherhood.

Many years ago when I used to be one of darkness boy readers. All of us had to pay 0.50 cent one episode.

So I had some problems with my son, he is disabled because the back bone not right. he needed a special bed that cost nearly 3K and a wheelchair made in germany cost I think about same money. Also I am a single mother. So my parents were also not very supportive. So I wrote to him one day. Bc I dont know what to do. No reply.

One week later men delivered the wheelchair and special bed to my hse.

You see I am a Buddhist. I believe it is very difficult to know what is in a person heart or even to know what they say. Sometimes it is better to just try to see the good in other people and even if there is no good. I am sure there is good somewhere, we just cannot see.

Anonymous said...

There is alot of hate in this world. but every now and then. I feel miracles happen bc we r all still humans and humans can do unexpected things like care or love.

Maybe when he was young, he had a very hard childhood? I know from one of his stories, he could even have been an orphan.

We Buddhist when people suffer if they learn and it is a teacher. I know many ppl say they are doing this for the money, but there is so many other way to earning money, why do so chiat lat leh?

Maybe he just want to do good bc no one did him any good bc he has money now?

L.H.F (Boon Lay)

Anonymous said...

LOL. Referring to Anon May 4, 2007 10:57 AM.

No doubt that was another comment posted by the brotherhood itself. Another attempt to build mystique and intrigue around itself. Mysterious Benefactor and Deliverer of Special Wheelchairs to the Needy.

Actually, the Brotherhood is probably just an over-imaginative 18-year-old teenager hammering away at his computer pretending to be a big bunch of mysterious characters.

I mean, seriously, how far can you go with this kind of gimmick? It's ridiculous. Grow up lah, and stop reading all those fantasy novels about the Masters of the Universe or the Power Rangers or whatever.

"Darkness". "Harphoon". "Nacramanga".

Might as well call yourself "Spiderman" or "Lois Lane".

Anonymous said...

I for one, think that the singapore blogosphere is declining in quality and diversity. If you see what the likes of the brotherhood and those PAP-endorsed blogs, you'll know why it has come to that.

It reminds me of Singapore itself, overun by the miafia family and gangsters and cronies. All lowly creatures and scums of society fighting for that last crumb from his almighty's hands.

If the world is your oyster, I see no reason to choose Singapore to be your stage.

Says alot about those who still hang around and fight over a tiny red dot.

Anonymous said...

By the way, why do I have the feeling this bunch of brothers are some one-time scholars working in SPH whose promotions were passed over for the likes of the Chua sisters?

Anonymous said...

Hi all,

In my view there is only one way to deal with these vermin. Since they came into blogosphere, my blog has more or less fizzled out.Its not worth blogging any more because everyone is reading them.

Most of the time when they write it is pure sensationalism with very little intellectual content. I personally find Mr Brown and Mr Miyagi has more substance that those 16 year olds.

Like I said, the only way is to name and shame them. A few years ago a photo was accidentally posted by one of them in a forum called icered.com.It was downloaded by a few forummers, I have a company, it is about 3 years old.

It depicts a group of mountain cyclist abt 40 or 50 of them in Bukit timah nature reserve.

There is a man in the middle, the one with the demonic good looks and arrogant stance, I think that could be their leader.

I think with the kind permission of Mr Wang I will post it here for all of us to see and shame them once and for all.

We all have to fight the brotherhood, they are vermin. Wherever they go, they just build up their own readership.You notice they never ever talk to us. Then they gut out everything and just sell it. There is no heart, no soul and definitely no passion to the true spirit of blogging. It is just money at the end of the day.

If we dont stop them soon everyone will be only reading them. They you tell me where will we be? This is not a matter of who can write better or who is right etc. It is a matter of survival.

Anonymous said...

Wow, a lot can happen in 24 hrs !

Mummy_eunuch gets my vote for most interesting comment.

Didn't care one bit for her (his? 'other'?) dig at S'pore men.

The 'today's fringe may be tomorrow's salvation' line was a bit cliched, maybe itself derived from the fringes of romanticism.

The closet dig at the readership was below the belt but was balanced by less-than-reverence towards the Brotherhood notwithstanding its attempts at intimidation tactics.

It's the style and references I liked, so help me.

Wang, thanks for the lesson in freedom of speech.

Whether or not we thought they spammed or just posted their say, this was a chance to make up our own minds. Whatever we or they thought they were saying, there were enough indications as to what they're really about.

Anonymous said...

"Like I said, the only way is to name and shame them."

Thanks Mr Wang I have seen your blend of freedom of speech and democracy.

Anonymous said...

"I think with the kind permission of Mr Wang I will post it here for all of us to see and shame them once and for all."

Oh I dont think he really minds, ppl who allow fires to burn never ever, so why dont you just run it in for those chaps

Gilbert Koh aka Mr Wang said...

LOL, don't get dramatic.

They're probably a harmless bunch of young pranksters. A little annoying, yeah, but no big deal.

I would still encourage people to visit the Intelligent Singaporean

http://intelligentsingaporean.wordpress.com

It was a good aggregator, and it still is. You can use it to find your way to the latest interesting posts in the blogosphere.

You can always ignore the Brotherhood stuff on IS, if it doesn't appeal to you.

If you ask me, the Brotherhood is either this bunch of ex-ACS kids:

http://the-brotherhood.blogdrive.com/

... or they're diehard fans of this obscure horror movie, about gay vampires:

http://www.obscurehorror.com/thebrotherhood1.html

Haha.

I gotta go, I have exams. AND work.

Jackson Tan said...

I've always thought that only I am not comprehending what the Brotherhood posts were talking about. Now I know that I am not alone in this. I have no idea why... their posts feel quite confusing to me. Perhaps I'm not smart enough to understand them, or I did not spend enough time analysing them. And I don't really like their secrecy; I prefer transparency in discussion.

However, since inspir3d kept them there, I suppose they must be generating a reasonable amount of readership, so perhaps their posts appeal to other people.

Having them there is no harm, since I can easily just skip them and just browse the aggregator, but I wonder if it would be better for IS to have them in a separate section (but maybe link them back via the aggregator) or shift them to another blog. It will keep things neater this way.

Oh, and good luck for your exams, Mr Wang!

Anonymous said...

Aiyah, there'll always be a lot of people saying a lot of things.

Sometimes, maybe you'll interject.

Sometimes, well, no.

At times—and you need not follow my tragic comedy view of life—just to be alive is good enough.

Which makes me coherently inconsistent. But as with getting piss drunk by the laneways and getting totally embarrassed; yes, I can live with that.

Just find what you love.

*kh recoils at the idea of exams. but that's just him being unbearably bad at it.*

Anonymous said...

Friends are like traffic lights.

Depending on where you're going, the route you're taking and the speed you're travelling at, sometimes you meet them and sometimes you don't.

Agagooga said...

Guys, it's time to stop feeding the monkeys.

Anonymous said...

"Brain to B4ckPassage, Brain to B4ckPassage, are you receiving me? Over."

"Receiving load and clear, Brain"

"Well then, what the hell do you think you're playing at? Can't you tell

I used to be one of darkness boy readers is not consistent with Also I am a single mother.???

"Oops, sorry, it was scarymonkey's fault. Tried too hard for the bathos and sympathy vote."

"Well don't let it happen again, y'hear? The LunHood is not best pleased. Now hop to it and poop 1 - Target: Wang's Blog, Spread: 360 degrees."
.
.
.
"Brain to B4ckPassage, Brain to B4ckPassage, what IS the problem now? Over."

" ...*cough*...aiyah, sphincter in spasm, sphincter in spasm, emitting only noxious fumes...*cough*...Ducky working on it...*gasp*"

"Doh! Why is it so hard to get good help these days? Is he that arrogant dolt with the saturnine good looks? Inform him that bloody bicycle will NEVER fit through there! Now."

"Er, sho shorry, Brain. What should we do with the wheelchair and 6-axis motion bed?"

"Are you trying to wind me up B4ckPassage? Don't play-play or I'll send down the Ise Sisters to sort you nincom-poops out, got that? Now launch Halfloon on a collision course with Yawning Bread this instant! And MIRV MollyMeek while you're at it."

"Cannot. He's networking at his ACS OBA because Tharman will be guest speaker. And 1ns3p1d is at ballet class having a new tutu fitted - you know these Ars Artia Artis types."

"Oh, Gawd grant me strength! Like that how to take over the blog world?"

visceral said...

not many are willing to make the distinction between bait and content.

simplesandra said...

Speaking of the worst of times, it surely is the worst of TIME: Ho Ching's just been picked for TIME's 100 most influential people.

BUILDERS & TITANS: HO CHING

Jim Rogers, an investor, has this to say about her: "Ho's critics like to focus on Temasek's troubled $3.8 billion purchase of Shin Corp. from former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. But as one of my mentors instructed me, if you do not make mistakes, you are not trying and will never succeed. Both Japan and South Korea have just announced that they too are considering "Temasek-like entities." Expect even more countries to discover that the road to the future runs through Singapore."

Yes, right, an honest mistake that cost $3.8 billion - and Ho Ching didn't even say sorry for it...

Good grief, what hogwash! Think it's time I unsubscribe from the magazine. :-(

Anonymous said...

However, after the General Elections were over, readership numbers did not fall to the pre-May 2006 levels

You are talking about your own blog, of course, and you have to realise that your blog is in a minority. For one, your blog is a "sticking point". My mother still visits Yahoo for everything, and I imagine your blog works in the same way.

That doesn't mean other blogs are being read, so your blog's visiting figures can't prove anything about the health of the blogosphere.

I doubt readers have the same patience to stick around (other blogs) once these big issues are over. I used to believe, and I still believe that people just treat blogs as a kind of a comfort shag. And I think there are many other reasons to lose your patience with blogging about Singapore; just ask anyone in the long list of people who quit in the last several months.

Anonymous said...

"For one, your blog is a "sticking point". My mother still visits Yahoo for everything, and I imagine your blog works in the same way."

Why then do I get the sinking feeling, all the moderates and thinkers have left this site?

You played into the devils hand.

Anonymous said...

oh nevermind; write also no-understand. i'll stick to vegemite over kaya then.

it's a stronger taste.

Anonymous said...

http://www.yourfilehost.com/
media.php?cat=other&
file=saf_gay_recruits.flv

Anonymous said...

My kids are half-Singaporean and there might be a chance that all of us has to go back to Singapore if their father says so.

I read your blog on a daily basis so that I know what's going on in Singapore and prepare myself should we really go back. Your blog is easier to comprehend than other 'Singapore' blogs. I don't have time to chew over bombastic words or ways of writing. Ha!

Anyway, well done and good luck on your exam!

Cheers, mate!

Anonymous said...

Mr Wang,

I can only post anon from now onwards Mr Wang. I used to frequent and post here quite regularly. But lately after reading all this gay bashing, name and shame thing etc.

I have been doing alot of thinking and I just dont want to be associated with you any longer.

I just dont think you are a good role model. I am young only in my twenties, so my formative years are very important. So I dont think I will even take your suggestion what I should read or shouldn't. read whatever I want. And if I read or dont, it has even less to do with what you think is good or bad.

I am still young. I will have to take responsibility for my own development. If I get it wrong. It will take me years to recover or never at all.

I still visit here but post only as an Anon.

Anonymous said...

I cannot wait for our dose of incompetent government; then we can see who has been incompetent.

We are fond of comparing Singapore with other countries - usually to their detriment. Yet people there are free and care free.

You need only leave our borders to feel a lightness in the air.

We feel like we are tied to a yoke and cannot do anything unless expressly permitted to do so.

Anonymous said...

Anon person above said:
"I cannot wait for our dose of incompetent government; then we can see who has been incompetent."

You don't have to wait. You are having it right now. Incompetent and overpaid. How's that for a rip-off?

Anonymous said...

Hi Mr Wang, is it possible for you to research and write about the rise of teenage violences in the past few years and its possible causes though i seldom see you talk about such social issues? It is very scary to read daily news about this fight here
, this murder there. Even this past week one teenage boy i think was knified to death by a gang of teeange boys and girls at hougang Ave 1 not sure if it make into the news or not heard from my father today.

Ling said...

To Anon 12:33 PM

"I have been doing alot of thinking and I just dont want to be associated with you any longer."

Just wondering, since you're posting anonymously now, does Mr Wang even know who you are? Also, does he even know that you have been "associated" with him all this while? *scratch head*

"I just dont think you are a good role model. I am young only in my twenties, so my formative years are very important. So I dont think I will even take your suggestion what I should read or shouldn't. read whatever I want. And if I read or dont, it has even less to do with what you think is good or bad. "

Actually our formative years are much earlier than that, but of course, someone in his/her 20s may still have a chance of changing his mindset compared to someone older.

Hmm, since you don't think Mr Wang is a good role model, why do you want to "still visit here but post only as an Anon"?

Btw, hope you won't take offence. I'm just trying to make sense of what you wrote.

Curious Ling

young-pap said...

"do go visit other blogs too"

Now, that's a most sensible thing to say. I suggest you people heed Mr. Wang's advice and come visit my blog. People like me who openly put up our photos and badges are more credible than any of you who are anonymous. lol!

Anonymous said...

We are drawn to edges, to our own parapets and sea-walls: finding our lives in relief, in some forked road that leads no where.

A storm is brewing in the distance my brother, badged with salt, blood and sinew, have you forgotten our code or how to even hear the voice that speaks of emptying nights? I wonder.

Thinking how much more we wanted when what we had was all there was; the frienship of the brotherhood.

looking too late to the ones we care for and call our loved ones, we stretch out our feebled, crooked hands as we fall, and in the abyss that only the angel of death knows. I am here to take your in my arms brother and take your home.

Trust me you don't want to do all these things to us, name and shame? That is not you.

I came here tonight to bring you home my brother.

I darkness did all this just for you. And tomorrow will bring with it a thousand arrows - but yet I care not for the sake of one for all and all for one for we are trully one. You and me and the brotherhood.

Darkness 2007

Anonymous said...

The Blue Screen of Darkness quickly descended
To rally the troops he'd intended
But to his surprise
Soppy prose cut no ice
And the Brotherhood?
Shamefaced, they melted away.



Mummy 2007

Anonymous said...

Aiyo!If someone spoke to me like that. I've be blushing for a whole week ;)

What's it that is so important about the pic?

Can or cannot c?

Gilbert Koh aka Mr Wang said...

Oh, in my opinion, this entire matter about some mysterious picture is just pure fiction that the Brotherhood is relating to itself.

Anyway, the Nonsense Quotient in this comment section has gone too high, so I'm closing it off for further comments.