9/03/2006

like a virgin, george yeo in cyberspace

George Yeo is like a virgin taking her first tentative walk in the ghettos. And he chose to be in one that he is more familiar with, and feel a little safer. Can't blame him, knowing how treacherous cyberspace can be with many demons and devils of all stripes and hues lurking in the dark corners waiting to pounce on him. Nonetheless it is a very brave move and most appreciated by netizens. If all goes well, if he is not mugged, and when he spread the words among his other virgin peers, cyberspace may see more luminaries appearing for a chat. What is important now is for him to feel safe. And netizens should encourage him to visit more frequently by responding positively to his brave gesture. The nature and credibility of cyberspace depend on the netizens themselves not to engage in vicious attack on other netizens regardless of their background. It will help the growth of cyberspace community and improve communication between people and those who will influence their lives with their decisions. Cyberspace welcomes George Yeo as a netizen. PS: Though I have no specific rules in this forum, I reserve the right to delete posts that attack another forumer personally.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

These are merely PR exercises to show the world that they are "connected" to the masses and in so doing, are approachable.

This is the first step to dominating cyberspace. In truth, they are really afraid of losing this "cyberwar" knowing the consequences.

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

engaging the people in cyberspace will eventually become a necessity when writing to press and waiting to be heard is a thing of the past.

definitely more real than going to disco. the bones will creak. have you seen squares masquerading as cool?

Anonymous said...

They can't dominate the cyberspace. They can compete for mindshare but they will never be able to convince everyone. So maybe we shouldn't be too alarmist.

And if it is indeed a PR exercise, we can always tell. Singapore netizens are far more discerning than the average Singaporean. And why shouldn't the government be allowed to even attempt PR-ing online? Is it because it is indeed so morally reprehensible or because you dislike them? I'm not sure the latter is such a good reason.

More importantly, if they venture into cyberspace, it means there is the chance, however slight, that we can begin to engage them with greater openness. It is a double-edged sword.

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

hi joey,

welcome to the blog.

i share your view. cyberspace is just too big and free to be dominated by anyone. and it is a good thing for the govt to be in cyberspace talking to everyone.

with cyberspace levelling the playing field, it can be a humbling experience for those who hide behind position power and adopt the talk down approach. cyberspace is about logic and reasons. not so much about power and authority.

anyone coming into cyberspace must accept the fact that everyone is equal. and any respect is given by others and has to be earned.

there are a lot of minds to be won over, by reasons and sincerity.

Anonymous said...

Hey, thanks for the welcome.

You are making a very good point when you say that the blogosphere is a level ground. That's perhaps the biggest reason why they won't be able to steamroll us all. In fact, the govt may even have to work harder to get the same level of respect because of the natural disposition of netizens to be skeptical of them.

I'm glad that there are bloggers (such as yourself) who are actually able to look at things (in this instance, GY blogging) in a reasoned and logical way.

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

hi joey,

the cyberspace is quite a new phenomenom and needs to establish itself as a voice of reason. netizens and govt could use this as a platform to engage in sensible chat without being too formal. any exchanges of view will help towards better understanding of issues and the different viewpoints.

you are also welcome to post at my forum, www.redbeanforum.com.

have a good weekend.