[Blogosphere] Guest Phone-In at MGG

A week before my post on The Importance of Coming Out, I agreed to participate in the first-ever phone-in Fabcast over at Manila Gay Guy. It really just consisted of me asking a question via a cellular phone call but it seemed like a fun activity and of course a way to get other opinions on relevant issues.



Given it's Pride Month, naturally my question was whether or not the Fabcasters felt it was still important to come out. Not just to yourself mind you, but to other people out there whether they're co-workers, family or friends. And given I had already asked the question, I eventually got around to posting last Sunday's Technicolor Musings post with my thoughts on the matter.

The Fabcast discussion was pretty interesting and I'm inviting everyone to listen and share your opinions. Given the quality of the call, you actually can't quite recognize my voice (at least for those who know what I sound like). But no worries, it was still fun to participate.

Maybe I should try participating in a full Fabcast in person sometimes. We'll see, haha - I have no idea if the Fabcasters would be open to that sort of thing.

For the full podcast, you can stream it or download a copy of it here:
http://manilagayguy.net/2011/06/20/the-qa-fabcast-rocky-the-blogger-on-coming-out/

An alternate link can also be found on McVie's blog here:
http://mcvie5.blogspot.com/2011/06/q-fabcast-part-2.html

[GeekyCast] Random Bits

This is far from my most structured GeekyCast ever, but at least I'm feeling better so that's what's more important. I touch on a variety of random items - mainly advertisements of sorts of various events, and the fact that Migs took the time to quote me today over on Manila Gay Guy, haha.

Thanks, Migs!

I'll be going to work again tonight but I'll do my best to keep these GeekyCasts regular. Take care of yourselves now - the flu season has barely begun.

Download this episode (10 min)

[Geeky Guide] Manila Gay Guy Entry

Today The Geeky Guide to Nearly Everything was somewhat mentioned in Manila Gay Guy because of my on-going reviews done for Pinoy Gay Blogs. Coolness!

Thanks for the citation, Migs! I appreciate it über much. I'm just glad that PGB has achieved so much in so short a time, it's pretty staggering. Plus I've gotten to meet a lot of new friends in the local blogosphere like Misterhubs, Ruff and Q the Conqueror. Here's to more friends in the queer blogosphere!

If you're interested in having a blog featured on PGB, feel free to drop me a line or you can contact Migs and he can let me know. It's not a guarantee but it'll certainly help bring your blog to our attention - the list is getting pretty big and it's getting harder and harder to choose! Hahaha!

Cheers Everyone!

[Web] Working with Pinoy Gay Blogs

Now that was a quick turn of events.

After writing an entry about my issues with the requirements for the Pinoy Gay Blogs List, I left a comment on the site summarizing my concerns and left things at that. I wasn't expecting for Migs, who manages the site along with the ever popular Manila Gay Guy blog, to get in touch with me directly via email.

He clarified that adding MGG to your blogroll won't be taken as an absolute requirement, although he did acknowledge the benefit to his search engine ranking because of the move. He stated its being taken more as a request rather than a requirement and simply commenting on the instructions entry over on Pinoy Gay Blogs should more or less suffice.

Then the conversation turned to the possibility of me writing reviews of various gay blogs on the site as a sort of weekly feature. I warned him I tend to lean on the candid side of things so any reviews / features I'd write might not sit well with everyone. Then again, it'll help generate traffic for the featured blog and for myself as well since we agreed that all entries I'd write for Pinoy Gay Blogs would be cross-posted here on the Geeky Guide.

Strange times.

For the most part, I've said yes and I'll probably start checking out the various blogs now part of the growing list over on Pinoy Gay Blogs so expect new reviews for those sites in the future. I'm not sure if Migs will be able to use all my reviews since I intend to discuss them for good or for ill at least here on the Geeky Guide, it remains interesting to see how things go.

[Web] Pinoy Gay Blogs List Hypocrisy

So I was checking out my feeds on Google Reader and came across this Manila Gay Guy entry about a supposed Pinoy Gay Blogs List with the claim that this list will help "...form and encourage a gay blogging community that helps improve the positive presence of gays in the blogosphere..." When I first read about it, this seemed like a great idea. I'm all for supporting the LGBT community and I've been known to cover queer issues on this blog - to some extent the Geeky Guide is a gay blog after all.

But then I read the terms for getting on the list:

At first glance things seem innocent enough, right? It does make sense that you'd need to discuss the list to help promote it. But then the second part of item one got to me - about the need to add the list's "sponsor."

This geek wasn't born yesterday - this requirement changes the purpose of the entire list from genuinely trying to foster a community to instead just trying to increase the SEO value of MGG. With all member blogs listing MGG as part of their blogrolls, then that means more links pointing to that blog alone, thus increasing the likelihood the blog will come up high on search engine results. That just seems wrong - the list is really about being opportunistic instead of fostering a community!

Until the site changes the parameters for getting onto the list, I urge all of not you to jump the gun in terms of joining the list just yet. A Philippine gay blogging circle is a great idea, but it would truly have to benefit everyone in the same way webrings link to other members of the ring so everyone has a chance at increased readership. Instead, this method supports MGG solely and theoretically it might help some of the blogs who join the list, but only through the solitary link provided by the actual list blog itself.

Despite this warning, I'm sure people are going to join the list in droves like another internet meme. Don't say I didn't warn you.