The Online Citizen is to be gazetted

The Online Citizen (TOC) is targeted to be gazetted by the government.

Other sources:
TOC response
The Online Citizen to be listed as political association (straitstimes.com)
Blog told to register as political group (straitstimes.com)
The Online Citizen portal to be gazetted as political association (channelnewsasia.com)
Singapore moves to curb popular news website (reuters.com)

Here's my view on all these.

The gazetting will make it compulsory for TOC to disclose the source of their funding. In particular, there should not be any foreign funding. Transparency on financing is good, regardless of whether there's gazetting or not. This applies to all companies.

The gazetting doesn't affect TOC's activities. TOC can continue with their reporting. There really isn't any negative side to gazetting.

I find it funny that the Registry of Political Donations want TOC to name the president, treasurer and secretary. Why funny? Most of these political website are started by individuals who don't give themselves those titles. I figure TOC will have a difficult time filling up whatever forms they need to fill.

The challenges for TOC includes the following:

1. Since the PM has sent the letter to gazette TOC, the readership has increased tremendously. TOC must make sure that their reporting, their opinions are of quality - in other words based on facts. Many oppositions (not that I'm saying TOC is an opposition) think that laws don't apply to them and that's why they always get into trouble with the law.

2. Try to get readers to post more constructive comments. Currently, most of the comments are just complaints sprouted out mindlessly, based not on facts but whatever fancies the reader. Negativity has breeds easily.

Internet not an effective self-regulated regime, says MICA

Source article: Internet not an effective self-regulated regime, says MICA

It's always amusing to see someone without much knowledge of a certain field speak as if they know enough.

This time, the Singapore online target list is Senior Minister of State for Information, Communications and the Arts, Lui Tuck Yew.

Let me provide my views for some of the comments made by Lui.

First, the Internet is never meant to be a self regulating environment. It's a place where people speak their mind freely, with the focus on the word freely. It's as authentic as it can be. It's the only place where people can be who they really are. The truth is ugly, but it's only on the Internet where you can get the truth. Many people don't speak what they truly feel offline because they are afraid of consequences. The problem here is not so much of what people say, it depends on whether one is able to listen and handle the truth.

Heard of the famous movie quote, "You want the truth you can't handle the truth" from A Few Good Men. That's as real as it gets. Imagine if your friend has body odor, would you be brave enough to tell him/her? How about sending an anonymous email?

Being able to tell the truth is the most valuable attribute any person can have.

Many people in real life are in fact borderline hypocrites. By borderline, I mean those who say one thing online but can't say the same thing offline. If you don't say it, you're on the borderline. But if you say the opposite, you're a hypocrite - you can't say what you think.

Do I follow what I preach?

I always ask myself if I can repeat what I say online in the real world before posting comments.

But always ask first if the person is able to handle the truth, because most people can't.

Other links:
- Singapore Govt says: Internet very unruly and unkind, not self-regulated enough
- Behind Today's Lui story