Why I Blog

Earlier today, WMW and I had a really engaging discussion over pots of fragrant 大红袍 tea at Tian Fu Teahouse, atop UOB Plaza 1.  It had been a while since we sat down with each other to catch up; the last time being over dinner at a restaurant along University Avenue in Palo Alto in the earlier parts of 2008.  Banal geek talk and patriotic prognostications aside, WMW gently made the observation that I’d been somewhat of a ‘lightning rod’ with my recent entries on a bunch of sensitive topics that could possibly ruffle the feathers of the establishment and place my position as a government scholar at risk.

While WMW was certainly not dissuading me from continuing to share the ‘obvious’, the same could not be said of my significant other, who never failed to give an earful whenever she felt I was out of line.  All my efforts at pointing out (1) my love for Singapore, (2) (coming from the middle-class) my appreciation for the scholarship and the top-class education that I wouldn’t have gotten otherwise, (3) how forgiving our government has proven itself to be, (4) that I’m not anti-establishment and (5) how I do my best to write constructively and (6) avoid emotionally-charged language and slander falls squarely on her deaf ears as she pokes and prods at my weak spots in her best attempts at keeping me safe.  God I love her for doing that so well . 

Thanks MWM for sharing the link to the very relevant excerpt from David Deida‘s fantastic book titled “Way of the Superior Man“!

Having picked up a thing or two about CYA (ala Covering Your Ass for the acronymically inept), I thought I’d play it safe by polling people to ask if they found those blog entries offensive in any way.  Interestingly, the majority who found my entries acceptable were Gen-Ys (even though most don’t and probably wouldn’t write about sensitive topics), while the majority of those who disagreed with my choice of topics were firmly in the Gen-X category – older, way more risk averse and wary of appearing to be anti-establishment in any way.  Food for thought worthy of a separate post for another day, but I digress.

In view of the above, I thought I’d set the record straight and share what drives me to blog, in descending order of importance:

1. I want to do my bit in improving Singapore and hopefully change the world: for e.g., elevate the level of entrepreneurship and venture capital in Singapore, and think out loud and constructively on public policy issues for the betterment of my homeland Singapore.
2. I love to write: it helps me to slow down by capturing and crystallizing my thoughts into sentences.  At times, I have the tendency to think faster than I talk.  Writing is my self-prescribed therapy.
3. I am a geek: anything techy and cutting edge sends shivers down my spine.
4. I am bored and whimsical: anything else goes after points 1 through 3.

As you can see, traffic only really started picking up Q2 2009.  Nobody really gives two hoots about my musings on technology, venture capital & entrepreneurship, travel, photography and everything else in between anyway.  So there, I’ve done it.  I’ve hopefully done a good enough job of covering my big fat ass.

Chance?  I hope I never draw the card that says “Go To Jail, Do Not Collect $200″.  Wait a sec, make that a S$200.

Related posts:

1. s/pores: “Once Bonded”
2. Future, Now
3. The Missing “Think” in our Tank
4. Geek Terminal a victim of the times?
5. M&Ms are for Mentors and Me

Tagged as: censorship, CYA, government