ABS-CBN News: Even poll bets use Friendster for campaigns
Kabataan partylist was featured in this article….
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=69685
BY MA. ALETA O. NIEVA
abs-cbsNEWS.com
The Internet has made it possible for millions of Filipinos to stay connected online with loved ones working or living abroad, former classmates and friends and even meet thousands more that may be impossible to accomplish in a lifetime.
Professionals in different fields of expertise; students, overseas Filipinos, out-of-school youths, parents, ordinary folks and even groups or organizations are drawn into a social network fad called Friendster.
Friendster is a San Francisco-based social network service created by Jonathan Abrams in 2002.
The network allows its registered user to search for old and new friends and communicate with them interactively.
“It helps us fulfill that promise we made to relatives or to friends on graduation day - that no matter how busy we get, we would still find time to get in touch with them,” said Jessamine Yamzon, a mother to a four month old son and is now living in Atsugi, Japan.
She and her husband Dwight, a member of the US Navy are both Friendster members since their college days at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines. They regularly update their accounts to allow their former college friends to know the latest about them.
“I upload pictures of our firstborn son and his videos too and share it with our friends back home and relatives in the states. Friendster lets us share our most important moments with friends,” she said.
Yamzon said that making overseas calls are just too expensive and sending letters and pictures through the mailing system is not as efficient as before as it may take several days to weeks or even a month before the recipient receives it.
She also recounted an incident when a friend — who had not been in touch with three younger half sisters when their father passed away several years ago - had found them at Friendster. That same friend also told her that she was able to find and get in touch with a former elementary school buddy who now works in Dubai.
A Reuters report said that Friendster has more than 37 million registered users in about 75 countries. Its top markets are located in Southeast Asia ranking the Philippines as its number one user followed by Malaysia and Indonesia. The US and Singapore ranked as fourth and fifth respectively.
The report also cited a result of research firm cOMScore Networks Inc. that showed Friendster had 19.4 million active global users in January from its recent low of 13.6 in March last year.
Find connect and stay in touch
Friendster is a virtual avenue to search for long lost friends, classmates, or even old flames. It is also a way to meet new friends to let your network grow and stay in touch with them by sharing messages, pictures or videos or posting blogs.
Jing, a fulltime housewife wrote in her profile that she wants to meet people who share the same fascination she has and “those who can carry the most interesting conversations yet can afford to be stupid at times just to have the heartiest laughs.”
She also made a Friendster account for her four year old daughter which allows her to share with her friends and relatives those special moments with her child.
Being a member, one must be over 16 years of age. However, there is no way to check whether the user is over that age requirement.
‘Cybercampaign’
Friendster is not only a hit with the young and old. It has also become a powerful tool of information dissemination to several groups and organizations.
Several groups has tapped the Internet particularly Friendster as its campaign tool to spread their platform of government with the coming Midterm polls.
Such is the case of the Kabataan Party-list group, a new party-list seeking a seat in Congress in the May 14 elections.
“Candidates should not discount the power of Internet. Online campaigning can actually complement traditional election tactics. This may not decisively influence the outcome of elections today but it can be an effective tool for campaigning,” Kabataan Party-list president and first nominee Raymond Palatino said in a statement.
Palatino said that a survey made by AC Nielsen showed that there were 7.5 million Internet users in the Philippines in 2005 and last year’s estimate was about 9 million.
“Online campaigning is easy, affordable, cool, interactive and safe. Online campaigning is a necessity for candidates with little resources like us,” Palatino said.
He added: “For a youth party-list group like Kabataan, this is one of the effective means to reach out to young voters and tap the educated segment of our population who reside in vote-rich areas. These people are highly respected in their communities who can influence the opinion of others.”
Unlike television advertisements which are expensive, Palatino said that the Internet provides candidates affordable and even free opportunities to make a comprehensive, creative and entertaining presentation of a candidate’s election agenda.
“It is more educational and interactive since Internet users can immediately send feedback to the candidate,” he said.
Another senatorial candidate running as an independent is also using a Friendster account to disseminate information about his campaign.
Former Navy Lt. Senior Grade Antonio Trillanes’s Friendster site had been created by his friends in December 2006.
His network has already 1000 friends from all walks of life expressing their support to the detained former navy officer facing charges for his alleged involvement in the Oakwood Mutiny three years ago.
Trillanes’s account contains his blogs on the “Corruption in the Philippine Navy Procurement System,” “Corruption in the Philippine Navy,” “My Proposed Legislative Program,” and “The Greenbase Expose.”
Other senatorial bets who has Friendster accounts either created by themselves or by their supporters included Team Unity bets former presidential chief of staff Michael Defensor; Vicente Sotto III; and Genuine Opposition candidates Benigno Aquino III, Francis Escudero, Loren Legarda; Panfilo Lacson; Sonia Roco; and independent candidates Francis Pangilinan and Gregorio Honasan to name a few.
“Cyber Entrepreneurs”
Being a member of Friendster and any other similar social networks allows one the opportunity to be able
to market one’s products inline to one’s circle of friends for free..
Resourceful entrepreneurs offer their products online where the possibility of meeting potential clients is big.
Internet users must always be reminded of the great responsibility that comes with this powerful tool.
Unfortunately, there are those who make use of the network as a tool to destroy reputation or to hit back at certain individuals.
False profiles have been proliferating not just in Friendster but also in other similar social network
services.
One such example is the seven profiles in Friendster created under the name of Hope Centeno, the controversial clinic attendant who alleged that she had an affair with basketball star James Yap, husband of popular actress and TV host Kris Aquino.
As there is no limit to the number of accounts one can create with different networks, there is also no guarantee that would protect an individual or an organization from hackers.