Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Friendster to delete users’ content by May 31
Attention, Friendster users: You have until May 31 to save your account contents including photos, testimonials, and blogs —or else you’ll lose them in the social network’s upcoming major reformat.
Friendster, a pioneer social networking site launched in 2002, issued the warning as it prepares a “new and improved version” in the coming weeks.
“Your Friendster account will not be deleted. You will still have the same email login and password in the new Friendster. Also, your list of friends will be preserved, along with your basic profile information. However, all the photos, messages, comments, testimonials, shoutouts, blogs, forums and groups that you may have now will no longer be part of your account by May 31, 2011,” it said in its help forum.
To be preserved are the user’s list of friends, along with basic profile information, wallet, and games.
But to help the user save his or her account content, Friendster offered an application to help download or export photos and blogs securely to third party sites, such as Flickr or Multiply.
Dubbed the Friendster Exporter, the app will be rolled out gradually and is now available for users in Singapore.
Users in the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia can expect the app to be available in a few days after April 14, it added.
It said that the app will be available to all Friendster users before the end of April 2011.
Relaunching Friendster
Friendster was acquired in December 2009 by MOL Global, the parent company of Asia’s leading online payment solutions provider MOL AccessPortal Berhad.
Friendster said that it and MOL have been combined to create Asia’s largest end-to-end content, distribution and commerce network, pairing MOL’s offline retail channel partners and payment platform with Friendster’s large online footprint, social network and user community in Asia.
But MOL CEO Ganesh Bangah explained that the new Friendster aims not to compete with, but instead to complement, Facebook.
Complementing Facebook
He noted that, while Facebook is a site where people can communicate with and find out what their real-life friends are doing, Friendster will be the place where people can meet new friends and play games and enjoy music with them. The pioneering social network will continue to innovate and be at the forefront of the social networking scene, he said in an article on ZDNet Asia.
Friendster said that its “new and improved” version will be focused on entertainment and fun, and will have new features to better enable users to connect with friends or engage new friends with similar interests.
“Our improved site is designed to create new profiles that allow you to connect differently with people and do things differently than other networking sites. Basically, the new site will complement your existing online presence in other social networking sites,” the company said.
Popular in Asia
A July 15, 2010 article in the Global Post said that, while Friendster lost users in the United States to MySpace and Facebook in the mid-2000s, the social network exploded in the Philippines, where nearly half of its userbase is located.
It said that Friendster later spread to Malaysia and Indonesia.
Now, roughly 80 percent of Friendster’s 116 million users live in Southeast Asia, the report said. — TJD, GMA News
Sunday, April 17, 2011
TAAL ERUPTION LOOMS
IF the trend of Taal Volcano’s restiveness continues, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology may raise the alert level to three, an indication that an eruption is looming.
As of yesterday, at least 20 volcanic quakes were detected during the 24-hour period compared to the 16 quakes on Friday. This indicates that magma is still rising to the surface.
More gas emissions have also been detected from the volcano and water in the crater is heating up, Phivolcs said.
On Friday, a large increase of carbon dioxide concentration was detected apart from registering 16 volcanic quakes in the same 24-hour monitoring.
People were advised not to venture into the danger zone.
Phivolcs said that gas measurements at Taal’s main crater lake showed a large increase in carbon dioxide in March with 4,670 tons per day compared to the 2,250 and 1,875 tons a day in the January and February emission.
Aside from the gas emission, state volcanologists also noted an increase in water temperature from 29.8 to 30.1 degrees Celsius.
“If this trend continues, we may have to raise the alert level again,” said Paul Alanis of Phivolcs.
People were warned not to approach Taal’s crater or parts of its slopes where gas could still vent out.
Phivolcs on April 9 raised the second of a five-step alert around Taal Volcano, a popular tourist attraction, after detecting signs that magma was rising to the top of the volcano.
Despite government pleas for people to leave the 2,500-hectare (6,178-acre) crater island, only 163 of the estimated 7,000 people living there have evacuated, the civil defense agency said in a statement.
Taal is one of the most unstable of the country’s active volcanoes with 33 recorded eruptions, the last one in 1977.
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Hay! Men! Ang blog ng mga tunay na lalake!: Ang Boteng Ito: Tunay Na Lalake
Hay! Men! Ang blog ng mga tunay na lalake!: Ang Boteng Ito: Tunay Na Lalake: "Malamang ay umiinom o may sinisibak ang QC sa gawaan ng bote nu'ng nailabas ito. Nainom sa bahay ng Tunay Na Lalakeng si Ian Madrigal"
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Willie Revillame to take leave from show
The primetime variety show “Willing Willie” will be off the air for two weeks starting this Monday, April 11, after its host Willie Revillame announced that he has decided to take a leave from the program.
In his live message aired on Friday, April 8 episode of “Willing Willie,” the controversial host said he will study his options whether to continue or halt his career as a TV host during the two week hiatus. Today, TV5 will air a taped episode of the show.
“Magpapahinga lang po muna ako. Hindi po ako nagpapaalam. Starting today, ang live namin, bukas po naka-tape na kami. Lalabas po yun, mapapanood n'yo po yun. Starting Monday po, hanggang next week, hanggang Holy Week, pag-iisipan ko po muna nang mabuti kung ako po ay magbabalik pa sa industriyang ito. Bigyan nyo na lang po muna ako ng pagkakataon at sa sarili ko pag-iisipan ko po ito,” Willie said.
He added, “Maraming nagbintang sa akin nang wala po akong ginagawang masama. Sa mga taong gumawa nyan sa akin, ang isipin nyo yung mga taong matatanda sa labas. Mga bata. Yung mga mahihirap. Wag ako. Wag ako. Instrumento lang ako ng mga taong ito. Wag ninyo akong kainggitan. Dahil ako ay di lumalabas kahit saang lugar. Lagi lang akong andito sa studio at sa tahanan ko. Dahil di ako nakikipagpaligsahan sa inyo. Kung kayo ang magaling, magaling kayo. Basta ang puso ko lang, andito sa mga mahihirap.”
Willie's announcement came after Cebuana Lhuiller and CDO pulled out its advertisements on the show, while Unilever cancelled its ads on all live game shows on all networks temporarily. The withdrawal of support was prompted by the March 12 episode of “Willing Willie,” where six-year-old contestant Jan-Jan Suan danced to an apparently sexual routine. Mang Inasal, Del Monte, and Procter and Gamble already suspended advertising on the show earlier this week.
No suspension
However, his decision to take a leave does not mean “Willing Willie” was suspended by the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board.
“Wala pong suspension ang MTRCB. Wag kayong magalit sa MTRCB. Nagpalit po sila ng tatlong board. Bakit? Lahat po ng mga yun, involved sa ABS-CBN. Yung isang abogado, asawa nya sa ABS. Yung isa po, asawa rin nya sa ABS. Si Miss Leah Navarro, biruin nyo, hinusgahan na ako sa tweet, tapos isa sya sa mga board. May husga ka na sa akin, tapos kasama ka sa board?”
The three “board members” are the adjudication committee members who inhibited themselves from the probing of the show. The members, MTRCB chairperson Mary Grace Poe-Llamanzares refused to name, will be replaced by a lawyer, a teacher, and an independent film director.
According to Willie, the show would have been suspended. “Pero ano nangyari? Naputol. Pinakita po namin yung mga nagsasayaw sa 'Going Bulilit' na nakabra lang. Pinakita namin yung mga apat na lalaki na naka-lampin sa 'Showtime' na sumasayaw din na katulad nung kay Jan-Jan,” Willie said. 'Going Bulilit' is a kiddie gag show and 'Showtime' is a reality talent show, both on ABS-CBN.
He added, “Tandaan nyo po ito. Di ako titigil sa adhikaing ito. Maaaring ito ay eye-opener sa atin. Dapat tulungan natin ang mga bata sa kalye. DSWD (Department of Social Welfare and Development), kunin nyo lahat yan. Bigyan nyo ng magandang buhay. (Commission on) Human Rights, di ba, chairman, tinitira nyo ako, hinusgahan nyo ako, ang daming namamatay na OFWs, yun ang tulungan natin. Yun ang tulungan nating mga kababayan sa ibang bansa. Magsama-sama tayo. Wag nyo akong dikdikin. Di ako masamang tao. Ang hangan ko lang ay magpasaya at makatulong sa mga mahihirap.”
Without sponsors
Willie admitted that some of the sponsors' withdrawal were hurtful and “masyadong personal.” However, he singled out Unilever and thanked them for their decision to pull out ads on all the network's game shows.
“Wala po kaming kasalanan. Wala po akong kasalanan. Humihingi po ako ng paumanhin sa inyo, na kung mayroon po kaming na-offend. Pero hindi po kami hihingi ng tawad kasi ho, wala po akong ginawang masama sa batang iyon. Hindi ko minolestiya ang batang iyon,” Willie said.
In case the program does return after the hiatus, he's willing to continue the show even without sponsors.
“Kahit na di kami suportahan ng kahit na sino, nakausap ko po ang presidente ng TV5, kahit po isakrepisyo ko na ang sweldo ko, yun po ang ibibigay kong papremyo at kasama ko ang TV5, itutuloy po namin. Lahat po ng pera namin, kahit wala kaming commercial, kahit inabandona kami ng mga commercial, umayaw sila sa amin. Kahit walang isang commercial, itutuloy po namin ito, ang aming purpose ay magbigay ng saya at pag-asa,” he said.
“Mawawala po muna kami ng dalawang linggo, kung ano man. At kung babalik man kami, may panibago pong pagasa ulit. At bibigyan namin ng proteksyon ang mga bata at mga pamilyang katulad ni Jan-Jan, kami na ang gagawa nyan,” Willie added.
He asked his supporters not to get angry at the sponsors who pulled out their ads. Willie also assured that he's taking care of Jan-Jan and his family.
“Si Jan-Jan po, inaaruga ko, ang pamilyang yan dahil mas kailangan nila ang taong kumakalinga sa kanila. Wala pong kumakalinga sa kanila. Lahat ng lumalapit sa pamilyang ito, puro minumura sila. Yung tatay, dahil syempre bading, masyadong minamababa. Pero ano ang ginagawa ko? Araw-araw tinatawagan ko ang pamilya, kinakamusta ko. Ayan ang dapat gawin ng DSWD (Department of Social Welfare and Development). Marami pang Jan-Jan sa Pilipinas. Marami pang katulad nyan,” Willie ended his message.
No malice
The 25-minute “announcement” began with Willie recalling all the past controversies in “Wowowee,” his former show on ABS-CBN, has been involved in—from the Ultra stampede which killed 71 people on February 2006 to his conflict with Jobert Sucaldito last year, which eventually led to his transfer to TV5.
“Tapos ho ito, nangyari na naman ito” Willie said after ending his recollection. “Sino ba ang gumagawa ng paninirang ito? Meron ho kaming kaso pa e. Di kami makuhanan ng TRO. Lipit nilang kinukuha ng kami po'y mapahinto. Magli-limang buwan na ho mahigit. Hindi nila makuha ang TRO. Ito po ngayon. Nakakita ng bukas. Di ko sila pinagbibintangan. Sino gagawa nito? Kung sino man ito, mahabag kayo.”
Jan-Jan's March 12 dance routine during their “Wil Time Big Time” was not intended to be malicious, he said.
“Nakadamit yung bata, nakaayos yung bata, sumasayaw ng ganun. Four years old pa lang si Jan-Jan, yun na ang sinasayaw sa mga eskwelahan saka sa mga pa-contest,” Willie said, adding that while the DSWD and the CHR have already accused him of child abuse, he and the show are not at fault regarding the incident.
“Wala po kaming kasalanan. Wala po akong kasalanan. Humihingi po ako ng paumanhin sa inyo, na kung mayroon po kaming na-offend. Pero hindi po kami hihingi ng tawad kasi ho, wala po akong ginawang masama sa batang iyon. Hindi ko minolestiya ang batang iyon,” he added.
Message to critics
Besides agencies that have expressed protests and disappointments over the incident, celebrities who criticized Willie online also got a lashing last night. Those named were Jim Paredes, Aiza Seguerra, Lea Salonga, Mylene Dizon, K Brosas, Tuesday Vergas, Bianca Gonzales, Leah Navarro and Agot Isidro.
"Susuportahan n'yo ba ang mga taong iyan? Ano ang nagawa ninyo? Ano ang nagawa ninyo sa sambayanang Pilipino?” Willie said after naming his celebrity critics. “Kapwa tayo artista. Nakagawa ba kayo ng tulong? Nagbigay ba kayo sa Bantay Bata ng isang milyon? Ito, huwag kayong manghusga ng kapwa ninyo artista. Dapat magkakasama tayo. Tulungan ninyo kami kung nagkakamali kami, huwag kayong manghuhusga. Tandaan ninyo, yung masang Pilipino ang sumusuporta sa inyo.”
Singling out Aiza, he said, “Magpakalalaki ka! Bata ka pa, hindi ba, nagtatrabaho ka na? Hindi ba exploitation yun? Mag-isip ka!” Of Agot, meanwhile, Willie said: "Wala ka namang anak, e, bakit mo ako gaganyanin? Alamin mo muna.”
Near the end of his announcement, Willie said: “Kung idedemanda ka ng TV5, idedemanda rin kita. Magdedemandahan tayo. Idedemanda ko ang lahat ng tumira sa akin sa Twitter. Lahat ng personal, tandaan mo 'yan!” With Gerry Plaza, Yahoo! OMG! Philippines
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