Temporal Paralysis

Something at where I usually hang out (the IRC hangout), I realized there’s good things to be gleaned from all the trash talk and nonsensical chatter. Basically, I’m talking about the subject matter at hand: reliability of sources.

The whole IRC chatter can be found after the jump.

[22:42:10] [double] lol how honest is honest?
[22:42:18] [jinyamato] not honest
[22:42:20] [jinyamato] true
[22:42:20] |testarossa| [~kairi_shi@Rizon-E5DF464A.ISP-Edited] has quit IRC: Read error: Connection reset by peer
[22:42:26] [@tsubaki_] actually, it's because our words are not published in a book that's why we cannot be considered as factual source
[22:42:35] [@tsubaki_] so u need to go print out our blogs in a book
[22:42:36] [@tj_han] no. it is because our words are shit.
[22:42:40] [@tsubaki_] then u can quote
[22:42:41] [Lss] with how nijigen affects us?
[22:42:42] [@tj_han] and not referenced.
[22:42:51] [@tj_han] aslong as something has references and proper data
[22:42:56] [@tj_han] it is ok
[22:42:56] [@tsubaki_] oh come on. academic text is all about bullshooping* and making everything look deep
[22:42:57] [@tj_han] lol
[22:43:02] [@tj_han] yes
[22:43:04] [Lss] i agree
[22:43:04] [@tj_han] that is partly true
[22:43:04] [@tsubaki_] when it clearly isnt
[22:43:09] [@tj_han] i read a chapter on SMAP
[22:43:12] [Lss] even i have done that too
[22:43:14] [@tj_han] and why the tsuyoshi speaks korean!
[22:43:15] [@tj_han] lol
[22:43:20] [Lss] words things in a confusing manner
[22:43:21] [@tj_han] one chapter on why the [bleep] speaks korean
[22:43:22] [@Windbell] tj_han's about reading other people's blogs because it makes him sound smart when he blog about other people blogging
[22:43:25] [Lss] to force ppl to go huh
[22:43:28] [@tsubaki_] try reading film form.
[22:43:29] [@tj_han] then they bring in concepts like hybridity etc
[22:43:31] [@tj_han] [Bull crap]!
[22:43:39] [@tj_han] the [bleep] just wants to attract korean fans
[22:43:49] [@tsubaki_] referencing serves to confuse people further anyway
[22:43:51] [Somat|c] if korean singer can get Jap fans
[22:43:52] wanavdder [~Downtown@Rizon-BF746718.ISP-EDITED] is now known as wanvadder
[22:43:55] [@tj_han] nobody checks the references.

*He didn’t say that.

What really ticks me on, was how misleading sources can be.

When we gather research and looking for sources, we have to gather some facts regarding the reliability of those sources. Some of the questions we may ask ourselves, regarding sources, are:

1. Who authored the source?
2. Are there any third-party involvement, and to what extent do they affect the source?
3. Is the author credible? (Is he an expert in his field of study related to the source? Is the author known for controversies in the past? etc.)
4. Is the source backed up by other concrete, non-partisan evidence (for example, an independent study/research findings) or does it rely only on the author him/herself?
5. Does the source make any assumptions in the first place? (This is important, because sometimes sources, like in Point #4, are by nature, authored by human beings, and people do tend to have biasness.)

As we cross out some of the pointers above, we may ask more questions regarding the source. It’s OK to question the sources more, because if the facts stand up to logic and reason, the source will have no problems in presenting itself. However, one must also take into consideration the situation the source’s author is in, the state of the environment at the time the source is quoted, and whether the source has any relation to whatever topic matter one might build upon.

I highlighted this topic because of these news. It would be ridiculous to ban a website that is literally a starting point to finding authoritative sources. The onus is on students and researchers to up their home work standard and search more for that better source. Wikipedia only serves as a primer to whatever subject you want to research on: the rest is up to you to present a solid, good finding/essay/presentation, based on sources and facts other than Wikipedia.

(NOTE: THIS IS NOT IN ANY SENSE WHATSOVER, AN INSULT TO ANY PARTICULAR RELIGIONS. THIS IS A PARODY OF THE STATE OF AFFAIRS IN THE ANIMÉ COMMUNITY.)

With the Revelations sent forth by Justin of Americanus, it was hypothesized that a great upheaval will begin sometime in the near future.

The open letter, in response to the commentary by Arthurus Smithium of GDH (Gonzo Diarhem Hellus) Internazionalizum, hinted a very tempestuous period for both followers of Animé and the legions of Big Distributors.

In the Far East, great armies and consorts have fallen in great numbers; decadence (too much glut of shows), pride (in believing in relying word-of-mouth adverts and global audience to sponsor such shows) and gluttony (chasing that illusionary Solomon’s treasure [of instant global fandom money]) have dessicated the creative energy of the anime studio-nations, and have begun to starve under great pressure.

In the South-East, a great massacre happened, in the foolish belief of restoring “the confidence and economic buoyancy” of anime studio-nations that has churned these scriptures of fame.

Animé: some say it’s a collective deity to describe all the manifestations of doe-eyed, cute characters that appeared in scriptures and mirrors. Great anime studio-nations in the Far East have successfully captured the essence and spirit of Animé into physical, worldly entities known as “manga” and “animé”, the latter being named in great glory of the deity. The secret message was revealed to the “Chosen People”, who lived in the Far East, and over the years, have attracted and converted people the world over, in all walks of life. Some have gone to the extreme into imitating the stories found in animé and manga, and construct vestiges, in a ritual known as “cosplay.”

However, the gospel of Animé is threatened by heathens and infidels who immediately mistreated its followers by treating them as “social outcasts”, “misfits” and “perverts”, in view relation to the gnostic “Hentai” religion, which also mirrored the customs and traditions of Animé.

But the Message of the Gospel prevailed, and everyone turned to Animé for redemption and solace. People have flocked into Animé for its superior storyline, character development and subtle moral messages. Those who could discern the hidden truth fell in love deeper with Animé, and these Companions (fansubbers) teach the unknowledgeable in simple terms the hidden truths.

Now has come the time where the Animé religion is at its most vulnerable: the incoming infighting.

The apostles (distributors of animé), who are the first beings to hear the Message, have begun to waylay in their midst, in lieu of Companions who used the secret ways to spread the Good Truth, without authorization. The apostles, fearing their messages are being told without them, and their obsoleteness in this midst, have initiated a counterstrike against them.

Some Companions have fallen, and in their wake, dozens of followers who heard of the Good Truth without the apostles.

But as the fight between apostles and followers of the Companions continue, the animé studio-nations, “prophets” of the Good Truth, did not receive blessings from their deity Animé, and in pressure of the worldly needs, has inadvertently produced inferior, sometimes misleading messages that detract from the Good Truth. How unbashful of them! The truth has been distorted, and both the apostles and Companions are now spreading heresy all over!

(in an allusion of too many crap shows being produced right now)

What contains in the Open Letter of Revelations is up to individuals now to discern. Answers are not as simple as they look, and one must constantly be read with the Animé Spatium Laws that Animé has decreed upon us followers. (I.e. read up on legal laws, the problems and deduce by yourselves ways to overcome the problem.)

Off-topic rant:

This whole rant of mine was inspired by this page on the situation of the anime community at large. Whenever I think of this larger saga, these things come to mind:

Light Yagami & his megalomaniac ambitions, Za Warudo, psuedo-Christian themes and the general feeling of “clash of the titans”

But, all in all, NegativeZero, Anime News Network, Jeff Lawson and Japanator has contributed to this long-winded, and potentially seditious, fiction.

My opinion?

The fans will move on. The industry will have to reinvent themselves (and I mean those in charge of distributing, licensing, sponsoring and creating the animé shows) in order to keep themselves in the black. They have to embrace the power of the Internet: already there are a few people who have since heed the fans’ call for speedy releases of shows in Japan for worldwide audience.

I think this whole saga is blown up to massive proportions. Hence, the Bible-like fictional reading above: ironically, I believed in One God in Essence, not in Trinity.

As Justin remarked,

“The industry is now at a crossroads, where the effects of all this is finally causing significant financial problems before new anime even gets made. The jobs of many talented artists and the countless other people that make up the Japanese animation industry are on the line. The current system is broken beyond repair, and to make money again, the entire way things work needs to be rethought from the ground up.

“And those in charge can do it now, or watch their companies and a once thriving, fascinating creative landscape slowly die out.

“But it has to be now.”

I have been dying to post something on this blog, but real-life concerns are starting to break my “processing unit” a.k.a. brain. Therefore whenever there is ample time for me to write in, I’ll do as I can.

Now, within animé fandom in Singapore, the majority of the fanbase, as I highlighted back, are mostly Mandarin-speaking. The advantages of being able to speak Mandarin is, the access of advanced content i.e. animé and manga that are considerably fresh. For example, while most in the Anglosphere have already known about Claymore, Dragon Eye and other popular titles, not many know about other series published by Tongli or Chuang Yi. Online scanlations provide the next best alternative for the English-speaking audience, but as one blogger noted, sometimes the tyranny of single source can be problematic.

Now, for my subject at hand: Malay otaku.

I have to admit that I myself am pretty clueless in this aspect of the anime community. I am pretty sure that there are Malay otaku out there, probably not only in Singapore. You have to factor in other Malay-language-based publications out there (Gempak in Malaysia, Gramedia in Indonesia), so there has to be a latent number of Malay otaku somewhere out there. That said, I try to delve into the detailed aspect of Malay otaku. (To sidetrack, there is an interesting entry out there on the development of manga in Indonesia.)

From the rambling talk I gather from many “water cooler shed” forums & IRC rooms, any Malay who has an inkling of interest in animé were stereotyped with “Narutard”, “Bleachtard” or any other label associated with rabid fanboy-like attitude. Granted, many Singaporeans felt that the Malays have a sort of “tribal superiority” that you might see in a Maori war dance: pride. So evidently, the shows they watched usually highlighted this “masochistic” pride they have. But I digress.

Even within the Malay race, there are many, many subcultures (not dialects) within. I could go on with this social study on group generalizations, but I want to focus on the Malay Otaku.

So how does a typical Malay otaku look like?

Because the interest in animé is perceived to be something “only the Chinese will indulge on,” many Malay otaku do not harbour that badge/tag of “avid, rabid otaku!” whenever topics like hobbies are put into question. If I had to follow this blogger, Malay otaku would be under “Group C.” As a result, many do appreciate animé, if only it interest them at all. Hardcore ones will most probably in the most minority of the minority, and to define a “hardcore Malay otaku” is something that touches on religion and personal preferences, as well as the difficulty in pinpointing the exact definition of “hardcore otaku.”

My fascination with this subgroup was due to the fact that I had only a few contact with such people, and they were as normal as what Riuva would describe them: closetnerd. Granted there are other minority groups such as Indian otaku and others, but it would have been the same all the way: the general non-Chinese viewpoint.

Anime fandom = for Chinese only.

So, what’s the conclusion of this post?

It’s not hard to say that in a globalized world, the stigmas and taboos are slowly decaying away, so there’s more incentive to have some sort of hobby you want to pursue without being labelled “rejects.” Unless you’re living in the U.K., where e-bullying is increasingly out of control.

But as I said, I’m very curious as to the state of affairs of these minority otaku. Perhaps they are not hardcore enough, but they have at least a general knowledge of most animé in recent memory.

So, Animax: sorry, I have to decline your Breadtalk because it’s not halal, and I’m siding with these otaku.

Wacom, the makers of very expensive graphics tablets and monitors, has launched a new product, aimed at aspiring manga artists who wants something more out of their hobby or profession.

The product is a hardware/software package called Bamboo Comic. Usually, Wacom Japan bundled its other packages with Adobe Photoshop Elements and other photo-manipulating software most of its customers are aware of. Instead, Bamboo Comic is bundled with several other software, most probably in simplifying or give more ease to the process of making a manga.

It’s a refreshing product to start, and it debuts in Japanese electronics stores on November 16.

Reference: Anime News Network

Yes, according to this article, it seems that the fight for Internet television (this concept was at one time one of the many dot-com concepts that went bust during the dot-com bubble burst) reaches a new height.

The makers of Miro, previously called Democracy Player, had set up a side-by-side comparison page on why their software is inherently “better, in a good-kind-of-way dichotomy” than Joost. It listed features such as independent artistes collaboration, the number of content available to users, privacy and the like.

While I feel that there is no harm being done here, ultimately, both players serve two different needs altogether, and in my opinion, understandably both platforms are still in their infancy, so there will be instances like this to “pimp up” their software.

Here’s my take on the issue.

Miro’s makers are part of an open culture that allows for independent artistes to be featured without the hassles of going through legal and business contracts with “the big corporations.” Kind of like the neverending “Sundance Film Festival.” Already there are many things you can do with Miro, and because the indie artistes like to dabble with the latest technology to pursue that “artistic achievement,” it’s no surprise that HD content in Miro is a lot more than Joost.

However, when it comes to anything “blockbuster,” Joost takes the cake, although in a less attracting streaming video format.

Joost has tie-ups with the major corporations that hold the licenses for various hit TV dramas and programmes. That means, Lost, Desparate Housewives etc. is available on Joost. Any hit TV series you think you saw on TV, (duh) it’s available on Joost. (Disclaimer: not all hit TV series, sorry. As with all major tie-ups, there’s a limited number of things either that are available or to the things you can do.)

So inherently, both software answer to a different kind of audience. The majority of those who have been glued to “real-world” will really want Joost, because they have what they need (kind of like Windows vs rest of the OSes). On the other hand, the “enlightened” audience (free/who wish to be free from cumbersomeness), will perfer Miro because it gave them the freedom to do what they want, as they wish to be.

It’s all part of the marketing strategy for Miro, I guess. I don’t have a serious opinion against either platform: whatever works for anyone, works for both ways. Duopoly sometimes work.

According to this Ars Technica article, an intellectual property firm has initiated a subpoena against a multitude of companies for “patent infringement.” Who would have thought that two unrelated companies are involved in the suit?

The highlight of this article is how one company — Wi-LAN —, who has not been making any wireless products, has yet been given legal authority to sue companies that basically did the manufacturing grunt of their patents. Silly, isn’t it?

This dilemma can be summarised by this analogy: you are the artist who had detailed how a sword is to look, feel and be made of. Some blacksmiths had similar ideas, although they do not know of your works. You’re commissioned by the King to make those swords exclusively (by legal default), but since the blacksmiths, by nature, have made all kinds of swords, by chance one of them perfected the sword that is durable, and other blacksmiths follow. Your “sword” bore similar features to that of the blacksmiths’, so you decided to haul them over to the King’s court for counterfeiting your works. (Kind of, since the idea of IP is remotely basic in medieval times.)

That’s how it is. This company should at least be into manufacturing if they were to have some legitimate clout on holding onto their exclusivity (how I hate how this legal term has been abused too many times to justify corporate inaction i.e. not making anything and making money by suing). On the whole, the politics of IP has become one huge mess that I feel deserves to be trashed and rebuild from scratch.