Last week, a tweet from @webgeekph got me thinking about the current state of local “tach” scene:

Please don't send us press releases that talks about Telcos, Mobile Phones & Gadgets. We're a bit different to other tech blogs :D

Looking at the top local technology blogs, you’ll see that almost all of them are geared towards Consumers i.e. they do previews and reviews of products, press releases, and events that showcase products. This is not unexpected, when you write about things that people want to buy, your visitor count will be pretty high.

Unfortunately, we are not a nation of rich people. Focusing too much on consuming other countries’ products will not help us in the long run.

That said, we need to focus more on the Producers: the developers, designers, and business people. We need more coding and design-related blogs. We need sites and events that showcase the works of local talents. We need more groups like DevCon and WebGeek that promote and empower local developers. We need more events like Startup Weekend and Hack2Hatch to kickstart establishing a more dynamic local tech industry.

I’m just as excited as you when it comes to the latest games and gadgets, but until we shift some focus from Consumers to Producers, that mentality will only lead our country to lag further behind our neighbors.

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3 Responses to Producers and Consumers

  1. josepalala says:

    good point there, reminds me of a post about huxley and orwell about being controlled by our gadgets and latest “trends”. which encourages most people to “not think” and just spend spend spend.

  2. Here, here. ‘Consumer mentality’ seems to be so widespread. We need more deviants who are unafraid to build, create and forge their own paths. We need more enterprising pinoys that apply themselves on tech.

  3. Hello, Bryan. My name is Kyle Nofuente. I’ve been following your blog for a while and it’s a refreshing read after all the UnboxedTechpinasYuga sites. Kudos.

    Anyhow, I host NET 25’s I.T.-related show, Convergence. We’ve been at it for almost 13 years. Since joining the show this March, I’ve always thought it was time for some much needed change on the show. That being said, we’re slowly but surely trying to give more coverage of the local tech scene. So, if ever you’ve got time for a cup of coffee, please do let me know. Would love to hear more of your thoughts.

    Cheers.

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