Using Video to Share Expertise and Review on Filipino Social Network PinoyKubo

My daily car trips around town now are much more interesting  because satellite radio and a particular station Book Radio. I get bits and pieces of books, interviews, debates, and stories. My favorites are the Twilight Zone and Harry Miles episodes, but I also am introduced for the first time to the series by Kathryn Stockett The Help. The characters are good at different things and have points of views that are definite conversation builders. While listening, I keep thinking about how everyone is so good at unique and different tasks, has opinions and reactions I want to hear, read and know about especially in regards to The Filipino experience in 2011 around the world.

I convinced this young man to do exactly that but in particular about his experience so far with the PinoyKubo social network. He likes the fact he can see anyone anywhere in the world via PinoyKubo video over Internet and talk with them and show them how to do different things.



A transcript follows:

T = Tagalog E = English

T: Sawang sawa ka na ba sa Facebook?
E: Are you sick and tired of Facebook?

T: Puro notifications nalang ba ang nababasa mo doon?
E: Are notifications all that you get to read there?

T: Lumipat ka na kasi.
E: Just move to a different website already.

T: Saan pa? E di sa Pinoy Kubo!
E: Where else? Pinoy Kubo!

T: Magandang araw mga kaibigan, ako po si David at ikinagagalak ko pong ikwento sa inyo ang mga magagandang bagay na naghihintay para sa ating mga Pilipino, dito sa Pinoy Kubo.
E: Good day my friends, I'm David and I am thrilled to tell you about the wonderful things that are waiting for us Filipinos, here at Pinoy Kubo.

T: Ang Pinoy Kubo po ay isang social networking site katulad ng Friendster, Facebook, at Twitter, kung saan nagtitipon ang libo-libong mga Pilipino.
E: Pinoy Kubo is a social networking site like Friendster, Facebook, and Twitter, where thousands of Filipinos gather and meet with each other.

T: Ang isang magandang bagay po dito sa Pinoy Kubo, ay masmaraming mga Pilipino ang makakarehistro dito dahil tapat na tapat ang Pinoy Kubo sa wikang Pilipino.
E: One beautiful thing about Pinoy Kubo is that more Filipinos can register here since Pinoy Kubo is dedicated to the use of the Filipino language.

T: Ang Pinoy Kubo po ay isa sa mga pinaka-unang social networking site na Pilipino ang gumawa. 'Di lang po siya ginagamit bilang libangan, kundi na rin para sa negosyo.
E: Pinoy Kubo is one of the first social networking sites created by a Filipino. It can be used not only for leisure, but for business as well.

T: At dahil kakasimula pa lang nito, kung gusto niyong makilala o sumikat, e, pwedeng pwede niyo po gawin yan dito sa Pinoy Kubo.
E: And because it's still quite new, if you want to get noticed or become famous, Pinoy Kubo is the place you're looking for.

T: Kung 'di niyo naman po kayang iwanan ang Facebook, wag po kayong magalala dahil ang Pinoy Kubo po ay ginawa upang makipag tulungan sa Facebook.
E: If you have no intentions of leaving Facebook, don't worry! Because Pinoy Kubo is designed to complement Facebook, and not to compete with it.

T: At baka manosebleed na po ako sa kakaTagalog e, sumali nalang po kayo!
E: And because my nose might bleed from speaking in Filipino too much, just join already!

T: Ako po si David, para sa Pinoy Kubo!
E: My name is David, for Pinoy Kubo!

(Love for you to join the Karl Ramirez musician, activist and songwriter Fan Page on PinoyKubo.)

... Connect with me on Linkedin at http://www.linkedin.com/in/suzannebowen, Facebook, Youtube, TMC at http://blog.tmcnet.com/monetizing-ip-communications/, iTunes channel or Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/suzannebowen, or at global events face to face to develop business and innovation.

Grade 5 Level Conservative PinoyKubo and its Medieval Concept According to Yahoo.ph Contributor

There was a review of PinoyKubo that has since been removed from the net, but I did respond to it.

"That last thing you want around you is a yes-man. Or woman. Surround yourself with haters, but not the kind that are looking for your downfall. I’m talking about the kind with a vested interest in your success and you being the best _______ you can be," says T.R.U.T.H, a blogger I don't always agree with but we get along great.

So thank you, to the naysayer. You make some good points, we will grow because of your review, but we don't agree with everything you penned.

1. Let's start with a "barrage of overrated PR releases these days about a Filipino (Pinoy) site called Pinoy Kubo" - Who is overrating them? Wow! I wrote them. I want to meet the ones who overrated them. It makes me feel good that one or more people out there are rating them high. There have only been three, so I wouldn't call that a "barrage."

2. So "Pinoy Kubo" means "nipa hut?" And "nipa hut" is something to be ashamed of? I'll have to study that more and ask for more opinions. A young Filipina innovator proposed the name to us. I thought it meant "welcome home." I'll leave it up to every day people to decide how they feel about PinoyKubo ... kind of like leaving it up to "the people" to decide about Apple, Go Daddy, Twitter, Yahoo, PetroBras, Jollibee, or SpellDial ... if what's behind the name is worth it.

3. PinoyKubo is racist? There is truth in comedy and comedy in truth, and both of those rock. It is true that as a blonde most of my life, I had to think smarter in order to battle stereotypes and as a women in telecommunications, and one over 50, I had to laugh a lot at myself and go with the flow. I like how Chelsea Handler handles steretypical women humor.

4. "politely greeted by a stranger who wanted to be my friend. Of course, I had to click the accept friend botton much like that one at Facebook" ... I'm glad you were treated politely. People often join social networks to connect with current friends and make new ones. PinoyKubo is no different. I have already connected with some cool people I never knew before like Carlota Cullarin of Manila (ESOL teacher now in South Korea), Chock Encabo from Alabang (movie script writer and history teacher), and Albert Padin from Cebu (founder of SpellDial) ... to name a few. I appreciate their accomplishments and am inspired by each of them.

5. "It's a Facebook clone,in short." I compared the two social networks, and there is quite a bit of difference. In fact, PinoyKubo is founded by Jonathan Sowah and crowd-sourced in its grassroots growth by all of its community. I just opened my new PinoyKubo electronic online store, pretty easy and cool. We hope to do more things like that to help people to become the entrepreneurs they are instead of waiting to be hired at a call center ... as Albert Padin mentions in a podcast at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2ZMdtgPUzA. Karl Ramirez, a popular social-minded musician from The Philippines, congratulated PinoyKubo on its style at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZHB1X58zdY and for using his song as the background of little Filipina's birthday party in Florida. At the same time, we do want PinoyKubo to be a global collaborative effort of love and fun and not just a clone of Facebook.

6. The banners that switch every few seconds include historians, teachers, politicians, writers, athletes, and more, some just every day people like me or anyone and others very famous and known or maybe famous and kind of forgotten. Our aim is to encourage people to set goals and work for their dreams by the examples of every day people or those who are supposed to be "famous."

We've interchanged the inspirational people banners with requests to get involved in good causes like children's health such as with Francesca who needed blood donations and encouraging more young Filipino/Filipina entrepreneurs such as Albert Padin of SpellDial.

7. Tagalog, English or which language? PinoyKubo uses English and Tagalog and everyone is welcome to communicate in any language they want. (Not yap wa' Hol! ... Klingon for "One language is never enough.") Meanwhile, I am slowly learning Tagalog. "Sige!" Why not?

8. "I went over the roaster of members and learned that it was not a global site, just a barrio one, from one of the remote towns in Laguna (outside Metro Manila) and that was when I realized that these were grade 5 level conservatives who have yet to use ebooks and learn that the world is bigger than their medieval concept of it."

That is a very close-minded, tunnel-visioned comment. I am apologizing for you to anyone who is from Laguna. But again, thank you, to the reviewer, for your review that made PinoyKubo even more popular than ever. Freedom of expression rocks. We need it. PinoyKubo needs it. The world needs it and you. In fact, you rock. Stay in touch.


... Connect with me on Linkedin at http://www.linkedin.com/in/suzannebowen, Facebook, Youtube, TMC at http://blog.tmcnet.com/monetizing-ip-communications/  iTunes channel or Twitter at http://twitter.com/#!/suzannebowen, or at global events face to face to develop business and innovation. I'll be at ITEXPO West in Austin, Texas next.

Want to Start Programming with Your Kids?

I queried a few people like DIDX members, friends from ITEXPO and PTC, and will be glad to add more answers as I get them but also, feel free to add your comments to this blog post.

From Stanislav Shalunov:
Try http://scratch.mit.edu for preschoolers through elementary school. Teenagers should probably use normal programming environments with web output: Flash for games, Rails or PHP for web apps, etc. Hackety Hack is aimed at teenagers. Numerous beginner languages are around, Python is the best.

From Allan Alderman, the geekiest friend I have in Pensacola, FL... we cannot talk enough about the cool apps and products we try:
Not quite sure I was the guy that sent you that, but here is a site in that vein that I like

http://www.kidsprogramminglanguage.com
... browse some of our team's other blogs at http://blogs.didx.net and http://blog.tmcnet.com/monetizing-ip-communications/. You're welcome to comment, contribute, and collaborate any time.