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.
