Almost a month ago, I ranted about some SPAM comments. I was only mildly irritated then, but irritated enough to know that I would probably use some bad language if I wrote about it. I opted to limit my words and let Rico do the talking on the BBN.

I could have let the issue go then - after all, I didn’t expect to receive any more SPAM comments on the topic. Damn! I was wrong. Just this morning, I found another comment - no, I found the same comment in my inbox.

Yup, the commenter, a certain Pian Sarmiento, writing from the IP address 122.53.136.228, had the gall to leave a comment on my birthday post endorsing a political candidate.

Again, expletives are flying through my mind, but I’ll try to avoid them. Instead, I’m just going to pick apart your comment.

TO ALL
I know this to be out of place. Please bear with me. I just want to create awareness by choosing the busy forum or the latest.

So you admit it - you do know how inappropriate your little piece of propaganda is. My question is this: do you even bother reading what we blog authors are writing about?

Do you realize that you endorsed your candidate on a post about my birthday? In a face to face conversation, you probably would have received a lot of blank stares, or even worse, been told to shut up and take your unwanted opinions elsewhere. I guess you’ve gotten tired of that.

Do consider Dr. Martin Bautista for the next elections obviously (a senatorial candidate of ‘Ang Kapatiran’ together with Adrian Sison and Zosimo Paredes). He’s a 45-year-old gastroenterologist in the US who came home after 17 years. You can see from his background that he truly means service. For those who find him to be a hypocrite for working abroad, do understand he’s a family man who needs to sustain his family, that he will be able to keep his independence by not relying on public funds to support his family. He helps his countrymen in his capacity but it’s just not enough for there are millions of Filipinos. It’s a good start in Philippine Politics to have him and his party around.

Dr. Martin Bautista may very well be the best candidate around, but your indiscriminate posting serves to associate his name with something negative. I liken this comment to graffiti - an image of the words “Dr. Martin Bautista for Senator” spray-painted on a wall comes to mind. If you don’t like that analogy, think of the telemarketer who calls you right in the middle of dinner or your favorite TV show.

What you’ve done, at least to me, and I’m sure to some other bloggers, is hurt his image. Instead of making me want to learn about, endorse, and vote for your candidate, you’ve made me irritated at him - and that’s putting it mildly.

I urge you to forward/text/inform all your contacts about them. I believe they only lack exposure that’s why I’m doing this. But I can’t do it alone so I’m appealing to everyone’s help. If all will inform their contacts about them and urge them as well to forward, we might hit a million.

I urge you to stop harassing us! As Rico already mentioned: “Part of a successful online marketing campaign is a focus on relevancy.” You don’t convince me to help you by getting in my face and telling me to do something. At least, I would simply tune you out - that’s what I did last time. Worse, I could tell you to shove off - admittedly, that’s pretty much what I’m doing now.

If you really want to get your point through, talk with people. Get into some real conversations. Again, borrowing Rico’s words: “People would rather communicate with real people than deal with automated messages.”

We cannot afford to be indifferent now if we want meaningful change. Otherwise we only have ourselves to blame. BUT TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

If you want meaningful change, then you have to stop irritating the people who can actually help you spread your message around. Stop getting in our faces. Maybe, just maybe, we might actually be open to what you’re trying to say.

Tags: Dr. Martin Bautista, Pian Sarmiento, Philippines, politics