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My Blog Interview with the Malay Mail

Posted in Happenings | 37 comments



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Firstly, I have to thank Paulin Aro, of HBO Asia, for recommending me to the Malay Mail for the interview. The header and the introduction of the article was prepared by Ng Suzhen (thank you!). Here’s the link and the article!

It’s My Life, Thanks to Bon Jovi

It’s my life, thanks to Bon Jovi

It’s all about life for Daniel Franklin Gomez, and in his ‘gallivantings’, which is the tagline for his blog (www.danielfranklingomez.com).

Bon Jovi has a pretty big say because music-loving Daniel has a dedicated section at the top of his site for his super idol Jon and the Bon Jovi band.

Daniel, better known by his online persona of Gallivanter, subscribes to the philosophies of Bon Jovi’s poetic lyrics and writes about the influence they have had on his life (and maybe, should on others too?).

But being a true-blue Gallivanter, he does not just confine himself to his passion for BJ music. He does entertaining, easily digesting reviews of all types of music that grab him.

Furthermore, Daniel also shares all aspects of his life – from autos to thoughts (take a peek at his site’s categories), and has garnered quite a following with his humorous style of writing.

He takes pleasure in meeting fellow bloggers, and although based in the Klang Valley, this Gallivanter, true to his name, even took the trouble to help organise the Sabahan Bloggers Gathering 2008 and other blogger meets.

And why not, because like the song from the 2002 Bon Jovi album ‘Bounce’, whether in Cyberspace or in the real world, we should all be ‘Undivided’.

It’s my life, thanks to Bon Jovi

Tell us a bit about yourself?
I just turned 31 on the Dec 6, and work as a New Media Acquisitions Manager for a sports marketing agency. I have a younger brother and my mom is a part-time real estate agent.

When did you start to blog?
I started blogging sporadically back in November 2005 and moved to my own domain in August 2006. My blog site currently attracts approximately 1000 unique visitors per day (there must be lots of other ‘gallivanters’ out there), with an average of 12 comments per entry.

Your reasons?
The main reason I blog is to ‘vent’ my thoughts about everything, especially music. I love unearthing new music. It has always been my ‘soul’. I make it a point to share songs with blog readers and it has become more like an ongoing hobby.

What do you hope to achieve through blogging? 
I believe my postings may have helped some people in their relationships, careers and lives by my sharing of experiences in the same areas.

The comments received are also a motivation for me to blog. I had a reader sending me a friendship request via Facebook with the message, “Your blog is like my morning coffee, I can’t start the day without it”. That’s the best compliment and I guess a testament of my contributions towards the blogosphere.

Any regrets through blogging? 
None whatsoever!

Has blogging changed your life? How? 
Certainly. Yes, blogging has unleashed my extrovert self. I have become much more sociable than I was. It certainly has built my confidence over the years, helping me make more acquaintances.

I’m really satisfied on my blog evolution and just hope that my daily ramblings touch the lives of my readers.

The ‘Blogosphere’. What does it mean to you? 
To put it simply, it’s a giant social network of a connected community that represents the voices of many, who previously, never had a platform to share their thoughts.

Who is your absolute favourite blogger? 
My favorite blogger goes by the initial of RPK and he writes for Malaysia Today. I love his entries; very straightforward and I feel he speaks for the silent majority…

Features in the Blogosphere that amaze/ irritate you? 
The ease of making new acquaintances is amazing. On the other hand, the most irritating thing is tags/meme which is nothing but link-baiting! Those are highly annoying!

If there is someone you could influence to take up blogging… 
A whole bunch of people. I would say Jon Bon Jovi, to learn about what inspires him. Also my fellow Arsenal compadre Ravind, if only to read about his daily curses. There’s my brother, Reuben, to keep up to date with the other aspects of his life; and my-wife-to-be, Mel, to post more regularly so I don’t have to read her mind all the time, just read her blog!

Any memorable incidents? 
Two of my blog readers met and fell in love during the first bloggers’ meet I organised. They are still a couple today.

Any additional thoughts? 
I think the media needs to play a more interactive role with bloggers in Malaysia. It is indeed easier to criticise than to come up with suggestions for a better Malaysia, but I think the Government needs to be more liberal to create a channel to accept constructive criticism, maybe a weekly TV show/forum, that picks up topics off the Blogosphere.

Blogs are here to stay, and, if a channel can be opened to them, I believe that we will get some wonderful ideas and thoughts to push Malaysia forward to achieve 2020. It is still not too late.

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