From its inception A.com was synonymous with FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION and FREEDOM OF SPEECH. It was because of this that PSEUDONYMS or NOM DE PLUME or ALIASES were allowed, so all users/bloggers will be comfortable in voicing out their respective opinions on ANYTHING UNDER THE SUN, especially on Abra POLITICS. This was the trademark of A.com then and it’s still its reigning distinctive feature, compared to any and all active Abrenian groups or sites, now. At times discussions seem to get boring or seem low class or no taste at all, bordering to sheer gutter talks or child talks, but this site is not ONLY reserved for intellectuals, it serves as a living forum too for any and all issues that is available to anybody, willing to draw water from the well of information in order to quench their thirst, at any day and time they so desire.
A.com is for ALL Abrenians and even non-Abrenians who wish Abra well, from all walks of life, regardless of age. A.com is the sanctuary of those who are not comfortable redressing their grievances against the government using their real identities for fear of retribution to them personally or to their immediate/extended family members. It is also the sanctuary of all those who are in the government service, who can no longer stomach what is going on in their units, yet afraid to lose their respective jobs if they blow the whistle openly, to public servants (executive, legislative, or judicial) who care but afraid to become a pariah if they expose the stinky activities within their turf, or even to remorseful wrongdoers who want to attain redemption but just don’t want the shame attached to his clan or family name when doing such in their own names. Yes, this site serves as the Comfort Zone for all those who want to freely express themselves, without being afraid of the consequences, as compared to what could happen to them IF they had done it in Bangued Plaza on top of a San Miguel Beer wooden case, or picketing in the sidewalk in front of LGU offices, or even ABRECO, or any traditional grounds for freely voicing out one’s opinion.
This is the place where you can speak your mind, hoping that somehow, concerned officials, public figures, high profile individuals, or even ordinary individuals mentioned in news articles or reliable reports, will listen and perhaps act with the best interests of the common Abrenios or majority of all Abrenios in their hearts and minds. I’d like to believe that we come here, say something, discuss issues, engage in heated debates not because we love listening to ourselves but with a higher and noble purpose and that is for the betterment of our beloved province of Abra.
Recently however, A.com has been referred to as a place where trash talks abound, where bloggers had nothing better to do but curse each other, where political surrogates come and sell their wares whether they themselves believe those or not, where the substance of what are being discussed are so low one could puke just reading the first salvo. We have to change this if we want to be useful. We have to change this if we want our voices count. We have to shift our attention to ISSUES and not on the PERSONALITIES of the bloggers.
I agreed to be a CO-ADMINISTRATOR and promised to help Eric/SysOp to make this site user friendly and a place where mature people can converge and discuss with civility and sportsmanship. Along this line, I made some COMMON SENSE ground rules that we can build on as we proceed. Let me be clear, the list is not exhaustive, you will see a revision, amendment, addition, subtraction as we go on. They are not absolute either, exceptions will be encountered as we move forward. One thing is certain, they are here to GUIDE us engage in MEANINGFUL and TEMPERED discussions. They are not pre-censorship as most rules are being done in most cybersites. They are not new in cyberspace. These are culled from the rules I observed from blogspots that I’ve been involved with plus again, common sense. Here are the starters:
1. Public Officials and Public Figures, past or present may be a subject of your entries/comments without using any FOUL WORDS in any dialect or language;
2. If you claim your entry as FACTS, please state your basis. If OPINIONS, then please say so;
3. In your blog exchange with fellow users, STICK with the issues, NO PERSONAL attacks will be tolerated, pound on the issues and not on each other, the later is very counterproductive;
4. Aliases are ALLOWED based on what I mentioned above, ANYBODY who attempts to unmask any blogger, WILL BE BANNED to use this site. Users use ALIASES so they will be free to speak their minds, if anyone negates that and stifle his/her voice, that user has no place here;
5. Please refrain from using ALL CAPS, unless you are emphasizing a point. In cyberspace the use of all caps is being read as SHOUTING, ANGER, DOMINATING, we can not drive a point through it but only court negative responses;
6. Please use ONE USER NAME per ONE USER EMAIL ADDRESS. If you will not then we will choose the user name for you;
7. ABUSIVE bloggers will be warned ONCE or NONE at all, depending on the gravity of the entry. A.com ALWAYS reserve the right to reject users, posts, or comments; and
8. If you have any constructive suggestions or anything that you want to bring to our attention you can email such to SysOp@Abrenian.com or to me at attyjulidizon@yahoo.com.ph.
My sincere gratitude for your time in reading this! VIVA ABRA!!!
abrenian.com 
Well said attorney…and I would like to thank Eric/Sysop for allowing me again to participate in your discussions. I know I was banned before because of a petty misunderstanding that I did not even cause it. That was very childish gossip, I just realized now. Eric, HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! Keep up the good work. You know from the beginning how I feel and admire the website a.com. Thanks again.
Posted by Carmelita E. Omli | January 3, 2013, 8:41 pmNone taken Manang COT. I’m glad we’ve burried the hatchet. Happy New Year to you and we most welcome your contribution to this site.
Cheers
SysOp
Posted by SysOp | January 4, 2013, 12:20 amkudos to the rules of engaging in a blog-world ….
[if i may make a suggestion, what do you think of having separate tabs for a forum entry and and a blog entry, for the readers and bloggers to have a more accessible way of looking at what’s happening?] … (suggestion lang po)
🙂
Posted by mannalon | January 3, 2013, 9:57 pmnapintas unay daytoy nga suruten a reglamento ditoy a.com,ngem could you please enlighten me kakabsat no ania ti diperensya ti forum ken blog entry? ta ngamin kayat ko a suroten toy naited nga rules of engagement. anybody there to help me?ngamin saanak nga nalaing ti computer ngem ammok ti agtugkel ti letra.
Posted by pagalsem | January 3, 2013, 11:15 pmBase iti nasukimat toy numo ti biang nga panangadal iti daytoy makunkuna nga forum ken blog, Kabsat nga PAGALSEM , atoy ‘forum’ ket isu daytay immuna nga pagaammo nga ‘bulletin board’. Dayta komentar ti tumunggal maysa ket maipasurot iti aniaman nga narugian nga topiko wenno daytay makunkuna nga ‘thread’. Isunto dayta nga ‘thread’ ti pagbabakalan ti agduduma nga komentaryo nga ipasurot ti sinnoman nga agkomentar. Isu met ti gapuna no apay nga kasapulanna ti moderator tapno mapengdan ti panagbibinnara ti panunot ken sar-sarita dagiti agkomentaryo.
Daytoy Blog nga makuna, ket kas man koma daytay online nga diary wenno personal journal. No ti maysa nga tao ket kayatna ti mangibutaktak iti personal nga kapanunotan wenno kaririknana, nasisiyaat ken maitutop ti blog nga usarenna Agpada met ketdi ti forum ken blog nga mabalin nga komentaran ti sinno nga makabasa. Ngem kaaduanna nga debate ken agsasallupang nga kapanunotan nga maipeksa ket maipasurot iti forum ta ditoy ti ayan ti nadaras nga pagsisinnungbatan.
Posted by Romano Romano | January 4, 2013, 8:18 amagyamanak gayyem ti anus mo nga nagilawlawag kaniak of what is the difference between the two,forum and blog.although nakissayan ti color ken ganas na ti mangisawang ti madi a balikas as a way to express our frustrations,i will still abide by the rules. again R&R thank you and i owe you one !
Posted by pagalsem | January 6, 2013, 10:15 pmHi Mannalon
We’re gladly going to take your suggestion in considerations. Thank you for your support!
SysOp
Posted by SysOp | January 4, 2013, 12:22 amThe comments in this site Abrenian.com may also be posted on the FB page of abrenian.com
Posted by celong | January 4, 2013, 8:55 amATTY JED: Is it true that ma fren KASTI was banned here in a.com? Apay nga MIA ni ma fren KASTIn yors?? San ko met nga masupalanen pati balsana nagpukawen, uray ni Balinsuek nagpukaw payen yors!
Posted by Insti | January 4, 2013, 11:28 amFirst of all, I wanna greet you all a Happy Three Kings, abrenian and the staff of Abrenian.com. This rules and regulations well taken and I know this will help and lead us into a better way of giving comments to certain topics without using untoward words that are not pleasing to read. In this regard, people like the higher authorities will have the interest reading our comments, grievances and suggestions that might trigger their heart to give attentions to our clamor.Alam ko po na lahat tayong mga abrenians ay naghahangad ng BETTER CHANGE in our province kaya po kung minsan d natin maiwasan ang magalit and we express our anger through writing in this site to let those concern people know our feelings pero baka naman mabasa ng ibang mga tao ang comments natin at they will not fully understood the message we are about to let them know.So mas maganda po kung iwasan natin ang paggamit ng d magandang words to express our anger as what the rules stated para mas marami po ang magshare ng mga kuro kuro nila regarding the topic.Ilocano po ako pero I’m using taglish para po kung sakaling maligaw ang mga higher leaders natin na magbasa ng sting mga grievances/clamors in Abra then maintindihan nila ang mga hinaing natin para sa ikabubuti ng probinsya natin.
Posted by lavander | January 4, 2013, 6:22 pmNice Rules.
We should be the change we want to see in Abra. – MKG
Posted by PiNikPikan | January 5, 2013, 6:20 amRespectfully requesting “Rimat Ti Abra” to comment PINIKPIKAN’s comment.
Thank you very much…..
Posted by foreign observer | January 5, 2013, 12:49 pmThis is in response to your request for me to comment on Pinikpikan’s comment, to wit: “We should be the change we want to see in Abra.”
With due respect, it is my submission that while it’s not indubitably clear to me what our friend Pinikpikan meant in his/her comment stated above, I honestly believe that it could be interpreted as follows: “If we want to see change in Abra, that change should be (in) us.”
The word “CHANGE” has been used so many times in our discussion, more evident when we talk about the current mess at the Abreco (change of leadership, we used to say) and our corrupt/abusive politicians/leaders (it’s election time, we’ll change them!)…and in this aspect of discussing change, our attention is focused/shifted on the outside. So we say, change must be made, and this change must be on our current leaders. If we cannot make a change IN them; we can make a change OF them.
But then, we tend to forget, as our friend Pinikpikan wants to tell us now, “that in order to have a real change in our dear province of Abra, that change must start in us.” It is in ourselves; it is in our ways; it is in the things we believe in, and what we have become because of them.” That’s d difference!
There are people like us who vote people into office for monetary considerations, by tokens of gratitude, by familial affiliations, by threat or intimidation…but how many of us did vote (and intend to vote) a candidate because of his personal qualifications, his proven competence, performance in office, dedication to public service, faith in God and in the people!
We might have chosen/elected d wrong people to these sensitive elective positions, because supposedly “a public office is a public trust”, and once elected, these people ought to consider themselves as “public property” – to serve d people, and not to be served. But then again, who’s to blame?
Our crooked/corrupt politicians, there are plenty of them masquerading as good Samaritans. We, d Abrenian people, are equipped with enough knowledge to know who these people are, and blessed of a freewill to make d right choice and clothe them with power, according to the dictates of our conscience! That Choice is ours; and ours alone! It’s too precious to be shared; and it cannot be denied!
Still, we’re so lucky to have a person like Pinikpikan, who believes that there is indeed “No Change In Government Unless There is A Change In People.” I agree, because the essence of a true Change starts from within, and once it becomes manifest like a virus, it scatters everywhere, and infects people. How I wish majority of us Abrenios will catch one! It’s just me saying…
Kudos to the Admin., Sir SYSOP and Atty. DIZON, for a well-crafted, easy-to-understand Basic Rules of Engagement at A.Com. My salutations Sirs. More power!
To Foreign Observer, thank you very much! Hail to you, my friend!
Posted by RIMAT TI ABRA | January 6, 2013, 11:46 pmGood point RTA. That is really the gist of my comment, a quote (from Gandhi) that I borrowed and improvised.
We want change. To achieve that “burning desire”, hitting below the belt is surely not the way.
It is timely that Atty. Dizon came into the picture and set the rules.
But if you come to think of it, why the rules when decency and self-respect are enough to temper that itchy fingers on the keyboard?
Posted by PiNikPikan | January 8, 2013, 12:02 amExample of inner change.
To the lawyers out there. May you volunteer to give free legal aid to government workers (teachers, police, etc.) who will be facing harassment suits due to performance of their official functions (especially election duties)?
Posted by PiNikPikan | January 8, 2013, 12:11 amNice thought g’yem!
It’s true, only if we live by d norms of decency and self-respect, there’s no need for us of rules!
It’s good to put ourselves in someone’s shoes. If you do something that might hurt you; that probably might hurt some others, too. Isu nga no ammom la ngaruden nga no aramidem iti maysa a banag ket didigra laeng iti ipaay na kenka, saan mon a nga aramiden dayta iti padam nga tao ania!
Rules are specifically made by people to regulate conduct (wrongful conduct, of course!) of people, but if we regulate ourselves properly as a civilized people and members of society, taking full accountability and responsibility to all of our actions, who needs rules anyway?
Kuna ngarud diay libro nga nabasak, “Every person must, in d Exercise of his Rights and in d Performance of his Duties, Act with Justice, Give Everyone his Due, and Observe Honesty and Good Faith.” That’s d basic rule on human relations. If we let ourselves to be guided by this rule, and live by it day-by-day, how pleasant a world we are going to build…for ourselves and our children!
But I observe that many of us still live by the rule, “An eye for eye; a tooth for a tooth!” Does it mean that a wrongful act can be justified by another wrong? A lie can be cured by another lie? A a hurt, by another hurt? That if someone throws a stone at you, you have to throw it back at them? That if someone hits you, you have to hit them back (twice as hard).
There’s no more, “If someone slaps you on one cheek, you have to turn d other cheek” and “If someone throws a stone at you, you have to throw them a bread” – which we, at a very young age, were taught in Catholic school.
The question my fellow Abrenians is, and has always been: “Where will this thinking lead us anyway; when will this ever stop?”
I believe that in d end it only leads us to oblivion; so this must stop now, not later, before it’s all too late! Just as Gandhi had warned us all, “An Eye for an Eye; it will make us all Blind!”
As for me, I want to SEE change come our way…
Posted by RIMAT TI ABRA | January 9, 2013, 12:22 amMay your call for Abrenian lawyers to give free legal aid to government workers who stand to face harassment suits due to d performance of their functions this coming elections, as seconded by Foreign Observer, find its way to d hearts of whom it may concern…our Abrenian lawyers out there!
You see, d keyword here is “volunteerism” my friend! It’s voluntary, consented, free rendition of legal aid or service to the concerned people you mentioned. There’s no money involved, so who’s possibly in?
I suppose, however, that this early majority of our lawyers are now very busy finding employment as possible “election” lawyers for certain candidates in d coming polls, where d demand is high, but d supply is scarce. And more importantly, d perks/pay is highly-rewarding.
But then, there might be some lawyers out there who are willing to take d cudgels and heed our call.
I think this will boosts d confidence of our government workers to perform their duties well, without fear or favor, in d coming elections, knowing fully that some lawyers are on their side, ready to protect and to defend, at all costs!
May they come forward…
Posted by RIMAT TI ABRA | January 9, 2013, 2:01 amMay we also hear the comments of MADAM X, Sir Leopoldo T. Ardiente, Sr., Sir Pedro Abrenio, Madam Carmelita E. Omli, and Sir Atty. J. Dizon, if we the Abrenian majority deserve to hear their eloquence with respect to the challenge of change commented by PINIKPIKAN.
Posted by barangay citizen | January 5, 2013, 4:16 pmIf I may also suggest that SYSOP will prepare a SUMMARY of their respective comments to be sent to the Office of the President of the Republic and posted to our national daily newspapers for all Abrenians all over the world to see and be able to judge who among them the best of the brightest to be our future front leaders in our beloved province. Likewise, may I request Bernadine Joson to share also her piece or comment on the subject called for.
Thank you…..
Posted by chance for change | January 5, 2013, 5:08 pmTo Barangay Citizen-
First, there is no user named MADAM X so if you are referring to certain individual out of this A.com Universe please use her/his name;
Second, while encouraging others as a whole to post is okay, prodding individual users to make comments would not be appropriate, they will post or comment IF they want and WHENEVER they want as YOU can post If you want and WHENEVER you want; and
Third, I would like to think that you want my opinion on the “challenge” because I am “eloquent”, but I am sure you are eloquent to in your own way, why don’t you pave the way if you feel like it? Thank you!
Posted by attyjulidizon | January 5, 2013, 6:17 pmTo Chance For Change –
To be a “future leader”? No thank you, I’d rather be an ordinary citizen, probably a Goat Farmer, and have the joy and tranquility of leading my goats to their “pagaraban”. Again let those named users post IF and WHEN they want it without any prodding from us. Thank you!
Posted by attyjulidizon | January 5, 2013, 6:21 pmYoure ryt sir……abusive people makes this site messy….thanks for the information/rules…..suggestions on it will be sent in no time………shalom!….
Posted by qif | January 5, 2013, 9:33 pmimportante ti rules ti uray ania a banag. people with right minds know how to follow rules, ket sitayo who are prodding for change for a better abra should respect the rules ta isu ket maysa nga panangipakita iti kinadalus iti panunot, puso ken iti sensiridad iti amin nga ipakpakdaar tayo nga pagsayaatan iti probinsiya tayo. Tnx Atty for the reminders 🙂
Posted by manna.lon | January 6, 2013, 7:24 amFinally it is here.Let the mature and intelligent discourse begin.Free at last from below the belt and infantile attacks. AMEN AMEN AMEN
Posted by Meoff | January 7, 2013, 10:53 amI fully support and commend Sysop and Atty JuliDizon for coming up with these Rules.I promise to behave accordingly.
Posted by Leopoldo P. Ardiente Sr. | January 6, 2013, 2:42 pmnapintas man apo ta ada sursuruten tayo nga pagallagaden…
Posted by Peter Pantera | January 7, 2013, 7:14 pmI congratulate Sys-OP and Atty. JD for their TTT (Time, Talent, Treasure) in maintaining this site. Yes, I fully subscribe to their effort to maintain a free but dignified exchange of ideas in this site devoid of insults, unfounded allegations and hearsay. Let keep Abrenian.as it is ..simple laeng lakays….
Hope could write some more later. A successful new year!
Posted by DevilsAdvocate | January 7, 2013, 9:27 pmMay I make a suggestion to d Admin. please:
What about a specific thread, “Candidates Corner” – where our candidates vying for different positions in d local elections, if they so desire, can air/voice out their personal views & opinions, inform us of their personal qualifications & accomplishments in office, lay down their programs/platforms of government, etc. – and why should we, d Abrenian people, vote for them on May 13, 2013!
With the people’s continued patronage to A.com, owing to its growing number of bloggers (more than one hundred thousand, of late), many of whom are registered voters, time will come (or, is it time?) when d candidates’ focus of campaign will turn to E.net, like A.com, where it is particularly beneficial, esp. to our new aspiring candidates!
It is just a suggestion, but I do believe that in our present setting, it really makes sense…
Kudos to d Admin. for a job well done. More power!
Posted by RIMAT TI ABRA | January 8, 2013, 12:30 amI totally agree with RTA not to mention that most voters are now afraid to attend public campaign meeting (if there’s still any) due to uncertainty of their safety from any possible form of opponent attack.
I am also impressed with Pinikpikan call for “FREE LEGAL AID” Office (besides PAO Office) to be formed by our honest, brave, and godly lawyers with the inclusion of any poor helpless victim of any injustices as their clients. I believe they can do it like lawyers from other countries because only few of our Abra lawyers possessed the opposite of any of the characters mentioned that they are also more than willing to make a difference.
Rimat if you are a lawyer can you do it? Just let us know where, how, and when we can send our humble contributions for this noble cause that might relieve the pain of the helpless. If not, maybe you can form a charity or any civic organization similar to this purpose which might even just one percent of our almost 100K viewers (hereat Abrenian.com) will gladly and proudly share anything they can for its success.
Very truly yours….
Posted by foreign observer | January 8, 2013, 10:50 amPlease see my comment to Pinikpikan g’yem as to Free Legal Aid, where I opined that free legal aid is predicated on d spirit of “volunteerism”. Ask not what d government can do for you; ask what you can do for your government.” Lawyers should volunteer their services to d needy; it is purely voluntary. It cannot be forced…
I believe we still have d PPCRV, d NAMFREL, etc. whose goal is to ensure d conduct of an Honest, Orderly & Peaceful Election in our dear province. There might already be some lawyers/members in them, or what we call “volunteers”. Membership to these organizations is free. If you happen to have a lawyer/friend, invite him/her to join any of these groups. It’s a crusade – we’re fighting for a noble cause, my friend. If we have lawyers/members in them, we can always ask them when necessary to render free legal advice and services…
I’m not aware of any Free Legal Aid Group (FLAG) in our dear province. But you might have time to inquire at the Office of d IBP, Abra Chapter. If we take into account d sad plight of our poor, uneducated, marginalized kaka-ilians, it’s always good to have one. “Those who have LESS in LIFE must have MORE in LAW” – and so d saying goes! It’s no longer just a duty; it becomes d purpose of a lawyer’s existence.
There might also be some existing charitable or civic organizations in our province for d purpose or purposes you are advocating for. If there is already one, we could be of help my friend. Mabuhay ka!
Posted by RIMAT TI ABRA | January 9, 2013, 3:02 amMore undeniable impressive or admirable ideas or suggestions from you Rimat, but I think it’s more comfortable and challenging if that certain group/organization/PARTY would be led by you. Therefor, you left me no choice rather than to wait whenever you are ready, no matter how long it takes.
Thanks again….
Posted by foreign observer | January 10, 2013, 9:21 amYou may also include other objectives other the main objective in reference with your ideas/ideals designed to make our province as one of the best place on earth to live in through the years to come.
Thank you….
Posted by foreign observer | January 8, 2013, 11:18 amitattaak laeng manen nga aglukat iti kompyuter kon isu nga itatta ka la nga masungbatan, kabsat nga Pagalsem. Awan aniamanna ‘adre. Anytime. Basta mabalinan la ketdi ti makay-bingay iti nanumo nga pagaammo, ayos lang!
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Posted by tremendousrabbit.com | November 9, 2013, 6:03 pm