QUOTE(sharkteef @ Jul 27 2007, 01:07 AM)
this is a very bad idea.
1 - we are after all malaysians.
2 - there is freedom of speech, but there is NO FREEDOM AFTER SPEECH
3 - The star will publicate anything as long as there is a valid contact person/number. details of yourself must be given, and if a case arises, would you be willing to stand for it even if there are 300 virtual people in here behind you ?
4 - this is what redesign malaysia is for. if you need a voice, join redesign malaysia. click on the search link for them.
5- LLB ???? you are not a member of the BAR council. you have almost no experience. understandably you have no right mind yet to aid someone who's attending to legal matters yet alone represent them in anything ? (not a mockery but sound advice)
6 - 15k may seem like a small amount, pertaining to an ad that would be seen by 20m people, noted by 200k people, understood by 20k people. an ad definitely not worth displaying for at the moment. arguably, whoever has streamyx most likely has complaints. but streamyx penetration in the market is relatively low.
7 - malaysians do not look down upon malaysians, even malaysian companies. we try to rectify what we can, resolve things as best we can. i for one, do not want foreigners to look into those ads. we are not incompetent. they (TMNet) may be stupid and dumb, but i rather they grow than to let someone foreign step in.
i understand your goodwill, all of you, but there are other better alternatives and i strongly encourage to join redesign malaysia. its a good option to share ideas and share your miseries of tmnet.
btw - streamyx sux and so does atlas one.
Well, the bottom line of such an action is bring publicity to a matter that is not considered as important enough by relevant authorities and simply dismissed by TM Net (we all got their denial bullshit, didn't we?).
It's not the best solution and I do not put this forward as mean to fix all our problems. It is just one option to put pressure on TM Net and bring wider attention on the matter in the HOPE (and I insist on that word) that it will spark interest by relevant authorities to enforce customers' rights.
Because beyond the technical problems we face with TM Net (latency, packet-loss, slow connection..), the worse is their handling of our complaints. It can be sum up in one word: denial. As a customer, we cannot accept this.
Back to the ad itself, we do not have to mention TM Net. It is entirely possible design the advertisement without naming them (if that is the concern). With appropriate wording, we can still deliver the same message, and stay on target, without mentioning any company's name.
The advertisement doesn't need to look like an ad either. It's perfectly fine to run an article in an ad placeholder. However, there must be a clear mention that the article is itself an advertisement.
I agree with you about Redesign Malaysia and I support their efforts. This however doesn't mean any side action cannot be undertaken.
This post was primarily to test water, to know is enough support can be gathered for an community-funded advertisement campaign.
Many people, you included, have mentioned legal hazards that may arise from such a proposal. I take good notice of these. But it is important to understand that the purpose is not to bash TM Net or anyone. It's to inform people of the reality of broadband access in Malaysia, its shortcomings and the lack of good willing from ISPs to improve their service. If we stay focused on our goal, there's no more legal concerns to have than any journalist would have by writing on any subject.
Now this bring me to my last point: I do not know the level of freedom the press has in this country, for the simple fact that I am not malaysian and haven't lived in the country long enough to tell.
I spent my life in various countries around the world. And while I'm still young (at least I like to think I am), I've been able to get broad experience working in the IT industry in europe, south america, australia and, before arriving here, in Hong Kong. The conclusion I can draw on Malaysia, as far as business is concerned, is not that malaysians are any less competent than the next guy, but is a lack of good and efficient management. Too often I have seen people wasting their time following non-optimal procedures, working with inadequate tools. This is where Malaysia needs to improve. This is why the country is not as advanced as it could have been. Singapore's success is not just because of their reduced size. To end on a personal note, I think you should not decline foreign help or advice. I, myself, learned a lot from foreign experience and there is no shame to have about it.