Got a few pieces of advice from the guys who read my piece last week regarding the unpublished photos of the great Manny Pacquiao.
A long-time friend who was with me when Pacquiao traveled to Nakhon Si Thammarat, Thailand, to defend the world flyweight crown almost two decades ago was direct in telling me not to post them on social media.
"Don't," the lovable fellow told me.
"But if you do, just put a big watermark so it'll be hard for them to claim ownership," he added.
Nowadays, there's been so much stealing of intellectual property online.
More than a year ago, I attempted boxing blogging on YouTube since I have materials I feel fight fans will enjoy seeing.
Just hours into my "career" as a blogger, I was appalled to see my video make the rounds of various content creators here and overseas.
Since I was a newbie, I was kinda blamed for not putting a watermark on the moving pictures that I shot exclusively to promote my own channel.
I really felt soundly beaten because the groups that got my exclusive videos had a field day in getting new subscribers.
I did get a ton of subscribers, too, during the first 24 hours when it went viral.
But the numbers pale in comparison to the new subscribers and hits the other channels that aired my videos got from my booboo.
So, right there and then, I told myself that I won't continue doing blogs because people would just copy my stuff and post it and claim them as their own.
I am not sure if my YT channel still exists to this day because it's been more than a year since my last post. (I am asking forgiveness to the fight fans who clicked the subscribe button).
You see, there is an abundance of bandwagoners (fanboys) nowadays on YouTube.
Imagine, if I finally decide to publish the never-before-seen Pacquiao photos online, they would be quick to reproduce them, use them to promote their own channels and make a killing by a simple click of the button.
Another friend who knew the existence of the rediscovered photos said it would be better that I just keep them and use them when I eventually decide to publish a book.
I just smiled at him.
But he made perfect sense.
Still, I feel that maybe, one or perhaps a couple, might be good to publish since those Pacquiao photos I have in my possession will turn 23 years in about two weeks time.
Hmm…
I actually have several kept inside a vault and I feel that one or even two could see print in his paper as I chronicle the events that took place during one of the darkest chapters of Pacquiao's career.
Stay tuned.
