Blogger at 10

Belated Happy birthday, Blogger!

According to the Official Google Blog, when Google acquired Blogger in February of 2003, there were about 250,000 visitors per month. Today, more than 300 million!

The blogging phenomena has grown and risen beyond expectations of many internet enthusiasts and media experts. Am not a social media expert, but in the course of the story, tentatively titled, “The Business of Blogging” for the Philippine Business Magazine, I have realized many insights about this blogging phenomena!

While I knew that Blogger had been acquired by Google in 2003, I learned that Evan Williams, one of co-founders of Blogger, is now with Twitter! Really a small industry.

I shall discovered that Justine Hall is recognized by the New York Times Magazine as "the founding father of personal blogging."

The Official Google Blog says, "Blogs are a global self-publishing phenomenon that connect Internet users with dynamic, diverse points of view while also enabling comment and participation." We're proud that Blogger continues to be a force for free expression worldwide and that it is growing quickly despite its maturity. In the past two years alone, the number of people contributing to a blog has more than doubled, and every second of every day, a new blog is created on Blogger.

As part of a series of “birthday presents” to users, an application called “Blogpress” developed by InfoThinker can be used on one’s iPhone. Now, that brings blogging to more connectivity on the road. For me, with still an expensive costs of mobile connectivity, Globe Visibility and a cold Starbucks Mocha Frappe works well.

Again, happy birthday Blogger! You continue to change the way the world thinks and share life’s experiences!

Reputation and Blogging

Earlier this afternoon, I was in Studio 6 of ANC (at the ABS-CBN Compound) for the taping of the episode of "Beware of the Blog" for the program, Korina Tonight.

Also in the program for the first segment was Melvin Calimag, representing the IT Journalists Association of the Philippines (ITJAP) and Resty Reyes. I also saw Joey de Venecia and Giselle Sanchez, who were there for the second segment, whose reputation has been maligned or attacked because of blogging.

Me? I was there as a legitimate blogger. Are there illegitimate bloggers? This was the first question of veteran broadcaster, Korina Sanchez.

Yes! These are bloggers who hide behind a fake identity, by raising or lowering their age or simply, not giving their real names! Why they remain anonymous? I wouldn’t have a real answer as there are many reasons why they hide behind anonymity.

This particular episode was really all about the current issues and concerns being raised by Brain Gorell’s blog about losing $70,000 to a former friend. His blog has attracted a huge interest among bloggers, both friends and foe (who hide behind anonymity).

Media has also become part of the argument has its role in this social phenomena called blogging has somehow blurred the lines of between traditional media and blogs as sources of news. Melvin and I prior the program talked about it. If anyone really wanted real news, there were a lot of credible on-line news sites, from CNN to the country’s leading broadsheets, Manila Bulletin and Phil. Daily Inquirer.

I do believe the personal blogs provide colorful and sometimes, even, in-depth insights into daily concerns of ordinary people. Blogs about parenthood or pregnancy help other couples learn more about these stages in life.

While blogging extends the bounds of freedom and reach as a media form, so that the responsibility and accountability of each blogger. In my one liner submitted to Penny Quesada for tonight’s episode, I said, “Bloggers allow people to get into their lives and intrude into the lives of others.”

You can catch the episode tonight on ANC and a replay on Friday night at 11pm!