Q. Can you tell us more about your blogging advocacy? How did you start with this?
 
A. My advocacy started from a much bigger perspective, which is e-commerce. However, as putting up an initiative such as that can be a little tougher than usual, I find blogging as a means for people to appreciate the medium of publishing, self-expression, marketing, and eventually selling products online.

As I start giving teachers who have won our Philippine Schools Cyberfair (http://www.cyberfair.ph) in 2003 free e-commerce/e-learning training, I've used blogs as a means for teachers to document their work and appreciate its value.

In books that I've read like "Thinking for a Change" by John Maxwell, he encourages us to journal our ideas and lessons learned. I find blogs to be an effective medium to do such.

Q. Can you share with us your observations of the Philippine blogosphere? What's your forecast of blogging's growth in the Philippines?

A. In a survey among Metro Manila Internet users last July 2006, I found out that 18% read blogs. I'll be gathering more data next week in Manila, Cebu, Cagayan De Oro, and Davao during the One Internet Day celebration and hope to get more information on that. This includes blogging habits, among others. Will share this when ready.

Q. What problems/ concerns have you encountered?

A. I've encountered people who have abused blogs as a means to hurt or slander private citizens or organizations. However, instead of engaging in online confrontation or debate, I opted to share insights through my articles or e-learning workshop so that those who are still open-minded in learning how to do it will not likely do the mistakes or abuses others have committed.

Q. If blogging will be growing, as it should, what do you think will be its role in the country in the long run? What trends do you see happening?

A. I believe more and more localized or niched publications will come out using blogs as an engine for publishing. Companies, government, and non-profit groups shall gradually tinker with it. We can also expect the 2007 election campaign to be heavily done through blog publishing too.

Q. Do you think the blogging population in the country will be able to embrace other blogging technology like podcasting?

A. As Internet bandwidth becomes more affordable, I see more and more Filipinos engaging in podcasting.

Q. What are your proposals to encourage quality blogging among the populace, especially the young?

A. Publishing competitions can be encouraged. Instead of essays submitted in paper form, perhaps we should explore the use of blogs instead.

Students can also be encouraged to blog their learning, ideas, and analyses of issues to appreciate the value of the medium. School teachers can contact professionals and bloggers and encourage them to react or post comments.

Q. What do you think are the qualities of a good blogger?

A. A good blogger is someone who will treat others the way they want to be treated. Someone who knows that freedom of expression has an equivalent weight in terms of taking responsibility for what they say.

I've seen many people who have disregarded the above and have suffered in the long run as their reputation becomes irreparable. They hardly grow and get stuck to their perceived stature.

Q. Your observations on the present crop of Pinoy blogs.  Do you think Pinoy bloggers are making a mark internationally?

A. The present crop of Pinoy blogs are getting to be more and more impressive as their number increases. Yes, they have the opportunity of being able to make a mark internationally.

Q. Your wish list for the Philippine blogosphere.

A. My simple wish is for more Filipinos to blog online and create content that is relevant for readers. As the number of players increase, it can open more doors of opportunities to Filipinos. This is also true once they realize the value of creating one' own line of products/services.

I also hope that more companies will follow the footstep of companies like Google offering liberal income opportunities to individuals online.

For comments and inquiries, email annalyn.jusay@gmail.com