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Comments: Intentions, objectives and the Bloggies

So would anyone like to help me with the Bloggies? I can't do it alone, and besides, i think it should be a community effort. Drop me an email if you're interested.

Posted by Aizuddin Danian at October 16, 2002 10:54 PM

Aizuddin;

What kind of help? I fully support your idea and willing to help.

Posted by Norman Salleh at October 16, 2002 11:40 PM

I'm not sure yet. Still formulating some plans in my head. Want to try and take the easy route first by getting The Star or NST to pick up the idea and be the main sponsors. If they are relunctant, or if they play hardball, then we'll go to plan B. Dunno what that is yet.

In the meantime, i hope you and everyone else who can assist in building up the GMBL by promoting it to your friends. Even for non-Malaysians there is a General Blog List that they can add themselves to.

Once the GMBL is of sufficient critical mass (i don't know how many Malaysian blogs are out there, so i don't know the exact number that constitutes a critical mass; will just have to play it by gut feel), then the Bloggies will proceed.

Thanks for offering to help. I really appreciate it.

Posted by Aizuddin Danian at October 16, 2002 11:47 PM

bloggies.. macam grammy plak. that is a really interesting story, fit for a blog entry i would say. and hehe lemme guess the { a friend } would just HAVE to be Strizzt.

Posted by teddybwear at October 17, 2002 01:40 PM

this is like a small group of people giving awards to each other, the bloggies.. erk.

Posted by bloggies at October 17, 2002 01:48 PM

Sorry, "bloggies", but i have to disagree. The point for the Awards is not solely for recognition amongst ourselves, but also as a showcase to the general public about the talent of Malaysian bloggers. That's why i'm trying to arrange things with people from the media, trying to make contacts with organizations that may be interested to pick up the idea.

Once the general public is made aware of it, then we can build real general awareness, then MAYBE, we can help expand the blogging community further by encouraging more people to participate in this activity. Really, there's very little in this for us, you, me or anyone else who already blogs. But people (besides us) should know that we're good at what we do.

Posted by Aizuddin Danian at October 17, 2002 02:11 PM

There are two reasons for awards.
First, awards will encourage current bloggers to improve their own blogs. How often do we come across a blog that COULD have been good, but they malas to work on it, because no motivation? Hopefully, giving out awards will improve the standard of ALL Malaysian blogs, as we all try to achieve an award or two.
Second, is to bring attention to blogging. It would encourage more people to read and write blogs. With an improved standard of blogs, more people would enjoy reading blogs, and hopefully, realize the true scope and variety of Malaysian blogging out there.
The problem is... has anyone thought about the fact that most Malaysian bloggers are into it anonymously?

Posted by HANI at October 17, 2002 05:26 PM

Yes, i realise that its possible that many bloggers are anonymous and wish to remain anonymous. For them, we should fully respect their wishes.

Recognition should be for those who want to be recognized.

Posted by Aizuddin Danian at October 17, 2002 05:30 PM

Well I personally hope that it is POSITIVE motivation and that people want to change or improve not because they HAVE to.

When it gets to public and 'commercialized' then I personally feel that it would defeat the purpose of blogging. It all depends on what your blog is for. To please the public, or to please oneself.

Heck I've gone thru several phases of "Everyone else's blog is cooler/better/has more readers than me so why do I even bother" and this looks like it might be an even BIGGER scale of that.

I keep my blog simple because thats how I like it. I've seen tons of other prettier blogs and felt jealous, but at the end of the day, its MY blog. I like it. So who cares if some one else's is prettier? Or has better content? If I'm happy and like you said Aiz about the quality of readers rather than the quantity..then it shouldn't matter.

Like I said early on..hope its POSITIVE motivation and not negative de-motivation to those who are not so good.

Anyway just rambling. Should have done it on my own blog..ai.. Sorry! =)

Posted by hantu strawberi at October 17, 2002 07:00 PM

Of course you're right. By definition a blog is something that is for the private satisfaction of the blogger rather than for anyone else. And i would feel terrible if people began feeling bad about their blog because it didn't win anything, or wanting to improve their blog just to please the public.

But that's the funny thing about motivation and relativism. The idea of having an award for the "best" (what is "best"? its such a relative term) blog can either be seen as a positive motivating factor for existing bloggers to be proud of their art and to encourage newbies to try their hand at it. At the same time, it can be taken negatively by some - people who are too competitive may try to do anything to win, thereby taking the fun out of it all; or feel bad about themselves if they didn't win.

Just like most tools, the Bloggies therefore obviously has its benefits and drawbacks.

The line is very fine. And at the end of the day, i think it comes down to the niat and intentions of the individual to make the distinction.

I'm truly glad that we're having this healthy debate about the Bloggies. Issue are coming up now that require discussion and i think as a community we can make a collective decision about our own future once we've heard all the arguments.

Posted by Aizuddin Danian at October 17, 2002 08:08 PM

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