Singapore Blogging Conference

Last June, I had the extraordinary pleasure of spending a week in Singapore as a guest of IDA, a government agency. I was on freelance assignment, most notably for NetworkWorld. But, where I was at my most prolific there was in blogging. For some reason, that's where I came alive, not to just writing, where I've had passion since grade school, but to the whole amazing blogging experience ,which was still somewhat new to me.

During a tour of Singapore's enlightened and forward thinking Jurang Public Library , I met Ivan Chew, and we hit it off, because we shared a love of literature. But when Ivan disdained blogging, I was quick to take issue and managed to persuade him to look closer The result was Ivan began his own blog, which is quite good.  He also started evangelizing blogging in the South Asia blogging community, including his own staff who has started this and that . Further, he's been told he influenced the chief librarian at Hong Kong University to start a blog.

Ivan reports that since I was in Singapore, bloggingwhich was almost nonexistent last June has started to gain traction with lots of bloggers coming on board. In fact, come this May, the bloggers will be holding their own version of BloggerCon, and that they are looking for ideas on how to make it great. If you have an idea to help, please leave a comment on his site or email him. Scoble, you should get Winer to chime in on this. It's wonderful to see both librarians and Singaporeans linking into the Blogosphere.

Here is a micro blogroll of some neat Singapore blogs to check out:

Mr Brown

My Very Own Job

Popagandhi

XiaXue

Life at Ngeeann

JRoller

Preetamrai

James Seng

If you read them together as I did recently, you start getting the feel for a culture that is emerging and enjoying the freedom, connection and innovation connected to blogging.  Good luck with the event I wish I could be there.

Comments

[calm one]

I don't think that blogging in Singapore "was almost nonexistent last June"; it was already very popular then, but the voice of bloggers is only starting to be noticed by the mainstream.

Several of the bloggers you mentioned have also gained international attention, including popagandhi who was scobelized ( http://radio.weblogs.com/0001011/2004/10/26.html#a8522 ); more recently, xiaxue who got buzzed by blogger buzz ( http://buzz.blogger.com/2005/03/ambassador-xiaxue.html ).
And just 2 days ago, a sexyblogger meme was sparked ( http://www.mrbrown.com/blog/2005/03/im_too_sexy_for_1.html ).

These are exciting times for Singapore bloggers.

[Ivan Chew]

Shel, you've demonstrated to me the social media & networking aspects of blogging. We were just having an email chat a day ago and I asked for suggestions for a proposed Singapore Blogger's Meet (which I CANNOT claim credit for, btw). Then Wham! -- here's your post (hopefully) linking me to people whom I'd otherwise not know. Heady stuff.

I should mention that it was Preetam Rai (http://www.preetamrai.com/weblog/index.php)who contacted me for the Singapore Blogger's Meet.

Thanks for introducing me to the Blogosphere.

[Jasper Jugan]

I don't think blogging in Singapore has been non-existent since last June 2004 as well because a lot of bloggers have been blogging in Singapore already. theSpoke.net for one has bloggers from Singapore and if I'm not mistaken, it was developed locally in Singapore as well. :)

[Jonathan Poon]

I would agree with Jasper on his comment. Blogging in Singapore has been around for quite some time now, though the ones you've listed are the most well known ones for Singapore blogs, especially Mr Brown and Xiaxue.

PS: i think you've spelt Jurong wrongly.

Cheers

[shel]

I apologise both for the spelling error and for the overstatement about blogging in Singapore. Perhaps it was user error on my part, but last June when I was there, I did a Technorati search and found only a small handful of blogs, and now find a great number more in a similar search. The intent of the posting was to draw attention elsewhere that blogging is growing in Singapore to the extent that a conference is being planned. I thought bloggers elsewhere would find this interesting and that Singapore bloggers would appreciate the mention. Again, sorry if I offended anyone.

[JonathanPoon]

From the eyes of a singaporean that's now in Redmond, i can see that the A-class bloggers like xiaxue, mrbrown and the others you've correctly listed, are getting really into it, and the cross-references among their blogs caused the current meme that calmone mentioned, and i truly enjoy this.

Mr Brown, if you are seeing this here, do a quick tutorial to get Singapore bloggers into technorati the way you are showing them the way to flickr!

[James Seng]

Blogging in Singapore was very much alive before Jun 04. The only differences is the activities are getting more organized. Many kids blogs for many years - it is a culture thing. I come across one who started blogging when he is 13 years ago, 4 years ago. I think that's before any of us know the word 'blog'.

[Jaywalk]

I believe the poor results from the Technorati search may have been attributed to the unfamilarity of Technorati with respect to the local Singaporean blog community.

I have been writing/blogging since the BBS days and I'm afraid, I didn't really know what Technorati was all about until today. I may have heard of it from time to time, but never took that extra step to check it out.

I guess we are witnessing an awakening here and I am sure mr brown will be doing a good job giving this a shout out to one and all in the community.

Coincidentally, my lastest blog was a short history of my writing. --> "Me, My Blog and I - The Road Up To Now" --> http://voxeros.blog-city.com/read/1147559.htm

It's a small world, innit?

cheers.

[calm one]

Due to your factual and spelling errors, the Singapore blogging community is highly offended. For penance, we request that you put up your version of sexyblogger (see http://www.mrbrown.com/blog/2005/03/im_too_sexy_for_1.html for more details). And since Scoble linked to this post, he will have to do the same.
=)

[Otterman]

A Tehnocrati search alone was probably inadequate. I hunted for made in Singapore blogs in 2003, and used Google ("blog Singapore") and found the A list blogs and quite anumber of others. Some of these writers have been at it for a few years at last.

Then flyngchair.net made it easy with the Asia Weblogs Awards 2003, listing many popular blogs. I felt then mrbrown was then technically not even a blog, but an extremely-well updated webpage. His recent mischievious spate of Singapore blog round ups (a result of some pretty intense rss activity apparently) have helped reveal lots more interesting local sites lately.

[Ivan Chew]

Awww... SG Bloggers ought to give Shel a break :)

A primary characteristic of the Blogosphere is that it has less to do with factual accuracy and more about "self-correction" through conversations -- at least to me.

Shel, I think you're seeing some of the Singapore-brand of dry humour here, which sometimes can be constituted as us being too up-tight. In anycase, the whole chain of discussions is a demonstration of the power of conversations. Man, I just have to get more librarians to do this...

[jr]

haha... been following this. the blogs listed are outspoken, public, and popular. another lesser known face of Singaporean blogging are more private blogs, perhaps closer to journals or diaries, open to friends or friends' friends, or family.

been blogging since beginning 2003, and blogs were quite an emerging phenomenon then. Singapore's so small, that's why blogging took root so fast, and has made Singapore even tinier, so to speak...

[David]

Blogging non-existant pre-2004 is quite an overstatement.

I used to run a weblog on the local gaming community back in 1998 and even back then, there are many like-minded geeks like me who're doing the same thing.

But then again, back then we don't call it blogging.

[Mr Miyagi]

'My Very Own Job'? Job? Are you implying I spend too much time on the blog? Penance for typo: 'sexyblogger' photo!

[sgblogger]

we want sexyblogger!!!

[Ian Lim]

Er... I don't exactly write up issues related to Singapore. But I am physically in Singapore. So am I considered as a Singapore blogger ? :P

[kevin]

Only a month old we have re-launched singapore.net from its old format into a new open blogging format. We aim to develop this into place for like minds to connect and synergise. Very happy to come across your blog here.

[Qiu]

Another uniquie Singaporean Blog

[Panatey Rekolin]

Great design

[mr dickson emeka daniel]

i want be one of the participant for blogg

[Chicko300]

Всем привет!
Хорошая погодка нынче
:)

[AnenceHal]

Washington: If under the age of 18, proof of age is required (birth certificate or driver's license). Washington DC: Both applicants must be at least 18 years old to obtain a marriage license. Where I live summer is not about to end, not before the middle of october, maybe later, so I'm totally not going to think about autumn now! And this is something I did after a friend's wedding, but I had some trouble with her face... Plus, the aroma alone is enough to lift your spirits. In Shakespeare's play entitled A Midsummer Nights Dream, in the couples, the mates were chosen on their own will.