Matt Muellenweg’s favorite WordCamp was in the Philippines
A WordCamp Buenos Aires particpant writes:
There was a pool between the stage and the public, bats flew all the place, the Mic was a Karaoke machine.
It looks like Matt was referring to the event that took place in Davao, not the big one in Manila. Still, I’m glad Filipinos have made such a great impression on him. First it was the WordCamp Philippines t-shirt design, and now this.
(Via Winston Almendras)
Interview with Matt Mullenweg by Annalyn Jusay of Manila Bulletin
The full transcript of Matt Mullenweg’s interview by Annalyn Jusay of Manila Bulletin can be found on her blog. Apparently the newspaper cut the interview due to space constraints—another advantage of new media over traditional media!
But let’s save that issue for another day and enjoy how the old meets the new in this interview. Some snippets below. Here is Matt’s first impressions of the Philippines and its people based on our own version of WordCamp:
Q. It’s your first visit to the Philippines and spent some time at the maiden Philippine edition of the WordCamp. First impressions?
A. People love taking pictures here and I prolly had more than a hundred of that in the WordCamp. It just blew my mind. It’s a little bit common in other parts but not the same here. During the event, I saw that Plurk was really big. Everyone was plurking!
Filipinos are very warm, very outgoing. I think it’s cultural. In places like Germany, they’re a little more reserved. Filipinos like talking and communicating. You have big families, it seems. I was hanging out and this person has, like, five cousins in the room. I love that all the warmth and openness creates a very vibrant blogging community.
And here’s his opinion on the divide between blogging/new media and traditional media:
Q. Now that blogging is a big thing and publicists are discovering the bloggers, what can you say about it?
A. There’s a danger if you get started being invited to more events and start to be treated like traditional media. Bloggers, then, become more like traditional media. They’re afraid to publish something because they might offend someone who gives them money or advertises on their blog. And that is dangerous because then, you’re no different from traditional folks.
It’s great that people are making money from their blogs but, just like journalists, you should try to balance the editorial and the business side. Focus on the long term, not short term.
WordCamp Philippines 2008 in 5 minutes
Buddy Gancenia has made a video featuring highlights from WordCamp Philippines 2008, all under 5 minutes. Watch it:
Until next year!
WordCamp Philippines launches the Cebu Pacific Blogging Challenge
At WordCamp Philippines last Saturday, a blog contest sponsored by Cebu Pacific airlines was announced. Here’s the official announcement and mechanics of the Cebu Pacific Blogging Challenge.
All you have to do is write a blog post about the destinations of Cebu Pacific, making sure that when you mention the airline you describe it in a positive light. You must also link to them without rel="nofollow", without any other links in the entry.
The top 5 entries, picked by Cebu Pacific and the WordCamp organizers, will each win a domestic airline ticket.
This is open to all bloggers who are 18 years old and above (not just the participants of WordCamp). Contest runs from September 6 to October 31. Register here.
WordCamp Philippines a success!
WordCamp Philippines 2008 is finally over, and I’m sure everybody had a blast. It feels futile to do duplicate it, so get the comprehensive list of blog posts about the recently-concluded event from Jehzlau. Both old (newspapers) and new (bloggers) media coverage can be found there, as well as photos from the event itself and the after-party.
Congratulations to the organizers, volunteers and speakers! And thank you to the sponsors! And of course, it was an honor having Matt Mullenweg fly over to the Philippines and grace this occasion. It won’t be the same without him!
Looking forward to another WordCamp next year—hopefully sooner!
Matt Mullenweg arrives in the Philippines; Final WordCamp reminders
Matt Mullenweg touched down in Manila last September 2, then headed to Davao for the mini-WordCamp there. And here’s his very first comment about our country:
In other news, the immigration/customs forms here are sponsored by a booze company. Smartly, though, they use carbon copy so you don’t have to write the exact same thing twice, like you do in the US.
As for WordCamp Philippines itself, the organizers have sent a final email reminder for all the things you’ll need to bring and do at the event.
- Don’t forget to print out your camper’s pass!
- Be sure to bring a valid ID.
- “Less than 400 campers plus several members from mainstream media will converge at the College of Saint Benilde at Taft Avenue on Saturday, September 6. Gates open at 8:00 AM.”
- If you haven’t registered your gadget, do so already here.
- Get to College of St. Benilde by going to the Vito Cruz LRT station. The building is right beside it. If you’re bringing a car, it will be difficult to find parking. See the vicinity map for more details.
- WordCamp t-shirts have been delivered to the campers’ homes.
- After-party is at mag:net Cafe in Serendra, The Fort, at 9:30 pm. Entrance fee is Php 150.
See you there!
Preview of goodies at WordCamp Philippines 2008
One week to go and the organizers of WordCamp Philippines continue to give sneak peeks of what’s ahead, this time in the form of various memorabilia:
Matt Mullenweg gives a shoutout to WordCamp Philippines at WordCamp SF 2008
Christian Cabuay reports that Matt Mullenweg mentioned WordCamp Philippines at this year’s WordCamp, held in San Francisco. Apparently the t-shirts for the local WordCamp are his favorite so far. Here’s the video:
People from the audience pointed out that the sun is from the Philippine flag. To the organizers, especially the t-shirt designer Andrew dela Serna, congratulations!
Oh, and if you still want to order a WordCamp PH tee, you’ll be glad to know that ordering has been reopened.
WordCamp 2008 live coverage
WordCamp 2008 is underway right now and Matt Mullenweg recommends ZDNet’s live coverage straight from University of California San Francisco.
Here’s the schedule:
9:00 a.m. The Future of Education and Wordpress -
9:30 a.m. SEO Mistakes Most Bloggers Make - Stephan Spencer
10:00 a.m. Open Source Business Models - Stephen O’Grady
10:50 a.m. Andy Skelton - A musical performance
11:00 a.m. LOLcats and the Secret of Virality
11:30 a.m. Wordpress & Microformats
12:00 p.m. Lunch
1:00 p.m. Switching to Wordpress Painlessly - Lloyd Budd
1:20 p.m. 450 Wordpress Power User Tips - Lorelle VanFossen
1:40 p.m. Hassle-free Upgrades - Sam Bauers
2:00 p.m. State of the Word - Matt Mullenweg
3:00 p.m. Get Friendly with BuddyPress - Andy Peatling
3:20 p.m. Democratizing the Web through Global Voices - Jeremy Clarke
3:40 p.m. An interview with Om Malik
4:00 p.m. Riding the Crazyhorse - Liz Danzico and Jane Wells
5:00 p.m. A musical performance by Chuck Lewis aka SEO Rapper
5:10 p.m. Kicking Ass and Creating Passionate Users - Kathy Sierra
Visit the blog post for a glimpse of what’s to come for our very own WordCamp Philippines. It’s a good read not only for WordPress fans but also for bloggers and technology enthusiasts in general.
See also the live Twitter updates coming in via its search interface.
WordCamp Philippines camper’s passes, venue guidelines, and morning session signups
Those who registered for WordCamp Philippines should have received their Camper’s Pass by now, which will be exchanged for the Camper’s badge and kit on the day of the event.
Participants should also take note of the venue guidelines which were emailed and posted at the website. You’ll have to register your equipment if you’re bringing gadgets larger than cellphones/PDAs. Be sure to bring a valid ID and leave your slippers at home.
Finally, please do register for the breakaway sessions in the morning so the organizers have a good idea of the audience size per topic. The complete schedule for the whole day is posted here. And if you didn’t make it to the list of registered campers, you’ll be glad to know that you can still attend those sessions.
WordCamp SF badges will use Gravatars; What about WordCamp Philippines?
Update: Andy Peatling has released the source for generating gravatar-powered badges for conferences. Find out how.
Here’s an interesting new development in the upcoming WordCamp—WordCamp San Francisco, that is. Camper badges will use the gravatars of the registered attendees.
So now I wonder if the folks organizing WordCamp Philippines will do the same. This also begs the question as to how many Filipino WordPress users—and Filipino bloggers in general—use Gravatars. Do you?
WordCamp Davao
Yes, folks. Aside from the upcoming WordCamp Philippines 2008 in Manila, the same organizers of said event have come up with WordCamp Davao on September 4. Matt Mullenweg will also be there.
WordCamp Davao will be a chance for the bloggers down South to learn from the master himself, to find out more about making full use of the power of WordPress. The Davao affair won’t be as comprehensive as the main event in Manila, but it will be something to look forward to just the same! So, fellow Dabawenyos and Mindanaoans, you’re getting what you’ve asked for!
Venue is currently TBA, but it will be held from 6:00 to 10:00pm. Register here.
WordCamp Philippines 2008 topics, speakers, schedules posted; sign up for the sessions now!
Campers will now have a good idea of how WordCamp Philippines 2008 will go as the event schedule has just been posted.
In the morning there will be breakaway sessions under the deployment and development tracks. Unfortunately you can’t attend all of them and you have to indicate which one you plan to be in.
After lunch, there will be plenary sessions from Matt Mullenweg, Aileen Apolo, and Regnard Raquedan. This will be followed by a powwow with Matt, an installfest, and the after-party at mag:net Cafe.
Philippine Blog Awards 2008 date and venue announced
Update: Here’s the official announcement at the Philippine Blog Awards blog.
We’re getting closer and closers to one of the biggest Philippine blogging events of the year, and it just so happens it’s also in September, like WordCamp Philippines. Yes, the Philippine Blog Awards night will take place on September 21, 2008, at the Coral B room of One Esplanade (near SM Mall of Asia and Manila Bay).
Here’s a video announcement and tour of the venue:
A few minor notes on this event: the date was originally August 30, but because it was announced that the Eraserheads reunion concert will be held that night, PBA 2008 had to be rescheduled. Also, the website has been migrated to a new server, so you may be seeing the default WordPress theme instead of the snazzier design.
WordCamp Philippines 2008 t-shirts and WordPress merchandise are coming soon!
Available in royal blue and maroon (said to match the colors of the Philippine flag), the WordCamp Philippines 2008 t-shirts are now available for pre-orders at Php400 each. Since the tees will be available by August, you can have them sent via courier or pick them up on the day of the WordCamp itself.
You can also expect official WordPress goodies like t-shirts and mugs. It looks like the campers will be taking home a lot of stuff from this event!
They’re selling for P400 each — tailored, great fit, the works! You’ll also get your hands on WordPress t-shirts and mugs, but that’ll be for the event proper. For now, you can order WordCamp Philippines t-shirts ahead of September.
Click here for the t-shirt designs, measurements, and of course the ordering form.
Take note of these reminders for WordCamp Philippines
The organizers of WordCamp Philippines have several more announcements you should be aware of:
- There are 350 allocated slots for participants and so far, 220 have registered.
- Only those who follow the required blog post format will get their camper’s badges and kits. This will serve as your ticket to the event.
- Try to update your blog post with the new list of sponsors.
- A WordCamp Philippines t-shirt will be sold for Php400, in royal blue or deep red.
- Finally: Matt Mullenweg is coming.
I think the last bullet point is reason enough to be there.
WordCamp Philippines registration is now open!
WordCamp Philippines 2008, organized by the Mindanao Bloggers, is definitely coming and this is your chance to be part of it. Both WordPress and non-WordPress users are highly encouraged to join. Register now!
It’s completely free, but in exchange you have to write a blog post about the event containing specific information at the page following the registration form.
Registrants are encouraged to put “I’m registered! Are you?” buttons in their blogs to promote the event. Sali na!
Event sponsors:
- i.PH: the Domain for Individuals
- Free Online Flash Games
- Wazzup Manila Philippines
- Real Estate CRM
- Real Estate Website Designers
- Orange County Real Estate
- Auto Insurance Quotes
- Lane Systems Inc.
WordCamp Philippines Venue, Topics, Call for Sponsors
What’s the latest with the planning stages of WordCamp Philippines? Three major things. First, a venue has been finalized: College of St. Benilde in Taft Ave., Manila. Since the actual city of this WordCamp event has been decided upon, I think it’s fair to call it “WordCamp Manila” as well, in the tradition of the first WordCamp, which was in San Francisco.
Next up are the topics. No speakers have been announced yet, although we’re expecting—right now it’s hoping—some very famous names in the WordPress community to drop by. In the meantime, some ideas for the sessions during WordCamp have been posted, and you can leave your own suggestions through the contact form.
Finally, some money matters. Sponsorship packages have been posted, which not only give you an idea of how much needs to be spent for this event to be a success, but it also hints at the goodies WordCamp participants will be receiving.
So things are finally shaping up for the very first WordCamp Philippines. If you haven’t marked your calendars yet, again, it’s on September 6th. See you there!
WordCamp Philippines on September 6 (UPDATED May 14)
A date has been set for the first ever WordCamp Philippines: October 25. Mark your calendars! Update (May 14): Scratch that. Blogie says the date has been changed to September 6 to fit Matt Mullenweg’s schedule. So Matt’s actually coming! Big big news you guys!
As for the venue, it is sure that it will be held in Metro Manila. This could mean a doubly difficult task for the event organizers considering they’re from down south—Mindanao, to be specific.
There are no details on the event program yet, but there will be at least two simultaneous tracks: one for developers and the other for non-developers. Here’s hoping at least one prominent figure in the international WordPress community will visit our shores! Who do you want to come? Matt Mullenweg? Lorelle VanFossen? Mark Ghosh? Hey, we can dream, right?
WordCamp Philippines in the Works (UPDATED May 9)
It’s official: there’s a WordCamp Philippines coming this 2008. As if we haven’t had our fill of blogging events over the past few weeks! What makes WordCamp so different is that it’s solely dedicated to WordPress users. This is definitely a first here in this country.
A group of WordPress enthusiasts, developers and users are embarking on this project to bring WordCamp to the Philippines for the first time. The core of this group successfully organized the 1st Mindanao Bloggers Summit, which was held in Davao City last 27 October 2007. This time, they are targeting a more nationwide scope, but for more focused content.
There’s not much information available yet, but it’s pretty obvious who’s spearheading this initiative. Be sure to subscribe to the WordCamp Philippines feed for any new developments. I sure hope they make all those WordPress goodies available at the event!
Update (May 8): There will be a meeting on May 9 at Fagioli Coffee Club in Davao City. The core group for the WordCamp Philippines organizing committee has also been revealed.
Update (May 9): More details trickle in via this Inquirer news article. Expect highly specialized sessions on creating and running blogs with WordPress.
