One of the exciting things World Bloggers Day Online Campaign has this year is the participation of GLOBE and Tatt Awards 2012 as one of its official event partners.

Tatt Awards concept align with World Bloggers Day concept of “highlighting FUN in Blogging and Social Media”

Tatt Awards, on its second year is giving recognition to social media influencers, shakers and opinion-makers. This year 10-member Tatt Council will select this years 10 social media greats.

For this year, there are 10 categories: Tech Junkie, The Advocate, Indie Rocker, Video Slinger, #Thought-Mover, The Visualizer, Game Changer, The Explorer, Stylisimo and The One.

You should view the video below to find out more about the categories:

We bet that you have someone on your mind now that you want to nominate for the 2nd Annual Tatt Awards? Then, visit www.tattawards.com.

And we thank you for continuously sharing your passion and advocacy through blogs and other social media platforms.

And this year, we want to recognize you for your efforts in spreading the campaign. With this in mind, we would like you to join our contest or please adjust your articles according to the following:

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Write an article about your own interpretation of “It’s more FUN in Blogging and Social Media”
2. Article may vary from 300-500 words.
3. Please don’t forget to mention our two primary sponsors in your posts:
• cebu business hotel(www.diamondsuitescebu.com.ph)
• Nominate your favorite blogs NOW at Tatt Awards! (www.TattAwards.com)
4. Like the Official Fan Page https://www.facebook.com/worldbloggersday
5. Post your blogpost url at the https://www.facebook.com/worldbloggersday
6. Like https://www.facebook.com/cebubloggers
7. Tweet your blogpost with #worldbloggersday
8. Share one of the following videos in your timeline: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQT4gX_SFdYor http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=60RHozetPEA
9. Send the following information to info@cebubloggers.com for verification:

• Blogpost URL:
• FAcebook URL:
• Twitter URL:

Deadline of Submission and compliance is on May 2, 2012 at 11:30PM

PRIZES:
All of the participating bloggers will receive gift items from GLOBE.

Top 3 Bloggers will receive GLOBE Tattoo

One Winner of 1 Overnight Stay for Two with Breakfast at Diamond Suites and Residences

The winners will be chosen according to the judges selected by the organizing team.

AWARDING
Winners annoucement will be on May 5, 2012 during Cebu Blogger Society’s General Assembly at Diamond Suites and Residences.

For more information, please leave questions via www.facebook.com/worldbloggersday.

The mechanics for joining is simple. Create a post that tells about you as a blogger and  should align with the theme: It’s more fun in Blogging and Social Media. Once you are satisfied with your post, you can submit it to worldbloggersday@gmail.com or cbsicontent@gmail.com.

We will check your guest posts then.Check the website from time to time. We will also notify you via email.

We know there will be FAQ’s in this activity.  Don’t worry we will bring them up to you on our next post or on a separate page.

Happy Blogging!

These are the simple content and social marketing tasks bloggers do after hitting the Publish button. Posting, of course, takes precedence. But for other bloggers, it can be a challenge to create an article as compelling as those we read (or sometimes frown) on top blogs with the likes of MASHABLE, TechCrunch, LifeHacker, Copyblogger, Jezebel or even Perez Hilton.

For newbie bloggers, it’s a challenge to connect to other bloggers via online. We know them through reading their blogs. But because of lack of physical contact, they can still be qualified as strangers at some point.

Bringing all bloggers in one location is next to impossible. Even with the World Bloggers’ Day (WBD) that is now on its 3rd year, the ambitious individuals who started it still find it hard to connect them all.

With the varieties of bloggers who exist in the Wide, Wild World of Internet, uniting them all seems impossible. Nevertheless, the capacity of a few bloggers to gather them is never a remote possibility.

The initiators of World Bloggers Day were able to connect to different blogging communities in different countries. Even though not all countries were involved, the dream of connecting with other bloggers in different countries came true.

Collectively, World Bloggers’ Day was a success. Many blogging communities signed up as WBD chapters organized online and offline celebrations in 2011.

Starting with World Bloggers’ Day Australia, Glen Frost was able to organize an event that involved him and other bloggers in Sydney for a blogging and Internet Marketing session with a keynote speaker. With a theme: How social media is changing corporate & Government communication. How you can use Facebook, Glen Frost and other Sydney bloggers were able to push WBD in Sydney, Australia. What made this event more awesome was that Ogilvy helped him in organizing it.

World Bloggers’ Day 2011 in Australia 

At Dubai, Ion Gonzaga integrated the World Bloggers’ Day event at GeeksTalk Dubai.

WBD 2011 in Geek Talks Dubai

Meanwhile, the Nepalese bloggers chose the World Bloggers’ Day as their platform for launching a social network for bloggers and journalists, the Mero Report (www.meroreport.net).

Bloggers from Lebanon, Singapore, Myanmar, New Zealand and Pakistan were able to join us. Although they chose to celebrate the day online using Twitter, their participation was still valuable to us in more ways that we can count.

In the Philippines, Azrael Codilla, the founder of Manila Bloggers Network, celebrated World Bloggers’ day in a mall with other bloggers. The event was pulled through thanks to the valiant effort of Azrael.

WBD 2011 Manila

In Cebu, the Cebu Bloggers Society organized a conference session with successful executives. The keynote speaker was Wilson Ng, who entertained the bloggers with his instrumental rendition of Lady Gaga’s Bad Romance.

WBD 2011 Cebu with Mr. Wilson Ng as one of the Keynote Speakers

Executives from Yahoo Philippines and SolidHosting.ph shared their inputs about social media and internet security at the Plenary Hall of RAFI Building.

WBD 2011 Cebu with Mr. Sam Jacoba of Yahoo Philippines

The World Bloggers Day event in Cebu was also used as the avenue for oath-taking of the newly-elected officers of Cebu Bloggers Society, Inc.

Cebu Bloggers Society, Inc. Induction of Newly Elected Officers during WBD 2011 activity

Thanks to our sponsors: Ramon Aboitiz Foundation, Inc., Bo’s Coffee and Solidhosting.ph, WBD Cebu was a success.

WBD 2011 Cebu Official Venue 

Cebu Bloggers Society, Inc. is still spearheading World Bloggers’ Day this year 2012. We want to make a challenge to the bloggers worldwide on how they can spend the day after announcing the event in just a short period of time. We aspire to make blogging a fun activity for bloggers with the theme:

World Bloggers Day 2012: It is more Fun in Blogging and Social Media.

This year 2012, the initiators of World Bloggers’ Day came up with a theme that can encourage more bloggers anywhere in the world to push their blogging passion and efforts.  It’s not just about posting an article, clicking the social media buttons and connecting with other bloggers. Integrating fun in blogging is a relevant ingredient to ignite or rekindle the passion in blogging, treating the blogs not just a business but a platform for rewarding enjoyment.

The proliferation and increasing relevance of social media is not a supplementary factor, but an equally significant integration in blogging.

There’s no need for an offline event to organize. We encourage the World bloggers to use the social media to connect with other bloggers, breaking the barriers that only exist in international boundaries of jurisdictions.

Like it. Tweet it. Share it. And Pin it.

Using the social media, the Earth is a vast check-in place for bloggers with dots connecting them into one big cosmos.

The opportunities are still endless for bloggers who want to make it big online. Despite the competition, one or a throng of dedicated bloggers with a stronghold for determination and success-driven personality can pull off the blogging challenges.

 Join us again for world Bloggers’ Day 2012. Use the Social Media to connect with more and more bloggers from around the world.

It’s more fun in Blogging and Social Media. And that’s what we should aspire in this small yet expansive world of blogosphere.

 About World Bloggers’ Day

Initiated by Cebu Bloggers Society, Inc., World Bloggers’ day is an annual blogging that started in 2010 at Cebu, Philippines. It is usually celebrated on the 2nd of May.  In 2011, it expanded to other countries that included Australia, Dubai, Lebanon, Singapore, Nepal, New Zealand, Myanmar, Pakistan and South Africa. It has an initial theme of Uniting the World through Blogs. Its website is www.worldbloggersday.org.

This year’s World Blogger’ Day is made possible by Diamond Suites and Residences and 2012 Tatt Awards.

About Cebu Bloggers Society, Inc.

Cebu Bloggers Society, Inc. is regarded as an organized blogging organization in the Philippines and is the first to be SEC-registered non-profit blogging entity. All members of this blogging organization are from Cebu.  Its main portal site is www.cebubloggers.com.

With the theme “Bloggers as Social Media Revolutionists, Initiators and Champions, Collaborators of Businesses and NGOs to Attain Corporate and Societal Goals,” WBD only has the bigwigs in social media as speakers.

Mr. Wilson Ng, Cebu’s most prominent blogger and businessman, will speak during the first session on the “Building a Name, Building a Brand”.

The second session, meanwhile, is packed with comprehensive discussions starting with “How to Secure Your Blog from Hacking” by Mr. Marlon D. Guzman of Solid Hosting Manila. For those who are planning to conquer the real estate, they can listen to Cebu’s real estate millionaire Anthony Leuterio’s “Impact of Blogging in Internet Marketing and Real Estate.”

Mr. Kevin Ray Chua will act as the moderator in the open forum.

Also included in the program are the audio-visual presentations about the history of World Bloggers’ Day and Yahoo! Philippines’s message for bloggers in the province.

World Bloggers’ Day will also be celebrated in several key countries such as Australia, Singapore, Pakistan, Dubai, South Africa, and USA (New York), as well as in the Philippines (Manila and Iligan).

To register today, visit http://www.worldbloggersday.org/register.

World Bloggers’ Day – Cebu event is made possible by Ramon Aboitiz Foundation, Inc. and in cooperation with Solid Hosting, Inc. and Bo’s Coffee.

Join the the World Bloggers’ Day online celebration now!  Submit your blog and register here.

Blogging as a Social Force

Blogging has become a social force — it has a class of its own. It can generate real-time responses and a degree of dialogue to the extent that it has become digitally crowded with no definite category.

From a few hundreds to an exponential thousands, bloggers have proven vital in data dissemination. The desire for passing information through the web has become really popular that a lot of people are now regularly posting sensitive government information online, with content similar to those published in newspapers or broadcasted over the television. The Philippines, for instance, has many famous bloggers but some remain anonymous; they fear their opinions will result in jailing or reprisal from authorities.

Detention of Bloggers

Below are some of the documented incidents in which bloggers were detained all over the world:

Photo Source: persian2english.com

On 20 December 2009, Mehrdad Rahimi and Kouhyar Goudazi, both bloggers and members of the Committee of Human Rights in Iran, were accused of wanting to wage “a war against God”. Iranian authorities have jailed several other bloggers such as Hossien Derakhshan in recent years.

Photo Source: wantchinatimes.com

On 24 February 2011, Hong kong-based Chinese Human Rights Defender and political blogger Ran Yunfei was taken by Chinese authorities and was detained on suspicion of “subversion of state power”. Another Chinese blogger, Liang Haiyi, was arrested for the same reason.

Photo Source: hoabattublog.multiply.com

Another blogger, Ta Phong Tan, was detained at least three times during April and May 2010. On 20 April 2010, police forced their way into her home in Ho Chi Minh City, took her to the police station for interrogation, and later released her. Ta Phong Tan is a former policewoman who blogs about corruption and injustice in the Vietnamese legal system.

On 3 April 2010, hackers broke into the Internet accounts of the blogger Bui Thanh Hieu (who writes as Nguoi Buon Gio, or “Wind Merchant”). Ho Chi Minh City police also detained and interrogated him for a week in early March and for 10 days in August 2009, after he posted blogs criticising the government’s policies toward China, bauxite mining in the Central Highlands, and disputes with Catholics over church properties.

In January 2010, human rights activists Le Cong Dinh, Tran Huynh Duy Thuc and Le Thang Long were convicted on charges of attempting to “overthrow the government” for supporting the formation of an opposition party. They were sentenced to prison terms ranging from 5 to 16 years. All opposition political groups are banned in Vietnam.

On Mainstream Resolution

Fortunately, there is good news for Pinoy bloggers who seek change in our political system. Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago calls for the inclusion of online journalists and bloggers in media protection bill (Senate Bill 455) which seeks to amend Article 248 of the Revised Penal Code.

In an interview last January, she said that there is no reason why only members of the broadcast and print media should be included in the proposed law. Due regard must also be given to practitioners of the digital media.  Even though they are not traditionally referred to as members of the media, they may actually be exposed to the same dangers encountered by institutional media practitioners. The bill was already approved at the committee level.

Bloggers as Catalysts for Change

Despite the recent mayhem, bloggers are indeed catalysts for change. 2011 is a year in which bloggers can help make our world a better place. Bloggers have been in unison to lead the charge to raise donations for aid organizations in Japan. And, through honest, unbiased reviews, bloggers are holding companies across the globe to higher standards of production and service. So whether you help save a life or just help a family save a few bucks, use your blog to help make the world a little better this year. Explore the blogosphere and fulfill your role.

- Ken Michael Jon Taarup , Digital Communications

Blogging has indeed become more than just an electronic platform of expression. It is now used for business marketing and self-promotion and for personal and social causes. It has also linked like-minded individuals in different parts of the world and has been identified as an effective tool in online media.

To celebrate the friendship and to foster unity as well as professional and personal relationships, CBSi is inviting every blogger to participate in the upcoming World Bloggers’ Day 2011, with the theme: “World Bloggers’ Day 2011: The Roles of Bloggers.”

The affair will offer participants plenty of online activities, including interactions among local and international partners, a series of lectures and discussions, live blogging, and loads of fun and entertainment.

CBSi initiated World Bloggers’ Day as a way of gathering all bloggers in all corners of the globe. The first World Bloggers’ Day happened last May 2, 2010, in Parkmall Cebu.

Initially participated by Cebu-based bloggers, the event has already attained wider recognition and has gained the interest and partnership of various blog-based organizations, both here and abroad. Through their leaders, CBSi has obtained the participation confirmation of the following:

• Sydney Bloggers Festival (Australia) – Glen Frost
• Pakistani Pro Bloggers (Pakistan) – Mohammad Khan
• Iligan Bloggers (Philippines) – Lovette Jam Prada Jacosalem
• South African Bloggers (South Africa) – Muhammad Karim
• Manila Bloggers (Philippines) – Azrael Coladilla
• Singapore Bloggers (Singapore) – Tom of Singapore Stories
• New York Bloggers (USA) – Michael Bouldin
• Dubai Bloggers (Dubai) – Ion Gonzaga
• Lahore – Pakistan Bloggers (Pakistan) – Rohan David Emmanuel

World Bloggers’ Day is a celebration of the digital media revolution with the ultimate aim to unite the world through blogs and bloggers.

The World Bloggers’ Day International Team is still scouting for more local & international partners.  For more details about the upcoming event, particularly about how to join, send your e-mail to cbsicorporate@gmail.com.

About the Society

Cebu Bloggers Society, Inc. is a non-stock, non-profit organization. It is the first blogging society in the country that is registered in the Securities and Exchange Commission. Composed of more than 60  members, CBSi aims to promote the province through the use of new media such as blogging and social networking. It also desires to develop its members to be value-driven, productive nation builders by utilizing online media to reach out communities, locally and internationally.