Minister for Communications and Information Mohammad Nuh declared today National Bloggers’ Day when he opened the Pesta Blogger 2007 at Blitz Megaplex in Jakarta.
Communications and Information Minister Muhammad Nuh (blue shirt, center) and Director-General of Telematics Applications Cahyana Ahmadjayadi (batik shirt) together with the Steering Committee members of Pesta Blogger 2007 Photo takn from fistoriza’s Flickr account where you can see more photos.
He said this was to motivate bloggers to keep on improving their content and even offered a special prize if the bloggers could come up with the lyrics and songs which could reflect the theme of Pesta Blogger 2007, “The New Voice of Indonesia.”
The Minister was so supportive that on his way out, after delivering his speech and staying on for a talkshop-format discussion, he donated, on behalf of his ministry, an Asus laptop for the Best of the Best Blog award at the gathering.
Throughout the event Unspun could not help but marvel at the contrast in relationships between Government and bloggers in Indonesia and Malaysia. If only the Malaysia Government could learn how to engage this vocal segment of the population, its job could be so much easier. Then again, can one imagine Malaysian Ministers saying that they have much to learn from Indonesia? NOT.
|
Today’s gathering attracted over 480 participants. Some were observers and non-bloggers but the majority, at least about 400 of them, were bloggers, not only from Jakarta but from as far away as Poso.
Such was the spontaneity of the moment that when the Poso participant said that he and his friends blew their budget coming to the Pesta and did not have their passage back, XL Business Solutions jumped in and said they would spring for the return airfares. XL Business Solution, together with Microsoft and Nokia are the sponsors of the event.
Many of the bloggers, especially those from the provinces and other cities came in groups with their T-shirts of their own design. There were bloggers from Bandung, Jogja, Surabaya and even Makassar.
Preetam Rai from Global Voices Online and a colleague flew down from Singapore to attend the event. There were also representatives from the US embassy. One Indonesian blogger flew back from Kuala Lumpur to attend the event.
Everyone seemed to have had a good time and the photowall was a favorite as bloggers tried to capture the moment with their friends and blogging idols. The only drawback of the event was perhaps the food which went faster than anyone expected.
But everyone went home seemingly contented and feeling special for they had had a hand in making history – being participants in the first nationwide gathering of bloggers in Indonesia.
Hidup Bloggers Indonesia!
(Disclosure: Unspun’s company Maverick is organizing the Pesta Blogger together with Bubu Internet)
-
1
Pingback on Oct 28th, 2007 at 7:30 am
[...] more about Pesta Blogger 2007 at Unspun and see the photos of the proceeding [...]
-
2
Pingback on Oct 28th, 2007 at 10:27 am
[...] Source : Unspun [...]
-
3
Pingback on Oct 28th, 2007 at 12:52 pm
[...] is when Indonesia Minister for Communications and Information Mohammad Nuh declared October 27 as National Bloggers’ Day to motivate bloggers to keep on improving their content, our Minister in the Prime Minister’s [...]
-
4
Pingback on Oct 28th, 2007 at 7:46 pm
[...] Comments isman on It’s National Bloggers D…kemsey on It’s National Bloggers D…Olliw on It’s National Bloggers D…rocky’s bru on [...]
-
5
Pingback on Oct 29th, 2007 at 1:35 am
[...] masih ada ini nih… Cerita dari unspun – http://theunspunblog.com/2007/10/27/its-national-bloggers-day-in-indonesia-today/ Cerita Andhika – http://kelinciputih.wordpress.com/2007/10/27/live-pesta-blogger-2007/ Tag pb2007 [...]
-
6
Pingback on Nov 1st, 2007 at 4:37 am
[...] about Pesta Blogger 2007: Oleh-oleh PestaBlogger07: Blogger pun Perlu Branding – Virtual.co.id/blogIt’s National Bloggers Day in Indonesia today – theunspunblog.comPesta Blogger 2007 – kutukutubuku.comBlogger Ditantang Menkominfo – Detik.comMenkominfo: 27 Oktober, [...]
-
7
Pingback on Mar 21st, 2008 at 5:02 pm
[...] mistakes committed by his predecessor ZAM, he is smart enough to engage bloggers, like what his counterpart in Indonesia did since last [...]
-
8
Pingback on Mar 22nd, 2008 at 1:13 pm
[...] went as far as to declare Oct 17 as National Bloggers Day last year, Unspun Malaysian blogger in Jakarta alerted [...]
-
9
Pingback on Apr 4th, 2008 at 11:04 pm
[...] Pak Son, Nuh’s PA, earlier today SMS’s Romi Satria Wahono saying the minister would like to meet bloggers for a dialogue. He wasn’t specific about the topic. It just looked like Pak Nuh just wanted an exchange of ideas with bloggers. Pak Nuh, some of you may recall, was the Indonesian Minister that opened Pesta Blogger 2007, told bloggers that Indonesia had freedom of expression and bloggers would not be censored, and declared October 27 National Bloggers Day. [...]
-
10
Pingback on Sep 7th, 2008 at 2:38 am
[...] imagine Malaysian Ministers saying that they have much to learn from Indonesia? NOT. Source : The Unspun Blog While it is National Bloggers day in Indonesia it is being rubbished here and the latest [...]
Leave a Comment
-
-
Recent Comments
Indonesian links
Other links
-
- http://rpc.technorati.com/rpc/ping
-
- _qacct="p-b4a__dwRAKUHA";quantserve();
-
My Photos
More Photos
October 27, 2007 at 10:54 pm
after this event, I realize that we are much luckier than malaysian and sporean bloggers…we have a minister who is very supportive to “perkembangan blog” in Indonesia…
and I would like to say thank to all committee…you all have done a great job, making a history!
Unspun: Firstly, thanks for the great photos and I took the liberty of grabbing it for my blog. Yes, we are lucky indeed and that’s what I love about this country. Our neighbors are not so lucky and you can sense respect in them for Indonesian bloggers and the government for yesterday’s initiative. See Rocky’s posting and the reaction from other Malaysian bloggers to see what I mean. I wonder what the reaction is in Singapore?
October 28, 2007 at 12:45 am
another great job for your team sir!
by the way do you by any chance endorse the nike
Unspun: Thanks. Don’t quite understand the question. If it means having Nike as a sponsor for future Pesta Bloggers, in principle yes to all companies who want to help support the development of blogging; but all of us are resting from yesterday’s big event and haven’t thought through the matter.
October 28, 2007 at 12:45 am
I think Indonesian blogger’s is lucky today because the minister of communication and information came from academician environment which support the freedom of speech. I couldn’t imagine Sofyan Djalil came to pesta blogger.
Unspun: Yes, we are indeed lucky here to have a cool dude for a Minister for Communications and Information
October 28, 2007 at 1:54 am
Dear Unspun,
On behalf of All-Blogs (Malaysia’s National Alliance of Bloggers), I would like to congratulate Indonesian bloggers (and its government) on the occasion of the Republic’s first National Bloggers Day.
We are encouraged by your achievement. We hope we’ll be able to emulate your achievement in the near future.
Ahirudin Attan
Protem President, All-Blogs
Unspun: Thanks Rocky. I’ve posted your felicitation in Pestablogger.com and I think one blogger has commented that we should invite you to Pesta Blogger 2008 if we organize one.
October 28, 2007 at 6:46 am
Congratulation to the Indonesian bloggers and the Indonesian government.
Great organizing job Unspun! Care to forward similar proposal to Pak Lah and see his response?
October 28, 2007 at 8:26 am
@Rocky: Thanks for the well wishes and I thank you on behalf of the Steering Committee of Pesta Blogger 2007. It was the enthusiasm of the Indonesian bloggers and the cool Minister, Muhammad Nuh, who made this possible.
Perhaps we should organize a get-together of Indonesian bloggers and Malaysian ones to promote understanding between the two countries? It’s been strained a lot recently and my feeling is that if we begin conversations with each other we’ll all get to a better level of understanding and comfort.
@cjcm: Thanks but my role was small. Enda Nasution as chairman brought in all the bloggers and Hanny Kusumawati as the Pesta Manager did all the work, and superbly too. Pak Lah considering a proposal? Don’t be cheeky.
October 28, 2007 at 8:30 am
I see the Indonesian government more far-sighted than the Malaysian government in declaring a National Bloggers’ Day. The key is engagement and not confrontation, which is what the Malaysian government appears to be advocating.
Congratulations to all the bloggers in Indonesia!
October 28, 2007 at 8:43 am
Congratulations to all Indonesian. Indeed a great day for blogger and the citizen of Indonesia. Your government is indeed farsighted on this new media. Blogging is hear to stay and its going to dominate our live in this millennium. I hope to be there when Indonesia celebrate the National Blogger’ Day next year.
Friends, this is a new tool for us all, so use it with wisdom and we all shall reaped the fruits of our thoughts. Have a nice day and take care.
October 28, 2007 at 1:31 pm
Hi there..
it was nice to meet you in person yesterday. I hope yesterday’s meeting will bring bloggers out there to speak their minds more freely
Unspun: Yaya. It was my pleasure too. Let’s hope we all helped start something enduring
October 28, 2007 at 2:10 pm
Bro Unspun,
I am game. Will take your proposal up with the All-Blogs exco. You will hear from me about this.
Unspun: Cool! Look forward to that day.
October 28, 2007 at 3:22 pm
I’m in on Unspun and Rocky’s game!
Unspun: The more the merrier!
October 28, 2007 at 4:55 pm
I think Yudhis was referring to the picture with your Nike sneakers, the ’swoosh’ being quite visible.
Unspun: Oh. Goblok gue. I got it on a sale and didn’t realize they were so prominent. Do you think I can get some money from Nike?
October 28, 2007 at 5:10 pm
Thumbs up for the committee (including your Maverick team).
When one faces the responsibilities to organize hundreds of bloggers–who, by nature, aren’t exactly easy to be organized–one’s first reaction might be to arm oneself with an arsenal of antiterrorist weaponry. But all of you managed to do so while still keeping the atmosphere fun. And real.
And that’s what’s blogging all about. Keeping it real. But also keeping it fun. The latter is one of the most important trait that may be another Indonesia’s advantage over other countries (besides the government support). A lot of us blog for fun. Which is why communities form easily, based on similar interests: because we’re having much more fun from sharing it with others.
But that may also be our disadvantages. This is why most of our blogs are just arrays of dull, random personal thoughts. Or day-to-day events. Things that are only fun and interesting for the writers. But not the readers. Only few of us have been able to combine our interests with others, in fields such as online marketing, current issues, technology, comedy, to enlighting voices regarding–in the words of Douglas Adams–life, the universe, and everything.
And I’m hoping in the next few years, the percentage will increase. Not just the quantity of the blogs, but also the quality of the content.
Let’s drink to that!
Unspun: I’m in on any activity that involves drinking. Seriously though, I hope more Indonesians would blog about the country in English. That way foreigners will get to see another side of Indonesia other than the terrorist-earthquake-tsunami-corruption-bombs headlines that CNN and other media delight in highlighting
October 28, 2007 at 9:50 pm
Selamat Pak Ong, untuk anda and your team
October 29, 2007 at 5:37 am
Crowded among Indonesian blogger, sadly I cannot come to Jakarta.
October 29, 2007 at 9:21 am
Way to go, Indonesia! It is such a 21st Century thing to do!
I believe Indonesia may be the first country to officially have a national bloggers day. (I googled and there was nothing to indicate that any other nation in the world has taken this step.) Congratulations to the Indonesian government for this benchmark action.
Indonesians must be exceedingly proud of their government for taking this lead. I know I would be if I were Indonesian.
October 29, 2007 at 5:02 pm
Hi Ong,
Congrats on such a great event. Historic. Landmark.. Hahaa… am I going over the top here.
But, why not?
Pesta Blogger is really incredible.Amazing.
And I keep seeing this line over and over again — that “we are lucky to have a Minister of COmmunication and Information like Muhammad Nuh”…
I’ll say!
I wonder…has our Zam ever met Muhammad Nuh and had a four-eyed meeting or anything like that?
Tahniah..congrats. Salute et al.
Proud of sahabat-sahabat kita di seberang…..
Unspun: Nuraina! How’s things cantik? Zam meeting Nuh…four eyes and how many minds did you say? Yeah, I think Nuh is cool and very open sort of a guy
October 29, 2007 at 5:45 pm
DIY spirit is never dies i guess.. congrats guys. cu in the next year’s pesta. waiting for the official jingle/song of indonesia blogger…and dont forget to copyright it
just in case..
October 30, 2007 at 12:36 am
Allow me to introduce Indonesia Blogging Network
Unluckily I couldn’t come. Just a noob and much absorbed in the development of Indonesia Blogging Network. It was initially intended to go along with the party as much as to bring alive the missing link of Asia Blogging in the centripetal way, but what can I say. A day too late. But late is better than never, isn’t it?
Now that the site is softly and almost silently launched last October 28, I hope it gives Indonesian bloggers a cozy place to socialize and network.
It’s currently Alpha, and so much work to do. Yet it has some nice networking features such as: Network, Forum, Private Messages, Linkshare, Hall of Fames, BlogParade, Webtool, Translation, Dictionary, Blog, Theme Showcase, Bookmarking, Aggregation, and a few more. The whole features will be alive hopefully when we are out of Beta.
You are very much welcome to join and build the network.
Lotsa thanks and awfully sorry, and please ignore if this shameless self promotion bothers.
Love, light n laughter
The Indonesia Blogging Team
October 30, 2007 at 1:28 pm
what an amazing event. wouldn’t be possible without unspun and his maverick team
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tya/1797386574/
October 31, 2007 at 4:21 pm
I never imagine that this event will be that big. You have a very briliant idea to arrange this events..
November 18, 2007 at 12:53 pm
I dont know what happened to Malaysia, blocking bloggers to spread information for the sake of “so-called” democracy.
In Indonesia, we even have our Defense Minister managing his own blog (personal blog), see at http://www.juwonosudarsono.com/
November 18, 2007 at 5:42 pm
@Nugroho: not only Juwono but at lest to other s blog – The Agriculture Minister Anton Apriyantono and Housing Minister Yusuf Asy’ari blog too. As I said somewhere else, one day the Malaysian ministers will wake up in panic because someone had moved the belacan.