By Anna Valmero
INQUIRER.net

THE proliferation of weblog tool and publishing platforms, such as Blogspot, Wordpress and its evolution to include multimedia content such as art sketches, photographs, music and video drove a shift in paradigm of publishing and sharing information. Everyone has power to become an author and publisher.

In the corporate space, executives use blogs to deliver opinion on the industry and information on their products and offerings. Then there’s the personal blog. For most of us, the blog has become the extension of dairies, chronicling personal events and a sentimental log of personal statements on almost anything. For some, it becomes a therapy to deal with pain or loss. Still, others try to provide entertainment by dishing out entries of a fictional, intelligent house help.

Sharing anecdotes, opinions or thoughts is inherent to us Filipinos. Given this and the blog, it is all but possible to turn the Filipino blogosphere as social catalyst for positive change. The act of blogging in itself is a form of struggle to express opinion.

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Editor’s Note: Updated and clarified quoted statement.

The Philippines’ first Wordcamp Philippines, a boot camp for free blogging platform Wordpress, nears, according to organizers.

Led by Mindanao-based bloggers, the Wordcamp Philippines aims to bring both users and developers of the Wordpress. It also aims to bring together Filipino enthusiasts using this platform for the first time.

According to this blog, the Wordcamp Philippines is scheduled to happen on September 6, 2008 at the College of St. Benilde in Metro Manila.

Wordcamp Philippines is organized by Mindanao-based bloggers Oliver Robillo, Maria Jose, Migs Hipolito, Winston Almendras and Andrew dela Serna.

Various Wordcamps have been held in the US and other parts of the world because it has become popular platform for web publishing.