The holidays that I had recently has been awesome and I can’t believe that I’ve accomplished so many things during this period of time. Firstly, I have been featured together with Calvin in the local newspaper, my paper <<我报>> which you can read more HERE.

During the holidays we have also accomplished setting up our website, Kanggie which is a social networking site targetting internet marketers, internet marketing enthusiasts and anybody interested to know about how to make money online. We are so thankful that we have set it up right before school started!

Here’s the other exciting thing, I was actually invited to go onto a local programme on TV called Shoot!. The show will be airing this thursday, 8pm on Singapore Chinese Channel U. t was a whole new experience for both me and Calvin. Though I was really disappointed that we couldn’t go onto the show together, it was still a great experience for the both of us - a closer touch to our ’stardom’. This touch of stardom came sooner than we expected and we are really thankful for the show producers and the expert panelists for noticing the both of us when we were featured in the newspaper article.

The topic was on Blogging and how blogs are being utilised in many ways. From being an online diary to an informational site to one that was being utilised by aspiring entrepreneurs to create their own businesses. There are many people who are making use of their blogs to sell products and to advertise their services in graphics design etc. For instance, how Calvin and I have made use of the blogs that we have set up to help us market informational products. All these activities that we are involved is called “Internet Marketing”. We are definitely proud that we are made ‘ambassadors’ of this trend that is starting to rise only in Singapore now, though in the US, it is a rather huge industry already.

Anyway, the show was hosted by Dasmond Koh and Quan Yi Fong with Janice Ng on the expert panels. Guests included myself, my friend Chong Tak (who was coincidentally on the show!!!) and star and proud bimbo blogger, Xiaxue and infamous entertainer Steven Lim (which you should read with caution). It was interesting to understand the planning that goes behind the production of an episode of the show. Professionalism was at its peak and I was just amazed at how confident the hosts are on the show and the crew behind the show, who unfortunately can go unnoticed for their efforts..

And something amusing cropped up between Dasmond and Xiaxue’s blogs, which you might want to check out! Well, I must say that Xiaxue’s professionalism was tested at the show and well, I can’t blame the hosts for wanting to stir some controversy on the show with the obvious animosity between Xiaxue and Steven Lim. Frankly, as a 3rd party and fellow guest on the show, I can either choose to think that Steven and Xiaxue were both there to shamelessly gain publicity for themselves as icons or star bloggers or just think that the both of them have really ’substantial’ points to make about well, themselves. Lol! It’s for you to decide. But anyhow, I think Dasmond’s reply to Xiaxue was aptly done.. (patricia wonders, “but then again, is it just for publicity again?”) ;) Watch the show and catch the content of our discussion which revolves around blogs and what people seek to achieve with it.

Well, don’t forget to catch the show, Shoot! on Channel U, this Thursday 20 September 2007 at 8pm! There’s a re-run at 11.30pm i think! Just in case you can’t catch the earlier one.

Here are a couple of photos which capture the bliss that I felt at the recording day:

Me and Dasmond, who I really adored when he was deejaying for 933FM.

Quan Yi Fong, one of the wittiest Chinese hosts that I know in Singapore TV.

That’s Chong Tak! Look how ‘terrified’ i look standing beside ahem.. Steven Lim.

Janice, one of the Chinese newcasters on Channel 8. She’s really superb and friendly. Amazingly bilingual too!!!

Lastly, Calvin was with me, supporting me as I made my way through with broken Chinese yet sounding superbly confident (amazingly to me).

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I was reading a past article on the Straits Times’ Digital Life section and was quite intrigued by the topic “Do bloggers and readers, need a code of conduct?”

Everyone regards the internet as a tool for them to communicate as well as at the same time, allow them to conceal their real identity. People can thus freely air their views online without fear of ever being identified. But this poses as a real danger to people, especially the young ones because information posted on their blogs may indirectly affect or influence the ideas of people who read it.

Do you agree with the statement, “Bloggers need a code of conduct, be it formalised or unwritten”?

Personally, I feel that it is unnecessary. If there were such a code of conduct, it’s going to restrict a lot of freedom on what people can write about, give their opinions or basically bitch about. The code of conduct serves as a boundary for bloggers because now, they would have to take into consideration the consequences of what they blog or say. It may make blogging seem more rigid.

That however implementing the code is not naturally bad. Words can be hurtful especially if it were directed for just impulsive and petty reasons, can thus be prevented (but i doubt it can prevent much). Moreover, bloggers who come under the fire of readers for their opinions would thus more protected by the online community, so long as they abide by the code.

Perhaps the code of conduct will serve to protect the bloggers more than the readers especially if it was implemented to protect bloggers from criticisms and attacks from blog readers. But one must recognise that these days, blog readers are also quite vengeful in the words that they leave as comments on the blogs.

I certainly think that it’s good for people to observe basic online etiquette such as leaving your name and contact email if you were to leave a comment on a blog and perhaps bloggers can also be more aware and self-impose a code of conduct on themselves (where they don’t blog vulgar, toooooo personal and too obscene stuff).

It’s good to make sure that the online community is a safe haven for people to be in. Because only then, can interactions online be fun, enjoyable and interesting amongst bloggers and blog readers.

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Frankly, the Internet is one of the most useful tools for people to just enhance their marketability online. Be it to market their own services, products or even themselves as a friend or potential partner! The power and benefits of the Internet are slowly combining and boosting the importance of e-commerce to companies today.  

Recently, there has been a lot of queries as to what I’m actually doing online. What Internet Marketing is all about and basically, people are interested to know is it really possible to earn money online?

The answer is YES.

So how do I begin with it?

I’ll simply just say - easy way out is to start a blog. But people remain skeptical and wondering how a blog can actually be used as a profitable tool. In fact, they ask me, aren’t you suppose to set up a website instead? Blogs are for personal uses!

Well, that distinction is blurring really quickly.

Blogs are becoming the most common online communication methods of people and it reaches out to millions of others. It enhances a person’s online presence, brands an individual and affects people’s impression of a company, product or service that the blogger is promoting.

Blogs can accomplish what normal websites cannot. Blogs are 2-way communication tools that allows your blog visitors to communicate with you, the blogger through comments. The availability of RSS (Really Simple Syndication) allows readers to subscribe to the blog and be automatically updated when new content is added. It keeps your blog visitors in the loop of what’s happening on your blog!

Websites don’t really allow this because their basic function is just to provide information to its visitors, though now website owners are adding the RSS feeds to allow subscribers to receive updated contents.

Blogs are easy to set up and doesn’t involve the complexities of HTML or coding required when setting up a website. You don’t need to be inclined in graphics design or website design to set up a blog. Blogs are text-oriented and you can easily download blog skins which immediately give your blog your own unique design!

Interactivity online is something that really encourages a lot of people to come online and remain online. Blogs allow you to accomplish this. You can communicate and meet with new people through your blogs more easily. Websites do not really give you this flexibility because it is simply the posting of information online.

So how do you host your blog?

There are free blogging platforms that you might have already heard of such as Blogger and Wordpress. You definitely can host your blog on a reliable webhost. With your webhost, you’ll be sure that all that you upload can be easily retrievable and you can upload as much stuff onto your website such as videos, images etc.

So start blogging today and find out more about monetizing your blog over HERE!

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I love meeting new people, establishing relationships and making new friends! It’s a passion that I have - being someone for other people. I don’t mind if it’s just an acquaintance for a couple of hours. What’s most important to me is that I can draw lessons from the person and likewise, he/she is touched by just that time knowing me.

I was reading an article by Leslie Goh on the Straits Times Digital Life (a local newpaper section) some time back and I pinned it up on my noticeboard to serve as a reminded on what I want Kanggie to be.

It’s funny how Leslie mentioned that “the digital world is made up of 2 kinds of people - those who are on a social network and those who are not”! How true is that? I think I mentioned in my earlier posts about the Social Networking Frenzy that is taking place online. So many people are either members of popular social networking sites such as MySpace, Friendster or Facebook that if you’re not in either one, well, you’re missing out on a lot online!

But I know of some people who have joined other social networking sites which may not be as popular and as viral as the above 3. These are niche social networks and one of them is LibraryThing. Niche social networking sites let you meet people who have the same interest as you do. It’s really great because you can find likeminded friends and basically let your interest be the foundation of your relationship or friendship! And I totally agree with Leslie that “There are social networks and online communities for just about anything imaginable” and “It’s a powerful thing, this sense of belonging”.

I discovered this at my very own site, Kanggie where everyone is there to just get to know people and well, to learn at the same time. Most of the people at the site have a common interest - to learn to make money online and to do so at the site! It’s amazing how people can just start a relationship and develop a friendship almost immediately with the common interest.

If you are interested to explore the site and get to know more people with the common interest, hop into Kanggie now!

Here’s something from Leslie’s article which I believe sums up perfectly: “Social network sites, then are an extension of tribal need to commune and communicate with others. And ultimately to feel a sense of kinship with those who are somewhat like you.”

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