BLOGAN

[KP Dhungana has written an entry about the birth of BLOGAN. At the time when the association is taking shape, it’s an interesting piece of history. I am here translating a bit of his entry and then adding my perspectives. The text in bold are translation of KP’s entry.] Continue reading…

Twenty-four! The number is certainly not very big, but whenever I look at the attendence of the Blog Meet IV and saw that 24 bloggers attended the April 21 gathering, I feel great. Not only because it was double than the biggest previous meeting, but because the discussion today led us to a new direction.

The most motivating factor was participation of Buddhi Narayan Shrestha, the border issue expert, who will surely prove a big motivator for all bloggers and six female bloggers.

Everybody agreed that we need a formal structure, although there was hot discussion whether is should be registered or not. Going through self-nomination process, KP Dhungana, Ghanshyam Ojha, Deepak Adhikari, Ram Prasad Dahal, Bishnu Dhakal, Rajendra Biswokarma, Avinashi Paudel, Mohd Tajim and Tapas Barsimha Thapa became the members of the working committee while I nominated Umesh Shrestha.

For now, until the formal structure is made, I will be co-ordinating the working committee. Thanks all for approving me for the responsibility.

The other major decision made today include giving kick-start to book publication. KP Dhungana will be co-ordinating the work while all of us agreed to help him by writing what he will ask for. All the bloggers will write their blogging experience (either English or Nepali), Deepak will write a chapter on Nepali Blogging History, I will write the chapter on international trend on blogging while Salik Shah and Mohd Tajim will write a practical guidelines of using blogger.com and WordPress respectively. Continue reading…

The Bloggers Meet for the month of Baisakh has been scheduled for April 21, 2007 (Baisakh 8, 2064). Please note that the meeting day in the second Saturday of the month, not the first as we usually used to meet. The first Saturday of the month is the first day of the New Year 2064 and I believe that is more for celebration than meeting.

In earlier meetings, we were around a dozen every time. That’s was not much encouraging and since many bloggers are saying they were not informed, I hope that this early information will work some magic and then we will be there in good numbers for a fresh start in new year.

I am also hoping that this meeting will not only be the biggest but also the most important than the previous meetings. In previous meetings, we talked about various aspects of Bloggers Association of Nepal (BLOGAN) and we (including KP Dhungana, Deepak Adhikari, Mohd Tajim and Umesh Shrestha – with whom I have talked about it) believe that this is now the right time to give a kick start (that is if we all bloggers want).

I hope that this time we will finalize the mission statement and take decisions on formal formation of BLOGAN and its future plans among other topics.

So, I request all the bloggers who are in Kathmandu to set aside that day for the sake of BLOGAN and please, please join us. We haven’t yet finalized the venue for the Freedom Forum we are using for meetings may be a little small if you all decide to join.

You can confirm your participation using the comments on this blog, or by mailing at bloganepal@gmail.com.

Welcome to all the bloggers!

The Blog Meet III looked like a failure to the few who reached the venue at the scheduled time. The earlier two meetings had attracted exactly 12 bloggers each time – though there were changed faces. On Saturday, when I reached the Freedom Forum, there were only three – Deepak, Rosha and Tajim; and it was already a few minutes past noon.

After some minutes, RP Dahal joined us – for the first time. And, KP Dhungana as usual said when I called him that he was ready to be scolded but was making to the venue in a few minutes.

I had a list of bloggers who informed me they couldn’t attend (the ISL) and then it was James Gomez, whom I had invited in the meeting, who called me saying that he was nearby. James, who is a Singaporean politician/writer/blogger, is in Nepal for his professional work and since we had been friends since meeting in Manila and Seoul, I invited him.

As he was coming, I asked Utshab, who was working in his office nearby, to come for half-an-hour, and he did it. Ghanshyam Khadka also made it. Tapas too arrived despite having family function as his home and that made 10 of us.

James talked about his own personal life and how he raised his profile. He started from his family background, writing on book called Shame of Singapore (on the self-censorship of the Singaporean press) and then moving to politics and all.

Then he suggested a few ideas for moving BLOGAN ahead including the writing an research based report on blogging history of Nepal (so that some foreigners can’t come to study blogs and mis-interpret) and then possibility of blog growth (in terms of number and role as the media) in coming years due to the political situation of Nepal.

It was indeed wonderful listening to James and we all appreciated his ideas for BLOGAN.

And, there were of course our regular talks about updates and all. We, after much discussion, agreed that it’s better for us to move ahead with a formal, registered organization rather than remaining a loose network. The idea was basically based on our future plans as we found that we won’t be able to work on the plans like conference and trainings.

And, we also talked on having very clear agenda and aims. KP took the responsibility of formulating the first draft for discussion (which will be sent to all Nepali bloggers and posted at NepaliVoices soon). Then there was issue of membership; I took the responsibility of drafting the membership criteria for discussion.

Then we also decided that to move forward on the web-hosting services. Initially, we have been offered the space of 25MB, top-level domain registration and pre-installed WordPress along with a number of themes and plugins for Rs. 2500 per year. All of us agreed it was cheaper and then we are moving ahead with the plan. It will be soon finalized.

Despite having a great meeting, something that we all felt pessimistic was the number of bloggers attending. Probably also because I only sent invitation on Friday, next time I will send invitation a few days earlier. The next meeting is of course the first Saturday of Baisakh, same venue same time.

Post about the Blog Meet III by other bloggers
Utshab Pokhrel
Deepak Adhikari
RP Dahal

James Gomez, a Singaporean blogger visiting Nepal for his professional work, was the guest of honor in the third meeting of Bloggers’ Association of Nepal (BLOGAN). He talked about his experience in blogging, the situation in Singapore, and suggested a few ideas to move BLOGAN forward. Continue reading…

Umesh Shrestha, the blogger behind hugely popular MySansar.com, has been threatened of ‘action within 24 hours if he publishes anything that directly or indirectly supports Maoists or terrorists’.

An email with subject line reading ‘last information’ by Maoists Defense Group, an anti-Maoists group not known so far, has threatened him. Bloggers Association of Nepal (BLOGAN) and NepaliVoices.com strongly condemn the threat and ask the who-so-ever behind it to let all the bloggers enjoy the ‘freedom of expression’. Continue reading…

If you want yourself to be different, then write differently so that people can enjoy you. And, its more true for us, the bloggers, when we write about the same event. The Bloggers Meet II held on Feb 17 at Freedom Forum was attended by 12 bloggers and some of them, and other, wrote about it – all in different, thus joyful to read, way.

Here is the list and links to those blog entries:

KP Dhungana in Harmoblog.com (in Nepali)

Has the summary of the decisions (so that we won’t forget it all)

1. Holding an international bloggers conference within a year
2. Awarding the best blog in 2008 evaluating all the blogs from 2007
3. Holding trainings to empower bloggers with technical knowledge
4. Publishing a book about blogging in Nepali

Although he calls in ambitious, he is optimistic that it could be fulfilled.

Deepak Adhikari in Deepak’s Diary

“…there emerged plans, agendas and more importantly the “can-do” attitude. Plans aside, what impressed me was Nepali bloggers’ willingness to interact. The meeting was not over even after it’s conclusion was announced. The best part for me was my trysts with hitherto invisible or barely visible bloggers in person. We have read them a lot, but haven’t seen face to face!…”

Keshav Koirala in Vashek’s Ramblings

Title: Bloggers & Jogis: They Are Alike
“Bloggers, enjoying all the paybacks of technology, and jogis, who apparently have renounced the worldiness and refused the physicalism–contrast. But they have one similarity, both are carefree. …”

Utshab Pokhrel in Afno Kura – The Stupid Feeling

“…the second meet of Bloggers also centered on promoting the Bloggers and the Blogging. There were some new faces as well as missing of some old faces who have met on the first meet. The discussion centered on the plans of future perspectives of blogging and holding the workshops, trainings to assist on the technical parts of blogging to the bloggers and to give ideas and general conceptions to the prospective bloggers. We also discussed about publishing a book about blogging, the short history of international blogging and the history of nepali blogging and about the nepali blogsphere. We also discussed on the matters of planning on the ideas of holding a conference probably on the beginning of 2008 and awarding best blogs in different segments…”

And, here is Anjesh‘s hope to attend (he didn’t, hopefully next month!)

“Don’t know what the discussion is about, maybe some experience sharing… Hope to attend tomorrow.”

THE SECOND BLOGGERS’ MEET IN KATHMANDU!

A few new faces, but the second bloggers’ meet held at Freedom Forum today had the same number of participants – 12. And, the best part of it was every participant was seen enjoying the talks and tea!

Discussion centered on plans for future that included holding blogging workshops, publishing a book about blogging and then the dream of holding a big bloggers’ conference in 2008 and awarding best blogs. Continue reading…