Topic: Why do we blog?

Speakers: Wendy Cheng and Adrianna Tan

Blogging has become a part of many Singaporeans' lifestyles, especially among the young. Those who don't blog often wonder what drives these bloggers to expose their lives publicly on the internet. Interact with xiaxue and popagandhi, two very popular and influential young bloggers as they reveal what motivates them to keep blogging. They will also answer questions about how they deal with the privacy of friends and family, unwanted or unexpected readers, unkind comments and criticisms, and other issues that bloggers frequently face.

Topic: How do I blog safely?

Speakers: Lee Kin Mun and Daryl Sng

Are you a student who has blogged about unhelpful classmates, boring teachers, or irrational school policies? Or are you an employee of an organisation who has blogged about nasty customers, selfish colleagues, or your organisation's secrets? Due to the public nature of blogs, a few bloggers have got themselves into trouble because of what they've written in their blogs. Two local expert bloggers mr brown and Daryl Sng will be sharing how to use blogs to express our thoughts without getting into trouble. They will also touch on how educators and students alike can use blogging to enhance the teaching and learning experience.

Speaker: Wendy Cheng (Xiaxue)

Wendy Cheng is arguably the most well-known blogger in Singapore. Her blog (xiaxue.blogspot.com) has won numerous awards over the years, most recently clinching the best asian weblog award of the highly prestigious Webby Awards 2005. Her blog has opened up many opportunities for her, including numerous commercial endorsement deals and writing assignments. When not blogging, Wendy works as a freelance writer for a number of local publications, including The New Paper and Maxim.

Speaker: Adrianna Tan (popagandhi)

Adrianna Tan is a highly popular blogger with a cult following. Her blog (popagandhi.com) was a finalist for both the best Singapore blog award in the 2004 Asian Blog Awards and the best asian weblog of the prestigious Webby Awards 2005. Her blog has also been highlighted by some of the world's top bloggers, including Microsoft's Robert Scoble and Wired.com's Cult of Mac. Adrianna is currently an undergraduate at the Singapore Management University.

Speaker: Lee Kin Mun (mr brown)

Lee Kin Mun (mr brown) is probably the earliest well-known blogger in Singapore, blogging since the 90s, even before the word "blog" was coined. He is sometimes referred to as the "grandfather of Singapore blogging". His blog (mrbrown.com) won the best Singapore blog award in the 2004 Asian Blog Awards. Kin Mun is also well-known for his weekly column in TODAY newspaper. He works as a senior consultant at an multinational advertising agency.

Speaker: Daryl Sng

Daryl Sng's blogs enjoy a wide audience both locally and internationally. His main blog (dsng.net) was a finalist for the best Singapore blog award in the 2004 Asian Blog Awards. He runs other blogs, including a baseball blog (singaporesoxfan.com) and an arts blog (dsng.net/arts). Besides his blogs, he is most well known for being the winner of the "Singapore's Brainiest Scholar" gameshow. Daryl is an assistant director at a government ministry by day, and an amateur DJ by night.