I first read of this from the omniscient bunny, usagijen. I’ve also only read of the online registration from hazy (thank you very much). Since I recently discovered that there’s a limit of only 350 participants (also from hazy), I also rushed to register (just like her).

I’ve been using WordPress for more than two years: I started blogging about anime in my old domain here (hosted by WordPress) before Maestro, benevolent overlord of Animeblogger.net offered to host for me. Even with that span of time, I only know the basic elements of this blogging software. Although I think I’ve graduated from being an absolute beginner, I still don’t know much about the workings of WordPress, and would like to know more. I’m hoping that this ‘camp’ will provide that.

In addition, I also would like to meet fellow co-bloggers and socialize with them. I believe that this experience will hone my skills in blogging and also in tweaking my blog to perform better. Like hazy and usagijen, I hope I’ll make it.

Just to recap, the event is WordCamp Philippines 2008 (more information can be found in the link), and it will be held on September 6, 2008, from 9 am to 6 pm at Augusto-Rosario Gonzalez Theater 5th Floor, Mutien Building, De La Salle - College of St. Benilde, Taft Avenue, Manila. Thanks also go to Mindanao Bloggers for allowing this event to take place.

The sponsors of this event include:

• i.PH: the Domain for Individuals
• Free Online Flash Games
• Wazzup Manila Philippines
• Real Estate CRM
• Real Estate Website Designers
• Orange County Real Estate
• Auto Insurance Quotes
• Lane Systems Inc.
• RedMedia
• Orange County Business Lawyer

First and foremost, I appreciate everyone who has nominated me as Most Thought-Provoking Blog in the Anime Blog Awards. I truly appreciate the support, and I am truly grateful. I wouldn’t have been here without your support. This is certainly one of the pinnacles in my career as an anime blogger.

But it hopefully doesn’t stop there. I would like your vote. However, I don’t have the loudness, the controversy, the establishment, or the degree that my competitors have. (In truth, I don’t have much to go for me.) However, I can say that I have written regarding anime (dating from my very first blog) for more than two years already, and I have tried my best to write posts in such a way as to foment discussion and critical thinking. While I have been successful for the most part (at least, that’s what most of my comments and commentators say), I have also had fiascos occur at times. I try to be very honest as a writer, and sometimes the emotions do get in the way, but I have tried to be consistent as a writer that provokes thought (even before the awards were started).

What do I have for me?

1. I have tried to create a niche within the anime niche by the juxtaposition of anime with different media: most of the time, however, the medium of comparison I have used is literature or cinema;
2. I believe I have been open with regard to my life in general, and as even just as a blogger I’m very proud of that;
3. I believe I am the only Filipino blogger who has qualified for voting among all the categories (so vote for me, kababayan!);
4. I attempt to deliver a message as concisely as possible (but I fail at times);
5. I have never deleted any post detrimental to me, any critical comment, or anything negative that has been posted; I have been very open to opinions and change them when I become convinced that to change is better; I have tried to be nice whenever I reply to my commentators (although I don’t think I can be as nice as Jeff); finally, I have no gimmickry with regard to my writing (except for this one, and for my link posting on IRC): I have rarely written articles that were made simply to incite and created no unnecessary drama.

I think those mean something.

If you’re still unconvinced, however, I will write fifteen posts in the span of fifteen days which hopefully will convince you. While they will discuss and traverse different territories of anime and manga, I hope that at the very least one of them will convince the blogger/reader reading this to vote for me.

Cheers.

… I promise I will post pictures. Those two previous posts were written with a clear mind devoid of images from Danbooru or anywhere else (I had no Internet back home), so I present them to you as that - just as a body of text hopefully possessing coherence and cogency.