June 30, 2008

Webwednesday.hk - One of Hong Kong's top websites?

This blog, WebWednesday.hk, was recently listed as one of Hong Kong's top websites in "Net Pickings", an article by David Wilson published in the South China Morning Post's weekend magazine. (Sorry not link available as all articles closed to non-subscribers). From a traffic perspective, I'm sure this is not true but appreciate the attention and flattery anyhow.

Here is the introduction from David's article:

"Hongkongers seeking information, like-minded friends or simply to vent their spleen are catered to in abundance online. David Wilson compiles a list of the top 20 local websites.

In keeping with the buzz on its streets, Hong Kong has a humming presence on the Web. The city's digital suburbs have many interesting drawcards - biting satire, an engaging community, investment advice with a twist, even pretty pictures.

Consider the following list of top Hong Kong websites as a public service, saving residents and visitors the hassle of wandering aimlessly around cyberspace. The sites featured below either have high online traffic or content that is engrossing, amusing, daring or that simply makes life easier. Bloggers are heavily represented in this list, thanks partly to volume. Jennifer McLean, a spokeswoman for the blog search engine site Technorati, says the internet hosts 2,000 Hong Kong-tagged English-language blogs".

And the description of this blog:

"More than just a hub for tech talk, Web Wednesday serves as a forum for anyone involved in the online social-networking industry. The site is run by the indefatigable Napoleon Biggs, an internet entrepreneur and sinologist. It blends the geeky with the polemic and includes a video clip on nationalism and how the Chinese and outsiders see the Middle Kingdom".

Much appreciated, David. Particularly liked the description as being "indefatigable" (Had to look it up) and only wish it applied to all aspects of my life, like child-rearing!

Other sites listed in the SCMP article are : Hong Kong Disneyland, Mister Bijou, Hong Kong Airport Shuttle, Hong Kong Crawler, Discover Hong Kong, Zorpia, Xanga, Lamma, Glutter, Hongkie Town, Batgung, Ordinary Gweilo, The Underground, Big White Guy, aNobii, Hong Kong Outdoors, Cloudless, Hemlock's Diary and Bullpoo.

Yes, the list is skewed to the English reader but does include local bilingual sites as well. Would be interesting to see a list of the popular local Chinese sites if anyone wants to post it here.


June 27, 2008

Digital Media promotes Web Wednesday V14.0

And here's our event announcement ad banner, created by Beansbox Studios, that has appeared on Digital Media's weekly enewsletter that goes out to 20,000 subscribers and Media Magazine's enewsletter that reaches 16,000 readers across Asia. A bit cheeky, I admit, but why not?

Digital Media's new website

A little plug for one of our sponsors, DigitalMedia, who now have a spanking new website and have taken the daring step of registering it under a DotAsia domain, namely "digitalmedia.asia". In fact, the URL redirects to brandrepublic.asia/DigitalMedia as they are part of Haymarket's BrandRepublic media empire, originally from the UK.


The new site is crisp and easy to navigate and is heading in the web 2.0 direction, with blogs (not yet live), story rankings (most popular, most emailed and most read - again not active yet), tag clouds and a vodpod widget for sharing their preferred videos - a clever but cheeky way to get video content on the site!

Do bookmark the site and drop by regularly for the lastest digital news, analysis and opinion from Asia's client marketers and digital specialists. Alternatively, once they get their RSS feeds up, just subscribe for your daily dose of all things digital...in Asia.

June 26, 2008

Web Wednesday - Social Mixer V14.0 (2nd July)

Calling all Asian Digerati (Yes, that means you too!).

Welcome to all new comers of the Web Wednesday community, which has now reached 643 members working in the internet and digital media space across Asia.

Given the turmoil in global financial markets over the past six months, I thought it would be fitting to discuss money and how the internet helps us make (and lose it) at our next Social Mixer (V14.0) on Wednesday 2nd July, from 6pm to 9:30 pm.

Our guest speaker will be Chris Justice, Managing Director of Quamnet, Hong Kong's leading financial portal. Due to popular demand, I'll be reverting to the casual sofa-style interview with Chris, with no powerpoint presentations, and will also delve into his past as the man behind the start of the South China Morning Post's venture into the internet (scmp.com) back in 1996 and also his experiences co-founding Asiacontent.com (no link, sorry), an Internet media and advertising company which was listed on NASDAQ in early 2000.

We will run a fun contest at the event, where you could win one of these prizes:

Prize 1 : Quam Financial Advisory x 6 mths (worth $1,920)
Prize 2 : Quamnet Email ad x 1 time (worth $35,000)
Prize 3 : Quam Money Full Page Ad ($15,000)

All guests welcome so do bring your stock-picking granny to share her online trading expertise!

If you wish to join our bustling community, either send me an email or sign up for the Web Wednesday Group on Facebook. Looking forward to seeing old faces and meeting many new ones!

In the meantime, you can listen to past interviews here, see past event photos on our flickr group or follow our thought stream on twitter.

A special thanks to the people and companies who support this event:

1. Q97 lounge club - spacious, groovy venue and welcome complimentary cocktail.
2. The Hyperfactory - SMS contest, mobile website and coupon download.
3. Outblaze - social collaboration software.
5. Beansbox - email and logo design.
6. Epsilon Interactive - email marketing platform.
7. Asia Digital Marketing Association - official industry endorser.
8. Palava Digital - Event Organiser (Napoleon's company)
9. Digital Media - promotion to its reader database.

June 19, 2008

US$347,043 raised via SMS

On this blog, I try to keep track of new and interesting uses of technology. Strangely enough, many of these uses happen during times of crisis, be it natural or man-made disasters.

SARS created belief in working remotely and using the internet, mainly email, skype and IM, to communicate with colleagues, clients and loved ones...without breathing on them!

Now the Sichuan earthquake has shown how the internet can be used to keep people updated via Twitter micro-blogging, blog and BBS postings as well as video and other forms of current internet activity, like Google maps mash-ups.

In a posting on May 30th, I cited a campaign by Hong Kong's Wireless Technology Industry Association to raise funds for the Sichuan Earthquake by merely sending an SMS. In one single day (June 17th), the Hong Kong public sent 110,000 SMS which led to a donation of HK$2,770,000 - or US$347,043 - to the “512 Artistes Fund Raising Campaign” (演藝界512關愛行動).

The WTIA Executive Committee then added a further donation of HK$27,700. Good on yer!


June 13, 2008

Social Mixer V13.0 draws a caring crowd

This past event drew a smaller (still a respectful 80 or so) but different crowd. On top of learning about Relief.Asia and it's disaster-supporting technologies from innnovative Edmon Chung, many had come to hear about The Library Project and how it's pioneering founder, Tom Stader, had managed to set up and run a charity in China.

Tom's photos and wonderful keynote slides kept the audience under wraps for over 30 minutes. We will be posting his slides here and on the Web Wednesday Group on slideshare within the next few days.

Apart from the usual networking and "advancing the digital cause", I was very proud to achieve our main goal for this event, which was to generate funding for The Library Project. Within the period of 24 hours, Tom had received funding commitments for 3 rural school libraries and HK$5,100 in cash donations!


June 11, 2008

Online Charity - Bid for Buddha!

Calling all digerati! A gentle reminder to come along to tonight's social mixer (our 13th) starting at 6:30 pm chez Q97, Basement, California Tower, Lan Kwai Fong.
As the speaker topic is online charity, we'll be holding a live auction for the highly desirable and collectible buddha machine - even Guy Kawasaki wanted one! - generously provided by Zendesk who "bring web 2.0 to the help desk industry".



Opening bid is HK$250. All monies will go to The Library Project to pay for school books in China.

To get a free drink, don't forget to show your mobile coupon - download from our mobile website, m.webwednesday.hk - at the door

回头见!

Napoleon Biggs
Founder & Convener of Web Wednesday - Asia's Premier Internet Community

June 10, 2008

Fund raising via Twitter works!

At 11:10 pm last night, I used my mobile phone to post a fund-raising plea on Web Wednesday's Twitter channel to cover the cost of Tom Stader's flight from Xian to Hong Kong, who's flying down here on behalf of his charity, The Library Project.

Within 30 minutes, I'd received a sponsorship confirmation via SMS! OK, so the sum is not large - under HK$3,000 - but it worked!

And the generous sponsor? None other than Marcel Ekkel, who runs his own project management consultancy, SynergySynQ. Marcel deserves a little plug for his growing business which he describes as, "SynergySynQ synqronizes strategy and execution via consultancy, training and people in the field of project, portfolio and program management". And his giving doesn't stop there, apparently Marcel is also planning to "Adopt a Library".

Your'e a star, Marcel! Let's hope tomorrow's Web Wednesday event draws more of you generous givers out of the digital woodwork!

June 6, 2008

Digital Media promotes Web Wednesday V13.0

And here's the banner, created by Belle's team at Beansbox, that will be going out on Digital Media's weekly enewsletter that reaches 20,000 readers.

June 2, 2008

Social Media - What is it all about?

"Social media, tell me more. Is it that thing called, 'Facebook'?" A question put to me by an Irish aunt who's just got on skype (and loves to banter!). So here's one of the simplest explanation I've seen, produced by the people at Common Craft:

Locked into to Uniqlo Japan

Fascinating and strangely mesmerising use of music, dance and a simple clock by Uniqlo, a Japanese clothes brand.