“Blogging Attitude” Youth Blogging Campaign

	Brain Storming on what to blog about

The objective of the training is to create awareness among participants on freedom of information through access to internet. Placing an emphasis on blogging, the training tried to promote the idea of freedom of expression among the participants. The training aimed for participants to appreciate the potential power of blog as communications tools and to produce their own blogs.

Student leaders from 9 schools around Kuala Lumpur area participated in a blogging training. With the support from the YMM Kepong Branch, we have got a good mixed of 1-2 representatives from each school that formed the 12 participants.

The training started off with a short survey to understand the penetration of blogging among our participants. The group is then lead through a group activity to bring about the awareness of self expression whereby each member was encouraged to share their views. The trainer summarized their points in the conclusion and lead to a brief introduction on freedom of information, whereby a good tool is blogging.

	Blogging: Freedom of Information, Freedom of Expression

After a tea break, the participants explored more into the power of blogging; stories of political and social changes were brought about by blog. The trainer went on to talk about blogging as the tool of freedom of expression and called for a brain storming session on what the participants wrote about and could write about. The participants have a good time comparing notes before some web2.0 blogging tools were introduced.

Many indicated their wishes to use these tools in the training session, whereby the organizers took the opportunity to invite them for a hand on training once the logistics worked out.

The group breaks for dinner after a brief Q & A session, which turned out more like a group discussion with the trainer namely Gideon Chiong (IT Head of YMM) and Yong Khai Wah, the vice president for training and an organizer for this blogging training.

From the fruitful discussion, although some participants already have a blog, most participants indicated they have the habit of reading other people’s blog but never get to write their own.

This training has opened their eyes to see blog from another angle, as most has perceived blog as a place where their friends talked about ‘useless things’. “Very soon, I run out of things to write,” one said. “I never know blog is so powerful!” said a participant after we told them the story about blogs that bring political changes in other country.

All participants said they wish to be able to create a blog in the training and put to use what they have learned. Some suggested creating a group blog by all members in the training as a motivation group.

The response received from this awareness training is more than encouraging as the participants have a bigger picture as to what a blog is, and what a blog can be.

The trainer saw a change of attitude, from seeing blog as information rubbish to a communication tools that they have access to, and further more to the eagerness to participate (through complaints of no internet access in class). Therefore, it is believed that the training has achieved the objective of creating awareness and motivating the participants to blog meaningfully.

However, a hand on experience is still the best way to nurture the habit of blogging. The bureau has talked to a few IT colleges to rent their facilities for future training. The organizer gained positive response from the participants for an online training and would invite them plus friends in future activities.

YMM plan to organize blogging training in December. Interested individual can obtain future activity announcement in both www.ymm.org.my and www.fnfmalaysia.org

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