I’m a Google Addict

"Hi. I’m Janette Toral. I’m a Google Addict. Help!

My infatuation with Google started with its search engine. Like an ideal lover, it answered all my inquiries without hesitation and with a high level of accuracy. A sense of attachment developed when it launched Gmail, the free 2 gigabyte e-mail service. Like a lot of Yahoo Mail’s ardent lovers, I downgraded my relationship with Yahoo Mail to back-up, visited when only needed. That is, whenever my primetime love, Gmail, becomes unavailable - which is so rare actually.

However, Google enchanted me to a longer term and more serious relationship when it launched Google Sitemap, AdSense, AdWords, and it bought Blogger and YouTube.

The feeling of being so dependent to one love for the most of your Internet life is so scary. Then, the inevitable happened, I have consumed my 2 gigabyte Gmail account and now I’m confused, as my love supposedly said, I don’t have to delete any of my e-mails. I’m heart broken. I felt betrayed and fooled.

What should I do?"

---

Of course, the above is more of me trying to humor myself. But I am indeed having a hard time to decide which of my emails should be deleted for good.

Google, slowly creeping our top 2006 websites, I realize, is setting a high level of expectation from Internet users who are becoming more comfortable with its service.

Can Google really sustain its leadership? Let’s see.

On another note, I just found out that one of our club member, Aileen Apolo, is now Google’s Philippines Country Consultant. Although she is not in liberty to discuss Google's plan in the country, it is great to know that the company is taking the Philippines seriously.

One Internet Day Davao - A Success!

My sincerest thanks to everyone who took the time to join us in One Internet Day Davao yesterday! Our sincerest thanks to DTI-Davao and Association of Solution Integrators in Davao for making this event a success!

Blog and news about One Internet Day Davao:

• One Internet Day Davao (Alleba)

One Internet Day Davao photos and presentation materials are now online.

Thanks to 1 guest who signed up as a member of the DigitalFilipino.com Club in Davao!

Thank you for supporting One Internet Day Manila!

Thank you so much to friends who passed by and supported our One Internet Day Manila event. The photos and presentations are now online

Blog and news about One Internet Day Manila:

• DigitalFilipino.com celebrates 7th anniversary (Manila Bulletin)
• Blogging and the DigitalFilipino (Manila Bulletin)
  
• One Web Day (Jimmy Soriano)
• One Internet Day (Maoi Arroyo)
• Liveblogging from the One Internet Day, Manila (The J Spot)
• ONE INTERNET DAY ON SEPT 19, 2006 (Adrian)
• Building Buzz with Blogs (Noemi Lardizabal Dado)
• Blogger Stats for Metro Manila (The J Spot)
• 1st Philippine BlogCon and 1 Internet Day (Ernesto Sonido)

Thanks to 5 guests who signed up as a member of the DigitalFilipino.com Club in Manila!

Special cheers to the Department of Trade and Industry directors Ludy Yaptinchay, Domingo Bagaporo, Jeanette Carrillo, and the DTI IT Team for taking time to grace and support our event!

September 22: One Internet Day 2006 Davao

DigitalFilipino.com is now on its 7th year. We are celebrating this by holding a One Internet Day event on September 22, Friday, from 1:10 pm to 6 pm, at Sequioia Inn, 7274 Monteverde Avenue, Davao City. Our theme for this year is "E-Commerce Build-up for SMEs".

This is in partnership with the Department of Trade and Industry ICT Business Development Team. This is also supported by the Association of Solution Integrators in Davao (ASID).

The program is as follows:

12:00 - 1:10 Registration

1:10 - 1:40 Keynote: E-Commerce for National Competitiveness and Policy Updates (Janette Toral, DigitalFilipino.com)

1:40 - 2:00 Introduction of ASID members and updates

2:00 - 3:00 Panel: State of E-Payment in the Philippines

• Terecy Chia, YesPayments
• Elaine Carr, Innove
  

3:00 - 5:00 Panel: New E-Commerce Opportunities

• Emmanuel Amador, InfoWeapons
• Rodney Jao, Lane Systems
• Chris Cubos
• Oliver Robillo
• Marc Javellana

5:00 Raffle and Networking

This event is by-invitation only and to DigitalFilipino.com Club Members. Thank you for supporting DigitalFilipino.com!

September 20: One Internet Day 2006 Cebu

DigitalFilipino.com is now on its 7th year. We are celebrating this by holding a One Internet Day event on September 20, Wednesday, from 1:10 pm to 6 pm, at Raja Hall, Raja Park Hotel, Fuente Osmeña, Cebu City. Our theme for this year is "E-Commerce Build-up for SMEs".

This event is in partnership with Prime Software, CyberPromdi, and Department of Trade and Industry ICT Business Development Team.

The program is as follows:

12:00 - 1:10 Registration
1:10 - 1:15 Welcome (Janette Toral, DigitalFilipino.com)

1:15 - 1:45 Keynote: E-Commerce for National Competitiveness and Policy Updates (Provincial Director Nelia F. Navarro, Department of Trade and Industry)

1:45 - 2:15 Internet Enabling Business Software Solutions: New Trends in Client-Server Web Computing (Mike Jurado, Prime Software)

2:15 - 3:00 Panel: State of E-Payment in the Philippines (YesPayments, Innove)

• Terecy Chia, YesPayments
• Jasmine Garrido, Innove
  

3:00 - 4:00 Panel: New E-Commerce Opportunities

• Mike Ladios, IPVG
• Lawrence Hughes, InfoWeapons
• Sheryl Ygay, Sun.Star

4:00 - 5:00 Panel: Making E-Commerce Work

• Grace Tortor, AboitizLand
• Dann Diez
• Jun Barretto

5:00 CyberPromdi Re-Launch (Frederick Amores)

This event is by-invitation only and to DigitalFilipino.com Club Members. Thank you for supporting DigitalFilipino.com!

September 19: One Internet Day 2006 Manila

DigitalFilipino.com is now on its 7th year. We are celebrating this, in partnership with the Department of Trade and Industry ICT Business Development Team, by holding a One Internet Day event on September 19, Tuesday, from 1:10 pm to 7 pm, at the e-Library 2/F AIM ACCEED Benavides St. corner Paseo De Roxas, Makati City (Greenbelt). Our theme for this year is "E-Commerce Build-up for SMEs".

The program is as follows:

12:00 - 1:10 Registration
1:10 - 1:15 Welcome (Janette Toral, DigitalFilipino.com)

1:15 - 1:30 Keynote: E-Commerce for National Competitiveness (Director Ludy Yaptinchay, Department of Trade and Industry)

1:30 - 2:00 Data Privacy and E-Commerce (Director Domingo I. Bagaporo, Board of Investments)
Awarding of Plaques to the principal drafters of DAO #8

• Atty. JJ Disini
• Atty. Lindy Gavino
• Janette Toral

2:00 - 2:30 Building Buzz with Blogs (Maoi Arroyo, Hybridigm Consulting)

2:30 - 3:30 Panel: State of E-Payment in the Philippines

• Erick Kalugdan, Load.com.ph
• Terecy Chia, YesPayments
• Danison Ofrecio, Innove
  

3:30 - 4:30 Panel: New E-Commerce Opportunities

• Enrique Gonzalez, IPVG
• Emmanuel Amador, InfoWeapons
• Erville Magtubo, ePLDT

4:30 - 5:30 Panel: Making E-Commerce Work

• Joy Ting, Boma Corp
• Charlie Gaw, Acclaim Butterflies

5:30 - 7:00 Networking and Raffle

This event is by-invitation only and to DigitalFilipino.com Club Members. Thank you for supporting DigitalFilipino.com!

Dotcom entrepreneurs shared their growth experience

Hi everyone. Our DigitalFilipino.com Podcast Episode 5 is now online featuring DigitalFilipino.com Club Members and dotcom pioneers Jay Frank De Jesus of TitikPilipino.com and Jovel Cipriano of PinoyDelikasi.com. This kicks off our celebration for the June ICT month and 6th anniversary of Republic Act 8792 or the Philippines E-Commerce Law.

or download it

DigitalFilipino Podcast Episode 4

Hi everyone. Our DigitalFilipino.com Podcast Episode 4 is now online featuring DigitalFilipino.com Club Members Rodney Jao (Davao), Dann Diez (Cebu), Stephanie Caragos (Cagayan De Oro), and ePLDT.com about its latest offering for SMEs.

or download it

DigitalFilipino.com Podcast Episode 2

Welcome to the 2nd episode of the DigitalFilipino.com Podcast. This is made possible by AboitizLand and Creative Voices.

The twice-a-month DigitalFilipino Podcast has the following segments for this 2nd episode:

- DigitalFilipino.com Updates (iBlog2 and Philippine Schools Cyberfair 2006 thanks)
- Chat with Janette with DigitalFilipino.com Club Member: Peachy Herrin (talk about Pinay blogging experience and Pinay G-Spot) and Brian Ligsay (on 5 steps to podcasting)
- DigitalFilipino Events (AboitizLand launches Kishanta and experience in selling real estate online)
- Ask Janette

For this episode, the following articles can be read in reference:
- How to setup you very own Podcast in 5 easy steps
- Team Leadership
- Website design standards and guidelines
- Books cited: (Designing Interfaces: Patterns for Effective Interaction Design and Behind Closed Doors: Secrets of Great Management)

For future episodes, we will have more club members to be featured.

Feel free to send your recorded messages and we might just play them in the next episode.

Thank you for the support! Listen to the podcast now!

(from DigitalFilipino Podcast Home)

April 20: E-Payment and Internet Marketing workshop

This April 20, Thursday, 10 am to 5 pm, we will be having an E-Payment and Internet Marketing Hands-on Workshop for the winners of the Philippine Schools Cyberfair 2006 and DigitalFilipino.com Club members. This will be at Netopia Park Square 2 Ayala Center, Makati City.

The agenda shall be as follows:

AM
Introduction to E-Payment
Hands-on E-Payment Workshop
- E-Mail billing
- Web-based Internet Payment
- Mobile phone payment
- Avoiding and Handling Fraud

PM
E-Mail Marketing
Web Advertising

Philippine School Cyberfair 2006 Winners can send three teachers to this training. Runner-ups can send two teachers. Honorable mention can send one teacher. Additional training requirements are stated in our announcement at the Cyberfair mailing list.

DigitalFilipino.com Club SME/Corporate members can send 2-3 participants. Individual members are also welcome.

Non-club members are requested to process their membership fee payment online prior to confirming.

Thank you.

April 17: Blogging 101 Seminar-Workshop

This April 17, Monday, 9 am to 5 pm, we will be having a Blogging 101 Workshop for the winners of the Philippine Schools Cyberfair 2006 and DigitalFilipino.com Club members. This will be at Microsoft Philippines, 16th Floor 6750, Ayala Ave., Makati City.

Our sincerest thanks to Microsoft Philippines for providing us a venue for the said training.

The agenda shall be as follows:

AM
Introduction to Blogging
Setting up a Blog
Content development ideas
Copyright guidelines

PM
Promoting your blog
Sustaining a blog site

Philippine School Cyberfair 2006 Winners can send three teachers and three students to this training. Runner-ups can send two teachers and two students. Honorable mention can send one teacher and one student. Additional training requirements are stated in our announcement at the Cyberfair mailing list.

DigitalFilipino.com Club SME members can send 3 participants while corporate club members can send 4 participants. Individual club members are welcome to attend as well.

To further strengthen the knowledge on blogging, all participants are encouraged to make time to attend iBlog2: The 2nd Philippine Blogging Summit on April 18.

Pinoy Web 2.0

Lately, I got the chance to meet Peachy Herrin of PinoyWeb 2.0 who is also organizing an event promoting awareness on Web 2.0 this April 17 to 19.

Presentations: E-Commerce Track at E-Services Philippines

Here are the presentations delivered by club members during the E-Services Philippines E-Commerce Track event last February 17:

• E-Business Revisited: from E-Commerce to Service Digitization (by Jan Pabellon)
  
• E-Commerce Case Study: TitikPilipino (by Jay Frank De Jesus)
  
• E-Commerce Case Study : MyUSMailBox (by Randy Manaloto)
  
• E-Commerce Payment Solutions: YesPayments (by Paul Hubbard, YesPayments.com)
  
• E-Commerce Payment Solutions: PayFree (by Erick Kalugdan, PayFree.com.ph)
  
• E-Commerce Payment Solutions: YOSSN.com (by Encarnacion May, YOSSN.com)
  
• High-Tech Loyalty Marketing (by Yayu Javier)
  
• E-Commerce and IPV6 (by Lawrence Hughes, InfoWeapons)
  
• E-Commerce to the EDGE (by Miko Valerio)
  
• Challenges in Online Journalism (Nini Cabaero, Sun.Star Online)

Our sincerest thanks to all DigitalFilipino.com Club members who never hesitated in sharing their knowledge.

Registration Closed: February 17: Free E-Commerce Briefing

Hello everyone. Note that we already reached our quota for the E-Commerce Track and can no longer accommodate new registrants.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

DigitalFilipino.com Club members will once again share their knowledge to the Internet community for free this February 17, 2006 at E-Services Philippines. I hope you can join.

The program as follows:
February 17, EDSA Shangri-la Hotel Mandaluyong City

E-Commerce Track (Boracay Room, Lower Ground)
(All speakers in this track are DigitalFilipino.com Club members who have volunteered to share their knowledge. The final list is yet to be updated. TBC means to-be-confirmed)

12:00 to 1:15 Registration
1:15 – 1:30 Keynote
1:30 – 1:45 E-Business Revisited: from E-commerce to Service Digitization (by Jan Pabellon)
1:45 – 2:00 E-Commerce Case Study: TitikPilipino
2:00 – 2:15 E-Commerce Case Study : MyUSMailBox
2:15 – 2:30 E-Commerce Payment Solutions: YesPayments (by Paul Hubbard, YesPayments.com)
2:30 - 2:45 E-Commerce Payment Solutions: PayFree (by Erick Kalugdan, PayFree.com.ph)
2:45 - 3:00 E-Commerce Payment Solutions: YOSSN.com
3:00 – 3:15 Best Practices in Generating Online/Website Traffic (by Gerry Diwa)
3:15 - 3:30 High-Tech Loyalty Marketing (by Yayu Javier)
3:30 – 3:45 E-Commerce and IPV6 (by Lawrence Hughes, InfoWeapons)
3:45 – 4:00 State of RP Digital Certificates Adoption (by Rederick Pantia, MySecureSign)
4:00 - 4:15 E-Commerce Security Case Study (CITEM Sponsor: Sun Microsystems)
4:15 – 4:30 New Challenges in E-Commerce/Outsourcing-Related Policies (Atty. JJ Disini)
4:30 - 4:45 Intellectual Property Protection and Outsourcing Challenges (Blank Home & Associates)
4:45 - 5:00 Challenges in Online Journalism (Nini Cabaero, Sun.Star Online)
5:00 – 6:00 Raffle, networking, cocktails

To register in this FREE affair, please email me the following at digitalfilipino@gmail.com:
Name:
Position:
Company:
Address:
Phone:
Fax:

Thank you.

December 16: One Internet Day: Empowering Citizens Through Technology

This December 16, DigitalFilipino.com will be celebrating One Internet Day at the Penthouse of the Board of Investments, Gil Puyat Ave., Makati City from 1 pm to 6 pm.

We are fortunate to have great individual and corporate club members who did not hesitate in giving back to the community by sharing their knowledge.

The event is FREE and open to the public. Details on how to register can be found below.

Program:
12:00 - 1:15 Registration
1:15 - 1:30 Keynote
1:30 - 1:50 Environmental Analysis: B2C E-Commerce in the Philippines (Anna Mendoza)
1:50 - 2:10 PinoyDelikasi.com: E-Commerce Lessons Learned (Jovel Cipriano)
2:10 - 2:30 Launch of payFree, Electronic Payment for FREE! (Erick Kalugdan, Load.com.ph)
2:30 - 2:50 State of Philippine Internet Security (Fernando Martirez III)
2:50 - 3:10 Lessons Learned in Internet Crime and Legal Cases (Atty. JJ Disini)
3:10 - 3:30 Introduction to Open Web Security Application Project (Adrian San Juan)
3:30 - 3:50 Lessons Learned in Community Building (Boogie Boydon)
3:50 - 4:50 The WSIS Awards Philippines winners recognition and sharing of experience (Josie Cacdac)
4:50 - 6:30 Networking, raffle, and exchange gift

There are two main highlights as well that shall take place during this event.
1. The launch of payFree: Electronic Payments for FREE! This is a service offered by Load.com.ph that will allow any of its members to accept payments online and apply as a prospective merchant.

2. Josie Cacdac who is the Philippines representative to the WSIS Awards Panel shall be returning to the country on this day and will give recognition to the winners of the WSIS Awards Philippines in 2003 and 2005. The awardees are:

2003 Winners

eBusiness - Pinoydelikasi.com
eCulture - Filipinas Heritage Library
eEntertainment - MrMusiko.com
eGovernment - OurBid.ph
eHealth - eHealth.ph
eInclusion - Isla.ph
eLearning - DigitalFilipino.com
eScience - none

2005 Winners

eBusiness - SME.com.ph
eCulture - Tsinoy.com
eEntertainment - OFW-TV
eGovernment - eCensus
eInclusion - B2bpricenow.com
eLearning - Regions of the Philippines (Region IV-A)
eScience - Philrice

The event is FREE and open to the public. To attend, please email the following to digitalfilipino@gmail.com

Name:
Email:
Company:
Position:
Address:
Phone:
Fax:
Website:

Those who would like to hang their streamers at this event and be given a table space where you can distribute flyers, show demos, are requested to sign up as a corporate member of the DigitalFilipino.com Club.