Digerati Indonesia

Pesta Blogger 2009: A national "coffee break"

Oct 27, 2009 20:10

Pesta Blogger, Indonesia's national gathering of bloggers, came and went. With over 1,200 people signed up, the SMESCO building in Jakarta was overflowing with people from all ages, regions and backgrounds who share one common ideal: The freedom of blogging and the empowerment it brings.

Granted, most likely a majority of these participants blog once in a blue moon, but that does not mean they lack the passion to learn and understand what blogging is all about. A vast majority of them at the very least read blogs, update their social media status, tweet and use other methods of Internet communications to share their knowledge and learn new things online. 

So why are they there? One thing we should understand about Indonesia is that we are a very hospitable and personable people. There is only so much you can do in the virtual world, but in the end, it is the personal relationships that are strengthened and maintained in real life which count. Despite the many digital conversations you can have with your community (photography, gaming, new mothers, supercars, soccer, etc.), people will always want to meet in person to put a face to the discussions that have been ongoing.

Hence, the term "kop-dar" or "kopi darat" (coffee break in person), which plays a vital role in the strengthening of a community.  

And this is exactly what Pesta Blogger is: A growing and burgeoning community that is flexing its wings for information and communications, in what is one of the most independent and free nations in Southeast Asia. No one in this room will accept any restrictions to their free speech that was a common occurrence just over a decade ago.

Tifatul Sembiring, the new Minister for Information and Communications, stated in his speech that he supports the rights for bloggers to express themselves. However, he also urged the community to act responsibly on the Internet. 

On the other side of the spectrum was Prita Mulyasari, the mother of two who was sued (and jailed) by a hospital for defamation due to an email complaint she sent to her friends about her alleged poor treatment. She shared her thoughts among the national bloggers who were there to offer their support.



Definitely a balance is needed in Indonesian cyberspace as we can't all forward the latest rumors without checking the facts, or sue other people because we don't like what they say. Still, as a growing democracy, Indonesia is on the way to continuing to develop, question and reinvent itself for its rightful position in the global Internet sphere. Events such as Pesta Blogger help bring all the ideas together to be shared. Can't wait for next year.

P.S. After his speech was over, an Imperial Stormtrooper (no, you read that right) rushed forward to have his picture taken with the Minister. (Unfortunately, I was too far to take that picture, but you can see it here).

By the way, Minister Tifatul Sembiring has a Twitter account, and judging from Twitterholic, shot up pretty quickly on the followers' list. This is an opportunity to ask the Minister (or his aide) questions about Indonesian IT policy.

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