I started blogging a few months after reading one of Jeremy Wagstaff’s “Loose Wire” articles from an old Far Eastern Economic Review magazine. Weblogs, he said they’re called. I spent the next couple of weeks looking for, er, somewhere to write my would-be online words on and something noob-friendly enough to do those with, or a platform, it’s called. I was frantic to start my own weblog, fast!

When my online wants became more complex because things sort of evolved to the way they are now, it occurred to me that I needed more control. “I can haz moar oomph,” I said. I don’t know what WordPress did to local bloggers but most people would instantaneously suggest it as a blogging platform. Like their lives depended on it. Like a successful recruit would take them to Plurk nirvana or something to that effect.

Know what I did the first time I used WordPress? I tinkered php. I tinkered a frikken php when it was the first time in my life that I’ve seen a frikken php! I labored for days to get my layout to look the way it did in snail pace, because I only had time to learn html before that (also self-taught). It’s hard but the end result was worth it. I mean come on, look around the web and the best looking ones are not surprisingly powered by WordPress!

So this is the cost of fame then?! Is this the price I should pay for having the grand liberty at customizing? And widgetizing? To experience everything with AJAX-smoothness, pumped with php-manliness? And what then if, like some attempts around me, I fail in making a successful and glitch-free upgrade? What is it that makes people want to stay on?

Call it whatever. The price. Geek massochism. Nerd wank. Coding wizardry. I’ll call it (insert dramatic pause here, zoom in camera, pan left) … my training to becoming (more pause, focus on lead’s confident eyes) … a Weaver.

WANTED, FTMFW!

For me to appreciate this WordPress sorcery even more, I decided to join the first ever WordPress Wordcamp 2008. It’s on September 6th and will be held in the Augusto-Rosario Gonzalez Theater of the College of St. Benilde (Taft Ave., Manila). Best part is, it’s free! You just need to sign up here and you’re done! Thanks to these rocking sponsors right here:

• 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
• Cebu Pacific Air
• Buddy Gancenia Reality TV
• SmartBro Wireless Broadband
• SPOT.ph
• Make Money with Performancing Ads

Special kudos go to the awesome Mindanao Bloggers for organizing the event.

See y’all there! And sign up already!