Blog Action Day
Three bloggers had an idea. An idea that might make a difference in the world. Co-workers at Envato, an Australian based creative tech firm, they thought, "What would happen if tens of thousands of bloggers united on the same day to write about a topic of social importance?" What impact might this have on the blogger, the reader, the media? From this idea, Blog Action Day was born.
A date was set and a topic chosen. 5,000 bloggers signed up to write about the chosen topic, the environment, on the same day. Pre-event press created enough buzz to garner the support of the United Nations Environmental Programme, along with widespread international news coverage.
The results of the first Blog Action Day, October 15, 2007, were beyond expectation. 20,603 blog sites participated. The Download Squad wrote about how to create your own "green" computer. Copyblogger, a story about the impact of tiny actions. Stavros Dimas, the EU’s Commissioner for the Environment conducted a live internet discussion and Q&A to mark the occasion and companies like Google and Wells Fargo asked their company blogs to participate.
Three days from now, Blog Action Day 2008 will occur. 7,500+ bloggers have registered. More than 75 organizations from around the world have given their support. This year's goal is to change the way we look at poverty. Here's hoping we all find new ways to make a difference.
