Yahoo! Philippines Answers blog

Thanks so much to everyone who left a comment and emailed me regarding their support of YAPPasko 2008 and their willingness to contribute to this charitable endeavor!  This event is spearheaded by the YAPpers and we’re here to support the community and join in this noble cause.

As promised in my earlier post, here are the details on the upcoming YAPPasko 2008:

Who: YAPpers (short for all Pinoy community members of Yahoo! Answers!)
What: YAPPasko 2008
When: December 13, 2008, Saturday
Where: Cottolengo Filipino Orphanage in Montalban, Rizal

For everyone’s info, the Cottolengo Filipino Orphanage is a non-stock, non-profit religious and non-government organization licensed and accredited by the DSWD and is owned and managed by the Sons of Divine Providence Congregation.  Their mission is to give special children a home to live and the possibility to be rehabilitated.  In short, they take care of physically and mentally disabled children.  Right now, there are 40 orphan boys living in the center and they also help out 45 poor disabled children in the nearby community.  All of these children receive free special education and basic medical assistance in this orphanage.

What we all need to do right now are two things:

1. Raise Awareness

Spread the word to your fellow Pinoy Answers user about upcoming YAPPasko through your blog, email, text or simply word-of-mouth.  Let’s get as many people involved as possible because volunteers who will be buying the gifts, wrapping them and joining the community to visit the kids on Dec. 13 are surely needed.  This will be an excellent opportunity for the community to meet each other, get to know one another and extend the bond of friendship offline, while we all do something for a worthy cause.

2. Raise Funds

Aside from your presence, the YAPpers will be needing donations that will be given to the kids of the Cottolengo Orphanage.  If you plan to give in kind, donations like clothes, books and educational kid-friendly toys will be much appreciated!  If you wish to give cash (ideal if you’re based abroad), I can email you the details of the bank account.  The money will be used to buy more gifts for the kids and food for the party (although I’m hoping to help get a sponsor for the food) and hopefully, if there’s enough, allow us to donate a brand new computer for the orphanage.

If you’re willing to be part of all of this goodwill, whether as a volunteer or someone who wish to donate (or both), please email me at jonasdelosreyes [at] yahoo [dot[ com and I’ll send you further details regarding the outreach immediately.  Feel free to leave a comment as well if there’s anything else you want to share to me and the community.  Thank you very much!

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Nope, I didn’t screw up the lyrics, and neither am I in a singing mood, but Christmas is just around the corner and for all the YAPpers out there, this means another year of YAPPasko!  YAPPasko is the title of the YAPPers’ Christmas Party and Community Outreach they conducted for street children last year.  YAPper Lai (or more popularly known in Answers as kahlan nynaeve) shares to us her experience at last year’s YAPPasko:

Last Christmas 2007, Yahoo! Answers Pinoy users more popularly known as YAPpers organized a Christmas Party for street kids.  Nearly 400 children benefited from the said event with each child going home with a gift and a smile in their face.  Aside from the gifts, the kids enjoyed playing games and eating delicious party food from Jollibee.  Much to their delight, the appearance of Santa Claus and Jollibee in YAPPasko all the more made the event memorable!

Nothing can indeed be as fulfilling as making others, especially children, happier during the Yuletide season.  Seeing these kids faces wreathed with smiles and hearing their joyful laughter was simply made YAPPasko 2007 for theYAPpers a truly memorable and meaningful one.

Thanks to Lai for writing that post, and of course to all the YAPpers who contributed and participated in last year’s YAPPasko.  It’s such a blessing to see this act of kindness and generosity by the Answers  community in giving back to another community who is in need.

This year, the YAPpers will be organizing another YAPPasko in an orphanage this December and we’ll be there to support them.  They plan to do a repeat of last year where they gave gifts to the kids, played some games with them and fed them with delicious party food.  I’ll be sharing the details in succeeding posts but right now, I’m calling on all YAPpers, old and new, to spread the word around.  We need people to support this in cash and in kind (preferably toys, clothes and children’s books) and the more participants to the event, the better.  Any offer of help will be very much appreciated.

If you’re interested to support this activity, please feel free to leave a comment or email me at jonasdelosreyes [at] yahoo [dot] com.  We only have a month to prepare for this event but we can certainly make it a reality.  In the end, we’ll all experience how giving back to people in need doesn’t actually cost, but it pays.  Many thanks everyone!

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Photo by Stitch

What I’m about to discuss may not be as light, fun or cheery as previous posts but nonetheless important because it involves the Answers community.  As you all know, misunderstandings and conflicts occur within any community, regardless if it’s online or offline.  And though it’s a normal thing, it shouldn’t be left unchecked or unresolved.  This is crucial if we want to continue to grow a fun, meaningful and responsible Pinoy online community.

I’ve been hearing some not-so-good news about some community members who accuse other users of using clone accounts for trolling.  When I say clone account, I mean Answers users who create new and alternative Answers account (or with multiple Answers accounts) that they use usually for trolling or spamming.  Its one thing to report abusive content and trolls as we see them in Answers, but it’s another thing to accuse others for being a troll and ganging up on them for a “crime” that they may not have committed.  If you think a person in Answers is trolling or spamming, my advice for you is to report this right away.  This is what a responsible community member will do.  Please don’t take matters in your own hands by accusing others for being trolls, it’s not what a concerned community member will do.  On the contrary, doing that only makes you more of a troll than the one you’re accusing.

I highly encourage everyone to be on the lookout for abusive content and to be vigilant in reporting them because it takes all of us to make sure the Pinoy Answers community is responsible, enjoyable and reliable.  In short, follow the golden rule: do unto others as you want them to do unto you.  Okay, lecture’s over.  Next post to follow, something light, fun and cheery!  Christmas party for the YAPpers!  Watch out for it! 

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Photo by Amsk

To everyone who attended the Yahoo! Philippines Answers Community Meet Up last July 18, thank you so much for the exciting, enlightening, and fun evening!  To those who signified that they will come but for some reason wasn’t able to, we truly missed you!  To everyone that wasn’t able to come because they just couldn’t, it’s okay, we understand, and don’t worry, there are other opportunities to come.

Photo by Amsk

More than 30 people showed up at last week’s meet up and it’s interesting to see how varied the Answers community is.  There were new users to high level users (a number of Level 6 and someone high in the leaderboard), college students and working professionals, people who have just met for the first time and users who know each other already both online and offline (they’re the original YAPpers).  It was also a delight to see the reactions of people when they introduced their Answers ID (which is our only identity of them online plus their avatar) and the corresponding “ahhh, ikaw pala yan”, hehehe!

 Photo by Amsk

The program started with some welcome remarks from yours truly and the other Yahoos that attended the event (thanks so much to Amos, Mitch, Jojo, Cris, Charlie and Jeremy!) followed by dinner (loved the pizza and the barbecue!).  After that we had a game called Answers Bingo which involved everyone going around asking questions and signatures from each other (congrats to Paul for finishing first!).  We also had the Wish List wherein we asked community members to share one feature that is not yet in Answers that they wish to have.  Thanks so much for all the ideas and feedback you shared, we will definitely go through the list and consider it when we plan for more features for Answers.  A couple of YAPpers also took the time to share their experiences in Answers, what they loved about it, how they met online and eventually offline afterwards, what they as a group have accomplished (the YAPpers held a Christmas party for street kids last year), and what they look forward to after that evening’s meet up.

Photo by Amsk

We all had a great time that evening and again, thanks so much to everyone who helped make it possible!  I certainly hope this will be the start of many more to come!  Actually I don’t have to say it because a day after the Friday meet up, some of the YAPpers had a mini meet up in Tagaytay.  How I wish I could have been there (had to go back home) but that just shows how it’s really up to the community if they want more meet ups to come.  So where will we have it next?  Cebu?  Davao?  You decide. 

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Hi everyone, the upcoming Yahoo! Philippines Answers Community Meet Up is all set and ready!  If you haven’t confirmed yet, there’s still time so do it now.  Here are the final details of the event:

Who: Yahoo! Philippines Answers Users (or YAPpers in short)
What: Yahoo! Philippines Answers Community Meet Up!
When: July 18, 2008, 7:00pm
Where: Circle Café Bar and Centerstage, 136-138 Jupiter Place Building, Jupiter Street, Bel- Air, Makati City

YAPpers who wish to attend, please email me the following (at jonasdelosreyes [at] ymail.com):
1. Full name:
2. Yahoo! Answers ID:
3. Mobile number:

The deadline for confirmation is this Friday, July 11, 2008.  To those who have confirmed already, thanks so much again and please feel free to spread the word to your fellow Answers users.  Just a little trivia for all of you, Circle Café is actually co-owned by local stars Karylle and Dingdong Dantes.  These celebrity entrepreneurs started Circle Café at Timog Ave. corner Tomas Morato but I’m guessing business is good because they decided to open a new branch in Jupiter St., Makati (that’s our venue!).

I can’t guarantee if Karylle or Dingdong will be there in our event (hehehe) but expect us and your fellow YAPpers to be present so don’t forget to bring your appetite, your curiosity and your smiles as we all look forward to the YAPpers Meet Up next week!

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 Photo by HAEROLD PHOTOGRAPHX

Let’s do this YAPpers!  Many thanks to everyone that left a comment and shared their thoughts regarding the possibility of a meet up of the Pinoy community here in Yahoo! Answers!  Because of your feedback, we’re making this a reality.  Let’s have a Pinoy Answers Community Meet Up next month!  Here are the details:

Who: Yahoo! Philippines Answers Users
What: Yahoo! Philippines Answers Community Meet Up!
When: July 18, 2008, 7:30pm
Where: Makati City (specific place to be announced later)

Anyone who wants to attend, just email me the following:

1. Full name:
2. Yahoo! Answers ID:
3. Mobile number:

You can email me at jonasdelosreyes@ymail.com.  Feel free to leave a comment as well if there’s anything else you want to share to me and the community (like venue suggestion maybe, if you’re willing to assist in organizing this, etc.)

Btw, I think YAPpers as a name for Pinoys in Yahoo! Answers is so cool!  Thanks for informing me about it Japs!  And thanks to all the YAPpers!  Hope to see all of you soon!

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