If you have a self-hosted wordpress blog and got tempted to upgrade into Wordpress 2.7, see the “screenshot” at your wordpress.com blog. If you don’t have wordpress.com account yet, create it here. Ryan Boren said that wordpress 2.7 is running on wordpress.com starting on 4 December 2008.

I’ve just opened my wordpress.com blog few hours ago and yes a whole new look in the admin dashboard. Unfortunately, my wish list of wp 2.7 on widgets didn’t come true. The widgets I dislike is still there. Here’s what I said in the wish list:

I wish the return of “old-days” two sidebars admin that sitting together (see pic. 1). One of the disturbing feature of wp 2.5+ and 2.6+ is you cannot see two sidebars (if you use two sidebar theme) at the same time (see pic 2). Consequently, you cannot drag one widget in Sidebar 1 into Sidebar 2 smoothly. Instead, you need to click “remove” a particular widget in Sidebar 1, and try to find the removed widget in Sidebar 2 (after clicking “show Sidebar 2?). Very unnecessarily complicated. And such a waste of time.

So, I may not upgrade this blog into wp 2.7.

Infolinks.com is one of in-text advertising besides Kontera.com and some more. What’s in-text advertising?
In-Text advertising inserts text link advertisements within the content of your website, usually in the form of double-underline hyperlinks. Upon a hover of the mouse, a floating informational bubble opens with content from an advertiser. If clicked, the visitor is directed to the advertiser’s landing page and you earn advertising revenue; otherwise, when the mouse is moved away from the hyperlink, the bubble disappears.
Compared to kontera.com, infolinks.com is better; it pays higher than kontera.com. Infolinks.com, just like kontera.com will pay you via paypal every month provided your earning reaches $100.

The flipside of infolinks.com is “it will issue payments for a given month no later than 45 days after the end of that month. Payments for November will be issued in January.”

In the era of Paypal and Google Checkout, infolinks.com 30-day-delay payment policy obviously so weird and unfortunate. That’s said, it’s not infolinks’ fault either as it’s clearly stated in its FAQ statement:
When do I get paid?
Every month. In details, at the end of each monthly payment period, Infolinks calculates your earnings for that month and issues your payment within 30 days of the end of the payment period, with the exception of monthly earnings of less than $100 which remain in your account and are added into the following month’s earnings.
So, for infolinks.com publishers, take it or leave it.

I’m glad to tell my honorable readers of this fifty-cent worth page, that http://blog-indonesia.com, the newly founded and hassle free blog Indonesia directory and I feel that we have something in common to share and therefore decided to support each other to promote Indonesian bloggers in Indonesia and abroad.

For that purpose, Blog Indonesia has given me a special column specifically dedicated for weekly blog review “Blogger Indonesia of the Week” (BOW).

Blog-indonesia.com is an aggregation, so I dont need to come to the site to fill up the column, rather whenever I make a blog review, the piece will automatically fills the particular space in Blog Indonesia for one week. It’ll only change when I make another review. That will make the blog under review more chance of limelight and therefore more exposure.

I hope this kind of cooperation in the end will benefit none other than the blogger Indonesia themselves.

For all Blogger Indonesia who’re just visiting this blog, I need to reiterate again some important points regarding blog that meet the criteria to be reviewed.

First, the blog should be written in English or at least bilingual.

Second, the blog should have a good content with Indonesian nuance (sci-tech, political, cultural, social, faith, art)

Third, original i.e. written by yourself; not the kind of news blog taken from third party.

Fourth, any kind of field reporting on certain socio-cultural events blended with a good commentary will be prioritized.

Fifth, blog which talk about socio-political and cultural commentary should have a sort of balance & unbiased opinion.

Sixth, no pornographic content.

Seventh, blog with anonymous blogger and unclear profile/identy will be the last resort to be reviewed. In another word, if your blog want to be reviewed, your identity should be as clear as crystal.

Any Indonesian blog (In English or bilingual) which I consider to be reviewed has been listed in this blog. If your blog has yet to be listed here and want to be reviewed please let me know by emailing me at fatihsyuhud-at-gmail-dot-com

In the meantime, for those who haven’t submitted their blogs to Blog Indonesia, you’re welcome and even encouraged to do so. The sooner the better. It’s the first Blog directory in Indonesia which doesn’t require registration or other requirements in order to submit your blog. Everybody invited! The only condition is you are an Indonesian or blogging something about Indonesia. What you need to do is just come to the site, click the Submit Your Blog menu. Done. That’s it.

Having said that, to show your gratitude, you are encouraged to link it back in your blog (it’s not obligatory, though), besides it’s another way to tell your readers about the new blog directory and hence, spreading the messages.

Blogs which have been submitted to Blog Indonesia and yet to be listed here, also will be under the consideration to be reviewed.

Lastly, the reason why I confine the review to English Blog only because I have the vision that blogging technology could be an affective medium for Indonesian, any single Indonesian, to contribute in his/her own way in promoting and introducing Indonesia–as a nation and country–to the world. The purpose of which is hard to achieve if you are blogging in a language other than English.

Happy blogging and happy weekend.

Update July 2008

It’s highly recommended that any blogger who want to get reviewed to give a comment (along with one’s blog URL) in the comment box here to make my task easier. Don’t forget to read some additional information there.