If 100 bloggers meet up, there's obviously going to be a few posts on the Internet recording what happened– as a blogger meeting organized by the British Council earlier this month proved.

During the meeting, held in the lead up to the Council's Live Blogging Competition in June, "senior" bloggers Enda Nasution, Asmara "Miund" Letizia, Raditya Dika, and Wicaksono shared their experiences with other bloggers.

Enda said blogging allowed people to express their thoughts and emotions and made people more sensitive to their environment, because it was what most bloggers wrote about.

"Through blogs, people can share information, learn to research before publishing the post and make friends"

Raditya said that blogging also opened opportunities, as he had been offered the chance to publish his blog as a book. The 23-year-old has published three books: Kambing Jantan (The Goat), Cinta Brontosaurus (Brontosaurus Love) and Radikus Makan Kakus (Radikus Eat Toilet).

When asked about how to make an interesting blog, Miund said that blogging did not only have to involve words. There was a photo blog that put photos up of lunch boxes, she said.

"What matters most is we make a blog about our passion. I believe anybody can do that," Miund said.

Wicaksono said blogging made people sharper because of the effort it took to put one's ideas into writing and the need to maintain it constantly.

"Blogging is like playing Tamagotchi (an electronic game where the player raises a virtual pet). If we don't have the patience to maintain it, perhaps we should be a blog reader instead. Being a reader doesn't mean we're not as smart as a blogger," said the editor at Tempo daily.

Miund said that she often received harsh comments on her English-language blogs. She finally set up a comment moderation system and blocked their IP addresses to avoid conflict on her blog.

Enda said there were risks in blogging, such as cyber bullying and phishing.

"Bloggers should be careful about posting their identities and phone numbers," he said.

Wicaksono said the risks in the blogosphere were similar to the real world: "For example, we should not expose our personal identification numbers or our bank account passwords".

Another blogger, Agus Muhammad Ustadz, got more from his blog than he bargained for. He started writing on it after he graduated from college, while he was unemployed and applying for jobs.

His blog was mostly about his scientific essays. A few months later, he got a job at a mining company because his future boss had been reading his blogs.

"I now have dozens of blogs. But I've abandoned the one that got me a job," he said.

Friska Titi Nova said she once tried to make a serious blog with a focused topic in an effort to attract advertising. But she found she wasn't able to update the blog regularly, as she was far more comfortable writing about her daily experiences. But she said her choice had saved her from cyber bullying.

"I've never received any threats or harsh comments on my blogs. Perhaps it's because I only write about my daily experiences. I don't write about politics or any hot topics. But I do receive spam," said Friska, a student at the University of Indonesia.

During the discussion, Friska typed on her laptop enthusiastically. "I hope I can win the competition," she said, smiling.

Dina Lucky, director for business services and relations of British Council, said her office was promoting the Live Blogging Competition because they had recognized the growing trend of blogging as an interactive media.

Bloggers who want to participate can sign up through www.bcnow60.org, she said. In three months, bloggers will be invited to post about intercultural dialogue, creative economy and climate security, dedicating one month to each topic.