Hooray! Got this in our mailbox this week and we’re all excited over it. We imagine ourselves sitting quietly and doing our job, trying to be the best bookstore website we could be, and somehow someone notices. It feels great. Thanks to DigitalFilipino.com and their sponsors for promoting the use and development of e-commerce in the Philippines.

Dear Sir/Madam,

The DigitalFilipino.com Web Awards just concluded its final judging and your site, Booktopia, was selected as winner in the Books category.

In this regard, please join us in our awards ceremony…

The agenda and details of the award can be found at http://digitalfilipinowebawards.blogspot.com

The DigitalFilipino.com Web Awards in collaboration with the APEC Digital Opportunity (ADOC) Award program aims to advocate the use of Internet and e-Commerce for business development, through the identification, promotion, and highlighting of best e-Commerce practices from various websites in the Philippines.

Websites in thirty-one (31) categories were reviewed and judged for their ability to create a noticeable presence on the Internet — their ability to be seen and heard among all the noise and clutter of the Net. Commercial websites were also reviewed for their ability to conduct e-commerce, in simple yet professional manner.

All entries were nominated by the public from December 2006 to February 2007 and were judged by members of the DigitalFilipino.com Club. Details about the club can be found at http://www.e-commercephilippines.com

All winners will receive a trophy, Google AdWords voucher, special prizes, and a slot in a three-day advanced e-commerce training at the ADOC Center in Quezon City this May 2007.

From the 31 winners, there will be three ADOC Award winners too where the first placer will be able to represent the Philippines in the ADOC Week on July 24 to 27 in Taiwan.

The ADOC project aims to facilitate the bridging of the digital divide within the APEC community through training and trading. It is an independent, not-for-profit program funded by Chinese Taipei. The project was initiated in 2004, and to date, seven APEC economies are actively participating in the project. These are Chile, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Peru, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam.

Through this project, we hope to increase the awareness and promotion of outstanding websites and to get a better understanding of the benefits of the Internet, as well as the various ways in which e-Commerce can play a vital part in business development.

Thank you.

Respectfully yours,
Janette Toral
DigitalFilipino.com

Millions of fans mourned the death of author Kurt Vonnegut who died last Wednesday at age 84 from complications from a fall he suffered weeks ago. Vonnegut is well-known for his satirical and absurdist works. He liked to combine literature with science fiction as he did with Slaughterhouse-Five, his most famous work and a very important piece of American literature.

Read or re-read Vonnegut. Available now at Booktopia:

Slaughterhouse-Five, Breakfast of Champions, Welcome to the Monkey House, Mother Night, Galapagos, Slapstick: Or Lonesome No More!, Bluebeard, Player Piano, Jailbir, Deadeye Dick, Wampeters, Foma & Granfalloons.

Incidentally, back when e-mail was fairly new to most, a message that started with “Wear sunscreen” was credited to Vonnegut as a commencement address he gave to the graduating class of MIT. Though funny and well-written, it was not Vonnegut. What did go around the internet later on as the story of a soldier who goes AWOL to woo his childhood friend from the man she was to marry is a story from Welcome to the Monkey House. It’s the kind of story that will make you want to read more from Vonnegut. Search the internet for Kurt Vonnegut’s wonderful story, A Long Walk to Forever.

(1) Good news for Potter fans. First, released late last month was the front and back cover art by Mary GrandPré for the American edition of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. View the full cover art here. Beautiful, isn’t it?

(2) Here’s another piece of good news. The price of the seventh book has gone down. We’re not saying anything yet this time until we’re absolutely sure, but we are sure that you will be happy with the new pricing scheme. We are, still, of course, accepting reservations.

(3) And the final bit of good news. Just like the last time, if you live or work in our neighborhood — we mean Eastwood City, Libis, Bagumbayan, Loyola, Acropolis, White Plains, Valle Verde, Greenmeadows, St. Ignatius, Blue Ridge, Kapitolyo, etc. – you can have your book delivered to you for free by Owl Post on July 21, hopefully while you’re having breakfast, but definitely before you sit down to lunch. You’ll have to reserve the book to avail of this offer.