To let everyone get to know the finalists better, we have sent a set of email interview questions to all 70 of them. We will be releasing their answers here.

Here’s the answers from Shaun Chng of http://www.shaunchng.com, a finalist in the Best Design Blog Category.

How long have you been blogging and why did you start blogging?

I created my first website around 1997 which started as a personal interest in my early secondary school days. The term “blog” wasn’t invented back then and I used to post dated snippets we call “news” which very much focused on happenings around town, activities I do, let be computer game reviews which I had a strong interest then. It was not until then where free blogsites such as livejournal and blogger came around where do I later know that I’ve been “blogging” all the while! I joined blogger.com (aka blogspot) around early 2000 as one of the pioneer bloggers, the community was really much smaller back then and we were a very small nucleated bunch. It was not till around 2003 where I started blogging on my own website, shaunchng.com which I still maintain till today.

How do you feel to be in the running as one of the finalists in the first Singapore Blog Awards? What do you think is your chance of winning?

I am honored to be the top 10 bloggers in my category and never knew that my site can come so far in the awards. Though I do not like to count the chickens before they are hatched, but I can say that I am quite confident to be at least the top 3 for the best design category and I am definitely gunning for the top! I believe my 10 years of experience in web design should at least do me some good!

Who do you think are the strongest bloggers in the category you are nominated for and why?

Veron’s blog on sparklette.net is an exception, I enjoy reading her food reviews on her blog as a casual visitor but never saw the day where both our blogs have to go head to head in the competition. Her website is unique itself given the way her content and navigation are laid out as well. She’s a blog designer herself and it’s something you have to give her credit for, I even voted for her on few occasions!

Name some of the bloggers whom you look up to and why (need not be in the running for the Singapore Blog Awards, and can mention overseas bloggers too)?

I enjoy reading Uncle Sha’s blog (sha.tc), mrbrown’s blog as well as few community blogs such as tomorrow.sg and sgrunners.com which covers current issues/gossips and well as running activities in Singapore respectively.

Your prediction for the winners in each of the 7 categories:

Frankly, I have not actually went through all of them, but in a nutshell, here are my favorites

Best Youth Blog- Samantha, she talks almost anything under the sun here, things youths enjoy doing too!

Best Design Blog- Not applicable, though I would like to put my site here!

Best Blog Shop- Miss Loi on josssticks exam papers anyone?

Most Entertaining Blog- rinaz’s Marina, very down to earth and well entertaining with not only photos but videos as well

Most Insightful Blog- Sgpolitics, regularly updated with lots of good current insight

Best Individual Blog- ahkian, love how he draws on almost anything unique in this own way

Best Photo Blog- travelerfolio, very photogenic site on my interesting places all round the world

Click here NOW to vote for your favourite finalists! Other than helping them to win the top honour in their respective categories, the top three most voted bloggers will also win a mobile phone from LG each! Voters also stand to win travel packages to Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City and more!

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