This is a fact and one of my primary concerns. My personal opinion is that ABS should reconsider the position of some student bloggers who can write well. I also reflected to several of their members the importance of proper accounting to the public and members as even non-profit activities like Social Media Breakfast (SMB) came under the scrutiny of a blogger.
From what I gathered, the money collected will be used to cover activities in the event no sponsors are found, and none of it is used as salary or allowances for the committee for their roles. Money that is not spent will most likely be donated to charities. There seems to be some dissenting voices within the committee itself, whereby some have requested that for a trial period the fees should be waived until a year later. If you have any queries here, it is really best to direct it at the committee.

This is a fact. Anyone who has visited the site can see that for himself and I consider it as public relations fiasco until I understand from some of the committee members, ABS has a pre-matured birth.
The official launch will be in late February. DK told me they did not intend to announce the moment it becomes officially registered and had originally intended to announce it’s official launch date maybe later in the week and open to questions from the general public. Unfortunately, the article on TODAY forced their hand, and they have to reveal it before time. They are now working hard to get an FAQ up.

Among one of the most ludicrous speculations. Just how does one expect ABS to enforce their guidelines? By confiscating your member fees? Taking you to court? I brought up the matter of whether ABS intends to negotiate a better deal with advertisers like Advertlets, Nuffnang or Blog2U on behalf of bloggers and I was told that is never an objective of ABS as it cannot enforce anything on its members.
As to the matter of disqualifying non-association of bloggers, Xtralicious has put it across to me: Can the Chinese Association disqualify you from being a Chinese simply because you are not a member? One is a blogger simply by setting up a blog on any of the blogging sites or self host using a blogger software. It will take gahmen legislation to disqualify a person as a blogger and that takes me to the last point.

Chairman Pro-tem EastCoastLife seems to me to have many contacts in high places. At least that is the impression I have from this blog also authored by her. In my opinion, this has always been a convenient straw man. I recalled the days I used to post on soc.culture.singapore when people who didn’t like a pro-gahmen post will label its writer a gahmen lackey.
But consider this: If endorsement or having close relationship with gahmen bodies and officials is justified as a step leading to gahmen control, then it is equally convenient for anyone to label collaboration with foreign talents justifiable as being disloyal to, or engaging in subversive and hostile activities against our nation!
Whichever way the allegations go, they all have only these objectives – to inspire fear and to polarise – and then have you decide that the decision they want you to make is the best for yourself. I must point out that one shouldn’t be over-zealous in their nationalistic fervor before it becomes distorted as xenophobia or facism.