I’m a professional blogger from Amsterdam. I’ve always been interested in web developing and journalism, so I believe I’ve found the perfect combination.
Ernst-Jan Pfauth, foto door LenniezWhen I was 18 years old, I moved to Amsterdam to study communications at the University of Amsterdam. During this great period of my life, I tried to grab as many chances as I could. I was the secretary of Amsterdam’s no 3 study association, made study trips to Moscow, New York and Budapest and interned at a press agency to cover news at the United Nations headquarters in New York.
In October 2006 I started a personal blog called Spotlight Effect, named after a theory from the social psychology that says we all overestimate the extent to which our actions and appearance are salient to others. Due to several hit posts, it has become a platform for young professionals in communications and journalism.
Thanks to blogging for the Spotlight Effect and some other publications I met a bunch of interesting people, learned a lot about my study field and developed a critical attitude. Since I loved blogging so much, I planned to do it full time. The guys from the Next Web conference made this possible when they hired me as the editor in chief for their international Web 2.0 blog in November 2007.
I’ve decided to evangelize blogging by giving workshops and speaking at schools, since I think it can be useful for almost everybody. I’m also organizing an international blog conference which will take place in Amsterdam on October 24th. Though, sometimes I’m tired of blogging. When that happens, I just grab a mic to sing in my Brit punk band Christina Five, watch an independent movie, listen to pure music or read an inspiring book.