After riding the rising tides of new media, diverse content, a thriving community, and many successes in connecting it all for Pilipino-Americans online, BakitWhy.com took the plunge into the next wave of its evolution with the site's 2.0 debut.

Within the short span of spring and summer 2008, the ever-expanding BakitWhy.com staff recognized the need to grow beyond 1.0's simple blog format. These two seasons of blossom and growth allowed the minds behind the site to learn about assembling a team of contributors, and such recurring themes as performing arts, viral videos, and community organizing, which actively engaged online Pil-Am patrons.

From 1.0, BakitWhy carried over the diversity of writers who began to offer an array of different perspectives. However, a redesign was needed to cast off the singular style of 1.0 and properly showcase the wide range of emerging voices, generate more conversation among Pil-Ams, and all at once forge a distinct identity for BakitWhy.

In under three months, Rachel Wagoner, Director of Product Development, spearheaded the creation of 2.0 with Ray Vadnais as lead developer, logos by graphic designer Vee Caragay, and layout/user interface design by Sonya Lee of Mowie Media. Anticipation built up with daily trivia from BakitWhy Vloggers over a week-long blackout period that preceded the premiere of the revamp.

Finally, on October 23rd, 2008, 2.0 officially launched.

Rachel still vividly recalls the launch:

*I remember the exact moment it went live. I was in Jeremiah's kitchen after a whole night of last minute touches. I remember pressing that last “Save” button and running the promo video on the homepage. Even before we went live, we had people tweeting and messaging us asking when we were going to launch. Once we were able to go live, I just remember receiving lots of positive feedback, pats on the back, and an overwhelming sense of relief washed over me. Then, I went home and slept for 12 hours.”

The resulting update is the BakitWhy before your eyes today - a user friendly, principal content provider with a focus on the visual aesthetic for the Pilipino American community. One distinguishing feature of BakitWhy 2.0 was its content spotlight, which you immediately notice at the top of the home page. This served to bring the latest and greatest to the reader rather than having the reader scroll on and on to find it.

Such elements brought BakitWhy closer to its vision for the Pil Am community by morphing it into a dynamic kaleidoscope of Pil Am culture. As BakitWhy Director of Business Development and Project Manager Kaywan Shiraz states:

*It gave recognition to the activist and the artist at the same time; the 1st gen who just arrived and the 3rd gen whose family has been in the country for decades; the hip hop dancer and the health care worker. ”

Now, after less than a mere two years have passed, BakitWhy is poised to take its mold and break it all over again. BakitWhy 3.0 is set for launch this Friday, August, 2010. What can we expect in the transition from 2.0 to 3.0?

*The biggest shift in the new 3.0 product,” Kaywan says, “is ownership.”

The audience will have a more active hand in the content through such features as social media integration and spotlights that change based on the community's interaction. 3.0 will connect the community in ways only imagined two years ago.

*I am BakitWhy. You are BakitWhy,” Rachel proclaims in her description of 3.0. “We are BakitWhy.”

To find out exactly what's in store for BakitWhy 3.0, you'll have to click back this Friday. In the interim, continue to read read the Milestones Series, Part 6 discusses how the “We” of BakitWhy came to encompass Pil Ams from all across the American nation.

Related Links:

• Milestone Series, Part 1: BakitWhy.com's First Steps
• Milestone Series, Part 2: A Team Gathers
• Milestone Series, Part 3: Boots on the Ground
• Milestone Series, Part 4: Dancing Right Into The Mainstream Eye
• Milestone Series, Part 6: Hello Team!
• Milestone Series, Part 7: The BakitUp++ One-Year Anniversary
• Milestone Series, Part 8: 3 Regional Conferences, 2 Weeks, 1 Common Identity
• Milestone Series, Part 9: BakitWhy 3.0, A New Hope