April 04, 2005

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As I had hoped, my thoughts on Singapore and Hong Kong blogging generated plenty of comments. In fact the debate has thrown up several different issues.

Some took particular exception to what I implied about the state of blogging in Hong Kong. I should have made it clear in the original post I was discussing English language blogging and meant no disrespect to others. I have already said I cannot read Chinese and am not in a position to pass judgment on the Chinese language blogosphere in Hong Kong or elsewhere. But as ESWN said: In the poem "The Ballad of East and West", Rudyard Kipling wrote: "East is East, and West is West, and never the twain shall meet". This is NOT true for the Hong Kong blogosphere...we need to engage with each other somehow. I could not agree more. One thing this discussion has proved (to me, at least) is a need for English and Chinese language bloggers in Hong Kong to meet and develop links both virtual and real. Kelvin noted the different styles of these blogs. Perhaps we can submit a joint appeal for that HK Government grant.

A broader issue was touched upon and is commonly used against gweilos in this city: you are not of here, even if you live here. To that I take great exception. I would ask those who talk about respect realise it is a two-way street and is something that is earned, not deserved. I sometimes write critically about things in this city because I love it so much. No one has a monopoly on that. I would like to believe that misunderstanding has again played a part in accusing me of "disrespect". I am a Hong Kong blogger. I work here; I pay tax here; my kids go to school here. I live here. As with most things internet, geography should not matter. But if it does matter in terms of "respect for local culture" then I hope my fellow Hong Kong bloggers (expat, Chinese, Indian, gay, whatever) can recognise that. It's called (in that much HR-abused term) "diversity". As Tessa said, the same words viewed through different cultural prisms can have different meaning. I'll say it again: respect goes both ways.

The by-line of this blog has long been "East meets Westerner", a deliberate play on "East meets West". It does not say "Westerner here to subvert Eastern culture" or "Westerner who pretends to represent all things Eastern". Those terms are as meaningless as the phrases. You are welcome to interpret the by-line however you like. I'd prefer to be judged by what I write.

Moving on. Part of the answer is likely found in what La Idler and Samantha said that the internet has been more a part of the average Singaporean's life. The more common linkage and close-knit nature of Singaporean blogging is also reflective if their society. Clearly those bonds are not as close between Hong Kong bloggers.

It also seems blogging has started to enter the mainstream in Singapore. Mr Brown has a regular article in a major paper. Xiaxue has the (in)famous t-shirt deal. In the comments Preetam Rai notes work bloggers are doing through Singaporean public libraries and community centres to run sessions on blogs and other such tool. Today's Standard has an article on Hong Kong political blogging and the SCMP had a rather lame effort (or the full article) over a year ago. Otherwise blogging has not yet registered in Hong Kong's mainstream in the same way. It's time to do something about that.

I am very open to staging some kind of meeting with other bloggers to discuss these and other issues. This is exactly what I was driving at with the idea of an Asian Blogging Convention, perhaps on the back of a Singapore BloggerCon. It can start off as an online forum with topics ranging from those affecting local issues (eg how do we get media interest in blogs in Hong Kong) to broader issues such as the one that started this. Who's keen?

Nicholas Liu takes issue with Mr Brown's idea that blogs gives an outlet for otherwise repressed expression, as do others. To repeat Nic's conclusion:

The day an openly (not necessarily exclusively) political local blog hits the real big time, or practical efforts are made on the back of the blogosphere to assert our rights ask for our privileges in meatspace, will be the day the 'political website' laws start to get enforced on blogs.
This is a powerful medium. Blogs and their readers are at the start of a major shift in communication and media. I particularly like Han's comment:
"With many eyeballs, all lies are shallow". Blogs provide the eyeballs to scrutinise what other people say, so that any lies or untruths will be uncovered. The explosion of blogs allow for many people to scrutinise what others say, especially in the mainstream media, provide them with a platform to publish their criticisms so that others may gain from their insights.
Don't kid yourself. This blogging thing is the start of something big.

Update (15:48): For an example of what I'm talking about, Captain's Quarters provides a perfect recent example of how blogs can be powerful. This American blogger is providing extensive information on a Canadian corruption case that is banned from publishing in Canada (via Belmont Club, with some more interesting comments on blogs in overcoming information control).

Also Richard points to a BBC article on blogging in China and the world, and their growing power and influence.

posted by Simon on 04.04.05 at 03:48 PM in the




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The Standard
Excerpt: ChatterGarden was mentioned in The Standard newspaper today, as part of the HK blogopshere. CG is not quite the bustling metropolis of blogs yet, so it's only fair to mention here the ones that should be required reading, some of which were mentioned ...
Weblog: Chatter Garden
Tracked: April 6, 2005 01:49 PM


Comments:

full disclosure: I wrote the standard article.

But, I would like to say, the state of HOng Kong blogging has suffered from maligned treatment between certain bloggers.

I think your idea of outreach is very interesting, Simon, and I would like to see what becomes of it.

certain things have happened, and I am not aware of all of them in any detail, that have kept a certain number of people from feeling comfortable in the hong kong blogging space.

it would be interesting to see if anything is gained by meeting openly about the situation.


posted by: hk on 04.04.05 at 05:10 PM [permalink]




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