Jeff Yang noted in his column “Blogging Asia” for the SF Chronicle that if Singapore has an advantage over Hong Kong, it is that the country has better blogs and bloggers. Yang quotes Simon Masnick, an Aussie based in Hong Kong:
“Singapore and Hong Kong are well-known rivals. Usually, Hong Kong has the upper hand. But when it comes to blogging, Hong Kong is, let’s be honest, woefully behind Singapore. Singapore blogs have bigger readerships, are more diverse and more interesting.”
Indeed, ask most Singaporeans, and they would gripe that Hong Kong out-paces their city/state in categories such as the economy, public transportation, sea port, and the media.
But when it comes to the blogosphere, Singaporeans embrace their bloggers.
Singaporean blogs has some of the highest standards internationally. Blogs like mrbrown.com, Kway Teow Man, From a Singapore Angle, The Online Citizen, Techxav, Xiaxue, ClapBangKiss, Balderdash cover everything from politics, satire, technology, pop culture and sex, and have collected numerous Web accolades such as the Webby Awards, Asia Blog Awards, and others.
The blog that really first drew me to this medium was a blog by Gayle Goh, now a college student, who as a junior college (JC) student ran a political blog. In Singapore, due to the stifled air of political views in government-controlled mainstream media, this blog really opened my mind to what it really meant to live in a democracy. I think what made Goh’s blog so accessible to myself and other young Singaporeans was not only her superb writing, the fact that she was a student herself help many relate to her.
Similarly, the blogger who runs mrbrown.com, Lee Kin Mun, can be heralded as the Jon Steward of Singapore. His “mai hum” podcast poked fun at the Prime Minister, Lee Hsien Loong, and collectively made the nation laugh at their PAP leaders who are known to tirelessly crack down on criticism. If you have time for one blog, check mrbrown.com. It is the de-facto Singapore blog.
Your blog is well-researched and presents a lot of information to readers. For the most current entry, it may be more interesting to choose one or two Singaporean blogs and really review them. You may want to link to the blogs as well. Remember, each entry receives two points for links.
Dear Prof Ibold, I updated my post here. Let me know how this post looks to you now