Singabloodypore Has Been Adopted

I actually felt rather touched when I read the title for this article on 'Another World is Possible'. I have been frantically involved in gathering articles on the IMF/WB meeting when I searched technorati and came upon a link to a blog which I believe is being run by an undergraduate media studies student at a university in Australia.

It was also nice to get some feedback which was not simply a full on attack. I do have one thing to say though - it would have been great to be able to leave a comment on the blog.



Adopting Singabloodypore.
September 11th, 2006 by Administrator

We have been set the task of adopting a blog we like and preferably one that is a 'good' blog in terms of content, sources, style, personality, readership and from this we can learn what makes a good blog, how the blog interactes with its network, and how we can emulate this into our own authorship of our blogs.

The blog that I have chosen to adopt is, Singabloodypore.

I was introduced to this blog last year as part of my research into Singapore press freedoms and cybercultures. The blog describes itself as Social and political issues related to Singapore and the South East Asia region. A blog which attempts to do so in a non trivial manner treating opposing views with the respect they deserve.
Contributions are welcomed from all regardless of your political persuasion.

This blog provides an example of the important role blogs can play in countries where press freedoms are controlled by authoratative governments, and methods of censorship have been put in place. Although the Internet is an uncensored source of information, government legislation attempts to block or censor content of blogs and websites deemed 'undesirable' by the Singaporean government. Unfortunatly, the right to press freedoms and freedom of speech are not given to the citizens of many Asian countries like China, Singapore and Viet Nam. It is here where we can begin to realise the power that the Internet, and indeed blogs, can have in a society that is not open to the democratic ideals that we have come to accept as 'normal', and that the independent media sources, such as Singabloodypore, can make people begin to question the government led media they are fed in National newspapers and television stations, and this can be a catalyst for change.

So how is Singabloodypore a 'good' blog and how is it 'bloggy?

Content: The information provided in this blog is well resourced information, providing a differing opinion to what is provided in the mainstream media within SA Asia. It may have been 'suggested' by one of the blogs many readers, and then published by one of its fourteen editors/authors who have the authority to contribute to the blog. The posts provide sources of information.

Interactivity: The user has the ability to suggest articles, comment on posts, add to one of many rss feeds avaliable on the site, link into online petitions, and also if your a Singaporean blogger you also may be linked to under the 'Singaporean blog', this is important as it confirms the need and want for independent media sources. User can also recieve email updates or add a banner to thier blog/website and contact the site via email. All of these functions demonstrate how 'bloggy' this blog is as it utilises the intergration of the web.

Design: The design of the blog is simple and clean. There is not a strong personality, e.g. the isn't strong colour schemes or graphics. This design work well as it comes across as serious. The header of the blog is a barcode, suggesting materialism and capitalist accumulation and wealth since Singapore's economic boom.
Readership: the blog has a site meter located at the bottom of the page, and has at the time of writing recieved 370, 273 visitors since September 24th 2003.

Links out: The site has many opportunities to visit related blogs and websites, located in the sidebar, such as Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International There is also advertising space provided by Google and Amazon- supporters of the site- who advertise products that may be of interest to readers, such as animal activist books, vegan clothing. There was also the oppurtunity to vote for the blog in the Freedom Blog Awards, run by the Reporters Without Borders team and the New Media Awards.

Searchable: There is also a search function powered by Google within the page, and Archives.

All in all Singabloodypore is a good bloody blog!