- Indonesia
Hi Chris,
I think I understand your* (and my) judging criteria. Basically, it's up to the public to vote and for we judges to be biased. This, of course, is why the majority of the Indonesian candidates have been nominated by me and the one nominated by the public (see below) is not on the list.
Without further ado, I'm going to offer the following 10 for voting on, subject to your agreement as Head Honcho and Co-ordinator. Let me have your thoughts/comments on these and then I'll declare this post 'official' and folk can start voting (but how??).
INDONESIA
Indcoup
Yosef Ardi
Treespotter
Greenstump
Jakarta Guru
Cafe Salemba
Paras Indonesia
A. Fatih Syuhud
Expat in Jakarta
Indonesia Anonymus
PHOTOBLOG
Java Jive ~ a long running blog with good writing to accompany some outstanding photos, many of which I rotate as my desktop background. The only reason I've nominated it for this category and not INDONESIA is that I wanted to include as many blogs as possible. (I hope you understand, Brandon.)
Move to Asia BIZ/ECON section
Sarapan Ekonomi
Can you - anyone? - suggest categories for these?
Jakarta Kid ~ not regularly updated, but a well-written fictionalised account of a life as an expat teaching here a few years back, with a eye on the poor and homeless encountered.
Indonesia Help ~ originally set up as an online help line following the Aceh Tsunami. Currently revived following the Yogya earthquake.
Blog Indonesia ~ an aggregator and much valued access point to over 1,000 blogs
Indonesia Matters ~ a news poster, generally too much for one day!
DELETE (from nomination list)
The Fool in Bandung was a pioneer of the Indonesian blogosphere but now Isman posts very infrequently.
Indonesian Celebrities is an Indcoup blog of massive (= prurient) interest, but I think one blog per person is only fair, don't you?
NEW
Watch out for the Reveller with his Blog M launched yesterday: Many of the Blok M web site regular readers keep clamouring for updates and diaries, but I just haven't got the time that I used to have.
Blogging is the solution. It'll enable me to feed the news as it happens, which will provide an actuality that the regular updates and diaries lack, and spread the work load more evenly.
Also, Geoffrey is back with his Beyond Wallacia, albeit not very frequently. Good to meet you last Friday G.
Mas Mashu joined us a couple of days ago and has got off to a bright start.
All in all, the Indonesian blogosphere is thoroughly thriving. Viva Reformasi.
Cheers,
Jakartass
NB. The original 14 nominations had to be whittled down to 10.
These 10 represent the writing of the past three months.
In September, after three months, votes will be counted and a provisional 'league table' established.
Each quarter this will be done again.
Finally, we will declare a winner for 2006/7.
(Memo to Chris: What is the prize??)
Some blogs may be relegated, for example if they have lain dormant, and others may be added (cf. NEW above) if they have attracted sufficient readers, links, votes, notoriety etc.
*Chris has added a couple more criteria to mine:
1. Frequency of updates. Quality should be above quantity, but quantity still matters - one post per month isn't really sufficient.
2. Originality. Cutting and pasting articles is part of blogging.
However, we should expect comment and extra value added. Omitting attribution is a no-no.
3. Reasonable English.
It isn't important that there's perfect syntax, grammar and stuff, but the message should be clear and understandable.
4. Of Wide Interest
Blogs written for the 'general' public, and not just for friends and/or family.
5. A Recognisable Voice.
This could be a particular viewpoint consistently stated.
e.g. Jakarta Casual writes about Indonesia's football scene.
Following on from the earthquake in Yogyakarta there will be no relegation this season. Yogyakarta and Sleman, 2 teams most closely affected, haven't played since and with football's funding provided by local governments obviously they have other things on the radar these days. Instead 4 teams will come up so each division will have 16 teams and not 14 like now.
6. 'Member' of the Indonesian blogosphere
Given that blogging is a relatively new form of expression and that here in Indonesia the very notion of a free press and free speech is open to debate ~ or vandalism, hate mail and violence, even murder ~ then I believe that the blogosphere has a responsibility to be both responsible and supportive.
Which I believe we are, have been and will be.
I'd like to include Indonesian bloggers who are resident (e.g. Maya in Antibes) or studying abroad but Indonesian Expats is, perhaps, a sub-category for the future.
Next: How to vote.
(If you want to write some rules, change any of the above nominations then comment below - NOW)
