AsiaPundit pretends to be a group blog. There are - supposedly - 15 other contributors as well as myself. In reality, there are usually two posts per week by authors other than me. Manuel and Rezwan have offered excellent roundups, but they are very occasional. Gordon and GI Korea drop by with excellent posts, but only around twice monthly. That said, I will not only consider ‘re-hiring’ them when we I relaunch in 2006, I will invite them.
Aside from occasional contributions, the ‘group blog’ concept has essentially been me posting in third-person and hoping that someone else will help with the ‘project,’ which (a fault on my part) is not only ill-defined but amorphous.
Right now, as AsiaPundit looks at the Weblogs Awards Tally, he realizes that after 24 hours, the voting tally for AP is below the number of people actually signed on to contribute to the site. Considering that AsiaPundit voted three times today (home, office and the wi-fi spot where I had lunch), that’s exceptionally sad.
So, to everyone on the author list: YOU ARE ALL FIRED!
This makes me feel young. I haven’t sacked a volunteer since I was running a university radio station in 1999 1989, and 15 in one blow leaves AsiaPundit more than twice as strong as Tailor Mickey.
That was a very tactless way to sack everyone but, as I mentioned to Simon earlier when he didn’t name the one Asia blogger he wouldn’t vote for, I don’t find virtue in tact.
AsiaPundit is pleased to be on the 2005 Weblog Awards. However, he has decided to bow out. As my esteemed Singaporean colleague Mr Miyagi has done, AsiaPundit offers his endorsement to Simon World.
Simon should have taken the prize last year. However, the intelligent side of the English-language Asian blogosphere has been overwhelmed by the might of a self-centered young woman from Singapore with an unfortunately large number of underage and ‘dirty-old-man’ fans.
This year, I encourage all nominees who haven’t already done so to endorse either Simon or mr brown. ESWN, whom I nominated, already has our respect for his work and, as Simon once said, is in a completely different league.
This year, I hope the rest of us - that includes you Sassy and Robert - can unite around something intelligent. Should Asia be forever represented by XiaXue? Does this continent - Japan, Korea, China, India, Singapore, the Philippines and elsewhere - have nothing better to offer than a doe-eyed, photo-shopped enhanced, semi-illiterate adult who still behaves like a teenager as its blogosphere representative?
AsiaPundit hopes not.
VOTE SIMON WORLD
Blogging will be non-existent on Wednesday. I’ve sacked all the co-pundits and, should I escape the office on time, I plan to join Running Dog for trivia night at the pub. After that, AsiaPundit hopes to find time to read a book, have sex with his wife or both.
(Full Disclosure: Miyagi still owes Asiapundit a round of beer though we have not, at any point, discussed endorsing Simon.)
27 Responses to “you are all fired/xiaxue sucks/support simon”
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December 7th, 2005 at 10:01 am
Thanks for the endorsement. I fear it’s going to be Mr B vs Xiaxue again, but that’s what popularity contests are. As long as it garners some publicity for Asian blogs, it’s a good thing.
I like the mass sacking. You are the Don.
Thanks for your endorsement. You and Running Dog should have a beer on me at trivia tonight. Please send bills care of Mr Miyagi, Singapore.
More seriously, I’ve got two bits:
1. On group blogging - I think the idea is the right one…eventually. All of our efforts are still largely disjointed and I note Fons is talking about the overwhelming numbers of blogs likely dilutes their impact. By gathering group blogs, it creates something more akin to a magazine - a collection of writers rather than a single ranter. It’s all about offering something of value, of maknig sites sticky and noticeable.
2. Leading on from that, I’m looking at making a merger/takeover and Asiapundit could be my first target…
Thank you again for the edorsement. The acknowledgement of my peers means far more than a popular award, and I’m not just saying that because I’ll likely not win this award.
It actually brings me to the final idea I have for the Asia Blog awards this year, which is to make them peer based rather than a plain vote (or perhaps a combination).
Any thoughts? Email me as I’m travelling so won’t be checking sites that often.
Good luck for the quiz.
December 7th, 2005 at 12:45 pm
Nothing like a mass sacking to make one feel refreshed and re-energized.
I still have mixed feelings about group blogs. Among China blogs, only Danwei seems to be doing it really successfully, with a nod to Talk Talk China. But Danwei adheres to a pretty tight topical regimen and enforces an editorial standard, etc. I presume that Jeremy still very much drives it.
And that’s something to consider in group blogs. There will almost always be an alpha blogger, and to be successful, there probably has to be a fairly clear style and approach. Where does that start to come into conflict with the individual freedom many of us value? I think there is real attraction in building a wider audience and a more diverse but coherent set of content, but it comes with a price.
I liked college radio better than pro radio because I could play what I liked, although more people listened to me in pro radio.
Would I make the same deal again to be part of a more widely-read group blog? I don’t know. Maybe. I damn sure can’t support two.
Anyway, Simon: Good luck on the blog awards. Already voted for you.
Myrick: Congrats again on the sackings. Must be liberating.
December 7th, 2005 at 4:24 pm
Well atleast i earned the sacking, thats twice this quarter. Sorry to leave you hanging man, will vote for simon as you recommended.
thanks for giving me the oppurtunity.
December 7th, 2005 at 4:28 pm
Hi Myrick,
You have done the right thing sacking the authors including me. Because I deserve it for being so occasional. In a group concept there must be some minimum commitment. There must be some regular communications between the authors and the editor. I am guilty on all charges.
Can’t help it, I am in a crucial phase of my career and so disgustingly tied up with many things. I have to sacrifice a lot to keep my own blog running. Last month I met Nitin in Singapore and he told me that it was because of you he joined Asiapundit. But he too is not getting enough time to update his own blog let alone Asiapundit.
Best of luck for your future venture.
I have already voted twice for Asia Pundit (for being a part of that) in the weblog awards.
Now after this I will be voting for Simon. Simon is a veteran army and one of my favorite bloggers (his rants about parenting were widely distributed to my friends). He deserves to be best of Asia not Xiaxue’s flesh.
And I have high hopes for Asiapundits too. I am sure you can make it successful.
December 7th, 2005 at 4:42 pm
Ouch. But thank you. It’s like the Japanese officer in Bridge Over the River Kwai. “You… will.. work! You will be happy in your work! Today… you rest.”
We will rest and be even more eager to get new marching orders.
December 7th, 2005 at 4:54 pm
Ha ha. Hilarious post (if you meant it that way).
December 7th, 2005 at 8:20 pm
Is it really necessary to put Xiaxue down to make yourself seem slightly more worthy?
You don’t really want Simon to win; you just want Xiaxue to lose.
She didn’t cheat to win her votes - I’m sorry to inform you, but mass appeal is power.
Kudos to her for being able to do that.
She will win, and if anyone can do anything about it, go ahead. Try to blog like her and get your readers like she did.
If you think you don’t want to stoop to her level, then perhaps this award is pointless. Since it is pointless, why bother who wins it?
Cheers.
December 8th, 2005 at 12:35 am
Simon. I’ll get back to you on things.
I had been mulling a bloggers’ choice awards myself. I had hoped to run something like a one-blog-one-vote contest, but I was hoping to get Pretam to help with the technical aspects and, ahem, I just sacked him.
More seriously, I was thinking of the logistics of it and how it could be implemented. I couldn’t really see it being done without a lot of manual effort (making sure all voters are active bloggers, at the very least, would require some hands-on work.)
Of course I have also been mulling setting up a Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Blogosphere blogroll/webring. So, not all of my ideas are good ones (the focus groups here in Shanghai seemed to object to the name rather than the concept, can’t put my finger on why that is). I may still try it.
How much are you talking about for this merger? I understand AsiaPundit is worth $141,699.54, it may be less in blogshares, but Gordon is still holding most of those (actually I only have a 20% stake).
I am planning to re-establish the group blog, though with thinner membership and more rigorous editorial control (had no problem with the crew - Nitin, Curzon, Gordon, Rezwan, GI, Pretam and Manuel are all top-notch - but the dearth of posting was bugging me so I felt a shock to the system was needed) Plus, I would like a more consistent style.
A shorter BoingBoing style of posting with dedicated co-bloggers will probably be the end result; with occasional roundups as required.
Will, I do still intend on the group blog - but I get your point, hopefully a more enforced style guide (as held by Shanghaiist) will work.
Rezwan, Jatin, Manuel and others, you will be welcomed back if you want after the ground rules are set. Again, I wouldn’t have invited you aboard had I not enjoyed your stuff.
‘Wonderful’…”You don’t really want Simon to win; you just want Xiaxue to lose.”
Actually, I want both! Those aren’t mutually exclusive goals, they are rather compatible. Duh.
December 8th, 2005 at 3:09 am
who the hell is Xiaxue?
December 8th, 2005 at 4:29 am
UGH I know what you mean about HER. She (and Paris hilton) should be shot.
December 8th, 2005 at 4:29 am
UGH I know what you mean about HER. She (and Paris Hilton) should be shot.
December 8th, 2005 at 4:30 am
Oh! Sorry double post! *slaps forehead*
December 8th, 2005 at 6:35 am
I thought you had to be a blog before you could be nominated for a position in the Best Blog Awards? XiaXue isn’t a blog, it’s more like a Barbie doll diary full of mindless drivel about superficial sh!t. Barf!
As for the sacking, I thought Myrick’s rant was pretty hilarious myself and the Donald Trump addition was a nice touch!
December 8th, 2005 at 10:10 am
Nothing like firing a bunch of people to get lots of comments!
Let’s talk about the blog awards thing. I was thinking more about asking a few key bloggers to nominate contenders, then a small jury selects. Completely biased, completely selective but hopefully more useful. Things change so quickly with blogs that it may need more frequent updating. Let me know if you’re interested on that.
On the merger idea, the monopoly money is on its way. It’s payable over the next 141,500 years. Enjoy. You can start Monday!
Will’s right re style guides, keeping the focus of the blog clear for cobloggers and the alpha blogger idea. But I still feel the next evolution, especially for blogs outside the US, is to aggregate content. Maybe that’s wherre you want to take A/P, but I can’t help but feel that would be a waste of your caustic wit and journalistic/blogging skills. Naturally I’m keen to make SW that site and keep scavenging for talent. If necessary, I can keep charming you until you give in. We have ways and all that.
Email me.
How did you and Running Dog go at trivia night?
December 8th, 2005 at 3:04 pm
Oi! Faster come back so I can buy you a round! Yah, hear, hear. All vote for Simon ok?
December 8th, 2005 at 6:49 pm
We still love you Myrick! Don’t give up!
Haha! Please do come back so that Miyagi can buy us a round. He still owes me too.
December 8th, 2005 at 7:51 pm
Well I’m sorry to see you go. I thought you were really onto something there with Zhang Ziyi’s Butt, which should’ve gone global, with so many instances of the particular genre of propaganda exposed in it to be found everywhere.
December 8th, 2005 at 10:22 pm
Myrick: Don’t let popularity contests detract you from publishing meaningful work. Popularity is only a quantitative metric of a blog’s worth. It’s more valuable to have quality content, which you can observe in kind by the thoughtful comments your readers leave for you.
December 10th, 2005 at 2:58 pm
why isn`t XiaXue a blog.it`s www.xiaxue.BLOGspot.com talk sense will you xD
December 10th, 2005 at 5:06 pm
if u cant beat xx, jus admit defeat alrite? dnt hv 2 say bad things abt her. u’r jus pathetic u noe. being a sore loser. u dnt hv as much fans as she do, so shuddup.
December 10th, 2005 at 7:31 pm
hm. i do have to agree that xiaxue might not be an adequate representation of asia, but to be honest, i don’t think an australian in asia makes it any better. perhaps they should have a separate section for people posted/studying overseas.
December 11th, 2005 at 12:11 am
hey, stupid! ur just jealous of xiaxue! if u r really so gd, u cannot be losing to her, u idiot! u r just god-damned jealous, geddit??
December 11th, 2005 at 12:14 am
u dun have to say bad things abt other people just to prove that ur gd!
December 11th, 2005 at 9:22 am
xiaxue is simply too proud. like to look down on people. she is a racist, it is a matter of time, she will betray her so-called fan too. Let’s concentrate and vote for mr brown. cheers…
December 11th, 2005 at 11:39 am
how do you know xiaxue `likes to look down on people,racist,and will betray her so-called fans` another classic example of idiots talking -.-
December 11th, 2005 at 11:44 am
why can`t xiaxue be proud.she`s better than those hypocrites who pretend to be oh so humble.can people please speak before they use their brain.i guess not judging from the comments -.-
February 19th, 2006 at 12:19 pm
she sprouts ill mannered words like the iconic Merlion sprouts water.
Only difference is the Merlion is much taller.
Please don’t allow her to be the representative of asian blogs!!