The Bangkok gay bloggin community is diminished at the moment.
While Bkkdreamer is enjoying farangland with his family, and probably missing Bangkok, Silom Farang has decided to pull the plug.
I must say I have always been impressed with Silom Farang's ability to create and maintain such a high readership. Readership is king among bloggers. When Bkkdreamer, me and Kawadjan used to meet, the "so how's your readership going?" question would prop up every time.
I mean, what would we be without readers? I often try to put out thoughts about Thai society in general and gay issues via my blog. If no one reads them, I might as well speak to myself in my bed, no?
But, more readership also means more pressure to publish. Bloggers hate to see red arrows in their viewer statistics and bloggers hate to get demanding emails by readers. It's addictive when you know that xxx people read your words every day, you have some sort of influence, even if it's very small.
I have always seen my role as part entertainer, but also part social observer and maybe even critique. A blog can be many things, but for me personally, I would not blog if I couldnt voice my (sometimes controversial) opinions.
Silom Farang knew his readership very well, knew what they wanted and what they liked and knew how to keep them entertained. And that might have made him feel indebted to them.
Something that blog readers can not understand is that bloggers can get very obsessed with blogging, and tend to think about the blog more often than is healthy. Silom wrote that he thought about the blog in the shower etc. Blogging really grabs you, but it doesnt give back very much, at least financially.
That is exactly why reader comments and emails are so important. I actually made some good friends via this blog, and got inspiring, but also some negative comments.
I really respect Silom's effort for blogging, and really appreciate the exposure he gave me and keeps giving me. Thanks so much, Silom!
I have also read the praise that his readers heap on him and the sorrow they feel at the loss of the blog. There was one comment I want to react to, since it was, at least indirectly, directed at me.
Silicon Farang Says:
It was a great ride. Your blogging was definitely on a level not matched by the later bangkok bloggers who remain. Hopefully the remaining bangkok bloggers will raise their game now that they will no longer be in your shadow.
Best wishes with your mainstream writing efforts!
Excuse me? A level not matched by us "other" bloggers? Is there like a blogging scale from 1 to 10? Raise my game now? Do you want me to get a Thai boyfriend and write about my Soi boys? And do you want me to post teenie pictures?
Sorry, Silicon Farang, but you have not understood blogging. Every blog is different. You may be more inclined to read Silom Farang than reading my blog, but that does not mean that the blogs you dont like to read are worse. It just means you can relate to these blogs a bit better.
No one is going to fill Silom's void. He had his own market, his own style of writing, his own humour and his own following. In the meantime, his readers can either enjoy the other blogs around, each of which have their own interesting points and niches, or you go to a forum.
The best solution however is to start a blog on your own. I want to see the people with their quick fingers regularly write every day and see what their thoughts are. Start your blogs TODAY!
In the meantime, good luck Silom! I hope you find the energy to start something new!
13 comments:
IMHO, I read many different blogs like BB's, Bryanboy, BKK's, SF's, etc., and many more! Hell, I could never have my own blog because my time is spent reading others, lol! I don't understand why someone would want to read blogs that are all the same!
thanks FJA.
I am now going to post a new entry, it will take me about 2 hours probably...there goes my evening:) and that happens 4 times a week.
Of course, one can be interested in the quality of a blog and criticise, but it's difficult to give a score to a blog isnt it.
Some blogs appeal to us, some dont. The ones that appeal, mostly do so because we feel we have something in common. (or we find the pictures hot...) no?
OK, I can work with this reply. I'll have to go deeper into that site you offered, because I don't see the connection. Can you be more specific on what I'm suppose to read? I understand he's gay, etc., but more how it relates to "faggot?"
Apparently I'm over the 4,096 character limit, so I've sent you an email with the rest of my thoughts...
In regards to your latest comment to FJA, the pictures in say, SF's site, are not why I go there. Yes, I'm sure others do, but I don't think it is as large as you think. There are other sites, free sites, etc., that offer far more "sexier" pictures. And I know we seem to be on the disagreement path, but don't sell yourself, or anyone else, short on why they visit a site. Having something "in common" is probably not the number one reason. I'd say the number one reason is interest or discovery. And yes, having something in common can surely lead to both. With you, I appreciated that you were gay, for one, lived in Bangkok, two, and decided to live outside of Sathorn, three. But mostly just appreciated your travel log, which gave me a perspective on some places I'd like to go. What little we do have in common I really love.
BB says...
"But have a look at this blog for example: http://www.bryanboy.com/
A different use of such words, read and enjoyed by thousands of people every day."
For fun I decided to search (a few pages) for the word "faggot." What did I find? Well, on the main page the word "faggotry" came up in regards to his trip thru Michigan. I never saw another use of the word in any variation. In contrast, I searched your site and found 3 uses on the main page, 8 on the second and 3 on the third page.
The only meaning in this I'm sure of is that you just like this word and use it alot.
"Enjoyed by thousands" can also be said of hatred, killing, discrimination (Thailand is famous for this) and a host of other things you may not want in our human world. Doesn't make it right, though yes, it does make it popular. This is why I say go deeper.
4,096 character-limit? I didnt know I had that...quite a random number too...
received the email. going to read it now and will try to answer it before going to bed:)
NameChangeNow. Firstly, who should change what name?
...come on...you actually counted words? if you are so smart...go and compare the faggot-use to the total amounts of words...I think my entries are about 10 times as long as bryanboy's
you do not actually compare the self-ironic usage of the word faggot in an "out there" gay fashion blog with killings, do you....you have to explain more...
and where does the Thai reference come from? Thailand is surely one of the places in the world where gays are treated relatively well...no?
I have some replying to do as well, but I'll start with your latest entry here.
Yes, the 4,096 character limit was mentioned as it would not let me publish the post. I took some words out, but no dice. Funny, yes. So I just sent you the post by email.
No, regarding the word "faggot," I didn't count the words per se, I used the "find" function in my Firefox browser. It counted them for me.
Coming from America to Southeast Asia is indeed eye opening. Though we are "famous" for being "discriminating" as it were, I find that the whole of the rest of the world, barring Europe and other developed nations, are far more discriminatory. And yes, that includes Thailand. I'm not talking about just the gay issue. From the treatment of the Burmese down through the Hill Tribe People, to the fact that all you see on TV and in the movies are young, beautiful Thais. You don't see the old that much, and certainly will not see many farang, be they white, black, Asian or whatever. Next up is your social status. In America, because someone is poor or has a job that is more blue collar than white collar, you won't find too many people that talk down to you because of it. Thailand is notorious for this. But so is alot of Southeast Asia. I mention entertainment only because that is my business. Do you also want to talk politics? What about the different factions in Thailand and the extremes for which they're known? Kinda brutal in my book. And then what about how Isaan is looked down upon? We ALL have our issues, but Thailand is right up there in human rights abuses. America just happens to be large and open enough where we can talk about it and then it gets reported throughout the world. Thailand and hundreds of other countries wouldn't for a moment let that happen. Am I proud to be an American? Most times. Is it the best country on earth. Far from it. But, with a little hard work, know how, patience and drive anyone can be an American. You will never be Thai.
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