Virak Hor - blogger, Cambodia


Email interview with Virak Hor - blogger, Cambodia 01 Dec 2007

 

# How effective has blogging been in empowering Cambodians/ giving them a voice? Is it being used for campaigning for change - if so, how effective has that been?

=> Of cause, what people are believing in starting a blog is that they can speak out to the world, express themselves, sharing their ideas, and sometime their organization. There have not yet had any case of blogging been used for any campaigns because the technology has just been adopted and people still eager to learn more about it but I believe that one day it will be used for such activities here in Cambodia.

# What has been the response of the Cambodian authorities to people blogging? (You can see my article on the impact of political bloggers in Malaysia via my blog http://www.zenguide.co.uk/2007/11/blogging-thrives-in-malaysia/)

=> There's no any case yet that got response from the authorities on blogging. Because blogging has just started and the authorities seems not yet have know much about Blog or Internet.

# How are Cambodian businesses using blogging to market their products / services?

​=> It seems not yet got adopted by the businesses. I have not yet seen any company blogging, even their website still look poor or even most the website makers – webdesign houses, dont have a blog for themselves.

# What are the current trends/ hot issues around social media in Cambodia/ Asia?

Hm, I dont seem to have seen any hot issue currently or lately around social media beside what the media have covered the cloggers summit and people seem have started to talk about blog among their friends and started to create their own not like people in our neighbor countries they seem a bit more skillful and have good knowledge than us in using the tools, social media, like lately what people have used it share informations and show their support for the protest in Burma within the region.

# Are there any social media issues that you think is important for communicators in business or not for profit organisations to be aware of, especially if they or their clients are considering doing business or engaging in Cambodia?

I think mobile phone and its technologies are getting hot in Cambodia right now. Not like Internet, a lot of people are very familiar and some are very addicted in using mobile phone to communicate and share informations with their friends and families because I think it's easy to learn, easy to connect. Two more companies have started to invest. Internet is still very hard for people since it's not widely available within the nation, still expensive and require skill in using computer.

# What was the personal value for you of attending the Cloggers Summit?

=> It was like I was enjoying the social networking among different people and learn more from international people also I can see the community of blogger in Cambodia.