Unsung Blogger of the Week #10

This week’s featured blogger is a 24-year old from Malaysia –  Tariq Kamal.  His blog covers a variety of subjects including Malaysian politics. Text from the e-mail interview follows: 1. Please write a brief profile of you and your involvement with blogging. Well, I started blogging thanks to my girlfriend and a few of her
friends. I’ve been sporadically blogging since 2001, but this current
incarnation appeared around September 2004. It’s mainly commentary, really; just me yapping away on my blog, about anything I find interesting. For some reason some people like it.

2. How do you publicize your blog? I generally don’t, really. I mean, I try and get my entries sent to
Petaling Street (http://petalingstreet.org), which is a Malaysian blog
directory, but that’s generally it. Apparently being a contrary fellow
helps as well, because I’ve gotten more than a few hits by taking a
position opposite most of the blogging communities I am in touch with.

3. Which techniques have worked for you and which ones have not? Techniques? I haven’t really given it much thought. I generally avoid
trying to measure how popular my blog is, but occasionally being
contrary and a smartacre gets me linked. That’s a bit unreliable,
though.

4. What do you consider as your best post so far? You can include upto 3. Huh. Tough call. – ‘The Yet Another Ramadan Post, 2005’
(http://t-boy.blogspot.com/2005/10/yarp-2005-remember-forgotten.html) was pretty good. People liked that. [Good article. Good links as well. – Ed.]
– ‘We Don’t Need the Fucking Water.’
(http://t-boy.blogspot.com/2005/10/we-dont-need-fucking-water.html) was for a fellow blogger, and more or less a clubbing guide for newbies. I kind of liked it as well.

5.   What are your Top 5 Unsung Blogs ? (please include only those that are not in any Top 100/500 lists). Well, obviously some people deserve kudos. Let’s see: – Macvaysia (http://www.intellectualadventures.com/Macvaysia/) is a blog whose writing and knowledge, as far as I’m concerned, surpasses mine. He’s amazing and witty. And there are pictures of winsome girls in there somewhere. [make sure to read Macvaysia’s post on English Names in China. – Ed.]
– But Enough About You (http://isorule.blogspot.com/) is another
blogger I have to recommnd. Quintessentially Malaysian guy, even if he does live in London. He’s even honest enough to tell you that he’s there to talk about himself! What not to love?
– Life is Great (http://pickyin.blogspot.com/) doesn’t get as updated as regularly as before, but there are plenty of entries and book recommendations.
– The 20′ by 20′ Room (http://www.20by20room.com/) is a RPG blog, and talks about stuff I don’t usually talk about. But they’re well-written entries in there, and very thoughtful and clever. That’s it, really. Can’t think of any other blog right now that isn’t
either discontinued or wildly popular.

6.  What are your current book recommendations ? (1 or 2 is
sufficient). – Oliver Sacks — The Man Who Mistook His Wife For A Hat.
– Bill Bryson — A Short History of Nearly Everything