Tim Maddog is the coordinator of the group blog Taiwan Matters which won the peer-judged and popular vote for Best Taiwan Politics Blog in the 2009 Taiwan Blog Awards. Tim is a blogger who constantly challenges the status quo. Read what he had to say about blogging on Taiwan politics.
Blogger – Tim Maddog
About the blogger – BS detector, counterpropagandist
Blogs – Taiwan Matters!; It's Not Democracy, It's A Conspiracy!
Years in Taiwan – I've been here since before Taiwan's first direct presidential election.
Years blogging – Six and a half (started July 2003)
Blogging platform – Blogger
Country of Origin - USA
Age – It's two digits! ;-)
Could you please tell us little about your background? What brought you to Taiwan?
I came to Taiwan just a month after getting my second university degree after a good friend suggested that I "choose the hard thing" because it would be more interesting. He was right.
What do you like about living in Taiwan?
Extreme convenience, affordable health care, delicious food, friendly people, interesting languages, contradistinctive culture, diverse scenery, great working hours, ample income...
How long have you had a blog and why did you start blogging?
The same friend who suggested that I "choose the hard thing" gave me the push to start a blog about my political thoughts and observations. Since I got started in July 2003, it has become an integral part of my existence.
How did the group blog Taiwan Matters start?
Michael Turton had the idea to start a group blog about Taiwan politics and invited me to join. I came up with the name inspired by Media Matters for America and by the desire to do something similar: to expose the lies and bias in Taiwan's KMT-dominated media. It would be nice to have the resources to do something like that, but we do whatever we can with what we have.
How do you coordinate the team of bloggers that write for Taiwan Matters?
It's totally up to the individual bloggers what, when, and how often they want to post, but I've worked closely with Άλισον to research and edit several posts.
What kind of influence does Taiwan Matters have?
A lot of people come to the blog searching for things like "the difference between China and Taiwan," "how many people support Taiwan independence," etc., so it looks like the blog is spreading the word about such things. More and more visitors are arriving via links on social media like Twitter, Plurk, and Facebook, so it's nice to see the influence spreading in "grassroots" fashion. I hope that certain journalists are aware that their factually-challenged and inexcusable "reporting" on Taiwan will get the blog's attention. With all the anti-Taiwan/pro-China propaganda that's out there, I've taken on the role of "counterpropagandist" -- the difference being that I'm trying to peel away their distortions and promote the truth. Because it's so hard to get Taiwan's message heard, I appreciate any extra attention the Taiwanderful award can bring to the blog.
Do you have any advice for new bloggers?
Link to and communicate with bloggers who cover similar topics, write about what you know best (and care about most), learn from others about the things you don't, and check your facts. In the arena of Taiwan politics, beware of commenters who vociferously claim to be "neutral" while their words and actions continually support the authoritarian side.
What are some of the unique things about the Taiwan blogosphere?
Encountering
westerners who support the Chinese KMT's authoritarian regime and/or
act like the DPP are "the same as the other guys" is both surprising and
unique.
What are some of your favorite Taiwan blogs?
