"Taiwan Matters" is the winner of the Best Taiwan Blog Awards for 2008 in the "Best Politics Taiwan Blog" category. Blogger Tim Maddog, also writing "It's Not Democracy, It's A Conspiracy!" (INDIAC) took some time off his busy schedule to give us an interview about the blog, blogging, the Taiwan blogosphere and Taiwan in general.

Background details

Blogger - Tim Maddog

About the blogger (adopted from the blog) - Tim Maddog is an atheist, a vegetarian, a non-drinker, and a bicyclist. If you don't use your rear view mirror when driving alongside him, he will rip it off of your car with his bare hands. If you're an extra-large uniformed soldier, and you crash your motorcycle into him, be prepared for an ass-whoopin'. He's a Maddog! On the other hand, if you smile at him, he'll smile back at you.

Blog - Taiwan Matters! (and INDIAC)

Blog description - A group blog on politics in Taiwan

Years blogging - 5

Blogging platform - Google Blogger's Blogspot

Country of Origin - USA

The Interview

Q: What was your main motivating force for beginning your own blog?

At first, someone had to twist my arm to get me to blog. I then began my personal blog, "It's Not Democracy, It's A Conspiracy!" It was mostly about my observations of contradictions and lies in the news media, and the main subjects were US and Taiwan politics. My particular ability to observe patterns and notice details kept me going, and the blog became solely about Taiwan.

Then Michael Turton invited me to participate in a group blog (Taiwan Matters), and that's where I am today.

Q: What is your blog mainly about? Please tell us a little bit about the general topics you usually discuss in your blog.

Taiwan Matters is about Taiwan politics, from the dirty tricks of the authoritarian Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) to the constant threats from and interference by China to the constant misrepresentation of the situation here by the international media.

Q: What does blogging mean to you? What importance or contribution does your blog have, if any, to yourself or the community?

AFP, AP, BBC, CNN, DPA, Reuters, and other media outlets are full of factually-challenged reporting when it comes to Taiwan, and rarely do they respond to complaints about it. Blogging gives me the voice to point out their misinformation on a broader scale than I would otherwise be able to. I hope that people who read the blog are also better informed when discussing related topics or reading the stuff that comes from the aforementioned outlets. Blogging also allows me to back everything up with links, photos, and video.

Q: Did you experience any special or out of the ordinary events or interactions as a result of writing a blog?

On the positive side of things, blogging has put me in touch with lots of people I could never previously have imagined conversing with.

Also, dealing with trolls who tend to cry "You're oppressing my freedom of speech" (as if I'm somehow stopping them from getting their own blogs) when I don't allow their lies or distractions to appear in the comments has been kind of fun. ;-)

Q: How did your blogging help promote you personally? (either professionally, by reputation, additional direct/indirect income or similar)

Since I blog pseudonymously, I don't think I've promoted myself a bit, but under the pseudonym, I know that influential people are paying attention to my writing, and I hope they have come to trust what they read.

Q: How much freedom do you feel you have to discuss what you care about in your blog? Are some topics more sensitive than others? Do you include personal details and stories in your blog? Why?

Although some people have complained to me that I've been too harsh on certain people, I only take it as far as I can back up with evidence. It's strange that people are afraid to call someone out on lying to the public even when it's plain to see and easy to demonstrate.

I don't include too many personal details because I want to remain anonymous, but I added lots of personal observations to my posts about things like the "228 Hand-in-Hand Rally," the "326 Rally for Democracy and Peace," the "915 UN for Taiwan Rally," and the "830 anti-Ma Rally."

Q: How would you generally describe the Taiwanese blogosphere? Do you personally know any other Taiwan bloggers? In your opinion, what contribution or role does the Taiwan blogosphere have?

It's a whole smorgasbord of things, so it's not easy to label, and so it serves several roles, but most give people a broader perspective on Taiwan. On the other hand, readers of Taiwan blogs are often strongly opinionated, and there are way too many trolls who are in it only to add noise to the discourse. I'm acquainted with several other bloggers in Taiwan by e-mail only.

Q: Do you have any favorite blogs about Taiwan you would like to recommend?

• Arbiter of Waste
• David on Formosa
• The Far-Eastern Sweet Potato
• The Foreigner in Formosa
• In Claudia Jean's Eyes
• Jerome F. Keating's writings
• That's Impossible! Politics from Taiwan
• The View from Taiwan

... and everybody else in my blogroll.

Q: How did you first make the decision to arrive in Taiwan?:

I had a choice between staying in the place I'd lived my whole life and coming to Taiwan. A friend I had asked for advice suggested to "Choose the hard thing. It will be more interesting." It has never been boring, even though it wasn't always easy.

Q: What do you think about life in Taiwan, the Taiwanese people and Taiwanese culture? How would you generally describe your experience in Taiwan?:

Just like anywhere else in the world, I've had to deal with a wide range of personalities and situations -- from good to bad and everything in between. But as I said above, it has never been boring.

Q: What advice would you give new bloggers?

Write about what you know and care about!

Q: What advice would you give someone considering coming to work, study or live in Taiwan?

Know what you're getting into. Don't be fooled by Ma Ying-jeou or his supporters. Don't rely on AFP, AP, BBC, CNN, DPA, or Reuters to tell you the real deal what's going on here. And question everything -- especially my advice! ;-)

Thanks alot Maddog, it's been a pleasure ^_^