There are many different types of blog, even in Hong Kong.
The first one I read was Hemlock’s diary, which is unusual (but not unique) in that it is both anonymous and partially fictional. The way it is written leaves the reader deliberately unsure how much of any particular story might be true, and one assumes that the more outrageous tales are not (quite) true.
At the other extreme, we have blogs such as See Lai and UK Joe where the authors tell us clearly who they are, with photographs and any other details we may desire. Naturally. these people exercise a certain amount of caution in writing about their personal lives.
Then we have the people like Phil (Flying Chair) and Simon – and myself – who don’t put their full names on their sites, but are somewhat circumspect in what they write about themselves, friends and families.
However, some of the most high profiles bloggers in Hong Kong are very careful to hide their real identities and then write very frankly about their lives, safe (??) in the knowledge that they can remain anonymous. Of course, we have no way of verifying that what we read is true (or complete), but the assumption is that having chosen to "confess" in this way, they don’t hold anything back. The problem is that posting information on the Internet is about as public as you can get, and I sometimes feel a bit uncomfortable reading this stuff (especially after a while, when you feel that you have got to know the person who is writing it).
In the last few days, both Shaky and Conrad (Gweilo Diaries) have written things that made me wonder. Both, of course, involve women. Shaky has been recounting his ‘courtship’ of a young lady and we have Conrad being very indignant that an ex-girlfriend is asking for his help because she is pregnant.
I certainly don’t wish to pass judgement on either of these matters. They don’t concern me personally, and I wouldn’t be offering unsolicited advice or passing judgement (even if I knew all the facts, which I don’t). My only point is that these people have chosen to write about these matters on a blog where comments are solicited, and needless to say some people have jumped in and had their say.
It takes all sorts to make a world, or something like that, but I think I’ll stick to writing about transport policy, politics, the weather, intelligent crows and so forth.
[all links deleted – only Hemlock’s site is still available]
Ordinary Gweilo 
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