Comments on: Politics — The Driving Force Behind Blogs?

By: Onnik Krikorian

Onnik Krikorian — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 06:43:24 +0000

BTW: Your post is now available in Spanish:

La semana pasada, los temas más discutidos en la blogósfera armenia fueron el manifiesto del ex presidente Levon Ter-Petrossian y las elecciones presidenciales en la vecina Georgia. No es de extrañar que ahora muchos se extrañen, incluso los mismos bloggers, de si la política no es la fuerza motriz detrás de los blogs en Armenia. “Antes de la última elección parlamentaria, la blogósfera armenia adquirió gran fuerza y la política se convirtió en la fuerza motriz detrás de los blogs,” escribió el analista local Samvel Martirosyan en su nuevo blog en armenio. El blogger es ya ampliamente conocido por su blog en ruso, Kornelij Glas. [...]

By: Observer

Observer — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 21:17:34 +0000

Actually – I’m preparing a review of Serge Sargsyan’s program at the moment, and getting ready to review Vahan Hovhannisyan’s one. Arman Melikyan has just published his, so I haven’t had time to read it. As to the rest of the candidates, they haven’t put forward their programs at the time of my writing this comment.

I accept, that my blog has become very much politicized, but I think – the duty of any Armenian citizen, who cares about their country at the moment is to take a very active political stance.

As I’ve said in many occasions – I don’t like Levon Ter-Petrossian, nor do I like Robert Kocharyan or Sezh Sargsyan or Vahan Hovhannisyan. However, I have decided to vote for the Dashanktsutyun party this time round, because this is the only political force in the country, which operates at least remotely like a political party. That however, doesn’t mean, that I will be non-objective when covering Dashnak campaign or everybody else. I’m just being honest as to where my real sympathies lie. However, if you have followed my blog long enough, you will know, that I am more or less balanced, when covering anything or anyone, and where I’m not balanced and objective, I am very much willing to accept healthy criticism.

Coming back to you question: where are the others’ programs discussion, I have to remind you again, that I’m only human, and blogging is only a hobby, and as soon as I have time, I’ll get back to discussing everybody else’s programs.

At this moment however, I’m preparing for a trip to Turkey with a group of Armenian journalists, and all I care about at this point is: the sad anniversary of Hrant Dink’s murder and the Armenian-Turkish relations.

By: Ara Arabyan

Ara Arabyan — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 20:50:24 +0000

Dear Observer,

During last days I also mentioned that your blog was extremely politicized too, and noticed that you assume unconcealed negative attitude toward one presidential contender (for example you immediately introduced your view on his manifesto, but where are the others’ programms discussion?!)… very strange…

By: Observer

Observer — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 16:52:53 +0000

You know – there are times, when I decide to give up reading Russian language armenian blogs altogether. They are exceedingly hostile towards each other, highly ghettoised, etc.

By: Hrag

Hrag — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 15:52:39 +0000

The comments that most perplexed me where those by Azat2008, who doesn’t seem to understand that blogs are an intensely emotional form and that emotions are the juice that keeps the blogosphere afloat. Perhaps the Russian-language blogs aren’t as equality-minded as English-language or other Armenian blogs.
I also agree that Oneworld Multimedia did an extensive job covering the elections and offering perspectives that were welcome.