New Cambodian Forum

[violet]

I've just taken a look and I very seriously doubt that is a vladimir site.

[Jaap]

I think there's only one poster over there. Weird.
Does anyone think there's room for yet another forum in Cambodia?

[violet]

7 members... could all be the same person of course

there's room for another forum in Cambodia in my opinion. doesn't mean it'll be occupied though.

[Petrol Head]

there's room for another forum in Cambodia in my opinion.

Differentiating itself how ? Khmer news sources ? They're about as reliable as the Narrator in Fight Club (as several threads have already pointed out today.)

When it comes to actually breaking a story, especially of interest to expats, the only source is 440. Which is why everyone in PP reads it.

Even the stated goal, finding "The Pulse of Cambodia" is dubious. If you want to locate the real Bitter Gourd Soup Snapping, Yuon Hating Pulse of Cambodia, you can already do so on I love Cambodia Hot News or whateverthefuckitcallsitself.

[violet]

there's room for another forum in Cambodia in my opinion.

Differentiating itself how ? Khmer news sources ? They're about as reliable as the Narrator in Fight Club (as several threads have already pointed out today.)

When it comes to actually breaking a story, especially of interest to expats, the only source is 440. Which is why everyone in PP reads it.

Even the stated goal, finding "The Pulse of Cambodia" is dubious. If you want to locate the real Bitter Gourd Soup Snapping, Yuon Hating Pulse of Cambodia, you can already do so on I love Cambodia Hot News or whateverthefuckitcallsitself.

I think you took my comment too seriously.

Just saying.

[pedros]

Samouth has publicly denied it, so it's probably him....

I do have some circumstantial evidence, which could be on the right track, or could be an d'try krahom.

[Petrol Head]

there's room for another forum in Cambodia in my opinion.

Differentiating itself how ? Khmer news sources ? They're about as reliable as the Narrator in Fight Club (as several threads have already pointed out today.)

When it comes to actually breaking a story, especially of interest to expats, the only source is 440. Which is why everyone in PP reads it.

Even the stated goal, finding "The Pulse of Cambodia" is dubious. If you want to locate the real Bitter Gourd Soup Snapping, Yuon Hating Pulse of Cambodia, you can already do so on I love Cambodia Hot News or whateverthefuckitcallsitself.

I think you took my comment too seriously.

Just saying.

I'm asking an open question.

There is a distinct possibility that it has been started by parties totally unconnected to either of the major forums.

[violet]

well, as you have used my flippant, tongue in cheek, throwaway comment as the basis of asking your question, it now looks like I was serious. I just wanted it on the record I wasn't.

I didn't even think there was a need for CEO.

[Petrol Head]

My point is, as an LTO of Cambodia forums, I reckon we've three scenarios:

1) Party/s are unconnected to either forum are either relatively new to Cambodia or the expat scene (or both). Perhaps they have recently arrived from larger markets like Indonesia or Malaysia, where this type of thing may work.

2) Party/s are connected to either forum but they reckon they can carve out their own market niche, so thin as to not exist. Id hazard no business plan, or an inadequate business plan has been developed to commercialize the site. Hosts, developers and opportunity cost of founder/s time have to be factored somewhere. CEO's extensive downtime and rolling functionality issues last year demonstrate a site cannot run on good intentions.

3) Site has been started out of spite. Which is patently absurd.

That's not to say there isn't a gap among online expat orientated sites for proper journalism. Stories of interest to expats that are created, not regurgitated. But you'd need to cut in (and pay) a Gavin Mac at home and several Lau Jacks in the field, because the bullshit detector is already pretty acute among your target demographic.

[scobienz]

My point is, as an LTO of Cambodia forums, I reckon we've three scenarios:

1) Party/s are unconnected to either forum are either relatively new to Cambodia or the expat scene (or both). Perhaps they have recently arrived from larger markets like Indonesia or Malaysia, where this type of thing may work.

2) Party/s are connected to either forum but they reckon they can carve out their own market niche, so thin as to not exist. Id hazard no business plan, or an inadequate business plan has been developed adequately commercialize the site. Hosts, developers and opportunity cost of founder/s time have to be factored somewhere. CEO's extensive downtime and rolling functionality issues last year demonstrate a site cannot run on good intentions.

3) Site has been started out of spite. Which is patently absurd.

That's not to say there isn't a gap among online expat orientated sites for proper journalism. Stories of interest to expats that are created, not regurgitated. But you'd need to cut in (and pay) a Gavin Mac at home and several Lau Jacks in the field, because the bullshit detector is already pretty acute among your target demographic.

Predominantly point 2, with a smidgen of point 3 thrown in for good measure. Neither vlad nor samouth are behind it.

There is definitely a market for a news oriented site - which he says he wants to make it - but it's a bit confusing to have a news site of interest to expats but 'viewed how the cambodians' view it. I'm not sure what he's getting at there. Either way, it's a tough ask to do that all himself, which is perhaps why all the stories there appeared on 440 first and have been taken from here in pretty much all instances. They have some stories we don't have, but frankly if we don't have it it is because it is of no interest to our posters. We are not predominantly a news site - never have been. It's a forum which often gets news stories before any other English language medium in Cambodia.

That's why 440 works. It creates itself. It's not the work of one person. We have excellent people like boomer et al who find stories, but if noone is interested in that particularly story it soon dies. If it's of interest, the story develops as people contribute thoughts, insights and new information comes to light.

The forum addition? Well, I suppose the best that anyone can say about that is that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

[Petrol Head]

it's a bit confusing to have a news site of interest to expats but 'viewed how the cambodians' view it. I'm not sure what he's getting at there.

So we can rule out creation of new stories - the mission statement you refer to eliminates the most viable untapped market opportunity from the outset.

Perhaps this is their mission statement:

There are known knowns. These are things we know that we know. There are known unknowns. That is to say, there are things that we know we don't know. But there are also unknown unknowns. There are things we don't know we don't know

Therefore, they believe they can create a viable business model by shedding light on "unknown unknowns" because:

- The English language newspapers are not reliable or informative enough, because they do not come from Khmer sources (even though many of the stories actually do) or because Khmers don't care about English language dailies. Fair point.
- Therefore, expats do not get a clear picture of what news means to Cambodians, in the Cambodian context.
- Therefore the only way to truly understand, is to source news exclusively from Cambodian journalists in Cambodian publications.
- Yet, the stories the Cambodians consume in Cambodian publications, in Cambodian, by Cambodians, are more often than not salacious, fallacious, exaggerated, or actually occurred yesterday in Ecuador.
- Therefore, to truly understand Cambodia, Cambodians, the "Pulse" of Cambodia, expats must immerse themselves in a steady stream of Cambodian stories, that actually occurred yesterday in Ecuador.

Conclusion:

The "Pulse" of Cambodia, is actually the "Pulse" of Ecuador.

[violet]

There are known knowns. These are things we know that we know. There are known unknowns. That is to say, there are things that we know we don't know. But there are also unknown unknowns. There are things we don't know we don't know

Sounds like someone who attended a Landmark session or three.

[andyinasia]

I think there is a gap in the market, which could reasonably be described as 'the pulse of Cambodia' (that's not to say this new website will get anywhere near it - let's see).

It's generally recognised here that

a) Khmer-language print media are biased towards the CPP (through ownership, fear or self-censorship).
b) CD and PPP are biased toward the NGO/Human Rights market and are therefore politically biased towards the CNRP (and KT - well...).
c) TV and radio are CPP-controlled.
d) Facebook and other internet sources are led by various agendas, all with their own biases.

I spend almost all my time amongst Cambodians (admittedly very few are your Yuon-hating types), and in terms of political opinions the consensus I find is that nearly all of them distrust and despise both the government and the opposition. Therefore, in my opinion, 'the pulse of Cambodia' is outside both main parties and is actually not represented by any print, visual or online media at all (with the exception of rare individuals like Ou Virak whom none of my Cambodian colleagues has heard of).

If this new website is all it wishes to be, it will find itself up against a particular problem; expats like us will write what the hell we like on an internet forum and be damned. The well-informed Cambodians I know will not. Even before the PM came out and explicitly threatened online posters with arrest for writing anything upsetting to the government, they were smart enough not to trust the internet as a safe place to express genuine political or social opinions. So you're left with the views of crazies, idiots, extremists and bloody expats.

So the need is there; I don't know how it can actually be met.

[Marmite]

Has koonkhmer packed it in? The site is still up and running, but Loy9 hasn't posted since August 4th. As he is quite literally responsible for every thread and 99% of the posts (one of those rare times using 99% is literal rather than figurative), it means nothing new in the last three weeks.

I hope he's ok and not become the subject of one of his own stories.