It’s been almost two years eversince I introduced the Blogger Indonesia of the Week’s feature during which I have witnessed the fast-growing English-speaking blogs by Indonesian blogger, a prerequisite eligibility to be reviewed.
Interesting to note here that in early stage I started this feature, it’s been so hard to find any good English-speaking Indonesian blog. So much so that I needed to blogwalk from blog to blog to find one or two links into another good blog.
CONTENTS
Top Ten Blogger Indonesia Year 2006
Top Ten Blogger Indonesia Year 2007
Top Ten Blogger Indonesia Year 2008
Top Ten Blogger Indonesia Year 2009
Top Ten Blogger Indonesia Year 2010
One year after, however, I saw the turnaround: I’ve been facing difficulty, sometimes dilemma, to prioritize which good blogs I should review–and promote–first! In no way it suggests that other English-speaking Indonesian blog that has not been reviewed is not good. That’s terribly wrong assumption. There are a lot more blogs and bloggers outthere that sometimes even got a better content than the ones I reviewed. If you’re one of them, be rest assured that your blog has been in my list, or I might not yet know it. And for that, my apology.
In this year-end of 2006, I personally, as this blog does not represent anyone but myself, would like to acknowledge those Indonesian bloggers who have contributed, one way or another, to the fast growing Indonesia blogosphere. Every acknowledgement has its own limitation which may not satisfy everyone. This acknowledgement is not an exception. And for the sake of clarity, some criteria has been put in place as to why I pick them as my top ten blogger 2006.
1. Blogger or blog that was picked as Blogger Indonesia of the Week in the past. In another word, Indonesian-speaking blog–however good it might be– will not be included.(I honestly hope that there might be a blogger who is willing to spare his/her time once a week to review Indonesian-speaking blog).
2. Blogger or blog that has sort of influence and contribution in his/its own way in promoting and hence contributing to the growth of Indonesian blogosphere.
3. Blogger i.e. personality behind the blog, who shows a sort of leadership attitude on and off the blog; those who unite Indonesian bloggers into one force instead of dividing them, who are able to see the bigger picture instead of the nitty-gritty thingy and end up with messing up everything. “On the blog” means his or her blogging activities influences other people to do the same and/or enlightening Indonesian or non-Indonesian to understand more about Indonesia: culture, faith, tradition, etc. “Off the blog” stands for similar meaning, only it connotes to outside blogging activities. One more thing, the number is not necessarily in particular order.
Top Ten Blogger Indonesia Year 2006
1. Jennie S. Bev: The Most Prolific Indonesian Writer.
She’s the pride of Indonesian, including me. If Indonesian, any Indonesian, were to succeed in achieving what they want to achieve, watch her footstep. Fortunately she’s eagerly willing to share all her experience and her way to climb the ladder of success either as a prolific writer or as a reformed personality in her blog and book.
2. Budi Putra: The Indonesian Journalist
The first Indonesian journalist who has strong determination to utilise his position in the conventional media Tempo Magazine and Tempo Newspaper to introduce and promote blog and blogging culture. Majalah TEMPO, the most prominent and influential Indonesian magazine, is the first magazine that made an extensive report on blog and Indonesian blogosphere and blogging culture.
3. R.M.: Blog-Indonesia.com Founder
If I were to pick who is the kindest, humblest and most honest person I ever know “personally” during my blogging activity, he’s obviously my first choice. His contribution to Indonesian blogosphere is felt by every blogger, new and old. His blog aggregator, the first of its kind, enable the newest blogger to have traffic flow to his/her blog. Just in case you read this, R.M., please remember that blog-indonesia.com should never die. I’d be the first person to extend the helping hand just in case it’s needed.
4. Ronny Haryanto: Planet Terasi (Blog Aggregator) Founder
Planet.Terasi.net, a blog aggregator Ronny founded and maintain is the oldest. Previously it’s for aggregating IT-related blog, but now it’s also selecting non-IT related blogs, including mine. Any first iniative should be remembered and appreciated.
5. Agusti Anwar: The Indonesian Diplomat-Blogger
Indonesian diplomat who blog is not many. Agusti Anwar is one of them. He’s not only updating his two blogs relatively regularly, but is also engaging actively in Indonesia blogosphere community. I think, he might consider to urge other diplomat to blog as well.
6. Enda Nasution: The father-figure of Indonesian blogger
He’s the most deservedly Indonesian blogger to be called as Bapak Blogger Indonesia (the Father of Indonesian blogger). Simply because he’s played like one in helping new blogger by giving blog- or post-link, sometimes comment, to newbie blogger; taking time to visit them, etc. A kind of brotherly attitude that not many of us is capable of doing.
7. Yosef Ardi: The Indonesian Journalist most active blogger.
He should be on the first list of top ten blogger in Majalah TEMPO. And should be on the top list of such feature in any other Indonesia conventional media in the future. He makes a lot of effort to write a very good and informative content in his blog and should be highly appreciated accordingly.
8. Juwono Sudarsono The first Indonesian Minister Blogger
His sheer presence in Indonesian blogosphere opens a new vista among the elite circles of Indonesian bureaucracy to do the same or at least looking at the blogging culture in different mindset. If the Defense Minister, one of the most powerful and sensitive portfolio if not the most, is writing passionately in his blog, why others should not?
9. Isnaini: The most prolific blogger-template designer
Prolific and is highly appreciated by blogger / blogspot community beyond Indonesia for his elegant and creative design. Indonesian should be thankful for his relentless and tireless effort.
10. Maverick Indonesia: The first corporate blog
My friend, Ong Hock Chuan, is the founder of the blog, calls it the Corporate Blog. It’s written collaboratively by all guys in Maverick, a media and PR consultant. I wonder how Ong still has time to blog in between his must-be hectic activities. A good example for any other Indonesian entrepreneurs to learn to get rid of the “I am very busy” culture.
To every blogger in Indonesia and around the world, Happy New Year 2007, wishing you all a better blogging in years to come! Dan selamat Hari Raya Idul Adha bagi umat Islam di Tanah Air dan di manapun berada.
Top Ten Blogger Indonesia Year 2007
Year 2007 has witnessed the sweetest and most happening ever so far as blogger Indonesia goes. The rapid growth of blogging culture, more ministers and former minister started blogging which means more attention to this writing-and-reading culture. And finally the most amazing event of all, the Pesta Blogger 2007 which led to the induction of October 27 as the National Blogger Day formally annnounced by Minister of Communication and Information (Menkominfo), Mr. Mohamad Nuh who presided over the first blogger Indonesia fiesta.
The Pesta Blogger Indonesia 2007 is a momentum we should keep and the best way to utilize it is by making it to beef up the birth of a lot more bloggers. Many ways to do this “task”, the simplest one is by motivating and urging our friends around to start blogging in this very month, January 2008.
I put special emphasis on the important event, and therefore one should not wonder if some of the top ten blogger Indonesia 2007 are those who got involved one way or another; and had contributed in their own way to the big success of that event.
That’s said, the fact remains that not all blogs of the committee of Pesta Blogger 2007 have been awarded as Blogger Indonesia of the Week on which this yearly award is based. I pick some of them as representation of our high appreciation to their pain-staking efforts. Also, it would be unfair to other good Indonesian bloggers if all the top ten being given to those of Pesta Blogger committee.
***
I think it worth refreshing the criteria of Top Ten Bloggger Indonesia as written here :
1. Blogger or blog that had been picked earlier as Blogger Indonesia of the Week.
2. Blogger or blog that has sort of influence and contribution in his/its own way in promoting and hence contributing to the growth of Indonesian blogosphere.
3. Blogger i.e. personality behind the blog, who shows a sort of leadership attitude on and off the blog.
Top Ten Blogger Indonesia 2007
1. Ong Hock Chuan
He is the brainchild of the Pesta Blogger 2007 without whom it wouldn’t have happened at least this year. He has all the weapons to make it happen: skill, relation, capacity, determination and leadership initiative. His contribution to Indonesia blogosphere is extraordinary on this regard. Besides, his unbias and impartial writing also impress me and many other bloggers. His grown-up and balanced opinion on controversial issue between Indonesia and Malaysia, where he’s born, is impeccable and enlightening.
2. Enda Nasution
I am “forced” to make him for the second time as the Top Ten Blogger of the Year. For he is the busiest and the most responsible person to see the Pesta Blogger succeeded. As a matter of fact, he didn’t fail anyone. In fact, he did more than expected. His matured and magnanimous standpoint on the i-hate-indon controversy in an interview with SCTV is commendable and gets appreciation from Indonesian bloggers.
3. Wimar Witoelar
The Grand Dad of Blogger Indonesia, an attribute implicitly given by Menkominfo Mr. M. Nuh, an honor he deservedly earns. The former presidential spokesman of President Abdurrahman Wahid still got time to attend and involved actively in Pesta Blogger 2007. He is one of the most prominet figure who still keeps up with the technology of blogging and use it to the maximum.
4. Maylaffayza
One of a few educated and brainy celebrities who understands the power of blog. She may be the only celebrity who attend the blogger party. It’s hoped that she may spread the word to other celebrities to blog as well. Preferably in English.
5. Nurudin Jauhari
The first prolific wordpress template designer whose design acknowledged officially by the wordpress.org.
6. Oman Fathurrahman
A dedicated academician, honest intellectual and humble human being are what everybody wants to be a friend with. He is certainly once-in-the-blue-moon kind of personality we are eager to be with.
7. Kafe Depok
A dedicated economist bloggers of Universitas Indonesia. Even in a blog posting Berly, in particular, writes seriously with many citations, making his blog-articles worth an academic paper.
8. Merlyna Lim
An assistant professor in an American university who tirelessly helps other Indonesian students getting scholarship they want to futher their studies abroad by posting almost daily scholarship info on a scholarship mailing list (milis). The willingness to help others, to live beyond oneself interest, is what a real leader is made of.
9. Martin Manurung
An economist-political blogger and a young entrepreneur. He may be the only blogger who also is a regular columnist of an Indonesian newspaper. We expect, through his column he would promote blogging culture to his readers and colleagues.
10. Indrani
The most romantic couple blogger. The couple, Indi and Rani, are writing continuously and regularly from everwhere they are travelling. Arguably the most passionate Indonesian blogger I have ever seen. And the first non-expert blogger whose one of their pieces in the blog appeared in the Jakarta Post newspaper.
Last but not the least, we wish you a Happy New Year 2008 to all. Being a better person and lives in years ahead is what we expect. Selamat tahun baru buat semuanya. Buat umat Muslim, Selamat Hari Raya Idul Adha.
Top Ten Blogger Indonesia 2008
The essence of blogging, as I put it as a jargon in my Bahasa Indonesia blog, is to culturalize the tradition of writing and reading. Many Indonesians, like those who are from developing or underdeveloped nation, don’t have the habit of writing and reading. They talk a lot. Write and read less. And that’s why, some foreign academicians who come to Indonesia were a bit shocked to find out the lack of reading and writing habit among Indonesians even within the so-called middle class family. The lack of reading naturally would end up in the lack of blog content “charisma”.
There are a few exception, however. Those who can adopt a new positive tradition of modernity–in reading a lot. As a result they write many good articles, creating nice and unique posts and even making an enlightening comments in other blogs.
That’s one reason among others why I’d like to dedicate this year’s Top Ten Blogger Indonesia 2008 specifically to those who consistently make a good content, and no less important, write relatively regularly. A content which is unique and enlightening. By so doing I hope what they have done will be emulated by others especially those bloggers who come later. It’s also my own way to appreciate and encourage those who passionately write good blog articles without worrying or thinking about traffics. A good content blog may not make a big traffic, and thus, a big impact in a short term, but certainly they will in a long shot.
Blogs has grown rapidly in Indonesia. Ten or even hundreds of blogs are born everyday. They start blogging for various reasons. Either way they are an asset to make the tradition of writing and reading blossom in the unlikely place like Indonesia in which the middle class hobby and dream is nothing but to have a nice house, fancy cars and the collection of Chinese old ceramic instead of books.
Last but not the least, there are so many good blogs with good content. It’s a pity that I can pick only ten. It should not be understood, therefore, that the others ten are less good. The links in the bloggers’ name will direct you to the Blogger Indonesia of the Week review of a particular blogger from which you will find the blogger’s URL.
The Top Ten Blogger Indonesia 2008
1. Nana Podungge
2. Tasa Nugraza Barley
3. Rima Fauzi
4. Primadonna Angela
5. Agni Amorita
6. Anita Carmencita
7. Mulya Amri
8. Deden Rukmana
9. Sherwin Tobing
10. Dedi W. Sanusi
Happy New Year 2009 Everyone! Nothing like feeling anew and start afresh all the time! 
Top Ten Blogger Indonesia of the Year 2009
1. Nadirsyah Hosen
2. Joko Anwar
3. Amalia Sanusi
4. Hermawan Kartajaya
5. Agustinus Wibowo
6. Indonesia Anonymus
7. Ahmad Qisai
8. Ninit Yunita
9. Christine Susanna Tjhin
10. Purwarno Hadinata
Top Ten Blogger Indonesia of the Year 2010
1. Budi Rahardjo
2. Bunyamin Najmi
3. Rob Baiton
4. Willy Sudiarto Raharjo
5. Rieke
6. Riana Ambarsari
7. Evi Meinar
8. Septian Budi Waluyan
9. Mohamad Mova Al Afghani
10. Nurudin Jauhari
Top Ten Indonesia Blog versi Tempo
In my previous post a few months back, I congratulated and fully supported Tempo Interaktif initiative to make a weekly review on Indonesia blog written by Indonesian in Bahasa Indonesia or English. The first of its kind by a conventioal media. I am not sure whether that feature is still there now or not as I no longer see it appear in Budi Putra’s blog. Fortunately, I got a good news today from him that yes, the Tempo weekly blog review was terminated for a while and now it’d be up and running again.
The reason why it stops is not so clear to me. There’s an explanation from Budi as to why which I can’t mention it here–who knows it’s off-the-record kind of stuff.
My own assesment is that it’s a bit tough for Tempo Interactif crew to maintain the feature on regular basis: from picking up the to-be-reviewed blog (out of tens of thousands of blogs) and making a good introduction to it. Especially, when it’s seen from “feasibility” point of view.
To be honest, at the time Tempo Interaktif made that good ‘revolutionary’ initiative, I have something in mind which was a bit different. By then I didn’t say it as I thought it would be considered as ‘ungrateful’ on my part in particular and Indonesian blogger in general. And now as Tempo’s Blog Pekan Ini (blog of the week) will restart, I think it’s worth mentioning.
From my point of view, it would be much better if every week Tempo feature at least 10 Blog/Blogger Terbaik Pekan Ini or Top Ten Indonesia Blogs/Bloggers of the Week instead of Blogger of the Week. And the introduction for each blog featured could be much briefer, one para is enough. There’re two simple reasons:
1. It will cover a lot more blogs/bloggers at a time. Hence, many more bloggers will get more encouragement to compete with each other to make a good blog content. By reviewing only one blog a week it means only 48 blogs/bloggers will get mention by Tempo in a year leaving tens of thousands of blogs/bloggers waiting in “desperation” and “loneliness.”
At the same time, the more blogs get mentioned by Tempo, the more bloggers will love Tempo like never before. So, it’s a good and win-win situation for Tempo PR as well.
2. By giving only brief introduction to the 10 under-review blog, it makes the job of the reviewer team a lot easier.
It’s very much different with my own weekly review in which I only pick English-speaking Indonesian blog which in my estimate is no more than four percent and could be less.
Another alternative is that the Weekly review can be combined with other top ten blog of the week. Any other idea, everyone?
Updated August 12:
Alternatively, Tempo Interaktif does not need to give any introductory remark at all, just pick 10 blogs of the week and put their links in a specific place somewhere in the Tempo Interaktif’s sidebar website. That’s a lot lot easier and more effective for either side, especially will have much more encouraging effect to the bloggers concerned.