Kamangir (Archer)

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A Contest Held and Lost by DW-World

Kamangir | November 4, 2006 | Category Iran

Important Notice: Please read this note before reading this post.

Recently, DW-World announced the ten finalists of the 2006 International Weblog Awards in the Best Persian Blogs category (see). Since then, the conduct of the competition and the rule the Iranian super blogger Hoder (see) played in it, have been under harsh criticism.

On October 24th, Hoder posted a short note on his Persian blog

List of finalists in DW competition. All of them except for [a blogger's name] are selected based on my suggestion.

One of the finalists was Nikahang Kowsar, an old critic of Hoder. On October 23, after he found out that he is among the candidates, he wrote (see),

Please delete my name. I don’t find this contest rational. With all respect to all the people who have voted, the referee must be legitimate, which is not.

He wrote a similar post on October 24th and asked his votes to be transferred to Chaay and Z eitoon, two other finalists (see). Hamed, who posts in Chaay, wrote on Oct 26th (see),

I was delighted when I heard of the contest and found my name as a finalist. I was happy because I thought a group of successful and knowledgable Iranian bloggers have chosen the list. Then, I found out that the list is selected solely by Hoder. Knowing this, changed my whole view. Now, I look at it as a funny game .

Sun-Land, another finalist, who was also present in Hoder’s list, wrote (see),

…I am not one of your puppets…I suggest you take a look at the blogs that you have suggested yourself and see how they think about you. And I am not talking about how the rest of the Iranian blogsphere thinks about you.

She also asked if Hoder had ever read her blog, because he had mentioned a totally wrong name for it (see).

During the last ten days, many blogs carried a post about the conduct of the contest and the rule Hoder had played in it. A blogger wrote (see),

It was only a game… Hoder had given a list to DW and they have picked the first eight blogs from the list. Just like that.

Another one asked DW to “stop spreading anger” (see), and a famous bloggers wrote “the competition, as it is, is void, at least in Iran” (see). Also, see these (see) (see) (see) (see) (see) (see).

Soon, Hoder stepped in to defend his position. The contest made his blog, which was previously updated only a few times a week, also an active one. On October 27 he wrote (see),

Last year, on this very blog, I mentioned that the way DW carries out the contest is a bit undeomcratic. Because it is not reasonable to have one person to both select the blogs and also to be the only member of the jury….But, there is no way out, they decide how the contest will be held and we can only give them suggestions….There is no need to discuss this, my actions show how much I have influenced my own judgments.

But this was not the end of the story. On November 1st, he quoted three posts, written angrily against him, and wrote “I am proud of having such enemies” (see). On November 2nd he posted the link to the contest and asked “vote for the best Iranian blog”. This was not still enough, so on November 3rd he wrote a longer post giving details about the position of the contestants and tried to encourage his readers to vote (see). He wrote,

It is very shameful for us and you who always chant “Iran! Iran!” to see the number of votes given for Arabic blogs to be much more than the ones given for the Iranian blogs [5296 compared to 3097 (see)]…It is really shameful…. Get rid of this Iranian silly game [of complaining about the conduct of the contest]. Ask your readers with no shame and full of pride to vote for you. You are the best. If you do not think you have the best blog, why do you write?

A close friend of Hoder, who was also present in his list, wrote yesterday about this post (see),

I don’t get it. Why is he so much hated?…And please do not loose his silly trial to benefit from our trivial nationalism. Frankly, why did you write such a silly post, Hoder?

The “Godfather” seems to need a bit more support from “his gang”.

Reader's Comments

homeyra | November 4th, 2006 at 3:44 pm
Hello,I have seen here and there some stuff about this rethoric. Truly I don’t understand why we are not focusing on being more constructive. A contest is… just a contest, nothing more. If one can organize a better one, fa-ba-ha:)
kamangir | November 4th, 2006 at 3:47 pm
My understanding of this whole thing is that Hoder’s claim to be a legitimate representative for the Iranian blogsphere is seriously debated. However, some outsiders, including DW, do not have the time to read a few blogs and acquire a better picture. So, this is what happens.
Any way, You are right. We should find a more construstive path.
homeyra | November 4th, 2006 at 4:15 pm
Thanx for your answer K. As I said I don’t know much about Hoder. From a neutral point of view, let’s say he knew people, and used it to promote some other people. Anyone else can do the same. I maybe totally wrong, but I wish we rather try to complete and improve each-other work.
Loopy | November 4th, 2006 at 9:17 pm
well, the hoder issue is an interesting one. i knew him in person when i was in toronto. the main problem i believe is that he has sold himself to western mainstream media (eg. bbc, washingtonpost, …) as the main voice and leader of the iranian dissident/blogsophere voice. whereas many believe that he is only in this game for furthering his own cause of becoming somebody known and counted upon (in the west…i should think). i won’t comment one way or another, but sayonly that i found it disappointing in him that he can be a populist, in that he will say or condone what will be popular, or perhaps what will help him further his cause, than to stand by a certain set of principles/morals. personally i am not at all a fan of his politics and views (when they are constant)…however, one cannot deny his influence in being one of the true godfathers of the iranian blogging phenomenon…
sz
kamangir | November 5th, 2006 at 1:03 pm
homeyra
I have no problem with that part. My reason for writing this post was to communicate with those people, in DW and elsewhere, who think Hoder is the Godfather and the representative of the Iranian blogsphere. The thing is there is no such Godfather between us.
kamangir | November 5th, 2006 at 2:35 pm
Loopy,
He might be a Godfather in the sense that Don Corleone was, by having connections and so on. But, he sure is not a representative, in a democratic way.
Loopy | November 5th, 2006 at 5:35 pm
i agree with you completely on that point kamangir.
sz
kamangir | November 5th, 2006 at 6:52 pm
:)
homeyra | November 6th, 2006 at 4:30 am
Now that you have agreed together Gentlemen, let me disagree ïŠ
As I said in a previous post, I don’t know Mr. H.D., and I don’t know much about this dilemma except of a few glimpses here and there on people’s blogs. Ø±Ø§Ø³ØªÙŠ Ù…Ø§ Ú†Ø±Ø§ Ø§Ù†Ú¯Ù„ÙŠØ³ÙŠ ØØ±Ù Ù…ÙŠØ²Ù†ÙŠÙ…ØŸ :)
I don’t intend to defend or accuse him. If I have learned something about History, is that we better join our forces and improve whatever we have.
Mr. D. is where he is, either the blogging community â€“ if such an entity exists- address him directly and tell him what they want, or communicate with organizations and say that Mr. D. is not their representative and express whatever they have on their mind. What bothers me, to be honest, is our national attitude to always blame someone, and forget about the rest. From what I read in Loopy’s post Mr.D. has at least some credit-minor or not, somewhere.
homeyra | November 6th, 2006 at 4:54 am
One more note, the “square” on the first line of previous comment was supposed to be a :)
I know that K. was “reporting” facts, and provided an occasion to exchange thoughts among friends.
Thank you K :)
kamangir | November 7th, 2006 at 11:54 am
Homeyra,
I agree with you. What I tried to do was to speak as one member of this community and to tell him that I read his blog, but I do read many others as well.
Nazanin | November 20th, 2006 at 10:40 am
I think your personal hatred for Hoder is really making you and a few other friends of yours totally blind. So let’s imagine he doesn’t exist anymore. How would you or others gain out of this?
kamangir | November 20th, 2006 at 2:08 pm
Nazanin,
How do you know that I hate him and what have I gained from criticizing him? Please do not judge me. You do not really know me.