Who are we? Founded in 2005 by US and EU students to report from and on Central Asia; Original principle: one country, one blog; main site as the « hub »; T eamed up with Transitions Online in 2006, employed « bridge bloggers » - paid bloggers who head the country sections; Hivos and OSI as the initial funders.

Founded in 2005 by US and EU students to report from and on Central Asia;

Original principle: one country, one blog; main site as the « hub »;

T eamed up with Transitions Online in 2006, employed « bridge bloggers » - paid bloggers who head the country sections;

Hivos and OSI as the initial funders.

Successes Steady news flow, increasing visitor numbers, launch of Russian and Kazakh/Kyrgyz/Uzbek/Tajik language versions; B locked in Uzbekistan since summer 2006; Altogether 50 training sessions, seminars and conferences held in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, reaching 600+ people; Best Blog contest, specific country highlights, mainstream media attention.

Steady news flow, increasing visitor numbers, launch of Russian and Kazakh/Kyrgyz/Uzbek/Tajik language versions;

B locked in Uzbekistan since summer 2006;

Altogether 50 training sessions, seminars and conferences held in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, reaching 600+ people;

Best Blog contest, specific country highlights, mainstream media attention.

Training sessions Traffic Unique pageviews May 2007 – July 2008

Training sessions

Traffic

Unique pageviews May 2007 – July 2008

International audience Kazakhstan blogs dominant

International audience

Kazakhstan blogs dominant

Current technological limits Multi-install Wordpress hard to maintain; Few (useful) «Web 2.0» features; No clear navigation between languages; How can we highlight the various forms of content we have?

Current technological limits

Multi-install Wordpress hard to maintain;

Few (useful) «Web 2.0» features;

No clear navigation between languages;

How can we highlight the various forms of content we have?

Current conceptual problems Are we a blog? A news-site? A webzine? Who do we publish for? Central Asia or Europe/US? What’s our editorial mission? How can we make sure there is real dialogue between the readerships? How can we retain our position as the «region’s premier blogging network»? Do we want to «spin off» successful local language blogs into separate and independent projects? Finally, where will we be in one year’s time?

Are we a blog? A news-site? A webzine?

Who do we publish for? Central Asia or Europe/US?

What’s our editorial mission?

How can we make sure there is real dialogue between the readerships?

How can we retain our position as the «region’s premier blogging network»?

Do we want to «spin off» successful local language blogs into separate and independent projects?

Finally, where will we be in one year’s time?

Reinventing neweurasia.net New one-installation Wordpress blog hub uniting all different country sections; More «newsy» look, clear hierarchy of stories; New theme-based navigation; Better and cleaner photo, video and podcast integration;

Reinventing neweurasia.net

New one-installation Wordpress blog hub uniting all different country sections;

More «newsy» look, clear hierarchy of stories;

New theme-based navigation;

Better and cleaner photo, video and podcast integration;

Reinventing our place online New site design heralds change towards more «quality blogging» - originally researched stories along with exclusive photo and video content; Hiring of two editors (English, Russian) to guide bloggers; Better integration with established media by developing stories out of blog posts, offering monetary and development rewards to bloggers; Citizen media as a fast, (more) democratic, cost-effective, yet quality «alternative» to mainstream media; More translations mean more flow of information between the different audiences.

New site design heralds change towards more «quality blogging» - originally researched stories along with exclusive photo and video content;

Hiring of two editors (English, Russian) to guide bloggers;

Better integration with established media by developing stories out of blog posts, offering monetary and development rewards to bloggers;

Citizen media as a fast, (more) democratic, cost-effective, yet quality «alternative» to mainstream media;

More translations mean more flow of information between the different audiences.

Showcasing the potential of «quality» citizen media by compiling and editing a book of 60-odd best posts Further monitoring of the local blogospheres and cooperation with Global Voices

Showcasing the potential of «quality» citizen media by compiling and editing a book of 60-odd best posts

Further monitoring of the local blogospheres and cooperation with Global Voices

Challenges along the way Funding realities (Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan), short cycles; Sustainability – no money no content (neweurasia started as a volunteer project)? Relaunch harder than thought (5,000 stories, 10,000+ comments, pictures, etc. – big and technically challenging database migration); Generational change at helm of neweurasia: Rejuvenation, new ideas – change is hard! Reaching out to Central Asian bloggers; Is there room to grow?

Funding realities (Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan), short cycles;

Sustainability – no money no content (neweurasia started as a volunteer project)?

Relaunch harder than thought (5,000 stories, 10,000+ comments, pictures, etc. – big and technically challenging database migration);

Generational change at helm of neweurasia: Rejuvenation, new ideas – change is hard!

Reaching out to Central Asian bloggers;

Is there room to grow?