RSI interview: Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr George Yeo

Minister George Yeo (who guest-blogs at Beyond.SG and at Ephraim's) explains what led him to try out blogging -- read this interview transcript from the Radio Singapore International webpage:

You’ve recently said that you had to learn new tricks. What were some of these new tricks you had to learn?

Language is different. There is a certain casual informality about blogs, which makes it easy to read and makes it acceptable in the medium. If you’re too stuffy or officious, I think it’s a turnoff...

...If you’re too professional, then people get bored, they feel that it’s not appropriate. Sometimes it’s better for the pictures to be a little grainy, they look informal, more sincere more spontaneous.

There is a voyeur side to everybody; if it’s a picture that’s perfect then it’s intended for me to look at, but if it’s grainy it’s almost as if I’m peering over somebody’s shoulder and overhearing a conversation, which is a different experience.

So these are aspects of communication which I’m understanding a bit better now.

See also: Mr. George Yeo's reflections on his BlogTV.sg interview (Jan '07).