Why we have Very Few Blogs in Cameroon- The challenges of The Cameroonian Blogger.

             Why are Cameroonian Blogs not very popular on the internet?

          

The Future is here

Only about 10 percent Cameroonians as of now use the Internet. However,  a higher  percentage  own computers.  The blogging career had gain popularity all over the world. we expect to have top Cameroonian bloggers feature in awards  in Africa and world wide. However we still have very few blogs in Cameroon of which very few are very popular.Below are some of the reason we found out.
1. Slow Internet
Majority of Cameroonian bloggers give up the blogging career due to the temperamental internet connections. Internet connection vary from   '' Fast-slow-moderate-no connection'' .  Because of such trends in internet connection many tend to say good bye to blogging. So if you see Cameroonians blogging today then they really love what they are doing. This is one of the greatest challenged faced by Cameroonian blogger today

Also, the internet is considered as a luxury by many ; Reason why people are not interested in blogging. We got a good number of Cameroonian who write articles for radio stations and new papers . We  believe that if the cost of internet is moderated, then Cameroonian will be flooding the web with wonderful articles and stories.  This situation is gradually being adressed with the introduction of 3G and 4G services in Cameroon by Nexttel and Vodafone.  Get to work , create a blog and make it feature as a top Cameroonian blog.

2. French Blogs
Majority of the blogs in Cameroon are written in French. Given that majority of internet users speak English ,French blogs are less popular compared to blogs in English ,despite the quality of their content. This does not mean French bloggers should stop writing. French bloggers  can put translate options on blogs so as to reach a large audience.  This should not discourage any French blogger. Note that Kamer Kongossa (Cameroon News Blog written in French)   won the 2012 Best of Blog award. Blogging is a career for those who love it. Keep doing what you love. Many people are waiting to read from Cameroon blogger ( Africa in miniature).
3. Facebook and Dating Sites
The number of Facebook users in Cameroon noticed a rapid increase from 2005 to 2013 compared to the increase in the number of bloggers within this same time period.

   Facebook groups are becoming very popular with about 20000+ members in some  groups. This is because of the conception that the internet is a place to meet people. we meet people, share ideas, exchange ideas,sell services,buy services among others online. I  noticed that groups with many members are cultural or religious. The world need those great ideas in your head . Share with them and you will meet  millions of people . You are the owner of your blog and not the owner of Facebook, twitter etc.
A good number of Cameroonian ladies and gentlemen are online looking for their future partners. They spend sleepless nights chatting and posting pictures on dating  sites. Hmm. I will like to know  the extent of their success on dating sites. As a result, some talented individuals don't find it necessary to start a  blog since they can post articles,pictures,find friends and  comment on other post on Facebook and dating sites.

4. Bloggers versus Journalist
Many journalist believe Bloggers have come to threaten them in their profession and destroy their livelihood. That is why you Tv stations  rarely mention blogs when reporting. Because of the fear of criticism and threats , some quit the blogging career . Blogger-Journalist Collaboration in Cameroon to me is 0 percent. There is also a very little blogger-blogger collaboration in Cameroon which still constitute a challenge.  This had been the challenges of many news bloggers in Cameroon. Most journalist prefer to make reference to  US or French blogs in their reports.
Also read:

9 Reasons for the Increasing Number of Blogs in Cameroon

5. Believes and Culture
Lately i saw  a lady who use to post very interesting love articles on Facebook in the Logpom neighbourhood in Douala. I encouraged her to get a g mail account and start  a blog . I was shocked that when we arrived where to verify her account with Captcha code, she said '' Gar c 'est ne pas toi qui va me innicie dans le sect'' . That was the end. According to her the captcha is initiation into a  secret cult. People who are faced with such a challenge constitute the lowest percentage. They are rare to find.Some people still need a a lot of internet education back home. It is the generation of digital technology, Let us get involve to  and create the best blogs in Cameroon.

6. Discouraging Comments

The contribution of a reader summarizes these challenge.
. See contribution below

Hello Ransom. I understand all of that. My worry is the use to which social media is put in our context. It looks more like a forum to settle scores. People post on social and get angry when someone comments, people get personal on matters of general interest... and so on ... i just thought we could use a little education to correct these behaviors Else u might start a good blog and it dies because people come to the blog to insult others or people take reactions personal. I think thats one reason why we have very few blogs. 

                             Ngum Harry
 This is one the factors that kill Cameroon blogs especially the young ones.  Comments can help  bloggers write more or make some stop blogging. Avoid negative comments on blogs . Become a top contributor to a newbie blog and make that blog a top blog in Cameroon.

 These are the major challenges face today. They are more such as  scamming, fear and power outages which are keeping away many bloggers.
   I am proudly a Camer blogger.  Let all bloggers sit up and keep posting their articles and stories . Let us write the future of Cameroon. The period is now. Are you in? For contributions, comment below or email: ransbiz@live.com