JUMPING on the blogging bandwagon seems like the way to go for younger politicians.

After all, political discourse is at its liveliest on the Internet, what with netizens tending to be more outspoken with their opinion given the anonymity.

It may seem like a surprise, then, that the P65blog seems hardly the hip, engaging website it set out to be.

There isn't anything glaringly wrong with the website.

The problem is that it is just another blip in a sea of local political websites.

It is easy enough to navigate, but there is nothing memorable or interesting about it.

Popular blogs have several common features - they incorporate pictures and streaming audio and video features.

The key to attracting blog fans is the interactivity afforded by such features.

TOO WORDY'S A YAWN

A website that is too wordy will eventually become a yawn.

The Government has made several commendable attempts to engage the young and Net-savvy.

The Young PAP discussion forum is a good example. Discussion on the site is lively and covers a variety of topics, not necessarily related to politics.

Bread-and-butter issues generate a good amount of online buzz, which seems conspicuously absent on the P65 blog.

It is tempting to speculate that the blog's lack of popularity has to do with it being a pro-establishment website, but that is hardly the issue.

Bloggers from opposition parties seem, similarly, to have had little success engaging their target readers.

Perhaps a different approach is in order, if the younger MPs are to engage Singaporean youth in meaningful dialogue.

Flooding the blogosphere with more blogs is unnecessary.

Rather, MPs should be encouraged to take part more actively in online forum discussions.

USE OTHERS' BLOGS

MPs should also not shy away from posting on more established local blogs.

MP Baey Yam Keng, for example, made a guest appearance on the Mr Brown podcast.

So guest-blogging on popular political blogs from time to time can be considered.

It is much easier than having to write formal blog posts about isolated topics - and far more enjoyable, too.

Websites such as The Online Citizen and Mr Brown.com have a sizeable following among local netizens, who regularly comment on issues raised on the websites.

It is far more important to engage these netizens actively in online discussion than to try to devise ways to increase hits on a little-known blog.