Cambodian Blogosphere and Cyberspace is, for the most part, a warm and supportive online community of Cambodians in Cambodia and spread around the world, ex-pats in country blogging about their experiences, and others like me who are interested in the country's beautiful culture.

Sadly, there is a dark side.  Read Jinja's post from last week about blogher Cambochica  (Angie Manzano) a writer for 'Off Our Backs' magazine and who was volunteering in country for Voluntary Service Overseas.  Her blog started to attract the attention of Darren Conquest (a.k.a. Lord Playboy, a forum moderator at www.khmer440.com, an online community interested in discussing tourist attractions. ) There were flames, nasty comments, personal attacks, and plagerism.  Jinja provides links and detailed accounts here and here.  (Lord Playboy's version of events is here)

Details are Sketchy, another expat blogher blogging from Cambodia, tells us that Lord Play

".....  has started removing offending content from the Khmer440 web site is likely indicative of the legal situation in which he currently finds
himself. But it’s probably too late to start feigning ignorance now.

Nor is his situation likely to get any better. In fact, it could getmuch, much worse. Along with Cambodia’s tiny expat blogosphere, all thecommotion has apparently sparked the interest of local women’s groups, who are finding the overt sexual content of the Khmer440 web site just a wee bit disconcerting, perhaps even criminal.

But credit where credit is due. The whole affair really has demonstrated a fairly superhuman display of daftness on the part of Lord Playboy. By all tellings, the guy tried to pick a fight with a online stranger, and when the stranger dismissed his advances, he worked himself up into such a spittle-flecked rage that he now finds himself in intensive care due to self-inflicted wounds, with no one to blame for his troubles but himself."