Monday, October 31, 2005
The Need for a Blog
Ok, this is the real thing. No more tests now. Time for some serious blogging(serious??? You can't be serious, I here you say...). When I first heard about blogs(sometime last year), I thought, "What the hell. Why would anyone be interested in writing an online journal? More than that, why would anyone want to read anyone else's blog? Apart from a few famous personalities, how many bloggers would actually manage to get a sizable audience? And how many of the rest would be motivated enough to keep writing regularly?" With this kind of scepticism in mind, I ignored blogs for about a year and a half. What I didn't realize was that my own mind was bubbling, yes, bubbling steaming bursting exploding with ideas thoughts notions and God only knows what else.(oh yes Balli, Rushdie's style has surely leaked into mine.)
And then, and then, came a point when I said to myself, "Oh no, this is getting heavy, I need to start writing, otherwise I will never remember all this." In short, I needed a diary. And being the sust(really lazy fellow) that I am, I remained at this point for months, but never bought a diary. (Actually, I didn't even have to buy a diary; living in a family of doctors, there's no shortage of diaries at home...but then again, writing takes effort, energy and time, and being the sust that I am...) And still I haven't bought a diary(and haven't I forgot...). But things have changed. Sometime ago, an incident happened(which I won't write about), and a rant was written(which you won't read about). Those who read it, said it was, well...good. And so I thought, if this could be written, so could the rest. And thus, I turned towards blogs. (And as for that diary, well, you know, writing with a pen{which includes writing, cutting, upscripting(ˆ), downscripting(ˇ), ink on hands, ink on shirt, that-teeny-weeny-stuff-the-goddam-space-with-as-many-letters-as-you-can-handwriting, etc.} still takes more effort than typing...)
And so, with a change of heart, I make my foray into the world of blogs. As for the questions I asked myself a-year-and-a-half earlier, I think I've got the answers to most of them:
Why would anyone be interested in writing an online journal? The answer, clear as daylight, is to get it all out. To give your ideas thoughts experiences notions some form, some shape, so that they don't get a chance to go away(as they have done with me). Of course, a blog isn't the only answer. It could be a diary, a book, whatever...its just that, when its put in writing, it simply becomes much more difficult to erase it.
Why would anyone want to read anyone else's blog? Simple, food for thought. The web is full of exciting, insightful and some really plain interesting blogs. You can get bored surfing the web, but you would be extraordinary if you could get bored surfing the blogs. Oh yes, there are blogs for more practical purposes too...but interesting material to chew upon is the biggest reason I guess.
Apart from a few famous personalities, how many bloggers would actually manage to get a sizable audience? The most naive of my questions, the answer's all over the net now. Oh sure, there are a few well-known-before-they-were-blogging bloggers out there, but, in the world of blogs, what matters is the content, not names. Fellow bloggers and blog audiences want substance, and interest. Nothing more, nothing less.
And how many of the rest would be motivated enough to keep writing regularly? Now that's something I can't answer right now. Surely its easier to write a blog than to write a diary, but when you have no one to see your work, would you take the pains to sit down and write for no one? I don't know what I'll do when I reach that stage, but right now, having just stepped into blogworld, I am not going to think much about it. Right now, what really matters is to get it all out, thoughts notions ideas and all, and share it with everyone.
And one more thing, if you are worried that, being the sust that I am, I'll write once and not type for two months, don't worry. I've resolved to keep writing, something, anything, somnolent or fluent, regularly and vigorously. So, on this eve of Deepawali, I say to me, "Happy Blogging, me-myself". And wish "Happy Diwali" to all you my friends...
And then, and then, came a point when I said to myself, "Oh no, this is getting heavy, I need to start writing, otherwise I will never remember all this." In short, I needed a diary. And being the sust(really lazy fellow) that I am, I remained at this point for months, but never bought a diary. (Actually, I didn't even have to buy a diary; living in a family of doctors, there's no shortage of diaries at home...but then again, writing takes effort, energy and time, and being the sust that I am...) And still I haven't bought a diary(and haven't I forgot...). But things have changed. Sometime ago, an incident happened(which I won't write about), and a rant was written(which you won't read about). Those who read it, said it was, well...good. And so I thought, if this could be written, so could the rest. And thus, I turned towards blogs. (And as for that diary, well, you know, writing with a pen{which includes writing, cutting, upscripting(ˆ), downscripting(ˇ), ink on hands, ink on shirt, that-teeny-weeny-stuff-the-goddam-space-with-as-many-letters-as-you-can-handwriting, etc.} still takes more effort than typing...)
And so, with a change of heart, I make my foray into the world of blogs. As for the questions I asked myself a-year-and-a-half earlier, I think I've got the answers to most of them:
Why would anyone be interested in writing an online journal? The answer, clear as daylight, is to get it all out. To give your ideas thoughts experiences notions some form, some shape, so that they don't get a chance to go away(as they have done with me). Of course, a blog isn't the only answer. It could be a diary, a book, whatever...its just that, when its put in writing, it simply becomes much more difficult to erase it.
Why would anyone want to read anyone else's blog? Simple, food for thought. The web is full of exciting, insightful and some really plain interesting blogs. You can get bored surfing the web, but you would be extraordinary if you could get bored surfing the blogs. Oh yes, there are blogs for more practical purposes too...but interesting material to chew upon is the biggest reason I guess.
Apart from a few famous personalities, how many bloggers would actually manage to get a sizable audience? The most naive of my questions, the answer's all over the net now. Oh sure, there are a few well-known-before-they-were-blogging bloggers out there, but, in the world of blogs, what matters is the content, not names. Fellow bloggers and blog audiences want substance, and interest. Nothing more, nothing less.
And how many of the rest would be motivated enough to keep writing regularly? Now that's something I can't answer right now. Surely its easier to write a blog than to write a diary, but when you have no one to see your work, would you take the pains to sit down and write for no one? I don't know what I'll do when I reach that stage, but right now, having just stepped into blogworld, I am not going to think much about it. Right now, what really matters is to get it all out, thoughts notions ideas and all, and share it with everyone.
And one more thing, if you are worried that, being the sust that I am, I'll write once and not type for two months, don't worry. I've resolved to keep writing, something, anything, somnolent or fluent, regularly and vigorously. So, on this eve of Deepawali, I say to me, "Happy Blogging, me-myself". And wish "Happy Diwali" to all you my friends...
Monday, October 17, 2005
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