Friday, February 17, 2006

My entry into the blogosphere.

Many light years ago, I was sitting in office, jobless, when my inbox told me that I had got a mail from my uncle. I opened the mail to see a link. I clicked on it and followed it to an Indiatimes blog. A blog? What on earth was that? I employed the services of Google and was swamped with millions of results. I did some exploring, and a new term, a new concept found a place in my brain.

I promptly started a blog of my own in Indiatimes. Then the thought struck me. Why on earth would people want to read what I write? Coming to think of it, why would I want to put up my thoughts on the net for all to read? I immediately abandoned it, and my brand new blog languished, empty and wordless.

A few days later, I started getting a particular forward repeatedly. "Travails of Single South Indian Men...." it said, and it was a laughter riot. I must have received it at least 50 times, no exaggeration. As always I wanted to find out who wrote it. No clue in the forward. It went on for a few months. Each time I got the forward, I opened it to see if there was any clue as to the author of the piece. [A note to the reader: If you ever forward a piece of writing to people, or spread it around, always, please, acknowledge the author or the source, and include a link.] Finally one forward contained the words "By Sidin Vandukut" (sic). Aha, I had my clue! I turned to Google again, and got lost briefly, thanks to the mis-spelling. But I was back on track in no time, and landed at Sidin Vadukut's uproariously funny blog. Blog! Again! This thing must be catching up, I thought. I found some more blogs through his. I realised that I needed a Blogger account to comment on some of those, so I dutifully signed up and started a blog, and had a one line post in it too.

Shortly after that, I opened a copy of The Week to read Jon Stock's column "Last Word". He had an interesting piece on blogging and the internet. It was about how he thinks that thanks to the power of the internet, bloggers are accountable for what they write, despite their impression that they don't have too much of an audience. He narrated how he was googling for his new book, and found a "review" on a blog which belonged to Vivek. You can read the entire article here. I admit I was rather tickled at this. Visions arose, of me reviewing books by my favourite authors, and they googling me out and arriving at my site. The visions vanished when it struck me that most of my favourite authors are dead. Anyway, I left a comment on Vivek's blog using my brand new Blogger id. Vivek followed the link back to my blog, and was kind enough to leave the first comment on my one-line post. And yes, I still follow his writing. :)

Finally I decided it was time to test blogging waters, and resurrected my Indiatimes blog, and wrote some random nonsense under a pseudonym. To my surprise, I got positive feedback. But I was still not convinced. Before I started a proper blog under my own name, I wanted to know what people write about and why they do it. I desperately wanted some blogs to read, but did not know where to find them, and so I was just groping in the dark. Finally I chanced upon the IIPM-bloggers controversy, and discovered simultaneously, the power of the blogosphere, and some very read-worthy blogs. Then I found Desipundit. Just want I wanted. A guide to some good Indian writing on the net. Over the next couple of months, I read a lot of well-written stuff in the Indian blogosphere.

Finally I was ready to start blogging. But I still did not. Hesitation. Then one day, Ravi came to my blog via a comment, and left the second comment on my single-line post. I replied to him, and we struck up a friendship, with him urging me to start blogging. That was probably the trigger. I had some stuff that I had written, lying around, and I very bravely put it up as a post. That was it. There has been no stopping me ever since.

Now you know whom to blame.

25 comments:

Raj said...

Whatever the reasons might have been, we're lucky to have a sane blogger like you :)

I checked the archives and I first commented on your third post so I am one of the oldest visitors then!

Anonymous said...

:) Yeah each will have their own stories !

Its funny the way I started blogging...At that point of time I was abroad and this particular site I was browsing started a new section called Blogs. With time to kill, I started browsing that section too at 11:00 am and 3:00pm ( Tea time )..For months I was only reading the blogs. Once I had sent a trip report to a friend and she replied back saying I should seriously look at writing. I laughed it off saying its not my forte but later I did start writing. ( Till date, that friend does not know that I write !!) ....Once a friend forwarded me some story which I had already read in blogs and told me to learn writing few sentences and writing code is not the only thing in life! Funniest part was I had written about guy's antics in so many blogs and he didn't have a clue ( even now he does not )....Its been more than 3 years now and have had pretty good time. Have made loads of friends and met quite a few of them in different cities of the world and yet very few of my real-life friends know about it !!

[ I know you are irritated when I dont post my name. Confusion not cleared yet ;) but dont worry, we dont know each other in any way ]

Today's interest - TP Kailasam's works. Read 'Poli Kitty' for the nth time


Sri Rama's strength in duty
Sri Krishna's love, devotion
Give onto us the pattern
of India's perfection
..........


[Scout song from that play ]

Abhinav said...

good one....reminded me how i started to blog...rather became a blog member will write it soon abt it....

Chitra said...

Wow...and I would have missed blog-rolling a bombat blogger :) !!

Bhargav said...

After reading your blogs, it seems you have it naturally in you, that amazing flow of thoughts. As mentioned by raj, thanks we have a sane blogger here. You know...everyday I check whether you have posted anything new. It's kind of a routine now, and thank you for sharing your perspective about things you write.

Anonymous said...

A brave girl's story of how she stumbled into the blog world and made it big ,eh?.

You write with such girlish enthusiasm and curiosity and I enjoy reading your blogs. Rock on, Shruthi!

( I find that there is another raj who is a regular visitor to your blog. To avoid confusion, I will henceforth comment under the name Raj plus)

Shruthi said...

@Raj: Sane! Wow, that's truly a compliment :) Yes, you were one of my first visitors! I should put you on a special blogroll ;)

@Anon: Ah, at least you identify yourself as the same Anon who is confused about his/her own name :) That is interesting.... now it makes me want to read your blog! What is this, creating an aura of suspense, so that when I get to read your blog, I will feel really lucky and fortunate? :)))

@Abhinav: Yes, looking fwd to read it!

@Chitra: Wow, another lovely compliment :) And yes, thank you so much for blogrolling me... I am honoured :)

Shruthi said...

@Bhargav: Thank you, Bhargav! I am really flattered :)

@Suyog: Wow, thank you so much.... this has turned out to be a post which is bringing in so many compliments at one go :)

@Raj Plus: Thank you :)) - Also, thanks for calling urself Raj Plus!! Each time "Raj" comments, I need to follow the link to find out which Raj it is :) This will really help!

Shriedhar said...

:)))

Manasi said...

The last sentence should read "Now you know who to thank"! :)
Keep posting!

kaushik said...

hey:
even i was inspired into blgging after the IIPM thingy!!

Shruthi said...

@Shreedhar: :)

@Manasi: Oh.. :)) That's very kind of you ;)

@Kaushik: One more kindred soul! ;)

Vivek Kumar said...

Keep blogging!

Shruthi said...

@Vivek: Yes, thank you! :)

Sri Harsha said...

Hmmmm....interesting....and i think the time has come for u to do the same with Ravi.

He has been in hibernation for a while now....time to repay.

Anil.kumar03@gmail.com said...

shruti : we all have a very interesting story of how we began blogging. But it feels so nice that we decided positive at that moment and have come a long way since then. You know , my first 7-8 posts were read by none. But I was still happy, coz I was writing my heart down and still do the same :)

-ATG

Shruthi said...

@Sri Harsha: :)) You are so right :) But I am afraid my persuasive powers are not as good as his :D - Anyway, will do my bit!

@ATG: Wow that is so good... carry on, and happy blogging :)

Nirwa Mehta said...

Reading some of the blogs here.. I feel how some people have their thoughts properly organised..

Your blog is one of them! :)

Keep writing! :)

Nirwa

Global Indian said...

Shruthi: I'm flattered. Thanks and keep writing. Your post made me think, how I started to blog. I dont remember what made me to put up a blog in the first place, but desipundit triggered me to put some posts.

It took me two days to find this post. That shows how busy (lazy??) I'm getting these days.

Harsha and Shruthi: I hope that this post wakes me up from my hibernation.

Anonymous said...

Is there any mail id where I can mail you?

Shruthi said...

@Nirwa: Hey thank you :))

@Ravi: Will be really thrilled if you get your blog going again :) Mushy's diary is languishing - you need to write it for him! ;)

@Anon: Why don't you leave your mail id here, and then I will consider mailing you :))

Anonymous said...

hi shruti. this is sahiti. u know ravi right. well,he's my uncle.he gave me the name of u'r blog and i've read it . it's great. keep writing.

Shruthi said...

Hey, thank you Sahiti! Have you started your posting in your blog yet?

Anonymous said...

no shruti, i havent started my blog yet. i have got my exams in a week. after those ruddy things get over, i'm gonna start myblog.hey im also a very good reader like u and i think after i read ur blog, a longing to read in telugu started in me.(tha's my mothertongue)

Shruthi said...

That's fantastic, Sahiti! I hope you do start reading in Telugu! And all the best for your exams :) And once you start your blog, please do leave a comment here, with the URL!

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