About Blogs and bloggers

[Badri]

I saw a link in Jaiganes' profile, followed it and entered into the world of Weblogs (also known affectionately as blogs). I had heard about blogs, in a vague sort of way, like how you know mayflies pupate for about 17 years and then live for just one day as adults, but didn't pay much attention to them. The blogs, I mean, not the mayflies.

But when I went through JG's blog (he's a damm good writer, by the way), and traced the origin and evolution of blogs, I got interested. One thing led to another, and before I knew it, I was the proud owner of a blog space myself. I have since put up two blogs there.

I wonder how many hubbers out there have blogs too, and so I thought of starting this post. I would like this to serve as a billboard for all those hubbers who are also bloggers. You can give us the URL of your blog and I am sure more and more people would start reading your blogs.

Here's mine to start with:

http://valleyofthemuse.blogspot.com/

[pavalamani pragasam]

Mine is:
Blogs.sify.com/ppavalamani

[pavalamani pragasam]

BAdri, seems we share common interests of reading, writing, inclination for satire etc :D

[Badri]

But I haven't seen anything satiric in your writing, Mrs PP, at least on the hub. They are usually so serious, and mature and full of wisdom, but not much of satire or parody though. Guess I will take some time to read through your blogs, and perhaps will change my opinion.

[Badri]

Wow Mrs PP! Your writing is really compelling. And what an easy way you have with words! Your writeup on Words is itself proof enough of your skill with them! Let me guess, Francis Bacon left a deep impression did he?

Have you read any of Prof Kasturi's work by any chance? He too had this knack of playing with words much like you have done.

[pavalamani pragasam]

Thanx, Badri :D I forgot to include my whole-hearted enjoyment of reading P.G.Wodehouse. I love all the essayists like Bacon, Lamb, Johnson, Pope ad so on. I love the style the novelists like Jane Austen, Dickens. Among poets I love Shakepeare more than anyone else. Next come Shelley, Keats and other romantic poets. I prefer to keep a safe distance with the modern literature of all kinds! :wink: Just to save myself from hypertension :lol:
I dont know Kasturi. About my satire it reaches its easy peak when I am teased, irked, when my sacred concepts are challenged blatantly, arrogantly. A spark will set off the dynamite of my righteous anger and satire is all that spews. Long ago my article for the beauty contest essay competition in a Tamil women's magazine won me the 1st prize- satire was the technique I had used- a type of Antony's in Julius Caesar.
Didnt you know the old hub's "galattas"? You would have had a sample of my wrathful satire. Mind you, I never use disrespectful language- I am too cultured to do that- however base an opponent gets in his virulent attack on me. A lot of provocations are already brewing in the new hub also. But let peace prevail as the admins desire & also we.

[Badri]

Oh dear, I must have missed all that...maybe Mrs PP, just to read your satire, I might provoke you one of these days!!! :D

There is something in me that simply relishes satire and parody and the lot...anything to challenge the existing order - sometimes I think I am an anarchist at heart!

By the way, have you read SAKI? I am trying to find some kindred soul who loves reading SAKI (HH Munro) and even started a thread hoping there would be others...but not a single bite! Satire is at its best with SAKI.

[jaiganes]

Badri!
Thanks to start with for your compliments. I found out blogs by visiting a blog l a z y g e e k (www.lazygeek.net) of Guru subramanian. His blog was a way of expression of what he found out and what he observed. It is more like a diary of things u can share with others. It is more a reflection on life outside one's home.
There are certain blogs which are more like a person's personal diary. Either way blogs are excellent tools of expression and communication, where one can register one's thoughts which otherwise would be lost among countless ruminations in the rest room. For the past 2 days I am starved of time to contribute to my blogs or for this hub and hence a delayed reaction to this thread.
Thanks.

[pavalamani pragasam]

How sad I haven’t come across Saki also! BTW, Badri, don’t you know Tamil?

[pavalamani pragasam]

A few months ago an article in the newspaper about blogging instantly caught my fancy. My family members may have a good opinion of my writing talents but outwardly only try to humour my itch for writing by giving net-savvy assistance to satisfy my urge.
I have scribbled a lot as poems, essays, stories and essays of criticism. All these are stored in the hard disc. Then we realized it is not safe. So my children copied them on CD’s. Even that they say is prone to damage.
Somehow the idea of publishing them as books is allergic to us. Finding a publisher, getting it printed, then pushing it in the market-all these not worthwhile for an old woman’s tales. But the old woman does like viewership & feedback.
In my own old fashioned way I preserve paper manuscripts of my writings! Beyond this to have my writings preserved in a more or less foolproof way in internet and to hope for some viewership and feedback was the blogspot option.
Again with the help of my children( I successfully continue to manage my internet activities with bare minimum technical skills- whenever one of the three children come home I make them or their spouses do some installation, downloading etc done for me) I created one and saved all my consolidated works there. Feedback? Mails of the nuisance type- canvassing ads etc! Or other bloggers eager for viewership like me! I know viewership is next to nothing.
But it satisfies me as a good vent, a healthy outlet for my reactions, sentiments, feelings, criticisms( which surely will find no place in printed media). An occasional letter of mine appears in the Hindu’s “Letters to the Editor”.
My writing hobby is more often a butt of ridicule in the family. Of course playfully. It is odd for many people to see me carrying on my net activities unlike other women of my age and circle sitting in front of the TV or doing more household work.
The workshops in indianest.com ( another site also recently converted to the new hub’s format, I see one of the hub’s admins participating there) were real pleasures to me- they were challenging to my imagination-writing an article about the photo given. They proved even remunerative- I won thrice or so $20 as prize money! No workshops now.
It is great to see so many participants here sparing time amidst tight schedules-unlike me!

[Badri]

You are so right, Mrs PP. The urge to write is so powerful that it simply refuses to be stifled by trifles such as lack of time, opportunity or appreciation. I have, in my time (not that I am very old, or anything!!) scribbled quite a bit by way of essays, poems and odd stories. I have many unfinished novels to my credit, and one complete novel of the fantasy genre. Of course, as you said, these were written more to give expression to the thoughts building up within me than to find anything big in viewership or remuneration. Not that they wouldn't be welcome, either, let me admit that.

Rather sad you couldn't read SAKI. His works (mostly short stories) are available online, so if you are not averse to reading on the computer, I can send you the links, or the Word documents via email. The documents have the added advantage of having been formatted by me!!

Oh yes, enakku Tamizh nangrave theriyum. Tamizhan allava? Chennai vaasi...sila kaalamaga Melbourne il irunthalum, vazhnthathu Chennai maangarathilanro!

[Querida]

nice blog Badri...i too don't have the humour to appreciate Shakespeare's comedies especially Comedy of Errors or even Much Ado About Nothing...but have a sharp spot for satire...it so much more amusing the simple sarcasm and rude words...atleast you understood the yorick passage due to that pobre burro accidente...have read a few myself but don't have the guts nor skill to write such ones....they always sound so polished...keep it up hope to read more :D

[Badri]

Hey Thanks, Q! Warms the cockles of my heart, it does!! :wink:

Have you read this book called the 'Twisted Tales of Shakespeare'? You'd love it.

The Author is Richard Armour...man, he parodies some of the Bard's popular plays so humoursly...I nearly died laughing! He's also parodied some of the Greek classics in his book 'classics reclassified'

Our apologies, Mrs PP, but somehow, although I did find Julius Caeser somewhat profound (and that was solely because of that extraordinary English Professor at College who taught us the play), I love it when anyone parodies the Bard...can't help it...must be the anarchist in me that loves to ridicule the existing order of things, one of them being the undisputed literary genuis of Will Shakespeare.

[pavalamani pragasam]

Badri, I am not against parody with good humour, Shakespeare is my beloved poet, not an idol I worship to be intolerant to satire! Well, I'll search for Saki online when I have time & mood.

[pavalamani pragasam]

Badri, I had doubt about your knowledge of Tamil since I don’t see in the hub’s poetry section where my renderings, esp. in “kavithaikku kavithai” thread are kalaedoscopic! I am curious to know if you think my story “India Smiles” posted in the story section will gain any recognition with the panel of jury who are going to judge it in the sulekha.com’s global story contest.

[Badri]

Ok...while I know tamizh, I find it frightfully hard to read the tamil font on this hub. i have installed it, but it is too small, and unreadable, so I've given up reading it.

About the story, let me take a look and will let you know...

[Roshan]

Ok...while I know tamizh, I find it frightfully hard to read the tamil font on this hub. i have installed it, but it is too small, and unreadable, so I've given up reading it.

About the story, let me take a look and will let you know...

badri,

I dont get your point. The Tami font size is as same as the English. Is your mother tongue Tamil?

[Badri]

It is Tamil all right. I am talking about this Murasu thing which I got installed. I am able to read the script, but it is too small...

[scorpio]

Roshan,

Tamizh mozhi meedhu theeradha kaadhal irunthum 'Ulagam' thiriyilum, tamizh lit. section-il ulla matra thirigalilum tamizh font-s ai padikka mudiyatha karanathinaal pangu kolla mudiyavillai.

If u can explain the 'rocket science' behind it, will appreciate!!

Badri,

Most of my readings are on the PC only. Do send me links to read Saki online.

[Roshan]

Badri,

This murasu anjal is a bit of a hassle. Try this link and download TSC_Avarangal font. It's cool. You can also download a handy typing tool called e-kalappai for Tamil typing.

http://www.tamil.net/tscii/tools.html

[Roshan]

scorpio,

I saw your response only after posting mine. Please try the link given above. Typing Tamil is a very easy task with e-kalappai.

Good luck !!! :)

[scorpio]

TSC-Avarangal irandu version irukindranave, edhai downlaod seyya vendum??

[Badri]

Scorpio: I have posted a link in the SAKI thread...do check it out..

[scorpio]

Badri,

Thanks, will read and revert on that thread!

Roshan,

Now I am able to read Tamil fonts... Mikka nandri :)

[Roshan]

[tscii:0940ea31ce]scorpio,

Å¡úòÐì¸û !!!

Try typing in Tamil too. It's soooooo easy !! [/tscii:0940ea31ce]

[jaiganes]

Blogs have become such a phenomenon that now they have started to get commercial. Google's ad sense is being used by bloggers to make money for displaying context sensitive ads in their blogs. I took up lycos mail account primarily for the tripod site that comes free with it. The tripod administration is very cool in features like file managment and help with HTML. The only issue was space and archiving features. Now with the emergence of blog as a useful and efficient content deliivery mechanism, I am exploring the possibility of linking both my tripod site and blogspot provided by blogger (a google undertaking). The popularity of blogs has soared in these couple of years. Blogs have also morphed into tools for disaster relief and global connectivity mediums. A well known blog for tsunami relief (http://tsunamirelief.blogspot.com)contributed immensely by introducing good natured donors with respectable aid agencies. The newest entrant to blog business is MSN with its spaces (http://spaces.msn.com/). Blogs have become a phenomenon that are here to stay and contribute to the net and the civil society in general.

[citrus]

hi friends iam blogging for the past 7 to 8 months ..i like you all to visit my blog and drop in ur comments there..my blog id is

http://citrusonline.blogspot.com

if possible start a blog for ur self..that willchange ur life in many ways ...

awaiting ur visit...

love u
CITRUS

[jaiganes]

citrus!!
good blog buddy!! keep up the spirit.

[scorpio]

Badri,

Just read yr latest blog on the 'Puffing Billy'.. Nice read.. Capturing Australia's beauty vividly, you are only increasing my urge to visit my sis in Sydney and take time to meet a 'thambi' in Melbourne too! :wink:

[Shakthiprabha.]

Soon I intend having one, so that i can scribble
what I want, with no second thoughts.

Would let u guys know...

bye bye

[Badri]

and take time to meet a 'thambi' in Melbourne too!

Hey! Most welcome...would love to have you here!

[Akash]

Guys check this out!! its amazing!!
Mile sur mera tumhara......by MIT students....

http://www.putfile.com/media.php?n=mile_sur_small

[jaiganes]

clever use of blogs (http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=528&ncid=528&e=2&u=/ap/20050327/ap_on_hi_te/reinventing_a_newspaper) by a newspaper