...my web experience: all about a blog...

...In the world of web, online forums are providing a platform for exchanging ideas in the form of discussions which ranges from lighter gossip over some ordinary issues to intellectual deliberations on topics addressing the issues of serious concerns. And, in my earlier write-up, I have opined how such forums can be utilized as places of learning. Also, it was mentioned that it leads to a feeling of belongingness within a group, many a time leading to one-to-one interactions with exchange of words of personal concerns, planting the seed of the web friendship. Although presently people are choosing to take a cautious approach before bringing such friendships of virtual world to real world, it is not difficult to guess that, in times to come when web interactions will become an integral part of their routines for almost all, the distinction between friends of real world and of virtual world will become a vague one.

The web is providing another way of interaction among the web users i.e., between a blogger and the readers; which, in real world has been the privileges of a selected lot, the writers only. Any willing person who can afford to give few hours in computer and having access to net can come up with an essay to be posted as a blog. Any surfer can read it, and if wishes can put remarks. The interaction between the blogger and the readers may not prove to be as lively as is among the participants of a discussion forum. Because, unlike in the discussion forums, where one introductory observations or remarks from the starter is countered or supported or discussed by others, and have follow ups with clarifications or counter arguments from the original speaker, forming the ladder of progress of the discussion, blogs are written as single compilations, the content reflecting the comprehension about the subject, and which is penned down in a way to present the concern(s), arguments and views at one go. Like the case with discussions, here too the topic can be from a wide range. In fact, it is not rare to have come across essays depicting the feelings of the blogger, which is more of a self talking, and which may not be having much to be discussed about. Responses to a blog are seen in the form of words of appreciation/observation, criticism and/or pointing of mistakes etc, which may come from a person following the blog or any passer by. Although it is not necessarily a live interaction, still, it has its impact and certainly there will be followers looking for updates in the blog. A blogger’s model of the society, and his/her assumed role in the model may be inferred from the types of topics chosen, languages used, views expressed and interpretation presented in the blogs.

I felt like writing few words on blogging after I have gone through the blog of a mature teenager, who had penned 21 essays in 2007 and 18 essays in 2008 (till 25th Apr), and with whom I have been having interactions in forums or in messengers from time to time. Although I was following his writings from time to time, but was not sincere in putting my comments there, instead, now I am choosing to put it here as an overall remark.

As a summary of the blog, I would say, it is a mixture of essays on description of events and experiences, penning of feelings, and an account of the thoughts playing in the mind from time to time. If the essays are followed chronologically one would find that there is an observable improvement in the description, the report on visit to Panshghani is a smoother reading, (also, may be noted is the length). The blogger should be credited for putting his feelings about certain things, which I guess to be true for almost all teenagers, frankly in a quite open manner and of course, without hiding the teenage effect (even in selection of words), leaving one to wonder if not in future there will be an exclamation "Was it I who wrote this!". Leaving aside the frequent usage of words /descriptions that are not found in contents meant for public reading (with the hope that they are not used in the blog as tools to lure people), among the various essays, the sarcastic writing over media hype and their craze for seeking public votes on any matter, the one on about TV soaps; and the essay on the sensitive issue of mms clips which usually put the girls at the receiving end should impress the readers. However, one thing is apparent, probably to the blogger also, that penning of experiences of others is not quite an easy task.

One interesting aspects in the blog is that it is mapping the state of the mind of the blogger from time to time, revealing the highs and lows of his mood and his resolves to get past the lows. This is making apparent some additional aspects of his personality, which otherwise may not have become known to many of his web friends unless they have in one-to-one interaction over a length of time. The thoughts on 'why do people change', the one about dreams, another one about feeling pressurized to work for fulfillment of dream with no freedom to act as per own wish, the one about censorship from elders etc are highlighting some social issues, which probably are chosen by the elders to ignore.

Of course, there are few thoughts from the blogger, which seems to be specific to him. At this point, as was promised to be blogger, I reveal as to what I would have written as comments in topics on few of his ‘such’ thoughts: 'The way we lead life is no different from playing the game of football. A footballer is supposed to have definite objectives; he can choose to measure his achievement in terms of total number of goals scored, of course, not without the associated danger that, he may have a tendency to choose easier opponents with whom he can score more goals to become an achiever with escaping attitude. More importantly, in each match he will be carrying an expectation in the form of number of goals to be scored. Alternatively, a footballer can choose to keep his target fixed on keeping control of the ball over a distance in the ground, preferably till he kicks the ball to the net. Such a footballer enjoys playing against toughest of the opponents to derive satisfaction, and will continuously be putting efforts to improve upon the distance he can carry along the ball with better control. This footballer has the inspiration to play better football with least expectation (may be nil in terms of number of goals against his name). It may be noted, in case a footballer chooses none of these, he would probably no more be regarded as a footballer of worth. A blogger can choose to have introspection at times if or not the spirit of a footballer is reflected in the contents written for him/her self so that it may prove to be inspiring for people to put efforts for having a control over the events in life irrespective of the extent of success in earlier attempts. This will make a blog written for own self to become useful for others as well.'

On a lighter note, I think I should clarify that, this essay is no way an attempt to direct the readers to the blog in reference.