Why People Blog

The comment by Pratap, while goaded me to start the blog, also got me thinking. What is it I want to accomplish by doing it? In a broader sense, why is it that people blog?

After some introspection and research, my findings are listed below. (It’s fun, passing off stuff from the net as “Research”. Sounds more important and appears as if I have done some back breaking work.)

•  Share
• If you are an expert in your domain and want to pass on the ideas. You have gone through an experience that you want to share with the world. You just want to share your thoughts and views with whoever wants to know. You then start a blog.

• Network
• For both professional and personal reasons. Blogs provide an excellent platform for like minded people connect. This can be used as a sounding board to bounce off ideas. You can seek the advice of someone better equipped to answer a query that you have.

• Publicity
• As they famously say, there is nothing called as bad publicity. We now see a lot of film stars and celebrities penning down blogs. Some of them are paid to do so, as it attracts traffic to the host’s website. Some of them do so to stay in the midst of attention. However, this set apart; I have also noticed that a lot of entrepreneurs and now even established companies use official blogs as a great and cost effective means of advertising and attracting potential clients.

• Money
• We have all heard of them. The professional bloggers who quite their 9-5, straitjacketed corporate job and is now leady a cushy life. All thanks to their blogs.

•  Passing Fad
• It appears that these days that everyone who is someone has a blog. So why not me? Share the “Profound” thoughts and opinions with the unsuspecting world. The net is littered with deceased blogs, which lasted for a few months and died as owner went on for the next “In” thing or just got too busy/lazy to tend to the blog anymore.

Now, applying these reasons in my case, you can rule out money.  My personal take is that they are a miniscule section of the blogging population who command a readership required to make serious money.  I don’t plan to quit my day job anytime soon.

People who know me for some time may label this as a passing fad. Albeit, a little late to jump on the bandwagon. They are not entirely unjustified. I have been known to start projects and abandon them due to sheer laziness. I am a master procrastinator and hopefully this blog brings about a change in habits.

The other 3 reasons apply in varying degrees. I want to share my thoughts and travel experiences, however inane they are.  Though I am not doing this a publicity stunt, I would very much like for people to read my words. Leave a comment or two on what they felt about it. However, I know my limitations and am planning to continue writing even if no one actually reads this. Basically, what I am trying to say is that, I am doing it for myself.

The following lines from the song “Yede tumbi hadidenu” by G.S.Shivarudrappa, beautiful captures what I feel.

“ella kELali endu, naanu haaDuvudilla
haaDuvudu anivaarya karma nanage”

I have done a rough translation to English for those who don’t know Kannada. Please excuse the poor job, translating the words of Raastrakavi G.S.S, may be a little beyond my grasp, however I make an attempt.

“It’s not that I sing, so that everyone listens

Singing is a compulsion, my inevitable fate”

The link for listing to the song is given below. Enjoy!!!  J