It’s 5:00 am on a Saturday. I am in the kitchen and waiting for the coffee to finish brewing. I am impatiently looking at the clock and watch the seconds tick away. It’s now 5:02 am. I quickly pour my coffee into a cup and thank god that I do not like milk or cream in my coffee as it would eat away a few precious seconds. I quickly tip toe in front of Rhea’s room into the guest room, let out a deep sigh and log onto the BLOG SPHERE!! And for the next three hours or so before my wife and daughter wake up, I am in pure blissful world of politics, satire and ideas (with the occasional naughty site *wink *wink). And then throughout the weekend, whenever I find a few minutes, I surf to various blogs.
Whenever Charu brings up this question : Why are you so obsessed with blogs?
I can never answer with any clarity. Why this obsession? I know I am not the only one who has this obsession with blogs. I read such peoples’ blogs everyday (Atrios and Amit Varma to name just 2 who specialise in linking to stuff that are usually new to me if not thousands others). Their obsession seems to be leap years ahead of me.
To even broach the subject I think we need to define what a blog is.
“A blog is a online diary?” you would promptly reply.
NO.
That is one of frequent misconceptions of a blog perpetuated by the mass media. A blog is much more than just an online “dear diary”. It’s a reflection of one person on his/her outlook to life for everyone to view. That I think is the key difference here. A journal is usually “for your eyes only” but a blog is for the world to view. This difference prompts the blogger to put across his/her views that show not only his/her knowledge of the subject being discussed but to make it interesting enough for reader to come back again and again. It’s this push to get the ideas forth that really appeals to me. For example, David Neiwertt of the Orcinus blog puts in thought to his post and his post to date have never ever disappointed. Ok, he focuses mostly on racism and hate from the Right, but he does with such finesse that it just hooks you in. And then there is Juan Cole whose focus on Middle East politics is incisive and to the persuasive. Or try Atanu Dey’s blog. He gives extraordinary insights to what should be the policies that India should follow.
These immensely talented people out there whose posts are outstanding in many respects have the words, the stories, the comments and the opinions that are un-comparable in the history of information. The fact that I can catch a piece of news somewhere and then go to my favourite blogs to read about their opinions, then agree or disagree with them and tell them so, who then reply back (sometimes) refuting my comments and so on and so forth is extremely stimulating and never disappoints. These features are what pulled me first into the world of blogs and keep me coming back.
Desi In Toronto 