The really scary weird about having a blog that's six years old (today), is how it's actually older than three of my nieces and nephews. Even worse: that I've had a relationship with this blog longer than the majority of my friends. But I guess that just goes to show how pervasive this place has become now - at the very least it's as much "me" as my career, friends and other pastimes are.
I have felt a slight resurgence in posting and writing, quite possibly due to the fact that I've gone back to a 9-5 office job. Ironic, but then I've never been afraid to say that I wrote "better" content while bathing in the boredom of work. Whether I get back to my peak of 1500+ hits a week (yes, I know I keep banging on about that, but hey, you'd find it hard to let go of the fame if you had ever reached it yourself) remains to be see; heck maybe the whole increase in output is just a blip itself.
Otherwise the usual observations apply: that the technical quality of my writing is getting worse (which I won't complain too much about seeing as how that's a direct result of me spending less time on it - a good thing), that I seem to becoming more cynical, grumpy and moany as each article gets posted and finally that I still haven't managed to pull using my words.
On the other hand, my increasing use of Twitter has helped decrease the noise on this blog, as I choose to post my quips and shorts on that medium instead. Of course anything that requires a bit more permanency will always make it here.
Finally though, whether you're old or new: thanks for the feedback. Apart from providing that nice feeling of being read, it's handy to be kept in check and on my toes.
Monday, August 23
Six Years And Counting
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Shak,
ReplyDeleteI want to first congratulate u on ur 6yr blog birthday and say the blogs I've read have made an interesting read!
Secondly I have a question for you: are you the 'real' you on these blogs?
Someones once said to me when I was about to set up mine that i had two choices: (1) remain 'anon' and be myself so i could write to my hearts content or (2) be 'me' and never blog fully.
I chose to remain 'anon' so that I could take comfort in knowing that nobody would be able to associate what I wrote with 'me' and I could make use of blogging fully.
Your thoughts?
Ps on the girl front: you'll find her when you stop searching and analysing...lol...just remember one thing that no matter how good and suited she seems to be you won't really 'know' her til ur marries n living together-so be the best 'you' and be willing to learn and adapt once you find her.
A quote which may let you know what women want:
“The woman came out of a man’s rib. Not from his feet to be walked on. Not from his head to be superior, but from the side to be equal. Under the arm to be protected, and next to the heart to be loved.”
A
I would only like to congratulate you :)
ReplyDeleteThanks guys!
ReplyDeleteI think a blog in general is an insight into who a person really is. Just like email, or the phone or meeting them face to face. There's no reason why it's any less real than those. If I'm a prat online but nice in real life (for example), that doesn't mean one is less authentic. We always act differently under different situations.
As for blogging anonymously vs explicitly, well I honestly don't see the point of anonymous blogs. I certainly don't give anything written on them any time or credit. In fact I reckon your friend has it the other way around - that it's actually easier to be someone else and lose yourself behind a curtain of anonymity.
If someone struggles to express themselves fully with their identity attached, then I'd say that's something they should look to improve on, rather than avoid doing so at all. At the end of the day if you can't handle putting your name to what you say then it's probably because you don't really believe it yourself.
6 years!?!? bleeding hell..ive known you for 6 years aswell shak :-D congratulate me!
ReplyDeleteI don't agree with that last statement-but I think it also depends on your reason for for example 'blogging'
ReplyDeleteI had my own agenda-I needed a place to rant and celebrate and do so without the notion that I want people to read this. I do it for me and not for the sake of other bloggers.
Anything I want to share publicly I use facebook for where I have family and friends to share their experiences, to support or to laugh with. Anything as 'incognito' is just an expression of my innermost thoughts and experiences that in real life I'd probably choose to tell the close few.
You do this too-for example when I asked for reasons as to why you had rejected or been rejected you said it was a bit difficult to answer that on ur blog-and one other person picked up on that and asked why.
This is what I'm talking about-there's just some things you will choose not to share on a blog simply because your name is attached to it.
Your thoughts...?
If you need to rant anonymously, then why not do it privately? If you're only writing for yourself, then why the need for it to be broadcasted? The whole point is for it to be read by others, whether you post anonymously or not. But more important than that, why do you think you CAN'T rant or celebrate with your identity intact?
ReplyDeleteA bit presumptuous of you to guess my reasons for not answering but here there are anyway (I didn't reply to Anon for reasons given before): 1) It'd be way too long for a comment, which I think should remain succinct, 2) what I want is already very well documented in this blog if those who want to know could be bothered to look and 3) I refuse to write about any specific experience I've had with another person (unless I have their permission to do so), even if I don't name them. I think writing about why rishtas didn't work out or why someone was declined is quite bad taste, even if done so anonymously.
But regardless of that, you've misunderstood what I said. Of course there are things I won't write about here. But in my view those things wouldn't be put up at all, regardless of my level of anonymity. I'll say it again: if you can only say something anonymously, then it probably shouldn't be said at all.
Of course there are millions of anonymous blogs though, and there's no reason why you can't be one of them too.
Adding to that I've yet to meet someone who is able to resist abusing their anonymity. Given that there isn't much real advantage (it's all either perceived or just simply "easier"), I just don't see why you'd want to in the first place.
ReplyDeleteIt's bad form to respond more than once to my own comment so sorry, but after some thought I can think of certain situations when anonymity is a good idea. They all revolve around helping others without risking harm to oneself (and no I don't just mean embarrassment). This is very much a rare thing in blogland though, but hey, perhaps that's where you figure your blog will lie.
ReplyDeleteSurely just because you don't understand the reasons behind someones choice of anonymity doesn't mean that it reduces the value of what they are saying. And in the same way you can't question my intention to blog in the first place just because it doesn't fit into ur definition.
ReplyDeleteBut I won't go into my reasons for 'blogging' as that is obv personal to me.
The comment about 'rishta' question was not intended to be 'distasteful' it came from reading ur comments about being unsuccessful in finding someone-it was meant for a general over-view of why it's been 2.5yrs looking without success...no offence intended there...and forgive me for not having read through your every single post (it certainly isn't a question of being bothered but come on that's 6yrs of blogs I'd need to read thru!)
And lastly don't tarnish everybody with the same brush-by claiming anonymous people abuse that anonymity is harsh and hardly fair-the day I abuse it then you may make that claim but even still only against me.
A
'...but after some thought I can think of certain situations when anonymity is a good idea. '
ReplyDeleteI knew we'd get there eventually.
Like I said, I don't care enough about anonymous commenters to question anything YOU do or don't do. I was simply responding to your request for my general thoughts on anonymity.
ReplyDeleteI don't expect to change your mind, stop you from blogging or reveal your identity. Furthermore you certainly don't need my validation either, so go nuts and post how you want.
And finally I haven't tarnished everyone with any brush - I precisely ONLY spoke about the abuse by those anonymouses *I've* come across myself. And that fact remains true to this day.
Good luck with the writing :).
There's an awful tension in this place these days. Farewell.
ReplyDeleteHmmm, enough said I guess.
ReplyDeleteA
I agree with Anonymous 1 (23:57)
ReplyDeleteOkay. How about a comic to lighten up the mood?
ReplyDeletehttp://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2004/03/19/