INTEGRATING THE DIALOGICS OF QUALITY BLOGGING
I couldn't wait for even one whole day to reply to Rahul Bose and Santhosh.N, on quality blogging.Actually, it was a pleasure for me to go through the blogs of Santhosh.N. and Rahul Bose because they had thought deeply and sincerely on quality and had come forth with their own enriching views on “What is Quality Blogging”.
I have to mention that I was impressed by the long post of Rahul Bose demanding that every quality blog be one that helps find solutions for social or scientific issues. He touched the crux of quality there and he sets high standards for a blogger while doing that. He says it should be our own humble contribution to the world. That was great. But then , I think most of the bloggers would be out and the only person who would fit the bill as a Quality Blogger would be, Rahul Bose himself…..haa..ha..hilarious....jokes apart, what I meant was that his concept of quality blogging sets unreachable standards for an ordinary blogger.Nevertheless, I would like to appropriate his interesting ideas and add it to my pet concept of “quality blogging” , there by enlarging my scope.
Now
to Santhosh.N’s views , which says that quality should be commensurate
with good content. I always thought content was naturally the object of
any blog and there was no need for any specification. If we like the
content we naturally read the blogs of the concerned person. So I
accept whole heartedly that content should be important when we set
forth to define a quality blog.
However,
we must not forget that many don’t have any content. They pick up some
inane stuff and still write something interesting, for us to laugh and
sometimes reflect on life’s deep meanings. It may be some personal
stuff, a poem,pictures, videos or a story that has nothing much but
still conveys some pleasurable emotions. So if we are on the look out
for content, a good deal of quality bloggers will be out,again.It
constricts the Blogger's freedom in certain ways. That
notwithstanding, I include it within my scope and I respect a blogger
who feeds my intellect.
Now I get back to address these two definitions of quality blogging with respect to mine. My definition stands too simple in comparison and only wants a grammatically well written blog, with good arrangement of ideas closing to a fine finish and an avoidance of e-language such as “u r 2 gud”(for you are too good) plus an avoidance of Hinglish or Tamilish collocations.. I have scant regard for linguistic code mixing within the defines of quality blogging. While I wouldn't mind it once in a way, regular amoral usage is to extend the freedom too far. Despite the few conditions that any body can follow, I am happy that my definition accommodates more bloggers , even while being inclusive of these other ideas.The bottomline being,reading a blog in some ways should be a fulfilling experience is some way.
Another matter of special mention is about the concept of some people that a blog is only a means of communication. I have a problem with that, if such people claim pretensions to quality blogging. I expect a blog to enjoy greater respectability than a mobile phone message, a blurb or a message at comment section/sawaal section. For all the others, mistakes may be permissible. A blog is almost like a nice book. It should remain for children to read and enjoy them, adults to savour the intellectual or literary experience for days.
If we can cry hoarse on copyrights and fight for the primacy of the progenitor, how can it be any inferior to a book? When we treat it with the sanctity of a work of art or creation, the average blogger would take care to write well and stick to some minimum yards of perfection, after all these are not difficult things to learn. So a blogger learns the importance of writing carefully and editing his posts again and again.He imbibes the style of writing technique and does a good job.After all one day you do want to get paid for your blogging efforts.On a lighter note, IBIBO has promised a blog bonus of 1500 for a minimum of five quality posts and we don't want that to go to common place blogs, when so many are capable of raising their blog standards, with a little effort.
That way I confess that I do look down upon those who think that a blog is only a medium of communication. What is communicaition? It need not necessarily be through language.A grunt or moan suggests sexual urge and the partner who is used to the sexual habits of one responds immediately and communication is achieved. So would you equate that with any quality of expression?
There fore, it is my humble appeal that we ought to be selective in talking of quality. Maybe not as strict in demanding content quality like Santhosh or Rahul. Yet, one that accommodates more bloggers and perceives any beautiful expression that elevates our mind as quality blogging.
While doing this, my mind runs to those bloggers who are not in HOF and probably would never be. To be ruthlessly frank, the easy way to be in HOF is to visit a handful of HOF members and leave a pertinent comment discussing their blogs and inviting them to your blogs. When they do, they get to like your work and nominate you. Soon you join the bandwagon and imagine HOF is synonymous to quality blogging.What about countless number of faceless avatars who don’t have time to read other blogs? They blog for their own pleasure. Even if you visit them, they don’t visit you because of their lack of time. They churn out quality stuff day in and day out without expecting any comment. The reader who visits those blogs would come back feeling happy and fulfilled.I would still call them quality bloggers and faithfully read their blogs and leave my humble comments there. They don’t desire the HOF and would prefer to keep out of it, which is why they never ever will get into the HOF any day. But I need to direct the new bloggers to their posts to pick up their blogging skills,don’t I?I do need to acknowledge them even if they are not aware of it,don't I?The list of quality bloggers may look small in the beginning, but with more people conforming to quality, it will expand. It is doubtless that standardization always improves quality and our blogging life is bound to be a more interesting experience with days to come. Happy blogging, dear friends!
PS
Some of the eminent bloggers at IBIBO who have discussed their views on good blogging
MAKING BLOGGING A PLEASURE
By Santhosh N
My Idea of Quality Blogs
By Second Coming
By Ink Tank
Random thoughts on writing
By Vijayaraghav
Dr. Dipankar Das Gupta also had one blog in which he had discussed about Good English and Indian English. Unfortunately the Blog got deleted. But it is not exactly on blogs. My views have been majorly influenced by him. Before he came into IBIBO, I never used to edit my posts nor would I bother about grammar or style. I would simply respond to a blog as a carrier of thought. I admit that I owe him this new persona that I have acquired since his arrival. Here I would like to mention that I could go down my knees to salute this valuable gem of a person. I attach his URL as my allegience to him.
