Lock, Stack and Bytes

Off late I have seen a lot of “chatter” in the media about blogs. Today, it was The New York Times that came out with an in depth story on the phenomenon of “blogging”. While it is difficult to trace the history of weblogs (Mr. Dave Winer may, of course, disagree), as far as mainstream media in US is concerned, I think it all started with Howard Dean’s passionate embrace of blogging as a medium to reach out to the hoi polloi. I remember the talking heads on TV and radio trying to define and demystify the term “blog” for their viewers. Come to think of it, no dictionary, at this point of time, defines the term “blog” or “blogging”.

The story in The New York Times does a good job of trying to cover the different motivating (sometimes not-so-motivating!) factors that drives people to take up blogging. It ranges from pure boredom to illusion. Bill Gates and the like, of course, see it as a business tool.

The Web’s illusion of immortality is sometimes more attractive than actual cash

In my family itself there are four different members doing it for four different reasons. And I won’t be surprised that that number will grow by the end of year. Both - the number of members and reasons. My younger brother - who is the driving force behind all the other family members taking up blogging (including my nearly 65 year-old father!) - “blogs” for a number of reasons. Every reason for him is as good as the other: a diary; a technical journal; a “place” to exchange ideas with peers; a form of documenting ideas or simply helping fellow “bloggers” to spread the word about something important that otherwise would never surface in mainstream media.

As far as I am concerned, blogging is the ultimate form of First Amendment. Every one has a take - and the right to voice it. The right to blog. And that can only be good.

- Rajesh