Getting new readers for your blog ain't easy. See what happened when I told about my blog, to a friend,a hard-headed guy(HHG)...
(Cellphone ringing)
HHG: "Hello"
Me: "Hey..."
HHG: "Hi....How you doing?Long time no see"
Me: "Yeah" (sigh !!)
HHG: "been busy?"
Me: "sort of"
HHG: "busy with??dont tell me it's work"
Me: "naah...jus writing some things"
HHG: "Writing?? Wow !! "
Me: (Sheepishly)"Yeah..a bit"
HHG: I
Me: "No,no.That takes a lot"
HHG: "Some newspaper may be,right?or is it a magazine?"
Me: "Its actually online"
HHG: "Aaah..I get it. On your company's intranet webpage.aint it?"
Me: "No.I mean,yes,there too.But I was gonna tell you....."
HHG: "Your stuff is on your company intranet?Whoa that's cool dude"
Me: "Actually,I did submit there but it never got published."
HHG: "Ohh O"
Me: "So,I was gonna tell you about this new blog that I've started writing"
HHG: "A what?"
Me: "A blog.Its like you can write the stuff on the internet and you can then publish and everone can read it."
HHG: "Ohh.So,there's no one who approves or rejects these?"
Me: "Not at all.Absolute artistic liberty,you see."
HHG: "So,basically,its for all those who dont get published elsewhere.Haha"
Me: "Well.."(grinning)
HHG: "I was kidding man"
Me: "I know.I'll pass you the link and you can read through it and let me know how do you find it"
HHG: "Ohh O.Got it.By the way,don't tell me,you write about new technologies,cutting-edge science,technology-trends and similar stuff ....all technical mambo-jambo.Yaar,I'm sick of reading these kinda things?"
Me: "No way...I am like lightyears away from these LATEST TECHNOLOGY stuff"
HHG: "Allright...politics,burning issues,your views etc;a magazine of your own,hanh !"
Me: "No,No...its nowhere about that.It's more about ...me,my experiences...you know."
HHG: "ok,ok...so,its for people who know you.Then why have it on internet"
Me: "No,no,its not for friends specifically.its a general thing"
HHG: "A timepass thing,you mean"
Me: "You can say that"(sigh!!)
HHG: "And who reads it?"
Me: "People who find it interesting,read it"
HHG: "I mean,how does someone reach to your,...what did you say it was?"
Me: "Blog"
HHG: "Yeah,blog.Where do readers come from?"
Me: "Till now,its only the people whom I refer it to"
HHG: "Till now? I see "(grinning)
Me: "Yeah.May be someday they get famous"
HHG: "And what do I need to do,once I have read it?"
Me: "Nothing.I am just telling you that when you have time you can take a look"
HHG: "See,TIMEPASS I said,and it wasn't entirely wrong.Haha"
Me: "Whatever"
HHG: "Ok.There must be many like these then,right?"
Me: "Huge"
HHG: "And I can read anyone of these?"
Me: "Absolutely.Provided you get the stuff of your liking"
HHG: "Well,if there are such plenty of AUTHORS out there,available for free,everyone would get something of his liking"
Me: "Most times."
HHG: "So,what starts as timepass becomes addiction?"
Me: "You don't have be judgemental about it"
HHG: "But,chances are that it may get addictive.Just like internet chatting is?"
Me: "You can't compare it to chatting"
HHG: "I just did"
Me: "So?"
HHG: "So....,you are already addicted to it.Infact,you gone one step up on the ladder and creating one of...,wht do you call it?"
Me: "A Blog"
HHG: "Yeah,a blog....and now you are getting people to try and use it.That's how drug mafia works"
Me: "For bum's sake,you are being such an extremist !!"
HHG: "Extremist?All,I'm trying to say is it may be like,ARTISITC EXPRESSION for you,for others,it is...it's...waste of time.an addictive waste of time !!"
Me: "Allright.Lets cut it off,right here.I just thought if you would be interested,so....Anyway,if you dont find it interesting,let it go"
HHG: "Let it go??What do you mean,'let it go??'.I'm trying to ask you to not waste yours and more importantly OTHERS'S time on it.Just do away with it.Why can't it be that simple?"
Me: "It IS simple.Don't read it"
HHG: "No,the point is,I'm aware enough and won't read but what about others?"
Me: "I think I'm getting some other call,on my landline....."
HHG: "You are trying to run away"
Me: "No,not at all.I just think I've to drop this call off"
HHG: "But do give it a thought man. You would be thankful to me"
(Phone's dial tone ringing)
HHG: "Hello,helllo"
(Beep on other end)
Monday, 14 April 2008
Tuesday, 1 April 2008
Need For Speed
I wont get into the specifics of how the bhaang plan popped up,but only that 4 out of us 7 OK'ed it.Though,it was a first-time for all of us.One claimed he knew,how a bhaang-thandai was prepared and he took charge to prepare it.Another round of holi-hai in the balcony,sipping the vicious thandai.No effect,all fine.
We then settled down after a short session of gaana-bajaana.Someone shouted,"More thandai left,without bhaang.Anybody?"All had a glass each of it.That,I was later told,was the fatal blow;it's advisable to keep off sweet stuff,once on bhaang.As the thandai glasses went empty,the world turned upside-down,literally.
Suddenly,it began to seem as if things had slowed down terribly.I could locate every facial muscle of mine move,as I spoke. It seemed impossible to finish even a single sentence without laughing,or at least it appeared so.I had begun to stammer,or at least I thought so.I asked,if I was stammering,to the other,sane guy.And I kept asking it every 2 minutes(At least I thought I was doing it that frequently).I was told that I was not.
We suddenly realised that we were hungry;very hungry indeed;needed to go to a restaurant nearby.It took people around 2 hours to get ready.The clock however suggested it took 5 mins.
"I can't drive",I declared.I realized,people drive very rash on holi.Vehicles overtaking us were being dangerously close to us.I cautioned my un-bhaang'ed room-mate who was driving to be careful and he simply laughed.He thought it was funny.
It took way too longer for us to cover the usually 5-minute drive.I tried recalling the time when we started from the flat,and I couldn't.It really must have took us very long.
Once,at the restaurant,someone placed order and we waited for food to arrive.The hunger was kiling.Some voice from the above suggested that tasting somthing like a pickle would immediately let go the effect.Two of us attacked the achaar bowl and had finishd it in about a minute.I tried recalling if someone had placed order but could not.I was told the order had been placed and I should relax.Everyone's working terribly slow today,I concluded.
Finally food arrived and we threw ourselves on it.The clutter of spoons and forks coming from the other table had grown unbearbly loud.I thought of complaining,but was too hungry to afford a break from eating.
I asked for a jug of water to be passed from the other end of the table but no one listened.I looked expectedly at the guy next to me and he nodded;somehow no one could listen to me.But he did listen.
Managed to finish lunch and drove back.The bill for a lunch of 7 was what otherwise should have been for 14,we were later told.I did start driving but somehow by the time we reached the apartment,I was at the pillion seat,or was it the other way round.
As all returned and settled down,I started having a feeling but I was too unsure how to say.I was feeling hungry.Again.I fell to bed and immediately dozed off.
We then settled down after a short session of gaana-bajaana.Someone shouted,"More thandai left,without bhaang.Anybody?"All had a glass each of it.That,I was later told,was the fatal blow;it's advisable to keep off sweet stuff,once on bhaang.As the thandai glasses went empty,the world turned upside-down,literally.
Suddenly,it began to seem as if things had slowed down terribly.I could locate every facial muscle of mine move,as I spoke. It seemed impossible to finish even a single sentence without laughing,or at least it appeared so.I had begun to stammer,or at least I thought so.I asked,if I was stammering,to the other,sane guy.And I kept asking it every 2 minutes(At least I thought I was doing it that frequently).I was told that I was not.
We suddenly realised that we were hungry;very hungry indeed;needed to go to a restaurant nearby.It took people around 2 hours to get ready.The clock however suggested it took 5 mins.
"I can't drive",I declared.I realized,people drive very rash on holi.Vehicles overtaking us were being dangerously close to us.I cautioned my un-bhaang'ed room-mate who was driving to be careful and he simply laughed.He thought it was funny.
It took way too longer for us to cover the usually 5-minute drive.I tried recalling the time when we started from the flat,and I couldn't.It really must have took us very long.
Once,at the restaurant,someone placed order and we waited for food to arrive.The hunger was kiling.Some voice from the above suggested that tasting somthing like a pickle would immediately let go the effect.Two of us attacked the achaar bowl and had finishd it in about a minute.I tried recalling if someone had placed order but could not.I was told the order had been placed and I should relax.Everyone's working terribly slow today,I concluded.
Finally food arrived and we threw ourselves on it.The clutter of spoons and forks coming from the other table had grown unbearbly loud.I thought of complaining,but was too hungry to afford a break from eating.
I asked for a jug of water to be passed from the other end of the table but no one listened.I looked expectedly at the guy next to me and he nodded;somehow no one could listen to me.But he did listen.
Managed to finish lunch and drove back.The bill for a lunch of 7 was what otherwise should have been for 14,we were later told.I did start driving but somehow by the time we reached the apartment,I was at the pillion seat,or was it the other way round.
As all returned and settled down,I started having a feeling but I was too unsure how to say.I was feeling hungry.Again.I fell to bed and immediately dozed off.
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