Blogging..

Having a blog is the new ‘cool’ thing. I have one and probability suggests that unless you are reading this because you are related to me, you have one too! So what is it that makes this concept so popular? What entices us to pour our thoughts out on a page that may be visible to the entire world?

It is something I like to call ‘Voluntary Interaction’. Expressing oneself is a need that all humans have. We like to speak our minds, some more often than others. But for the people who don’t speak their minds often, it’s not that they do not have an opinion to share. They do, they just are not sure whether it should be put forth and be allowed to be scrutinized.

On the axis I define which ranges from Involuntary interaction to Voluntary interaction, talking face to face is the most direct form. When we stand in front of a person and talk, we compel the other person to respond, all the time deciphering his body language, gestures, tone of voice etc. Talking on the phone is a step down the line. We can choose not to pick a phone, we can make a face while saying something diplomatic. Next comes the concept of emails and letters. It puts the ball in our court. We can choose when to reply, dwelling over how the tone of our reply needs to be. The sender is more free to express himself as he is not burdened with the immediate reaction of the recipient. SMS would also fall in the same category.

Blogs are the other end of the spectrum. They allow us to express our views without self-speculation on how the person reading will react to it. The reader is not bound to read a blog. It is a voluntary effort. Interaction by the way of commenting on a blog is an action the decision of which is completely in the hands of the reader. If he desires anonymity while doing so, there is a provision for the same too.

This new platform, I believe, lets us discuss our thoughts with an imaginary world. A world where people are interested in knowing our opinion…a world that does not scorn our intent….a world where there is a little place for all of us.