Precious Pearl

This is something I wrote for an essay competition in school. The topic was one of my most memorable moments, and my most memorable moments were the moments of my initiation into the world of blogging. I dedicate this post to Kathak, because for the second time she mercilessly didn't murder my post and really liked something I wrote and also because she hasn’t been the official typist for this post.

October 10, 2004. Since then is when I’ve been a blogger. The pen is mightier than the sword, they say and I cannot agree more. At this age, I cannot be a journalist. But my love for journalism and computers led me to the discovery of blogs. Blogs, that is short for weblogs, existed long before me, but I came to know about them in May 2004. And encouraged by many other blogger’s I got myself a blog. And that moment is fantastically etched in my memory.

A blog is like a newspaper or magazine, or rather an online journal which anyone can write. A person or a group of people could write articles on social, political, economical issues or about his or her personal experiences or what they had for breakfast this morning, if they so desire… or maybe Ruskin Bond style short stories. Topic for the story? Anything…from obsessions, to multi-personality disorders…. and the wackiest ones you could ever come across.

People who come across a blog, like any other internet site, can read those articles and even leave their comments. Blogs are a wonderful way of communicating and reaching out over the World Wide Web. They are not censored, but that does not mean they are vulgar. It just means that you can speak very freely for or against Bush. In fact, it is very interesting to read other people’s experiences in different parts of the world from Karachi to Malaysia to the jungles of the Amazon.

They are an excellent source of information. Now one reason why my sister did not go in for an Airtel simcard was because her friend’s views against it were echoed by a lot of other bloggers who have written about their bizarre experiences with the company. And my dad did not put up certain foreign visitors at a particular hotel in Pune, because a blogger from Mumbai had complained about Bed bugs in the Hotel.

That moment when I got my blog was the most memorable for me, because I finally could express myself. I could and can share my sister’s absurdities with the world. Even write meaningful articles like a journalist and publish them, without any editor cutting off my favourite parts. It gives you intellectual exercise and has definitely improved my capacity to express myself.

I’ve also had a few unpleasant experiences, but then they don’t really count much, Tough I’d like to mention that quite a few of them have been prevented because of copyright. My speech for a debate was copied by a competitor from my blog. I still very firmly believe it is only copyright that prevented her from using it. My intellectual property was protected.

The story of how I got my blog is a little strange. Throughout the five minutes that it took to create it, selecting a pen name for myself, and then a template for the blog, all I did was watch open mouthed- absolutely unprepared for it to happen. Since I was, to put it in my sister’s words, “after her to get me a blog” but scared to do it myself, my sister created my blog. And now that I’m quite a prolific blogger – even if I say so myself – it seems funny that I was so scared. The moment still remains with me, when I first hit publish! And saw my words in black and white!

Before I log off, let me show you how it’s done. I login to my account, type a post, press the publish button and wait a while. And Ta Da! It’s done!

posted by Pearl @ 9:16 PM