"VOF Week 3: (Blogging is no child's play)"

Roughly two years ago, I became an avid blog-reader. My interaction with blogs prior to this period was limited to occasional visits on a couple of friends' or material that I would randomly come across online. If I remember correctly, until then blogs had always presented themselves as personal diaries gone public - an aspect that I was never comfortable with.To a certain extent, I was right but not completely. Simply because, I had hardly ever come across blogs, which were more than an individual's rant or perspective on life. However, two years down the line, I can safely say blogging can encompass so much more than my narrow definition of it.

Maybe, it's just my own perspective and experience, but personally I think this is because the last two years have seen the infant outgrow it's crawl and take steady steps. Many bloggers now have a heightened sense of maturity as to the potential this tool presents and interestingly the power, which it has given them in the face of traditional outlets. Everything across the spectrum is on board; be it left, right or centre, if you have an opinion or a cause, want the world to hear it or strive for change then blogging is one of your best bets. The diversity of content, the fact that alternative points of view - which hardly seeped their way into traditional sources such as newspapers, radio or television - now have a platform and therefore the ability to challenge the status quo with such a ride is a new high; especially at a time when the need to communicate is more than ever before.

On the flip side though, as an individual but also from the perspective of a journalism student, this is also the point where some of my reservations creep in. Bloggers are not accountable. One can literally get away with posting anything. From one side, this may come off as freedom of expression. From the other, it could also mean that responsibility when publishing content, may take a backseat. The fact that a substantial percentage of blog-readers equate it with traditional media is an aspect that worries me. Not because, I consider traditional news sources to be the epitome of objectivity and high journalistic standards but only due to the fact that there is a certain level of accountability,which can be demanded from the latter.

It may seem silly but my biggest challenge till date in creating a blog has been coming up with an interesting name! Ofcourse, I had other issues such as privacy or the fact that some bloggers gave me a slight complex with their incredible flair for writing effortlessly and on interesting issues, but having the right name which captured the essence of my blog superseded all of the above.Over the period of time, however, these appear as trivial details and hopefully in the near future, if my will is able to keep procrastination at bay, I do hope to have my own room in blogosphere.