Jignyaasaa - Appraisal number 3.

Hi folks
I have taken a decision that I will try and not beat around the bush and be as blunt as its possible and also be civil. This is partly in response to Ambu's suggestions. Here I go.

1. The blog idea, got its momentum, after Ambu's message to every one, and perhaps as a platform (I may be excused for this line of thinking if found untrue) for my expressions of unease in the form of a "points to ponder" column I had been penning for Rane's newsletters.

2. There were ready made pieces available and starting off and get to a bulk was never a problem. Naresh was another fellow, who was just too keen to write his pieces.

3. The problem was, to borrow the modern day phrase, a "technical snag". Arun created the blog, but I was neither technically savvy, nor anyone else the time to guide help me till a stranger Bhutala(?) came in and posted a comment. Our family being immune to any shocks, we were just surprised, and there was some flurry of activity resulting slowly in (a) my ability to post (b) Blocking any outsider to comment and making it a private club (c) with due regard to a suggestion that a bulk will facilitate a "revenue model", a series of posting from my earlier Rane pieces. All of this took 2 odd months and the postings done by whoever felt the need, at that point in time. So there no proper codifications etc.

4. Since these were also mainly heavy boring so called "advaitha" stuff, or outpourings of angst against general scheme of things, the readership (at least on paper) was not visible. Ambu tried to rope in more participation by suggesting write ups on personal experiences, and lo behold there were quite a few. But again the status-quo-ante was restored.

5. Since I had no means to implement any changes in format and had to depend on either Arun or Naresh, I could only request some sort of codifying these, and there were quite a few of them either in email or in the blogs, but not responded to really much. From my side, I tried various different topics, and labelled them differently, for instances the long winding ones were "move" series, there were stories to children, poetry, vichiisms, original quotes, and recently this "beliefs and scepticisms".

6. The idea was to try and (a) draw out others to comment with a variety to choose from, (b) or in suggesting/ starting a new topic , so that a wider participation, could result. My regret was/is that the responses were not earthshaking, and even when there were queries, the absence of "responses" made me wonder whether the pieces are truly "read". I am also reminded of my general predicament of being deaf by the right ear. If and when I happened to sit next to someone on my left, I was just not in a position to hear anything this person would be saying, and mostly I pretended to hear by just nodding my head and saying "yes true" etc... till a question came along and I would have to admit that I could not hear. The non-responses are similar.......

7. There are no dearth of material for posting, The Rane pieces have to be culled and pasted/re-written. These are over 15 and odd. (may be more) My pieces are also clasifiable.

8. Thus the question is just this; How do others get in, do they have time and the mood to sit down and write? Or they keen? Does it really interest them? Naresh is saying that our site is hacked, Arun says he finds our "password" has been changed by someone. The offshoot, as per Naresh is that we cannot talk of a "revenue model" now. Do we talk of a "revenue" model, or it's a dream and not to be seriously pursued?

9. And as to editing, why bother to delete a piece, (which in itself is not a pleasant task) unless it's ambu's suggestion that with less numbers, people will find it more "readable". For this, we can be frugal in future.

10. In sum, there should first be a manifest desire that all of us are keen, will read the blogs, at least acknowledge, if not comment, and if need be, try and find subjects of interest, and contribute. Till then I "rest".

Love

Vichu