Saturday, October 21, 2006

Blogs

What with the diwali break and rather easily-satisfied powers-that-be at work, I have been casting some thought (in a loose sense of the word) on various kinds of blogs I have come across.

I did post my rather acid thoughts on one of them (girl with a so-called one track mind) but this time I am going to try and categorize them, which should fulfill the rather dubious objective of making stereotyping easy!

Yeh Hain Meri Kahaani: well..its almost self explanatory but this type is the most common, differentiated only by the style and personality of the author. Usually is heart-tugging fare dealing in emotion of various degrees from unrequited love to sick puppies. (think Karan Johar!)
Often starts with a theme (usually quite informative) but jumps soon to the nub of the matter - raw emotion. I think one reason why people love (writing as well as reading) YHMKs is because emotion is the most common denominator across cultures and personalities. AW's blog is the best example of this, and probably the classiest as well. Following close behind in its emotional wattage is Munna who is more inward looking and lot more raw than AW but am sure will mature into using emotion in the same subtly flambuoyant way as AW does! He does score higher on his insights and EVERYONE'S gotta read the potato post!

Personally though, I find YHMK blogs exhausting at most times, and sometimes mundane. They dont wow me with their writing or their insights. (We talked about this, AW!). On its positive, it is consistent, (for people who like that) and some -amazingly feel-good!

A similar-but-not-quite type is the type which uses its blog to articulate personal journeys, and usually involves active interaction with the visitors (classic c0-creation for the Marketing inclined!) and its more communal than AW's morally uplifting yet inaccessible tripe!
SB, EU i think are more on these lines, while Nishant's is too - although he won't admit it (about the people bit)!

A different type of blog - still YHMK but far more pleasant is the type which uses the author's personality and tastes more as a backdrop to more material insights, views and thoughts. I define this type for Daddy's blog. Daddy's been a favourite from his first post and very easy on the eye for its relaxed manner and unselfish views- and for how it almost always leads to a new piece of knowledge while connecting with some part of you. For some strange reason, I tend to think of this blog as more masculine - and that's probably daddy's persona coming through - his ambition, sport and bike-riding leanings!

My all time fave type - and this is for sheer quality of imagination, writing and depravity is the theme blogs and what rocks for me is it is outward looking, sometimes entertainingly self-deprecating. This is what I'd like my own blog to be like but I think i suck at it. Calling Betelgeuse - is definitely by far the best I've read and I usually find - no matter when I pick it up, myself reading up all the posts that I've missed and some bygone ones - just for laughs!
Its dark, its sleazy and it uses the author as one extreme of insanity and any one else who shows up (and for a change they do!) as far more normal, and the entire mish-mash is rip-roaringly funny!

I guess what this post's gonna do is draw reactionary reviews of my sodding-effort-at-blogging. :-) Heck-its a free country..or that's what they'll have us believe at any rate!

8 comments:

Ford Prefect said...

Dude .... Finally a new post .. and me being emntioned in a positive light makes it all the more welcome .... BTW , I see everyone is doing the blog classification thingy ... I guess I should so it too ...
and BTW - happy diwali ..

Unknown said...

really? hadn't seen it except once somewhere in PP's blog.

but heck - maybe you should..it'll be fun!

Happy diwali!

educatedunemployed said...

I am going to ignore the fact that my blog and tripe,exhausting,mundane and a comparison with other blogs has been done in the same breath for now..

I have to tell you how glad I am that you mention Ford's blog and the fact that you would rummage it's archives just for the laughs.I've done it a few times.Am so happy to know I am not the only one.

A few others from your batch have done such classifications, who have even got personal methinks.

See Ford, am not that psycho after all, there are others that agree, yours is by far the best entertainer I've come across ..:)And yeah you should do a list yourself.At least you don't get offensively personal.

Unknown said...

Okay hey - am glad we agree that Ford rocks! He seriously does! EU -Have to tell you though - it wasn't my intention to offend anyone. You seem to have drawn only the negative tone out. I actually think that the best part of blogs like yours are that they are not one-sided, that few blogs depend on their readers as much as yours does. (go figure!).
For me personally though, I hate endless emotional journeys (see -i've got issues of my own!) and prefer blogs that talk about something/someone else other than the author.

I've muffed it again. haven't I?

ankur said...

am glad u finally blogged..!! and thats all tht i am glad abt..!! :)

if u r willin...i wud really want to see a bullet post...! the 'emotions' (do i hear a aarrrggghhh!!!) tht u play with when u ride tht beauty of a machine..

go play..

educatedunemployed said...

Nooooooooooo You didn't offend anyone/me. I did have a "my blog tripe?? Tripe and my blog" fit for 3 and half seconds but that was it.
And each to his own opinion.So no you really didn't muff it.


Anyway, atleast we all have Ford.:D:D:D..

Hope you had a good day yesterday, and wish you a very happening year ahead.

Pratik said...

well, spewing season is back again!

Am waiting for the first "bullet theory on women" post.

Unknown said...

heck..this is wonderful..responses..and not one of them seeking to sock me one on the chin!
Ankur -man, you're a sweetheart!:-)

EU: I'll take your word for it..there's precious little else to go by.. :-)

daddy: your wish my command. Bullet and women ..its a seriously neat topic for a post!

Hope all of you had a terrific diwali!