Is blogging a waste of time?

Thank you for your replies.

I liked Tarun's story. It is a new vesion of the cup is half empty or half full paradigm.

Keep your comments coming.

A true blogger can never feel blogging as a waste of time!

I like your question: Is blogging a waste of time? It reminds me of my favourite quote of Sir Francis Byron. I paraphrase it here: Some blogs are to be tasted, others swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested.

The pen is mightier than the sword or rather the blog is mightier than the bullet. It may not solve a problem but surely it will bring together minds and a possible answer by means of awareness.

More than anything it gives immediate gratification to the blogger to see his piece of labour 'published'. That, my friend, is the greatest blessing the blog bestows... A sense of 'I Can'.

Venkata Vinay @ Affirmative Thinking

I don't know if blogging is wate of time or not but I do remember one story to share regarding this topic.

There were 2 people in one jail, one nice morning they opened the window of their cell, when First person saw outside he immediately said, "Oh hell, what a mudfull of pond outside this window. It's better to stay out from window".

Second person too saw from window and he said," Wow, what a beautiful lotus is blooming in that pond and what a nice day outside, I should be outside."

I think it's just a perception at one given time based on our circumstances.

It is wonderful to see that this old thread still has some life left in it.

Thank you to all the recent posters. You have made many new arguments justifying the usefulness of blogging.

If someone puts together all the arguments in favour of blogging, I think that will make a very thought-provoking post. I will do it some day, but you are welcome to do it too.

Thank you, again.

this is a wonderful way to vent out thoughts and feelings....wish lot more people did. Violence could have gone considerably down.....

Things would be better

Raj

http://bharatmelange.blogspot.com

I do not agree with the basic premise in the initial post. Not everything in life is directed towards solving the nation's problems. Reading a book isn't, going to a place of worship isn't, meeting friends isn't, and so on. Similarly, even blogging isn't.

Granted that the impact of blogs that intend to solve the nation's problems may have debatable impact as of today... but to say that blogging, in general, is a waste of time would be like saying all of the above, including all hobbies, are a waste of time.

Incidentally, the nationwide Youth For Equality movement against increasing reservation in higher education was entirely coordinated between cities on blogs.

Hi Balasubramaniam,

Yeah you can say that and secondly if you are really doing some commendable job then linking is not a big issue. I hope you have heard about SEO. So get in touch with me I'll explain you in detail.

BR,

Shubhamoy

Hi Balasubramaniam,

Internet is still not that much popular in our day-to-day life in India than in other countries. So its irrelevant to ask this question that whether we can solve our problems or not. But still if we proceed on the basis of 'A drop in the ocean'; then also we can make a huge difference in the mindset of the masses. After that problems faced by India varies from person to person. So the point is write on each problem and lets hope that it reaches the concerned one.

BR,

Shubhamoy

http://shubhamoy.wordpress.com

So the point is write on each problem and lets hope that it reaches the concerned one. -Shubhamoy

No, if we just hope nothing will happen. We will have link our blogs to other types of ground activities to spark off change.

Withouth such a link blogging is a waste of time.

Maybe it is... But maybe so is this discussion :-) To each his own...

"Does blogging solve even one little problem facing our country?"

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No doubt, it does! So many anti-socials being locked to the keyboard will allow the rest of the society to live their life peacefully

No doubt, it does! So many anti-socials being locked to the keyboard will allow the rest of the society to live their life peacefully

That's a good one

I am looking at this topic and I am extremely happy that this came up . I want to thank @balasubramaniam for bringing this up here .

Here is my take on this , Blogging as it stands today , is in it's nascent state and is just about on the threshold of getting to it's full potential. Evidence to this is the fact that mega media houses watch blogs with a hawk eye and celebrities are taking to blogging in a big way . This means that the result in the form of impact of writing on a blog is there for anyone to see . From there one , there are two ways to take this , what do I want from my blog ? readership or just a record . The celebrity blogs are an example of the latter . They substitute their diary with a blog , that's all . The former is also evident off late . There are popular bloggers like @BinaryDay who have a loyal following . There is also more meat there when you look at people like Advani resorting to a blog to woo voters . That is proof of the pie that the virtual and real worlds are tied .

In the US where the education system is not as rigorous as ours , blogging is now a profession , it is just a matter of time before India , whose strength is mindpower goes the same way .

About the Adsense challenge , I know of a group of people who are doing that for Tamil . Anyone interested in other languages , drop me a note and I will sync you up with them .

Sorry about the long reply !

~Shakthi

About the Adsense challenge , I know of a group of people who are doing that for Tamil . Anyone interested in other languages , drop me a note and I will sync you up with them .

This is highly positive news. For blogging to really take off in Indian languages, it should be able to generate revenue for the blogger. I am glad that Tamil bloggers have managed the break-through. Their achievement should be easy to duplicate for other Indian languages.

For those who blog for money only, its a waste of time I'd say

Asav Patel related a few posts earlier how he is using his blog to bring about positive change.

Here is another blog that I came across that is doing the same in a different way:

Ek Sparsh

well well sir..now yer position is well explained...

#1- "thought that the best way to find this out was to pose the question before older and more experienced bloggers" in that case lemme explain my answer... :) im too younger than u...but have blogging for more than a year. What my online life proved was that 'bloggin' is not waste of time. It can help u unleash yer creativity. Trust me. It can even boost 'confidence'

#2-"began to wonder whether this was the best way to spend my time, and whether it was really worthwhile"  Well this depends upon each person. If u think u gain nothin n itz not worthwhile rather than sheer loss of time n dat Don't remain confuses it means it's time to try something else than blogging. Everyone has personal interests.

n my advice is : WHEN IT COME'S TO DECIDING HOW  ONE HAS TO ACT, IT'S BEST TO ACT ACCORDING TO CONSCIENCE RATHER THAN RAISIN A POLL.

#3 "posting nonsense on our blog. Ok, Ok, mostly.

But don't you think it's all a massive waste of time? " u said that? hoo..well sir personally speaking blogging is much more than a passion for me...n it's indeed tenuous..but yer question didn't cast a DOUBT in my mind that required DEFENCE...moreover i was clarifying yer doubt. N PLEASE C THAT U USE BETTER LANGUAGE WHEN U POST A TOPIC.."POSTING NONSENSE"...??? C'MON DER A TRILLION TRASH BLOGS I admit...DAT DOESN'T MEAN U HAVE A RIGHT TO COMMENT SO UNLESS yer POSTS ARE PERFECT. N lemme assure no one is perfect. search in depth ull find a multitude of blogz datll feed u valuable info n enlight u...

Thanks.

n errr Sir...i just checked yer indiblogger profile...oops...it says u have 3 BLOGS on your own...(couldn't read them...gotta strain with the hindi font ) n dat u regularly update yer blog...hmmm... STILL U DOUBT IF IT'S A WASTE OF TIME N RECOMMEND DAT BETTER WAYS OF SPENDING TIME.

You are not saying anything new, Nithin. I know I spent a lot of time on blogs. In fact, that is why I asked this question in the first. You probably missed my answer to Sahil earlier in this thread, which explains my position. Here it is again:-

Sorry Sahil, I didn't reply to your post earlier, some how I missed it, although I had read it.

Actually I am rather new to blogging. My oldest blog, jaihindi is only two months old. The other blogs printf-scanf and keralpuran are just a few days old.

I spent a lot of time on the internet, though, for I earn my living online. I am a freelance Hindi translator.

The question of blogging being  a waste of time came to my mind when I realized that I am spending a considerable amount of time on my blogs, and began to wonder whether this was the best way to spend my time, and whether it was really worthwhile, and I thought that the best way to find this out was to pose the question before older and more experienced bloggers. Hence this forum thread.

amazed?? wow daz funny...so u didn't expect a response when u posted this INNOCUOUS question?? :) Sir...#1 u wer not replying to what i asked...

                             #2 "I am sure this question is casting doubts in the minds of bloggers, why else would they rally to defence of their passion, when it is being so direly accused?"

u said that right?

he he sir, how can u ACCUSE INNOCUOUSLY...??? Now trust me im not mocking u (just want a healthy debate here...)

I am amazed at the amount of response this innocuous question is producing, the latest being Nithin.

I am sure this question is casting doubts in the minds of bloggers, why else would they rally to defence of their passion, when it is being so direly accused?

But the very fact that you all have to come in such force to defend it, in a way proves that the issue is a bit tenuous.

Don't you think so folks?

"Blogging is a kind of escapism. We can't solve real problems, so we cry ourselves hoarse on our blogs.

Had we spent even a fraction of the energy and time we spent on blogs in solving actual problems on the ground, we would have done god knows how much good."

u said that right?? Sir...i repeat...der r problems...trillions of them....'problems' reached earth with humans...der r indeed ways 2 solve them...sum work sum don't...but dat doesn't mean de method is 'waste'...

N der r LIMITS 2 wat Citizens can do...or Limits are imposed...even de media can't be resorted to...n wat is de prob if a particular person voices his HOARSE CRY thru his blog n let at least few share...???

C'mon im massively with my thumps down to the question "Does blogging solve even one little problem facing our country?" posted by balasubrahmanyma.

Well sir...it's not a rule that bloggin is to solve de country's problems. Let me ask u...how many times have de general elections succeeded in selecting TRUE LEADERSHIP...so will someone say that itz a Waste? How many exams you've attented till date hav tested yer true Calibre...so exams are wastes???

Blogging is a multipurpose forum: 4 thoughts, creativity, expression. a multitude even makes money.