Friday, September 10, 2010

Blogging should not be free for all

Even Filmfare awards fare better than Indiblogger. There are movies for the masses - with the stall seat junta back home in Patna breaking into a song and dance number with and for the likes of Govinda - but fortunately those Govinda movies do not get those awards. But Indiblogger is more generous. Pages full of italics, horrifying grammar, and absolutely downmarket crap is spewed out on most of the blogs that get Indiblogger ranking these days. And those blogs are not the masses' favourite Shah Rukh Khan, they are Kamal Khan, Govinda at best, if you get the analogy. I am pulling out of the ranking now, because honestly, Indiblogger knows nothing about blogging. My rank has increased over the last couple of months, and I doubt if it means that I am doing anything good to deserve it. I might just be "screwing it up" worse than ever.

I believe in freedom of speech, I understand that the Govindas of the world have their audience too (hell, I watch him when I need a good ROFL session and that goes for the stupid blogs around these days too). But to give them a rank and justify the shit they produce in the name of blogging, is taking ego massaging a little too far. Especially when most of the better bloggers, the ones who can really write, or really have a point of view (I am not counting myself in any of the categories - as a rule I don't judge myself ;)), are more often than not, not even on the wall of honour!

What brought this on? A shameless swine recently pretended to be very imaginative when all she had done was pick up things from another really good blogger I read, and when I pointed it out to her, she denied everything and smartly linked the good blogger in question. Another shameless swine, one that even has the audacity to follow me, once wrote post after post about her conversations with her husband. And I was surprised at the similarity of our everyday babble, especially when apart from those bloody conversations, we have nothing in common (and thank God for small mercies). And then I stopped dead in my tracks because all the conversations we have in common, were those that are up on my blog. For God's sake, if you really have conversations like those in your house woman, and I know you know who you are, I think it is about time you stopped picking up pick up lines for your husband from my blog. It is as lame as it gets!

I know this is controversial, this post. I also know that I am going to lose a follower or two (and yes, I find that word derogatory too). But I think it is worth it. Blogging should be left to those who can at least write correct grammar, if not always immaculate. Blogging does not help anyone get their grammar right, so get over that misconception already! The only thing that really helps you correct your grammar, is the good ol' Wren and Martin. Then again, it is a free world. So write if your grammar is screwed up, but at least don't pick up my conversations. I like to think that this madness is exclusive!

And please STOP WRITING IN ITALICS! It is not a pretty sight. Get the cursive font if you have to make it arty-farty.

Bah!

P.S. Stupid long weekend. R is in office, how horrible can my life get?! But I hear Cotton World has a sale on. Some retail therapy should help me get rid of the pain this world is inflicting upon me :P

14 comments:

Chinkurli said...

Really, if these people have to steal stuff and ideas from others and pretend it's their own...how low must their self esteem be? Oh, I hate the abundance of italics and ellipses, especially when people write like this:

Oh.........wat a lovely day.............and Im at work........sigh.......what to do.........lyfz lyk dat.

BAH.

PS. I'm pretty sure you knew that already, but I just had to say it! :P

The Soul of Alec Smart said...

AGREE!

You know, Tamanna, this time - for the first time - my Indiblogger rank went up and the only thing I thought was "am I making the blog any worse that this is happening?" and you're the only person who's written it so clearly why I thought like that.

Ugh, the bad grammar! I wouldn't say I'm perfect, but I try. I don't use random SMSy abbreviations (I don't use them for SMSing either). I don't write all in bold, all caps, all italics. Basics!

DITTO about the followers. I follow exactly one blog on Blogger, which was like a trial too. And I'm glad Wordpress has no such thing.

And picking up conversations? You're being too kind to not link up to that blog in this post.. but whoever it is should know that that just smacks of a very bad case of insecurity.

Controversial and all, but I loved this post because I so totally agree!

Tamanna said...

I KNEW you two would agree.. MMMUAH MMMMUAH! Let's meet :P

I have been pissed off by these new upstart bloggers for so long now, I couldn't not write about them!

I am not linking because I really don't want a blog war here. I have had enough of those in my wilder days :P If they get the hint, they will probably just slip away and stay away. If they don't, well. Their copied posts came after our copied posts. So I don't really need to prove anything, especially to those low life creatures.

austere said...

There is a Crossword sale on too, perhaps try that?

I find the ranking extremely amusing, droll even. Matters not.

Preeti said...

I am actually relieved now! My Indiblogger rank went down this month! :D
I can understand your anger, I never ever go beyond a grammatically wrong sentence while reading other's blogs! I do hope my Blog didn't commit any of those offences you mentioned! :P
It's a long weekend, so I am guessing you are already feeling good! :)

DI said...

Nope. Sorry. After two months of continuous downfall, my rank finally went up this month, so :P! Heheh!

I read the blog in question, and if possible send me the other criminal to the email account ;)Oh and more seems to have happened in crime scene 1, so I am off to check!

I need me some retail therapy too. Sigh

Unknown said...

Yipppeeeee... I thought I was the only one who thought indiblogger was conning me. My rank went down this month. Anyway, there is a lot of locha going on and I have stopped logging in there. It doesn't make any sense to me. I blog because I blog... not because someone gives me grades or ranks or any of that.

and tell me about grammar! and spellings! and wrong usage of phrases and proverbs! I am shameless, so I laugh at them. wholeheartedly. I don't care.

And if someone's plagiarizing your blog, please do something about it, lady. at least apne blog pe uska naam and link daal ke badnaam karo. :D :D ;) I mean seriously; there are lots of anu maliks out there. rather worse...

btw, keep blogging. you won't loose ... oops, lose me.

The Great Brown Experiment said...

I think blogging is one's own thing and we don't have to follow or read up such atrocious stuff but it does gets to one. I've had 'friends' getting 'inspired' by my previous blogs and it'd just be plagiarism in my books.

And Indiblogger ranks are crap really. There's no excuse for that!

S said...

Hahaha :)I never knew people could go to such extent..
picking up conversations!! Really??
LOL..really lame :)
I think it is about time you stopped picking up pick up lines for your husband from my blog.
Laughing at your expense m sorry, but it's really funny :D

Ramya said...

Hmm...I have to say I don't agree. I wince at grammatical errors, SMSese, and unnecessary italics, but it IS their blog and their wish. We can choose to read or not read. If people were allowed to do only that which they are good at, then many of us (and definitely me) wouldn't have much left to do.

That said and done...this plagiarism is very shocking and so not on. And I think it's very kind of you not to link to their blogs, and let the matter off so easily.

Anyway, wishes for Ganesh Chathurthi/ Teej/ Eid.

piyu said...

I hate sms lingo. Especially using wc for welcome!!! I was shocked the first time someone used it, now I try very hard to ignore it.

Chinkurli said...

http://chinkurli.wordpress.com/2010/09/13/why-i-am-pissed-off/

shilpa said...

Came here from Chinkurli's.

I think the IndiBlogger ranking is computed by a machine, and there is no humna intervention. The algorithm for computation likely involves number of posts per week, length of the posts etc. I have observed that the month I post more and longer posts my ranking goes up!

About plagiarism, I have the exact same feelings. If you have to even copy so-called conversations between you and your husband from someone else's life, why do you want to blog about it at all?

Nuttie Natters said...

i think the consolation is that at even if indiblogger says mean things...two someone's are fans!...but seriously it's blogging supposed to be something u largely chronicle for yourself...Wont u look back and think how silly u were to copy someone else.

Ummm...i am scared to even check my rating!!!