I sent the following message to selected people on 16th October, a week ago. I have received one response (thank you, Pinky). As an optimist, I am presuming that this is the holiday season and no one really has time for blog sites. As a realist, I am thinking about forgetting about this blog which serves no purpose if people don't participate in it.
"As you know, I have initiated a blog site (the link is in bold below). The idea is to have a forum where we can discuss issues of the day in an open and frank manner. In fact I want to change the "Infotainment" word from the site title to "Chiya Pasal" but, having limited computer skills, haven't figured out a way to do so. I have decided not to post jokes here.
Anyway, very few people are bothering to post comments in the site. Without comments and discussion, the site becomes an ego thing for yours truly and I'm not into that. Please do note that, while posting comments, you can use your name, a pseudonym, or even simply write 'Anonymous'. In a way, this site might provide you with a 'psychological release' to vent your frustrations at what's going on around us.
So please do visit the site and say your piece. Yeah I know, talk is cheap. But talk leads to thoughts and thoughts to action. As the saying goes, if you wanna walk the talk, the talk has to be there first!
Happy Dipawali!"
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5 comments:
Silence is deafening. Blogs are for oneself it seems.
Birat Dai,
This blog is slowly becoming popular. Please notify about this blog through emails. Once several persons get it they will forward to their friends. I will also notify about this blog to others.
I request you not to think about dropping this blog. In my experience it is very neutral and relevant blog.
Bishal, New York.
Thank you, Bishal, for the vote of confidence. Please do try and get folks to participate in it. Currently, due to the festival holidays, people may not have time to read the blog. I hope the participation will pick up after Tihar.
Anon 9:21, yes the silence is deafening since you don't seem to have anything important to say!! This blog is definitely not for myself.
I wondered if a thematic approach could be a better one to evoke more comments. Perhaps this could allow folks to insert some facts, observations or real life experiences--not to mean it should not be anecdotal at some level. I am also not hinting that such themes must be wholly substantive--then it may loose its "blog" character. For someone like myself, my interest would be more on practicality and pragmatism as is happening in Nepal so that I could draw some insights to bring myself closer to home or be sensitized to what is happening out there.
For instance, if we picked a particular theme (not just political) such as status of public health in Nepal (failure of government in addressing public health needs of the people; morbidity or mortality due to tobacco use; drug use/substance abuse a growing problem?) or education (how does Nepali education standards fare with other neighboring countries? Are we heading to a more Nepali language illiterate generation? Has education sector fallen prey to political upheavals in Nepal?) or social/moral fabric (rapid onslaught of modernization and satellite fed exposure--how has it impacted Nepal? Is Kathmandu turning slowly into a sex tourism capital? Is promiscuous lifestyle the new genre in Nepal? Has divorce rates increased over the recent decade? Has Nepalis been more accepting of an independent and liberated lifestyle?). Even within political, we could argue about issues such as: Is Nepal heading towards a democratic governance? How can governments be held accountable? How transparent the government policies are? Open Letter to the Government--What they Should Do to Help the People Realise True Democracy...
Since I am so far removed from what is happening in Nepal, I find your blog a great way of getting a gist of events and thinking. It would be a great pity if you discontinued it. Blogs take time to really come alive so maybe you need to be a bit patient. I do enjoy reading your blog, I hope you keep at it as I find it an interesting and informative read.
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