I blog, therefore I am

Cogito ergo sum, roughly translated into 'I think, therefore I am' is a 'explanation for it all' by French philosopher Rene Descartes. So powerful is the statement as a philospohical construct that it is considered a foundational element of Western philosophy. So what does it mean? This statement is an explanation to a 'chicken came first or egg came first?' type question.

The question is, what holds primacy: mind or matter? I think, therefore I am. "I think" implies that I have a consciousness. Since "I" can think, it means an "I" exists. That is, my self ("I") exists because of my consciousness. Hence, my thought defines who I am. I, as a human being, derive my identity from my thoughts (There is a design start-up company by the name ITTIAM, short for I Think Therefore I AM. How appropriate! Even a corporate house can't exist in a competitive market if it doesn't think and innovate!).

Online Identity

The World Wide Web is a virtual world. In the real world, you are (lets say) an Indian by nationality, an Oriya by mother tongue, a Hindu by religion, an atheist by belief, a bureaucrat by profession and so on. These are all your identities in the real world. Similarly you can take up many identities in the virtual world. However, your identity on the internet can be different from your identity in the real world. While in real life you are a guy, you can pose as a hot girl desperate for a screw on a chat forum and have sex chat with other online identities.

Anonymity is a singularly powerful tool of the world wide web. The WWW is the most utopian world; it is an egalitarian world in which all people have the same status. There are no divisions on the basis of race, caste, creed, or religion. On top of that, there is absolute freedom of speech.

This doesn not mean that there is no inequality in cyberworld. But inequality in cyberworld is not inequality of money, or power, or family prestige but inequality of intellectual rigour. Your ideas define who you are in the internet. For example, suppose you are in a mathematics forum under the username 'Einstein2009' and you are fundoo in solving problems, it doesnot matter to other forum members if you have never gone to college. They know you as Einstein2009, who is a smart mathematician.

So how do you construct an online identity? Its damn easy, and there are many mediums to do so. You can sign in to yahoo chat and start making friends in any chat lounge. You can select your name, gender, religion, race, qualifications (unless the one you chat with is an expert in the subject you claim to have mastered) and profession. Even if you decide to go by your own name and real world identity, your virtual 'self' is not the same as your real 'self'. Cyberpsychologists have found out that e-personality of a person is vastly different from his normal personality, mostly because face-to-face interaction is absent and people are less inhibited.

Another medium is that of forums. Search in google and you will find forums on practically all subjects that can be discussed. There are forums for bikers, gamers, writers, musicians etc. These forums usually cater to specific interests, and so the online existence of a person in these forums usually manifests an unidimensional personality. Contrary to forums are games like "second life" where one can develop a new all-round personality. In second life, one can start a new life afresh. You can select how you look (its a 3D game... so you can select the best biceps for yourself), even your profession. You can date another virtual character (who is another real person you don't know personally), marry her, cheat on her by having sex with the neighbour, get a divorce, pay alimony etc.

Well, now we come down to the topic I had started out with: blogs. Blogs are another tool of online existence, and perhaps the best means to make your presence felt online. Blog means web log. It is like an online diary you can write on, and let others access it. Blogs have become very popular these days, primarily for the reason that it allows people to share their ideas with others. Previously, the only means to express yourself was the print media which was regulated by professionals. If your writing is not considered up to the mark, or if it caters to very selected audiences, it is rejected by newspapers and magazines. But blogs are powerful tools to reach your target audience directly.

Why I blog?

My online existence is primarily through my blog. I also have a presence in social networking sites such as Facebook and Orkut, but with blogs its different. I am a contemplative person, and I think a lot. My blog posts are an expression of my thoughts. I have blogged about my pet peeves, how I felt when I did not get my desired rank in civil services, my opinion on my new bike Helena, and a hell lot of issues. So in a way my blogs are a projection of my personality, my attitudes. By using syllogism we can state that,

Blogging is how I think in cyberspace (major premise)

I think, therefore I am (minor premise)

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I blog, therefore I am in cyberspace (conclusion)

IBTIAM (I Blog, Therefore I AM) is a philosophical idea I use to explain why I blog. But there is more to it than this. I have always believed that I have a lot in my head to express. There are many means to express -some use the paintbrush, some the camera, and some the pen to express themselves. I use the pen to express myself. And I have been writing since I was in secondary school. At first, I used to write light, funny poems. These were appreciated by my parents, teachers, and classmates. But I always desired a bigger audience. I guess that is why there is a craving in most writers to get published... I tried hard to get published in children's magazines like Champak and Gokulam. But to no avail. I guess my writings were not good enough after all.

Till I was in third year in my engineering undergraduation I did not have a single published story or poem. In fact it is tough to find many magazines in India publishing stories. Among the widely circulated magazines, only Alive and Women's Era publish stories. Science Reporter encourages science fictions. And I don't write the genre of short stories they publish. But I had this immense desire to write, and be read. So I started blogging. And I have been blogging ever since. My blog has been quite a success, given that I get many comments from strangers, and my blog has an above average viewership (known from Google Adsense data on page impressions). I have been told that my blog is the most popular blog among UPSC aspirants who are active in cyberspace. I have made many friends online... some of whom I have met and they are now real friends too.

In a way, my blog is an autobiography. I am not a great leader, or a film star. After I cease to exist historians will not be amused by my life, nor will students study me for inspiration. Nevertheless I believe every life is interesting and mine is no less extraordinary. My blog shall remain after me, as snapshots of the story of my life.

A detailed discussion on the way blogging has influenced us, one must check out wikipedia's take on it. I would like to discuss just one other utilitarian value. Blogging is a powerful exercise in therapy. Psychoanalysts believe that when psychic energy gets build up in the mind, it leads to mental instability and anxiety. The psychic energy can be discharged by cathartic release of the energy. By self-expression, bloggers dissipate their psychic energy. For example, suppose you have strong emotional feelings on a sensitive issue. You can't talk about it to anyone since it is a sensitive issue. So you create an anonymous blog and release your pent up anger by writing about your feelings.

Blogs, Books, and Blooks

In every field, you will find puritans and cynics. If Karan Johar makes masala movies catering to NRI tastes, critics wonder how could he be audacious enough to make such movies. The world of books is no different. When Chetan Bhagat came up with three books, all bestsellers, the critics came down heavily on him. Personally I did not like any of his books (I believe I have reviewed one of his books in an earlier blog entry) but criticizing it to the point of calling it a literary disaster is being cruel and conservative. He has a strong fan base who enjoy his writing, then who are we to complain? He himself has been at pains in many interviews making it clear that he doesn't write rich literature and does not pretend to do so.

The Gen-X has no patience for books. You give them a Salman Rushdie with beautifully crafted words and they will throw it into the dustbin. In deed, a fact we must recognize is that there is vast diversity in tastes and interests of those who read. Can publishers cater to such diverse tastes and interests? No. They are not here for charity... the publisher goes for the writer who can cater to a majority of audience, or can win him some prizes in international competitions. So what is the solution? Blogs, of course.

Blogs give immense creative freedom to the writer. And the good thing is that it does not have to pass through puritans. I was once a member of a short story forum which did not allow the usage of hindi words, or SMS lingo in writing. One lady had contributed a poem in Hinglish to the forum, and she had to face the music. They warned her that she may be kicked out if she did not follow the rules. 'Rules' in creative writing?!

Blooks are books based on blogs. Most of the blooks written till date are based on journalistic blog. A few have been bestsellers. I hope more blooks on diverse issues are published in the future so that blog writing can be widely read in print also.