HP-indiblogger and the cult of being original

Bloggers know what it means to copy. Bloggers know how easy it is to copy. Bloggers know how to copy and then escape. Bloggers can copy and pretend to be original. All the sentences written so far aren’t supposed to be there only to shock or to attract. They are there to emphasise a very important facet of blogging that bloggers themselves always want to avoid discussing.

Just step into the murky world of blogs and you will find that it becomes very difficult to find out something that is ethereally original, something that smells, tastes, and feels like it has been brewed or baked or cooked fresh… most of the pictures, texts, ideas, videos, graphics, reviews, and even poetry give you a feeling that you’ve seen or read it elsewhere. Sad but true. Most of the time, I said… not always. Most of the bloggers, however, fall in the shady and murky territory of the copy-paste artist!

No. I do not intend to lure the slick and slimy blogger amongst us into the energising daylight of the realm of original… let them drool and salivate in their own world as that is what they are destined to do and be. After all, if they weren’t there, we would never really appreciate the original! Not every reader can really digest the quality, the charisma of original phrases… they’d anyway hanker for the dark shades of what is familiar to them… it is the ease of reading copied stuff that gives them pleasure… so be it.

The HP-indiblogger Meet was harping on the original vs the copy! The ‘original’ has its own place everywhere but even copies do serve a purpose… they make the original stand out and remain attractive to those who need them and can afford to have them. The copy, as in the case of a piece of writing, goes only to the mentally impoverished… thus even in the world of economies, the copy serves to satisfy the ones who are unable to grasp the importance of using the ‘original’. This is what was highlighted during the presentation given by the HP team at the indiblogger Meet at The Park, CP, new Delhi on the 11^th of December 2011. In three words: LOVED THE MEET.

Dedicating this short poem, that I wrote a few minutes back, to the Meet…
Are bloggers bothered about being ‘original’? 

Bloggers, unlike writers and poets,

Love to meet and eat

Have fun together

Then calmly rob ideas, cheat.

 

Ideas that are not yours can

Hardly be expected

To grow and evolve

So they remain content to be also-ran!

 

Bloggers cease to be bloggers

When they begin to think

And create new ideas

With ‘original’ they then link!

 

No, the poem is not the only thing I will be taking out of my kitty bay. There is an enticing crossword too. Hope you will like it.

 

 

 

1.     Bloggers used this to try and win the group game. (5, 5)

5.     How many seconds of fame was each blogger entitled to? (5,4)

6.     What makes a blogger happy? (7)

7.     Everyone there displayed this. (5)

9.     This group won the group game. (5, 8)

11.   RR from indiblogger was there… what does this R stand for? (5)

13.   What parting gift was given to all bloggers? (3, 5)

16.   Which area of delhi did the bloggers come to? (2)

18.   A few lucky bloggers got this gift. (7)

19.   What was served there? (4, 3)

20.   Name of the Android App that was needed to participate in the game. (2, 5)

21.   The ranking system on indiblogger? (8)

22.   His push-ups are still pending… (6)

25.   The oldest blogger present was over – ? (7,4)

27.   This is what the bloggers searched for in the QR game. (2, 9)

28.   What makes a blogger REALLY happy? (7)

30.   What is it, if it isn’t a copy? (8)

 

 

2.     These many commented on the ‘New delhi HP Indiblogger Meet’ on the indiblogger site. (7,3,4)

3.     We blog, therefore we are. Who are we? (11)

4.     This is what fascinates the participants! (8)

8.     This is where you discuss concerns on indiblogger. (5)

10.   Did the ‘meet’ begin late? (3)

12.   The youngest blogger was under – ? (3)

14.   Where did the Delhi bloggers meet? (3, 4)

15.   First name of the blogger whose website is www.passey.info ? (6)

17.   Many lucky bloggers got this gift. (3, 5)

23.   Which other phone besides Blackberry, iPhone, and Android Smartphones was used? (5)

24.   This city became the name for one of the groups too. (10)

26.   Bloggers shared their opinions through their… ! (6)

29.   This animal too seemed to have his own blog! (3)

 

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Answer Key:
(Note:  Select the area between the +boundary to make the keys visible.)

 

 

1.     SMARTPHONE—Bloggers used this to try and win the group game. (5, 5)

5.     FORTYNINE—How many seconds of fame was each blogger entitled to? (5,4)

6.     WINNING—What makes a blogger happy? (7)

7.     SMILE—Everyone there displayed this. (5)

9.     QRAZYBLOGGERS—This group won the group game. (5, 8)

11.   RENIE—RR from indiblogger was there… what does this R stand for? (5)

13.   TEESHIRT—What parting gift was given to all bloggers? (3, 5)

16.   CP—Which area of delhi did the bloggers come to? (2)

18.   PRINTER—A few lucky bloggers got this gift. (7)

19.   HIGHTEA—What was served there? (4, 3)

20.   QRDROID—Name of the Android App that was needed to participate in the game. (2, 5)

21.   INDIRANK—The ranking system on indiblogger? (8)

22.   VINEET—His push-ups are still pending… (6)

25.   SEVENTYFIVE—The oldest blogger present was over – ? (7,4)

27.   HPORIGINALS—This is what the bloggers searched for in the QR game. (2, 9)

28.   WRITING—What makes a blogger REALLY happy? (7)

30.   ORIGINAL—What is it, if it isn’t a copy? (8)

 

 

2.     HUNDREDANDNINE—These many commented on the ‘New delhi HP Indiblogger Meet’ on the indiblogger site. (7,3,4)

3.     INDIBLOGGER—We blog, therefore we are. Who are we? (11)

4.     BLOGGING—This is what fascinates the participants! (8)

8.     FORUM—This is where you discuss concerns on indiblogger. (5)

10.   YES—Did the ‘meet’ begin late? (3)

12.   TEN—The youngest blogger was under – ? (3)

14.   THEPARK—Where did the Delhi bloggers meet? (3, 4)

15.   ARVIND—First name of the blogger whose website is www.passey.info ? (6)

17.   PENDRIVE—Many lucky bloggers got this gift. (3, 5)

23.   NOKIA—Which other phone besides Blackberry, iPhone, and Android Smartphones was used? (5)

24.   JALLANDHAR—This city became the name for one of the groups too. (10)

26.   TWEETS—Bloggers shared their opinions through their… ! (6)

29.   DOG—This animal too seemed to have his own blog! (3)

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I have uploaded most of the photographs on my Facebook profile. You can find them if you care to click on this sentence: indiblogger ki jai!!

A few photographs are, however, so precious to me that I want to include them right here too. So here they are:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Arvind Passey
14 December 2011