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If that list is too overwhelming which I’m sure it is, you always use the site search or browse based on categories or months on the sidebar (right dark-grey). Based on the number of posts per categories, this blog has been and still is personal in nature although I still write a lot on society & culture, politics, current affairs, Internet technology or trends, and of course, blogging.
So has all this writing been in vain and just a time sink? Hell no! I’ve enjoyed most of it; writing and interacting with other writers and bloggers. In the spirit of the tag “why I blog”, I guess I can list a few reasons I still continue doing what I’ve been doing for the past four years now.
Networking and Outreach
I have met and interacted with a host of interesting, intelligent, and smart people. I have made tons of friends with people whom otherwise I never would have known. I have discovered people who were interested in the same things I was. I wouldn’t have discovered them if it weren’t for the connecting power of the Internet. In fact, the blog played a significant role in my relationship with Ash.
Being more aware of the world around me
I have been exposed to many issues: social, cultural, political, or economic that otherwise would have slipped under the radar. My sense of awareness about the world I live in has increased exponentially. I have read and blogged about issues that have influenced or affected me in some significant way and the opinions of others either through comments or their blogs have greatly helped me refine my thoughts.
Medium to voice my opinions
Although I come off as a politically correct individual, I have had strong opinions about several matters and writing them down has helped me make better sense of my own perceptions and knowledge. In fact, I have noticed that I’ve changed a lot since I started blogging. In addition, I have shared plenty of personal tales, experiences, and memories which has found a audience and a keen listening ear amongst many of you prompting you to share as well. This blog is also a collection of memories, cathartic or otherwise.
Learning about web technologies and design
If you are hosting the blog on your own domain, I’m sure you have tweaked it somewhat; added few plugins, changed themes, and other hazaar seemingly technical things. In fact, I’ve done lot of it. I have changed themes more than the average blogger and added plugins and knick-knacks more than the reader would appreciate but all that tinkering has given me an opportunity to learn new skills which otherwise my academic education didn’t teach me. Sure, I’ve messed up big time and process has been slow but I’ve always learnt something new from those mistakes. Bloggers are a helpful lot and I’ve received plenty of help too (see Colophon).
Being a relatively popular blogger gets me invites for real-world product or web services reviews. Apart from formal requests, I surf around a lot to try out different Web 2.0 services which we are seeing a lot right now. There never has been a better age for sharing information.
Earning coffee money
This is not one of those blogs that you can retire on although if I have the inclination or the time to do so, I’m sure I can. But thanks to several blog monetizing options, this blog also earns a decent amount of money at least enough to take care of its hosting costs and a bit more (don’t ask me how much!)
Earning money off your blog is not a bad thing and although certain purists scoff at it, adding a few ads and optimizing them to maximum exposure and keeping them less intrusive can help strike the balance between your loyal blog readers and ad-clicking visitors. But hopefully, I haven’t gone overboard. I would recommend subscribing to my feed to have a complete ad-free reading experience.
There are plenty more things I can thank for blogging but these are the five top things that come readily to mind. Please let me know your opinions on your experience on this blog. Brickbats and bouquets welcome. My would-be saali already complains that this blog is no longer fun and too focused on blogging issues. Probably she has a point and now that the Sanjaya is off the radar, let me see what else can I shine my light on.
I am trying to avoid rants hence my silence on many ridiculous events that have been dominating the Indian social scene these days but I guess, ranting is the best part about blogging. And of course, academic commitments are taking a priority over other written material. I’m already reading and writing too many theory summaries but casual blogging shall resume.
by Patrix | on Thursday, April 19th, 2007 at 6:17 pm | 
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April 19th, 2007 at 6:44 pm
Great going. congrats.
April 19th, 2007 at 7:17 pm
Wow! 2000 posts!
I salute thee! Sometimes when you meet a major blogger the facts don’t quite sink in, that you are actually in the esteemed presence of a veteran. (I must say you are rather a humble person for your blogging exploits. Take that as a compliment.) :)
Nice knowing you. 2000 posts! Man!
(I know I still can’t get it out of my head!)
April 19th, 2007 at 8:08 pm
Great going ! Congrats.
(And this post reminded me that I am nearing a milestone myself - of course, puny compared to yours).
April 19th, 2007 at 9:41 pm
Congratulations!
Though I am glad Sanjaya is no longer around. Whew!
April 20th, 2007 at 3:59 am
Congrats, Patrix!
Now, get back to your rants, will you?
April 20th, 2007 at 4:00 am
[...] ‘Pundit Patrix celebrates his 2000th blog post! So has all this writing been in vain and just a time sink? Hell no! I’ve enjoyed most of it; [...]
April 20th, 2007 at 4:13 am
Congrats Patrix! All the best and take this blog to a higher level!
April 20th, 2007 at 4:29 am
Patrix, you’re celebrating 2000 posts? Heh.
;)
April 20th, 2007 at 5:11 am
Hey Patrix,
Congratulations!
April 20th, 2007 at 5:26 am
Thats Huge ;)!!! Congrats!!
April 20th, 2007 at 5:52 am
Whatay well done Mr. Patrix! 2000 posts is like… 10 different bloggers all with something like 200 posts each…
wow…
April 20th, 2007 at 7:33 am
Prateek bhai, aapko boh’t mubarakbad. 2000 is really a figure to be proud of. Though I don’t know you much but still I have felt that compared to other blogistan biggies, you are really a humble and nice person.
April 20th, 2007 at 7:35 am
Congratulations! and nice job there, storing all your posts :)
BTW, I think I agree with your ‘would be saali’… not so much about the content, i mean, thats fine, and it is what you want to write about, but man, those double underlined ads are so distracting.. my suggestion, remove those pesky ads and switch to cheaper coffee. :)
April 20th, 2007 at 7:56 am
Congratulations.
Now that Sanjaya is gone, what are you going to promote on Mon/Tue??
April 20th, 2007 at 7:59 am
2000? Good Lord. Did your cradle come equipped with a keyboard holder or did you have to accessorize it?
Congrats!
And I agree with confused. Good riddance to Sanjaya.
April 20th, 2007 at 8:51 am
hey Patrix,
congratulations on the 2K mark (or the MM mark, clarifying a point argued hotly on a social-networking site this morning)
better reading your blog than watching Sanjaya grin. wasted 5 mins of Star World time watching him and i had the intense desire to go brush my teeth.
April 20th, 2007 at 9:09 am
2000! Woah! That is incredible. Blog on!
April 20th, 2007 at 9:10 am
No word verification? How do you keep the spammers at bay?
April 20th, 2007 at 9:55 am
Thanks man :-)
April 20th, 2007 at 9:58 am
Arzan, thanks.
Piker, Thanks. 2000 is what a more prolific blogger would do in a a year or maybe less.
Bongo, thanks. And what might your milestone be? A year? I think you’ve been around longer than that.
Confused, thanks. And yeh Sanjaya beech mein kahan se aaya. There must be a max of 6-7 Sanjaya posts in that 2000 :)
Abi, Thanks. And the DesiPundit link was flattering. Yup! the rants will resume.
Ashwin, thanks.
Amit, we lowly mortals get to celebrate small milestones. I know IU must celebrate that every month, cows and all :)
Gauravonomics, thanks.
Vikram, thanks.
Sidin, most say bloggers should focus on a topic. But for this blog, what you say might be true. Does look like 10 blogs with 200 posts.
Indscribe, dhynwaad. Aur krupaya humare asli name iss blog pe mention mat ki jiye.
Sqrl, dang! I have been asking those Kontera guys to reduce the number of ads per page. But damn! their support staff is not yet outsourced to India hence the delay. Has just started earning me some dough and you want me to remove it. Sigh! Probably I will.
Sakshi, you want to try doing something? I hear that you are looking to be promoted as well. Heh :)
Gawker, I’m sure you are being modest. With your prolific blogger, I’m sure you are close. And with much better content too.
Neel, come on, he is just a kid. Blame the sin not the sinner. The media just whored him out.
Crystal Blur, thanks. And Akismet zindabad for spam. That’s what you get for leaving the dark Blogger side.
Santosh, Heh. And you too.
April 20th, 2007 at 12:07 pm
Hey, I can’t sing either.. may be I can get on the AI bandwagon. In the meantime, you can just build my hype ;)
Ps- I will even try to come up with something crazier than his hairdos..
April 20th, 2007 at 12:07 pm
Patrix!
Congratulations! You have definitely made good reading over the years!
Good Luck!
m
April 20th, 2007 at 4:25 pm
Hi,
I’m a regular here but an irregular commenter.
Congratulations, and thanks for all your interesting posts.
April 20th, 2007 at 4:40 pm
Happy 2000 :)
April 21st, 2007 at 9:11 am
Sakshi, Don’t worry. Any talent that needs to be promoted will be. Totally free. Wackier the better.
Star, Heyyyy! Great to see you…dinn know you still check this blog. How you doing and howz married life? We might be coming to Toronto sometime this year.
Stone, thanks. And do drop in occasionally to comment.
Chetan, Thanks. For all the WP help too.
April 21st, 2007 at 2:54 pm
That is a lot of blogging….
good going. Now get back to research and graduate school work….*stern wag of finger*
April 21st, 2007 at 5:29 pm
congrats! 2000 posts is quite an accomplishment! and condolences about sanjaya malakar. :p
April 21st, 2007 at 7:25 pm
[...] years (and a bit) is not a call for celebration, what is, however, is that this is a beginning. 4000, perhaps in the next. Wishful [...]
April 22nd, 2007 at 5:51 pm
Sunil, now you are on the same page as my advisor :)
TGFI, thanks. And why condolences, he is better off outside American Idol.
April 23rd, 2007 at 6:24 am
4 years of blogging is really something…
Congrats on completing 2K blog posts.