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Sambhar Mafia - Cooked To Kill!

Wednesday, March 01, 2006

The Journey So Far

This blog started as an experiment on this very day last year. Since I wasn’t sure about how one should go about promoting it, I started using the blog URL in my email signatures. Most of my friends had not heard about blogs and were not very keen to read them. Hence, this move didn’t really help in boosting the Statcounter :-) Although some of them visited the blog because of the curiosity element, none of them turned out to be regular readers / commenters.

I had to resort to the time tested route of comments, blogrolls, links etc etc to announce my arrival in the Blogosphere. Back then, we didn’t have sites like DesiPundit, which pointed to good posts and thereby, helped to promote new and old blogs.

The readership and the response during the past year has been way beyond my expectations. Although readership has been growing consistently, I somehow feel that it has kind of reached a saturation point. This is my take based on the current readership stats of other Indian blogs. Surprisingly, readership doesn’t drop significantly on days when there is no post. This is probably due to the existence of two categories of readers – those who read through feed readers like Bloglines and those who visit the site directly to read the blog. Those who read it through feed readers don’t feel the necessity to visit the blog unless they wan’t to comment or read other comments.

My general observation is that bloggers constitute a major chunk of the blog readership. One possible exception could be topical / thematic blogs like stock-related and movie-related blogs, which might attract significant non-blogger readers and hits through search engines.

The Blogger Dashboard tells me that I have made 609 posts during the last one year. Regular readers would be aware that I don’t follow a set pattern in the topics handled. I try to write about whatever comes to my mind and at times there is an overdose of something (as Ashwin had pointed out here).

Some special posts and events, which stand out are the Poetry competition by Venkitu Sir and the Singapore Desi Bloggers Meet.

Reach and Responsibility

I got a first hand experience of the reach of blogs after my posts on certain hot topics. I realized this after receiving emails from some of the leading MSM in the Western World.

A post on a former actress evoked some comments that were not in good taste. I didn’t imagine that the actress herself would read the post and respond to the defamatory comments. It’s a separate debate as to whether we can write whatever we want about public figures / celebrities and get away with it. These types of incidents go to prove that one needs to exercise caution not just while writing posts but also in monitoring the comments. Since there are no formal rules and guidelines for this medium, one needs to frame his/her own guidelines.

Blogability Quotient

As soon as you become a blogger, you start evaluating the blogability quotient of offline events (concerts, plays etc) that you attend. This means that you might end up taking cameras, voice recorders / iPODs to cover such events. You also start evaluating the blogworthiness / linkworthiness of various stuff that you read. At the same time, there might also be some internal pressure to write about an event, just because the blogger in you attend the event.

The not-so-anonymous Anonymous blog

Although the original intention was to have this as an anonymous blog, I realized that maintaining total anonymity was not possible and also not desirable. One of the perks of blogging is the interesting friendships that I have picked up along the way. It has been an exciting journey so far. The coming years can only be better.

48 Comments:

  • Waiting to hit my 1 year mark, with of course, less than half as many posts and less than half as many visitors :)

    Somehow, I have managed to keep the anonymity going till now.... lets see how long it lasts :)

    By Blogger Casablanca, at 4:38 PM  

  • happy anniversary, mate.

    By Blogger anantha, at 5:50 PM  

  • Congratulations, Kaps! Happy Blogiversary!

    Blogging does give you some quick lessons in responsibility; and you make an interesting and perceptive observation about bloggers (almost always) assessing the bloggability of news/events. It's so addicting!

    Most important of all, thanks a bunch for the great ride you have taken us through for the last year. We look forward to a lot more from 'Mafia. Yeh dil definitely maange more...

    By Blogger Abi, at 6:02 PM  

  • Happy Anniversary Dude !! I enjoy reading your posts

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 6:03 PM  

  • Congrats ! You got a wonderful blog .

    By Blogger Cogito, at 6:44 PM  

  • Kaps

    Happy Anniversary.. I enjoy your style..

    By Blogger Ram Viswanathan, at 7:01 PM  

  • Congrats Kaps..i do read your blog regularly.....do mail when u get the time

    Aman

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 7:36 PM  

  • hey dude, congrats...looking forward to another yr :) take care.

    By Blogger maverick, at 7:50 PM  

  • congrats dude, looking forward to another year! take care.

    By Blogger maverick, at 7:51 PM  

  • Knowing how we go back in similar ways in the blogosphere (you being one of the earliest of ChennaiCentral readers and commenters), I should have sent a congratulatory email rather than a comment but I want everyone to know how much I admire your blogging style and the fact that we have both helped each other along the way to be where we are respectively, blogging-wise. Congratulations on a great anniversary :-)

    By Blogger Krish, at 7:58 PM  

  • Happy Blogiversary kaps ;) been nice knowing u ;)

    By Blogger Visithra, at 8:25 PM  

  • Congrats Kaps. And great to know that you have interesting (big shot) visitors . :-P I myself have experienced strong reactions to some of my more opinionated posts... I could imagine what you are talking about.

    And thanks for giving us some interesting thing to read throughout... I've been one of those regular feed based visitors. Great work and all the best!

    By Blogger Govar, at 8:37 PM  

  • hey..am one of those annonymous blog readers and dont think will ever get one up of my own for the same reason..it just gives it away..
    i think you write well and have a broad base of topics that you post about. sometimes you tend to be a tad crisp..maybe its cos of lack of time...but you could explore writing more of your stuff..not necessarily long posts but more of your views rather than just citing sources and pasting stuff..

    and this was all in good humour...so don't take this any other way.

    look forward to more from you.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 8:56 PM  

  • Kaps, you are a champion!

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 9:15 PM  

  • Happy blogiversery

    By Blogger Ganesh APP, at 9:51 PM  

  • Kaps, would be interesting to know the exact events behind the 'Reach and Responsibility'. Can you give us some clues?

    Congrats btw..

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 10:04 PM  

  • Great going Kaps! Here's to another year of blogging :-)

    And sorry about the lack of comments from my side.. I am one of your 'feed readers' ;-)

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 10:11 PM  

  • This blog is a very enjoyable find for me. Suruk, naruk ops (like this post). To make this fb useful here is a link: Tom Riddler's Magical Diary

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 10:52 PM  

  • Happy Anniv. Kaps, I am one of your regular readers.

    By Blogger Ganesh, at 11:02 PM  

  • Kaps: Congrats...Wish we could have spent more time that day!

    By Blogger anantha, at 12:57 AM  

  • I am one of the regular visitor to your blog.I wish Happy Anniversary. Keep it up Kaps !!!

    Murthi

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 2:06 AM  

  • Congrats kaps !!!

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 2:07 AM  

  • Kaps, congrats and pl. keep blogging

    By Blogger crsathish, at 2:35 AM  

  • Congrats Kaps!

    By Blogger Aravind, at 3:25 AM  

  • I am thinking Hallmark should introduce cards now for Blog-anniversary. What do you think?:-)

    By Blogger D LordLabak, at 4:53 AM  

  • Congrats and many more happy returns.

    Slakhs

    By Blogger SLN, at 5:48 AM  

  • Congratulations! Great going!

    By Blogger Me too, at 9:56 AM  

  • Congratulations!!

    Hope the blog keeps flowing for years!!

    By Blogger Packan, at 10:18 AM  

  • Congrats man on completing 1 year.I visit your blog coz I find some of the contents very informative. Some article, info that you point to sometimes is very interesting.Keep the same tempo and energy.All the best.

    By Blogger Indian Blogger, at 11:15 AM  

  • Congrats!

    By Blogger janani, at 1:07 PM  

  • Congrats Kaps..
    Way to go !

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 1:53 PM  

  • Happy Anniversary Kaps :-)

    Any chance of visiting India?

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 2:23 PM  

  • @Casa,
    enjoy it till is lasts

    @Anantha,
    thanks

    @Abi,
    Thanks.
    It's true that the mind thinks about blogworthiness and linkworthiness of various stuff....dunno whether it is really good or bad....but it's definitely addictive.

    @Anon,
    Thanks! pls identify urself

    @Cogito,
    Thanks for being one of the regular readers.

    By Blogger Kaps, at 4:50 PM  

  • @Ram,
    Thanks

    @Aman,
    didn't know that u were reading this blog.....this blog has been getting lot of regular hits from UK.
    will mail u soon.

    @Maverick,
    thanks mate!

    @Thennavan,
    no formalities. thanx a lot for your support and encouragement.

    @Visit,
    Thanks. same here too :-)

    By Blogger Kaps, at 4:54 PM  

  • Hey,
    Sorry for being late.

    While I may not agree with all you say, I will fight to death your right to say it!!

    Happy anniversary. Did you take your blog out for dinner?
    Cheers

    By Blogger dhoomketu, at 9:48 PM  

  • @Govar,
    thanks for being a regular reader

    @Karthik,
    I take your point. I guess your are looking for more original content and more opinions rather than news. I read a lot and hence try to post crisp stuff on some of the interesting articles.

    @VK & Sagaro,
    Thanks

    @Ram,
    Pls mail me or browse thru the archives :-)

    By Blogger Kaps, at 10:00 PM  

  • kaps, i have been a regular reader for the last 6 months...so checked the archives before that...no luck!

    dude,give me a clue...month? ;-)

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 12:16 AM  

  • congrats kaps... as i've said b4 sambharmafia's now become a daily site for me alongside rediff and sify. nowadays i get a lot of my news(the srm issue being a recent example) from u. thanx! and nice job :)

    By Blogger Balaji, at 1:16 AM  

  • aHi Kaps,
    I wonder why my comment did not come:-((Some blogger server prob!!!
    Wishing you congrats on your first blog-versary and hope you have many more!

    By Blogger Minal, at 1:37 AM  

  • Congrats Kaps!!

    By Blogger Abi, at 2:35 AM  

  • @Antrix,
    Thanks for being a regular reader

    @BSubra,
    glad to know that u enjoy the suruk naruk posts.

    @Ganesh,
    Thanks for your support and encouragement

    @Anti,
    There's always a next time :-)

    @Murthi,
    Thanks for your comment.

    @Anon,
    Thanks

    By Blogger Kaps, at 12:29 PM  

  • @CRSathish,
    Thanks

    @Aravind,
    Thanks for your support!

    @Deepa,
    I doubt whether bloggers would pay for a paper greeting card.

    @Slakhs,
    Thanks

    @Patrix,
    Thanks for having me at DesiPundit :-)

    By Blogger Kaps, at 12:33 PM  

  • @Me Too & Packan,
    Thanks

    @Indian blogger,
    Thanks for being a regular reader

    @Janani,
    Thanks

    @Prabhu,
    Thanks. Yours was one of the frienships that I picked up.

    @Ferrari,
    No plans right now.

    By Blogger Kaps, at 12:35 PM  

  • @Dhoomk2,
    Thanks for the kind words. I should have replied to your post on that debate....but I decided to give up :-)
    The blog took me out for dinner.

    @Ram,
    Mail me @ sambhar dot mafia at gmail dot com and we shall take it from there.

    @Balaji,
    Glad to know that you are treating my blog on par with some other leading sites....it puts lot of responsibility on me.

    @Minal,
    No worried. Thanks!

    @J'adore,
    Thanks a lot!

    By Blogger Kaps, at 12:39 PM  

  • K, has it just been a year? you seem veteranish :)
    great going. I always enjoy your blog...

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 12:24 AM  

  • Congrats on completing one year ! :) Your blog is my "must-visit-daily" list (your statcounter will tell you!) and enjoy reading it (perfectly suits my expectations). So great going Kaps ! Keep it up !

    By Blogger Srini, at 2:26 PM  

  • Hi Kaps
    Happy (belated) blog birthday! Hopefully you will have many more.

    By Blogger Michael Higgins, at 11:03 PM  

  • Good going, Kaps. I enjoy your blog immensely.

    By Blogger Venky Krishnamoorthy, at 12:57 AM  

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