Of all the blog posts I have written on this blog..this one is perhaps mostly for myself and I feel unlike most other blog posts in almost every one's blog it is not aimed at any reader in particular it is all about speaking to myself ...my rants...letting out the man ka bhadas as the say. There might be many friends I would loose post this post..and many who would differ with me but like I said this is but my opinion and I don't really expect anyone to share it or even agree with it if they don't feel it's right so well here goes..
My job as a web content writer has led me to various Social networking sites as well as blog O sphere's where I see people commenting on each other's posts..it's all a very lovely atmosphere, something we really couldn't have imagined even till a few years back. A bit of a social networking freak I am a self proclaimed Face Book addict & I seriously think that if there is ever any award pronounced for faithfulness towards FB I shall perhaps be one of the strongest contenders for that. But jokes aside, even the die hard FB ite in me couldn't help but notice the policy of most web interactive spaces where the funda seems to be 'you scratch my back & i shall scratch yours'.
My job as a web content writer has led me to various Social networking sites as well as blog O sphere's where I see people commenting on each other's posts..it's all a very lovely atmosphere, something we really couldn't have imagined even till a few years back. A bit of a social networking freak I am a self proclaimed Face Book addict & I seriously think that if there is ever any award pronounced for faithfulness towards FB I shall perhaps be one of the strongest contenders for that. But jokes aside, even the die hard FB ite in me couldn't help but notice the policy of most web interactive spaces where the funda seems to be 'you scratch my back & i shall scratch yours'.
Being a poet and a creative person, I have the highest regard for any kind of art and as such I am always on the look out for different forms of creative work. There have been plenty of times when I have not known a person or the person is not too well known in the creative circuit but if I felt that his/her work deserves to be seen I have shared it on my wall posts on FB..in such a way that the creator often doesn't even know where he has got the publicity from. When I say this it is not because I'm aiming at the next mother Teresa or Mahatma Gandhi award, trust me I have my quirks, but because I sincerely believe that any artist is a true artist only if he/she can appreciate a creative piece without the bias of who has done it or without the need to be associated with a BIG name. No creative person is truly creative if he does not GIVE freely & appreciate creativeness freely.
Many of you reading this post might be thinking, what does this woman actually WANT to say or where is she getting to..well to cut things short...In the recent past I joined a contest on Indiblogger for Cleartrip on a write up that was to be about a travelogue. Like many others I wrote an article ( Say hello to Shillong, Scotland of the North East) and posted it in the appropriate forum. Over the past few days I've been notified that voting has begun and a strange phenomenon too.. my inbox shows mails where people have requested me to vote for them, knowing fully well that I have participated in the same contest. Its rather funny but I did that too. Going over the indivine posts of other members who have participated in the same contest I have put in my vote here and there for other posts in the same contest, because of only one reason 'I liked the post'....and I'm truly of the belief that that is the only reason one should vote. Perhaps it is silly of me to have entered a contest and not canvass.."please vote for me..please make me win"...why should I? In this regard I remember something My mother used to say to me every time I said I finished studies....she would say do you think you can face the exams, I would say yes. She would say fine " just remember that if you lie to me today about having finished your studies, it is yourself whom you are cheating the most because tomorrow if you fail in your exams, people would automatically know how well you studied"
These contest are of course far from exams but I was reminded of the analogy because if someone votes for me just because I have voted for him/her it really serves no purpose. I am ultimately not being appreciated for MY work..how does that serve me as an author in the long run? besides I would be too embarrassed to ask someone to vote for me in a contest where money is involved. why should a person be forced to vote for me ( even if he/she doesn't like my post) so that I can win some BIG prize..that's disgusting! In direct contrast to this, one of my posts ( titled My Homeland) made it to Blogadda's Tangy tuesday pics, and I'm hardly there on Blogadda so I don't even know what it takes..but boy did it feel good I was elated cause I knew I was chosen for myself & THAT is precious!
I have never believed in the you scratch my back I scratch your back policy & I shall not canvass. Perhaps some of you will say that it is then stupid to join such a contest, so be it. I would still like to think that the votes I did get, those few ones are immensely precious..because they were given by a person who has genuinely liked my post & THAT I think is what creativity or any art form is all about. I am who I am because people appreciate what I do, let that be the only reason I am recognised if that means not winning a contest so be it..I would sleep well tonight & every night :)
Many of you reading this post might be thinking, what does this woman actually WANT to say or where is she getting to..well to cut things short...In the recent past I joined a contest on Indiblogger for Cleartrip on a write up that was to be about a travelogue. Like many others I wrote an article ( Say hello to Shillong, Scotland of the North East) and posted it in the appropriate forum. Over the past few days I've been notified that voting has begun and a strange phenomenon too.. my inbox shows mails where people have requested me to vote for them, knowing fully well that I have participated in the same contest. Its rather funny but I did that too. Going over the indivine posts of other members who have participated in the same contest I have put in my vote here and there for other posts in the same contest, because of only one reason 'I liked the post'....and I'm truly of the belief that that is the only reason one should vote. Perhaps it is silly of me to have entered a contest and not canvass.."please vote for me..please make me win"...why should I? In this regard I remember something My mother used to say to me every time I said I finished studies....she would say do you think you can face the exams, I would say yes. She would say fine " just remember that if you lie to me today about having finished your studies, it is yourself whom you are cheating the most because tomorrow if you fail in your exams, people would automatically know how well you studied"
These contest are of course far from exams but I was reminded of the analogy because if someone votes for me just because I have voted for him/her it really serves no purpose. I am ultimately not being appreciated for MY work..how does that serve me as an author in the long run? besides I would be too embarrassed to ask someone to vote for me in a contest where money is involved. why should a person be forced to vote for me ( even if he/she doesn't like my post) so that I can win some BIG prize..that's disgusting! In direct contrast to this, one of my posts ( titled My Homeland) made it to Blogadda's Tangy tuesday pics, and I'm hardly there on Blogadda so I don't even know what it takes..but boy did it feel good I was elated cause I knew I was chosen for myself & THAT is precious!
I have never believed in the you scratch my back I scratch your back policy & I shall not canvass. Perhaps some of you will say that it is then stupid to join such a contest, so be it. I would still like to think that the votes I did get, those few ones are immensely precious..because they were given by a person who has genuinely liked my post & THAT I think is what creativity or any art form is all about. I am who I am because people appreciate what I do, let that be the only reason I am recognised if that means not winning a contest so be it..I would sleep well tonight & every night :)
( Image courtesy Google)
12 comments:
In my opinion there is nothing wrong if a request to vote is received but one can always choose not to vote if the post does not deserve one.
Ah, lady, the futility of it all. I don't want to spell a you-ought-to-have known as you are already on the silken path of promoting genuine work only. Keep up the good show!
HI, really like the way u write! it's almost like mine!
I appreciate u for this:
....I sincerely believe that any artist is a true artist only if he/she can appreciate a creative piece without the bias of who has done it or without the need to be associated with a BIG name. No creative person is truly creative if he does not GIVE freely & appreciate creativeness freely.
Really respect u for this.
reciprocation seems to be the way of blogging, but u have all the choice of not scratching anyone's back! just kidding!
asking for vote is alright for many, at times, we don't even know our friends are participating, so it's a good to know about it. but getting mails from strangers is somewhat irritating.
yes, those votes are precious which u got on your own.
take care
RESTLESS
Winning is good but it's good when it's based on your performance and not because you exploit the system. Indiblogger's contests taught me that and yeah, it feels good when blogadda recognizes your post because they are good and not because of favoritism.
Nice post. I so agree with you.
Simple answer, write for yourself and no one else..If its really good you'll win or else, it doesn't matter!
Lost in oblivion....this one is really true :-)
Thanks friends..its nice to know am not alone in this triade :)
In a vote driven contest , fair-play is the first casualty.
The deserving ones rarely win and it puts you off such contests for a lifetime.
That was a nice thought flow. This is one topic which is time and again discussed in the indiforum as well. Initially when I began as a indimember, I had such thoughts too. But now, it all feels ok. Some people enjoy voting for nothing, some vote honestly, some wait earnestly for votes and yet others ask for votes. All kinds exist everywhere! And I have met good bloggers and readers from all kinds, it's just that the ways are different.
Nandhini..you summed it up rather well..Wizening up time I guess :))
Appreciate your views and am 100% with you. Canvassing and getting an award is not my cup of tea either.I prefer to let my poem speak for itself .Good for you!Nice to know that I am not the only oddball here.
I will surely come back For more.
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