Wednesday, November 02, 2005

Making friends in the blogosphere

I’d like to debate the ifs and buts of knowing people through their blogs. There are quite a few people who blog that I’ve been able to figure out the identity of. Some of them are actually friends I’ve known at some point in my past, others acquaintances that I’ve known briefly, and many others friends of friends (of friends – and so on). Of course the bulk, given that there are one billion people in India, about ten percent of whom blog, are people I don’t know. (And I don’t really know that many people – is that a good thing or a bad thing?!) So what are the odds of meeting interesting, like-minded people through the blogosphere?

Pretty high. For one, I am able to know people that I otherwise would not have time to know, given people’s work schedules and my own. I am not restricted by any one else’s opinions, nor anyone else’s recommendations. I choose whose blogs to read based on my interest. I am not even restricted by geography. And that means that the people I get to know, I will 95% of the time hit it off with.

My boyfriend was rather worried the other day when I met a fellow blogger - protective soul that he is (which, by the way, I love him for, among other things). But I am happy to say that I genuinely enjoyed the meeting – there were a lot of common topics to discuss – and we even discovered that we knew a couple of people in common! This has reinforced my opinion that bloggers, at least those whom I seem to connect with, given that the average blogger spends quite a few minutes of his or her precious time writing about their experiences or beliefs or views, can potentially be some of the best people I have ever known.

And I hope I am never given cause to think otherwise!

5 comments:

Ravages/CC said...

Ha, That's a nice post. And very true...

SV said...

10% of India blogs ??? Surely that can't be right ..thats around 100 million people. No way.

melon collie said...

see , i go for like years thinking i'm the only one who likes the foundations' 'build me up buttercup', and all of a sudden, in the course of a week, i find two people in the blogging world who love the song.

now that is why i love blogging.

(about 21 of your top 40 list, i would probably have in mine too.
all hail the beatles, and simon&garfunkel)

Penny Lane said...

Sometimes I think I don't really want to meet fellow bloggers (the ones I don't know)... it might ruin the image I have of them in my head based on their blog... And I think a lot of people might be different to their blogs (p.s. I'm not by the way :))

Anjali said...

Ravages: Thanks!

Sharad:Hmmmm..maybe you are underestimating Indian bloggers..or maybe I'm overestimating them!

Melon Collie: Hi there! Yeah, I will love those songs till I die. Glad I've found someone who shares my taste!

Penny Lane: I suppose in a way you're right..the mystery of the unknown and all that..the minunte before I met the person I was quite nervous! On the other hand, I think its a great way to expand your social or virtual circle. Life is so short - why not fill it with people and things you share common ground with?! And you sound like a fun enough person :-)