PUNE BLOGGER MEET – Lessons Learnt

PUNE BLOGGER MEET – Lessons Learnt

BLOGGING TIPS – How to Blog

By

VIKRAM KARVE

How many Facebook friends do you have?

100? 200? Maybe even more.

Tell me, how many of these Facebook Friends have you actually met physically, in flesh and blood?

10? 20?

And of the remaining, how many do you think have honestly and truthfully disclosed their true identities and real photographs on Facebook? How many of your Facebook friends have given their full personal and contact details in a transparent manner?

In real life, you will meticulously scrutinize persons before making them your friends. But do you do so on the social networking sites in cyberspace? Tell me, how can you even think of befriending persons who do not want to disclose their real life identities to you? How can you be certain that they are not impersonators projecting a fake persona to trick you and everyone else?

It is the same with Blogging.

For reasons best known to them, many Bloggers hide behind masks of anonymity. They blog under fictitious identities using fancy nom de plumes or “handles”.  Their blogs have chic and swanky titles which bear no correlation to the content of their blogs. Some use names of great literary persons and works from history as pseudonyms (handles) and others use catchy monikers which bear no resemblance whatsoever to their actual personalities.

There are many Bloggers in Pune. Though we bloggers read each others blogs very few have actually met and interacted in the real world. In May 2012, a few Techie Bloggers (under the leadership of a certain “Captain Awesome”) took the initiative of organising a Pune Bloggers Meet on the 5^th of May. The organisers gave wide publicity on Indiblogger and other social networking platforms and did a splendid job of choosing a good venue and a delicious menu.

The aim of the bloggers meet was “to give a face to a blog”. A large number of bloggers registered, but surprisingly most did not turn up despite confirming (The attendance was just one-third of what was expected). The reason was quite obvious – these bloggers were reluctant to give a “face” to their blogs and wanted to blog in anonymity. They did not want to come out of their closets and wanted to continue hiding behind the masks of their “handles”.

That is why one of the points discussed was:

What was the need to blog “anonymously?” Why hide behind a “handle” ?

Most of those present wondered why some bloggers are shy of giving their full details on their blogs? Are they ashamed of what they are writing on their blogs or is their some other reason?

Some reasons were put forth justifying “anonymous” blogging, but they were far from convincing.

The first meet was indeed a successful meet for the bloggers who participated and exchanged views. There was food for thought and sumptuous food for the stomach too. I suggested starting a Facebook page for Pune Bloggers and also a website. The Facebook Page PUNE BLOG-IN is a great hit but sadly the Pune Blogger Website has yet to take off.

Most importantly, this meet gave birth to a Pune Bloggers Community which continues to grow from strength to strength, and after a few meets in Barista Coffee Shops and other places, it was decided to have a second Pune Bloggers Meet on the 7^th of July. The fate of the second meet was the same as the first – Dismal Attendance but Excellent Discussions and Delicious Food.

The post lunch discussions about SEO (Search Engine Optimization) by Arun Prabhudesai of trak.in and Blogging as Full-Time Profession by Prasant Naidu of Lighthouse Insights  were indeed very illuminating and we look forward to more such talks on Blogging Tips by veteran Pune Bloggers.

However, of the 87 Bloggers who registered only 21 turned up and the organizers and “core bloggers committee” had to bear the brunt. (Unlike metros like Mumbai and New Delhi, no one is willing to “sponsor” such Blogger Meets in a laid back city like Pune).

However, such small setbacks do not deter us and we will bash-on-regardless and have more Pune Blogger Meets. However, in future, participation in such meets will be by invitation in order to avoid fiascos like hundreds registering and very few attending. Also, this will strengthen the bonding in the dedicated Pune Blogger Community.

One good thing that has happened is that a Pune Blog-In Team has been formed which is participating in the Indian Bloggers League (IBL). And we are going great guns.

Let’s hope three things happen:

1. Pune Blog-In Team wins the IBL

2. Pune Blogger Website gets going soon. This will enable Pune Bloggers to register and interact. We can have a Pune Bloggers Directory on this website.

3. Pune Bloggers Meets Continue and the Community becomes more vibrant.

LESSONS LEARNT FROM DISCUSSIONS

During the discussions it emerged that if you really wanted to benefit from blogging there were five things you must follow:

1. Blog under your real identity. It is best to avoid using fancy “handles” and nom de plumes or try to blog “anonymously”

2. The Title of your Blog must reflect the Content of the Blog.

3. Blog Regularly – the more frequent the better

4. Avoid lengthy Blog Posts – typically, it is best to keep your blog posts under 500 words due to the limited span of attention of a reader when reading on screen vis-à-vis reading on paper

5. Ensure Good Quality of Content – yes, content is the supreme factor that will attract readers to your Blog

Dear Fellow Blogger: Do you agree? Please comment and give us your views and feedback.

VIKRAM KARVE 
Copyright © Vikram Karve 2012
Vikram Karve has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work.
© vikram karve., all rights reserved.

Did you like this blog post?
I am sure you will like the 27 short stories from my recently published anthology of Short Fiction COCKTAIL - in Cocktail there are short stories about love, romance and relationships

To order your COCKTAIL please click any of the links below:
http://www.flipkart.com/cocktail-vikram-karve-short-stories-book-8191091844?affid=nme
http://www.indiaplaza.in/cocktail-vikram-karve/books/9788191091847.htm
http://www.apkpublishers.com/books/short-stories/cocktail-by-vikram-karve.html

COCKTAIL ebook
If you prefer reading ebooks on Kindle or your ebook reader, please order Cocktail E-book by clicking the links below:
AMAZON
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005MGERZ6
SMASHWORDS
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/87925

Foodie Book:  Appetite for a Stroll
If your are a Foodie you will like my book of Food Adventures APPETITE FOR A STROLL. Do order a copy from FLIPKART:
http://www.flipkart.com/appetite-stroll-vikram-karve/8190690094-gw23f9mr2o

About Vikram Karve

A creative person with a zest for life, Vikram Karve is a retired Naval Officer turned full time writer. Educated at IIT Delhi, ITBHU Varanasi, The Lawrence School Lovedale and Bishops School Pune, Vikram has published two books: COCKTAIL a collection of fiction short stories about relationships (2011) and APPETITE FOR A STROLL a book of Foodie Adventures (2008) and is currently working on his novel and a book of vignettes and short fiction. An avid blogger, he has written a number of fiction short stories, creative non-fiction articles on a variety of topics including food, travel, philosophy, academics, technology, management, health, pet parenting, teaching stories and self help in magazines and published a large number of professional research papers in journals and edited in-house journals for many years, before the advent of blogging. Vikram has taught at a University as a Professor for almost 15 years and now teaches as a visiting faculty and devotes most of his time to creative writing. Vikram lives in Pune India with his family and muse - his pet dog Sherry with whom he takes long walks thinking creative thoughts.
Vikram Karve Academic and Creative Writing Journal: http://karvediat.blogspot.com
Professional Profile Vikram Karve: http://www.linkedin.com/in/karve
Vikram Karve Facebook Page:  https://www.facebook.com/vikramkarve
Vikram Karve Creative Writing Blog: http://vikramkarve.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm
Email: vikramkarve@sify.com   

© vikram karve., all rights reserved.

© vikram karve., all rights reserved.

  

ZAN ZAR ZAMEEN

This post has been published by me as a part of IBL; the Battle of Blogs, sponsored by WriteupCafe.com. Join us at our official website and facebook page.
www.indianbloggersleague.com
www.facebook.com/IndianBloggersLeague  

ZAN ZAR ZAMEEN

Short Fiction – A Murder Story

By

VIKRAM KARVE

Har qatl di e jar zan zar zameen

(The motive for every murder is because of woman, money or land)

“A man dies in suspicious circumstances. You arrest another man for his murder.  Then the murder-suspect dies in the lock-up. And you close the case,” Rita says.

“That’s what happened,” I say.

“Well, the higher-ups are not happy with your closure report,” she says matter-of-factly, “they feel you should have delved more deeply, investigated the case a bit more thoroughly.”

“It is an open and shut case. What is there left to investigate? And, Rita, you were there yourself when all this happened.”

“I know. But the guys who died were top officers – influential men. The powers-that-be are concerned. The boss wants me to go over the case once more with you before he approves the closure report.”

I say nothing, remain silent.

“Sir, I know I am one batch junior to you and that you have independent charge, so if you feel …”

“No. No. It’s not that…” I say hurriedly, “it’s okay. I have no problem. After all you are head of the crime branch in headquarters.”

“And I am tipped to take over from you.”

“You? You’re going to take over from me? Where am I going?”

“Don’t you know? Well, I am not supposed to tell you, but once this is all over, most likely you’re heading for a coveted foreign assignment.”

“I’m going abroad?”

“That’s what the boss told me, in strictest confidence,” Rita says, “he told me to discuss the case with you and satisfy myself and the moment I submitted my report, he would close this pending case and relieve you so that you can hand over your duties to me and fly off across the seas.”

“Thanks for the good news. Let’s get this over with fast. Tell me, how should we go about it?”

“Sir, just tell me what happened. I’ll take your word for it.”

“The murder happened on Barren Island. As the name indicates, it is indeed a  desolate uninhabited island. There’s nothing over there. Except the volcano – that’s what these guys had ostensibly come to see. There is the barren island, the volcano, the springs, the lovely beach and the site office-cum-guesthouse which we activate for such VIP visits – bloody work-cum-pleasure trips, having a good time under the pretext of work.”

“Your report says that there were only six people on Barren Island on that fateful night.”

“That’s right – you know it.  Joshi, the chief scientist who was murdered was in Room No. 1 and his deputy Sharma, the murderer, was next door in Room No. 2. You, the liaison officer, were in Room no. 3. The technocrat couple Mr. and Mrs. Krishnan were in Room No. 4. And I, the camp in-charge, was in Room No. 5 – that’s all.”

“No one else? Guest House Staff? Cooks? Security staff? Boat crew?”

“I sent them back to Port Blair and told them to come in the morning. We wanted some privacy, a cosy party all by ourselves on the beach. Besides I wanted the staff to enjoy their New Year’s Eve with their families. Come on, Rita, you know all that. You were there yourself.”

“Just checking,” she says, “and when did you all turn in?”

“Well, the Krishnan’s were the first to go to bed, immediately after midnight – they were quite drunk, both of them. And then you left, saying you were tired and wanted to get up early in the morning.”

“And then?”

“We drank for an hour or so – and I was feeling quite high, so I came back to the guest house and went to sleep – but the two scientists kept on drinking – in fact, when I asked them to come with me, I remember them saying that they wanted to lie down on the beach and drink till sunrise.”

“And next morning, Joshi’s body is found floating in the sea.”

“Yes. The body had strangulation marks around the neck.”  

“So you carry out an investigation and arrest Sharma on charges of murder.”

“I had a post mortem done in Port Blair. The time of death was around 3 AM.”

“So?”

“You were in your room, the Krishnan’s were in their room, I was in my room – only Sharma was with Joshi on the beach. Sharma had no alibi. Among all of us, Sharma was the only one without an alibi.”

“Did you ask him where he was? Did you try and interrogate him? Did you try and get a confession?”

“Sharma just kept mum like a zombie. He did not answer anything – he refused to give a statement. That’s why I …”

“That’s why you gave him Sodium Pentothal. Sir, you know you can’t do this on your own – you have to take the court’s permission.”

“A wee bit of truth serum never hurt anyone…”

“But he died.”

“I didn’t know Sharma would react this way. I thought he was a tough cookie. I’d watched him trek, swim, climb the steep slope of the volcano. You should have seen the way he was drinking and eating at the party,” I say, “and I wanted to get to the bottom of this case – I wanted to find out the motive behind the murder.”

“Motive? Your Zan Zar Zameen theory, Sir?” Rita asked with a grimace on her face.

“It was a case of Zan – a woman.”

“Zan?” Rita says, looking quite astonished.

“Yes. I got a lead. Don’t ask me how?”

“Your batch-mate, in Delhi…”

“Maybe. But that is not important. What is important is that Joshi was Sharma’s direct boss and that Sharma was having a affair with Joshi’s wife.”

“So he murdered him? But why?”

“That’s what I was trying to find out with a bit of truth serum but the bugger collapsed and died.”

“Well I don’t know about the motive but I can say with surety that Sharma did not kill Joshi.”

“Then who murdered Joshi?”

“I don’t know,” Rita says, “you said that you arrested Sharma because he was the only one without an alibi. But actually Sharma had a cast iron alibi.”

“What?”

“Let’s go through it once again,” Rita says looking into my eyes, “the Krishnan’s leave the party just after midnight, I leave shortly afterwards – I remember the exact time – I clearly remember looking at my watch and the wall clock – I reached my room at 12:30. Tell me, do you remember the exact time you left the beach and returned to your room?”

“I told you I was quite high and don’t remember exactly. We drank for an hour or so. So maybe I came back to my room at around 1 o’clock or maybe 1:30 or at the most 2.”

“You are wrong. Sharma came back at 1 o’clock, not you.”

“What?”

“I told you that Sharma had a cast iron alibi. Sharma came to my room at 1 o’clock. He was with me in my room the whole night. In bed. Making love to me. Then he went to his room at 5 in the morning, just as the sun was rising, before everyone got up, and the boat ferrying the staff came at 6 o’clock, and they discovered Joshi’s dead body floating in the sea, ” Rita says.

Then she looks at me and asks me, “do you understand what I am saying?”

“You are implying that I murdered Joshi,” I say, my heartbeat rising.

Rita does not say anything, but she looks at me with a strange expression, a look of scorn combined with pity.

I look at Rita and say, “But tell me, why should I murder Joshi, what is my motive?”

“Well, I don’t know,” she says, “but now the onus is on you to prove your innocence.”

VIKRAM KARVE

Copyright © Vikram Karve 2012

Vikram Karve has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work. 

© vikram karve., all rights reserved.

Did you like this story?

I am sure you will like the 27 short stories from my recently published anthology of Short Fiction COCKTAIL
To order your COCKTAIL please click any of the links below:
http://www.flipkart.com/cocktail-vikram-karve-short-stories-book-8191091844?affid=nme
http://www.indiaplaza.in/cocktail-vikram-karve/books/9788191091847.htm
http://www.apkpublishers.com/books/short-stories/cocktail-by-vikram-karve.html

COCKTAIL ebook

If you prefer reading ebooks on Kindle or your ebook reader, please order Cocktail E-book by clicking the links below:
AMAZON
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005MGERZ6
SMASHWORDS
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/87925

Foodie Book:  Appetite for a Stroll
If your are a Foodie you will like my book of Food Adventures APPETITE FOR A STROLL. Do order a copy from FLIPKART:
http://www.flipkart.com/appetite-stroll-vikram-karve/8190690094-gw23f9mr2o

About Vikram Karve

A creative person with a zest for life, Vikram Karve is a retired Naval Officer turned full time writer. Educated at IIT Delhi, ITBHU Varanasi, The Lawrence School Lovedale and Bishops School Pune, Vikram has published two books: COCKTAIL a collection of fiction short stories about relationships (2011) and APPETITE FOR A STROLL a book of Foodie Adventures (2008) and is currently working on his novel and a book of vignettes and short fiction. An avid blogger, he has written a number of fiction short stories, creative non-fiction articles on a variety of topics including food, travel, philosophy, academics, technology, management, health, pet parenting, teaching stories and self help in magazines and published a large number of professional research papers in journals and edited in-house journals for many years, before the advent of blogging. Vikram has taught at a University as a Professor for almost 15 years and now teaches as a visiting faculty and devotes most of his time to creative writing. Vikram lives in Pune India with his family and muse - his pet dog Sherry with whom he takes long walks thinking creative thoughts.

Vikram Karve Academic and Creative Writing Journal: http://karvediat.blogspot.com
Professional Profile Vikram Karve: http://www.linkedin.com/in/karve
Vikram Karve Facebook Page:  https://www.facebook.com/vikramkarve
Vikram Karve Creative Writing Blog: http://vikramkarve.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm
Email: vikramkarve@sify.com      

© vikram karve., all rights reserved.

This post has been published by me as a part of IBL; the Battle of Blogs, sponsored by WriteupCafe.com. Join us at our official website and facebook page.
www.indianbloggersleague.com
www.facebook.com/IndianBloggersLeague