Blogger Interview # 1 - Netika Lumb

For a passerby perhaps, the blog Observations.. created by the twenty year old blogger from New Delhi, Netika Lumb may be just another personal blog,but for people like me, who have gone through this very simple, no -frills blog, a serene depth of thoughts are quite treasured. For these are not just random rants or blurting out of things, the blogs you find on Observations are enriched with clarity of thoughts. Also, I would like to say here that this blog comes out to be a very neat and clean sort of a blog, abolutely de-cluttered, de -technalized, with blogs which actually have a lot of meaning and sense of them. According to me, through these words alone, I can say that Observations stands out from the crowd.

With my deep appreciation for the author, I interviewed her with certain questions. Here are the excerpts:

1) Tell our readers a bit about yourself.

I am a regular 20 year old girl who is just like her name:principled(BTW, my name is Netika) I don't think I am any different from anyone in this world, I only see things differently.

I believe, that there is no Aam Junta and no Non-aam Junta. We all have atleast one trait that makes us little different fromt he others.It's only a matter of time,effort and will power that we showcase it/them.

2) Some words about your blog/ blogs.

My personal blog-Observations, is not about anything in particular. I try posting once a week, and the one thing that I deliberately follow is that, I don't write fiction. At times, it is about the hard realities of life and how I view them, and at others it is about some specific incident which I shed light on, so that my readers get a message; helping them become better citizens.

I also write for Jagruti, which though is not very often, but is about the issues that plague our society.

3) Your favorites :

blog: http://technicolor-collage.blogspot.com/ (Arnab)

http://thenefariousangel.blogspot.com/ (Isha Chawla)

I love their stories.. and these are 2 blogs I look forward to.

Apart from them, there are a few more, but they don’t update their blogs often, so I am not mentioning them. Though I do appreciate Jagjit’s(http://advertisingh.blogspot.com/) narration of stories a LOT

blogger: No comments

blogging platform (blogger/wordpress/etc): both have some amazing features to offer.

4) Blogging as a social medium. Your thoughts on this:

Very interesting, dynamic, expressive and slightly intelligent than the other SNS(no offence meant to the makers or members; I too am a part of the brigade ;))

5) Every blogger has his/her story, what is yours?

I started blogging in 2006, but that was not frequently updated, until 2008 when I deleted the blog and made a new one- Observations. The only thing common in the 2 blogs was/is that I still write for my own self. Readership matters, yes, but even if people stop reading my blog, I don't think it shall have any effect what-so-ever on my posts/thoughts/style. The only thing that has changed from then to now, is that ,well, there are more readers :)

6) Tell us, generally, what kind of role does aesthetics play in blogging. Does the presentation of a blog matter a lot?

Oh! Totally.. For one, I don't read blogs/blog posts that have anything obscene to offer. Though I believe that in a medium like this, it's perfectly okay to post stuff about your personal life; I still refrain from reading/commenting such posts unless I feel I have a fresh opinion to give.

Apart from that, blogs with dark templates are turn-offs..I just don't feel like reading them. Besides, I hate very crowded blogs.As in blogs with al the possible gadgets on Earth(rather, Blogger/wordpress :P)

7) Describe a positive and a negative change blogging brought into your life.

Negative: Invasion of Privacy. There are times when I write stuff merely by observing things around me and people think I am in some deep sh**. I really appreciate the concern and I am also gratified, but I don't like constant questioning. Also, I wonder what it takes to assume that I am GENUINELY writing GENERALLY. At other times, if I am actually facing the tides and I post it, I have to face lot of lectures and put op with umpteen advice of Friends.

Positive: It has given me some lovely friends. People who I could not have otherwise connected with :)

8) Something which you always wanted to do/write on your blog and never did or wish to do on a later date :

In the past; Nothing

In the present: Nothing

In the future: I'd like to write a post for the one I love. Ofcourse it's going to be full of praise(assuming he deserves it ;))

9) Blogging as a medium is often used for venting out ire, grudges, narration of love and heart breaks and sad romantic tales. comment.

I am totally okay with it. It's important for any emotion to be expressed. Now whether it's in the garb of an anonymous identity or any other manner, it doesn't matter. In a free medium, expression should never be a problem. No one's asking the other for advise/or any tangible for that matter, so I guess it's a classic case of "to each his own".

10) Lastly, some words for our readers and the blogging community please:

I know some super-intellectual people who think blogging is an arduous task. I also know some people who think blogging is an activity for VERY INTELLIGENT people. I guess all these people are wrong ;). It is only a medium where you express what you want, no inhibitions, no fears, no strings. JUST PLAIN, SIMPLE you. At the end, we should not forget that we are all social animals, and no matter how hard we try to deny, but the fact is that we love any kind of interaction and any kind of appreciation. We want to be emotionally/mentally satisfied. Blogging can provide all. Depends on what you're looking for

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So we wrap up this very straight from the heart interview. Will be back Next week with Pankhuri Aggarwal, another blogger from Delhi answering our questions.
- Tushar Mangl