Welcome to my blog

So I’ve been going back and forth on the whole blogging thing for quite some time now. This is my third attempt at keeping a blog (clearly I’m only a bit indecisive about the entire concept). I don’t deny their importance in today’s society – you’d have to be living under a rock to think blogs are just a passing phenomenon. It’s true, blogs represent the true democratization of society; anyone with access to an internet connection is now free to post their thoughts on politics, philosophy, society or, everyone’s favorite subject, themselves. But that “fifteen minutes of fame” mentality that has driven so many millions of people around the world to keep blogs is exactly what has prevented me from doing the same.

Now, if you ask any of my friends or family, they’ll be the first to tell you that I love to talk, to be the center of attention, to tell everyone what I did that day. But when it comes to taking the next step and putting it all online, that’s when I become silent. I don’t know, the idea of posting my thoughts up on the web, free for anyone to see, is a bit intimidating. (I know, because I’ve got such a loyal audience just waiting obediently to devour my next post). I mean, I love to write and do believe I’ve got some relevant things to say. But looking around at the number of people who have been burned by technology’s uncanny ability to track and record one’s every move, it’s no wonder I’ve thought twice about keeping a blog. (Think Mark Foley and his email trail, the DC Madam and her phone records, the many people who have been arrested/not hired based on their MySpace or Facebook profiles). Unlike the generations before us, people nowadays are held accountable for every single thing they say, do, or, most importantly, post. As Thomas Friedman said in The World is Flat, “Live your life honestly, because whatever you do, whatever mistakes you make, will be searchable one day.” So clearly, I’ve been a bit wary of the whole concept. What if I post something on this blog, and then twenty years later, when I’m running for president, it comes back to bite me in the butt. (Don’t laugh, that actually has been a big reason why I’ve refrained from participating in this blogging business).

Then of course, there’s the privacy aspect. How many times have we switched on the news (actually, clicked on the news is more like it) and seen the photograph of another young person who was lured by an online predator. I mean, how much information is too much information? How can you really post your thoughts without giving away some amount of personal information?

I’ve also come to realize that some of this hesitation is just cultural for me. Here in American society, it’s acceptable for people to publicly admit they suffer from depression or freely talk about a one-night stand. However, in Indian culture, it is still an unspoken rule that dirty laundry is not to be aired, as the saying goes. I’m not saying this is right; some would argue that the ability to talk about an issue is the first step to solving it. But personally, I don’t really like to discuss difficult subjects with other people. It’s taken a long time for me to feel comfortable sharing my deepest thoughts with my closest friends. I’m still shocked sometimes at some of the information I see posted on various blogs, but hey, if someone feels comfortable sharing their secrets with the world, more power to them. But don’t expect to see that kind of stuff here. Nope, over the past two years, I’ve learned a lot about the way the world works, and those lessons are what I plan on posting. So, welcome to my blog. I hope you enjoy it (Quite frankly, I’m just happy you’re reading it).