Why do I blog? @20k

A day or two back, the number of page views for my blog crossed 20,000. It wasn't significant, but to cross the sensex was kind of meaningful for me (ok, go dig the loopholes in that statement). Which brings me to the question, why do I blog? (Or like a true Gemini, Why do I maintain two blogs?).

It's a lot of work. I don't make any money out of it. I get too few comments. Then why do I do it? Well, the answer has multiple parts.

Firstly, there's a desire to help people find information. I remember running from one thread to the other looking for information to make my travel plans. Here I can provide details of what I did so that it would be useful for someone like me. Details make a blog less interesting for the casual reader, but it helps those who really need it.

Secondly, there's ego. It's good to see your posts come up in search engine rankings. I have a few of my travel blogs right up there in the top 3 or top 20 Google/Yahoo listings. That's a super thrill in itself. Now it does help the rankings that I write more about less-walked paths rather than about Lady Gaga, I should add.

Thirdly, there's the techno angle. We do not know now how the content we create today will be useful in the gizmodo world of tomorrow. Someone might stumble upon my Kedar Tal pictures from 2011 in 2050 on a timeline content aggregation platform (that we don't have now) to see what he or she missed. We have old books with pictures from 70s, but trust me, they will pale in comparison to the world that awaits us.

Fourth Lee, my blog is not focused. There are parts that are semi-autobiographical in nature, there's some fiction, there are rants, and then there's travel - my first love. I could make it more focused, but then that's not me. It's an online representation of my nature.

Fifth Lee, I like comments. I rarely get them, but when I get them, I'm super thrilled. And tell you what, it's them comments from people I do not know that really pushes me to write up more. I have had strangers tell me on forums other than my blog that they liked some of my posts and used the information they provided. For me, that's victory.

And finall E, there's this existential question. What if I'm not there tomorrow, a constant thought (not fear, mind you) in my head. Add to it, I have this nihilistic self-destructive streak in me, that my true friends know of (not that I intend to act upon any of those :). This blog is proof that I lived, apart from whatever else I'm trying to do. If, after I'm gone, and let's hypothetically say 20 years later, if this blog still draws some readers, and helps them in some way, I consider that as time well spent now.

So, watch this video. I'm going on 4 trips this year, and hopefully, I will live to write about them! Thanks all!