Have you blogged today?

My first encounter with the concept of blog was around three years back. It was completely a new concept back then. Trendy guys were talking about blogs, bloggers, how bloggers do real time reporting of storms, floods and such calamities, how blogs are the only source of correct death counts and exact reports on calamities and how they can save the world etc. Quite interesting concept I thought.

Out of enthusiasm I decided to try this thing out. What should I write? That was the BIG question because before that point I had not written anything other than my exam papers! (…long back in school I used take notes sometimes though :P). This problem was solved by converting the blog to a closed group (like yahoo). During the same time my graduation friends were planning to start such a group to stay in touch. It was not difficult to convince them who were as enthusiastic to try out this blog thing.

All right then! Just 3 easy steps -
1st step: be a blogger -> registered on blogger
2nd step: get a blog -> created a blog
3rd step: save the world -> started blogging with my fellow saviors :)

After few months of discrete blogging I got the idea of what blog/blogging is all about. You write and publish what you know/think/feel - no restrictions, no publishing cost. Excitement about blogs was over. At that point I came across a good blog - Emergic, discussed articles published here with friends, followed this blog for a few months. I realized I was silently gaining knowledge. In a very unusual way! At a very slow pace but the way was interesting for sure.

One day I was pondering about what is so great about blogging? Its just another tool - you write something and people will read it, comment on it. What is the power that this tool withholds? On 24th Jan this year I got the answer. It's the participation that makes blogging so great. Without participation its just another tool!

On 24th Jan There was a workshop in SCIT on blogging for learning professionals conducted by Parag Shah and Ajay Sanghani. During which I got first-hand info on blogging as a medium for learning, Learning whatever you wish to - from programming languages and management concepts to random thoughts on life. The workshop unleashed the immense potential of blog/blogging for students and professionals.

Few advantages that I see are of blogging are -

1. Learning experience which we could otherwise get from a live work environment - blogs are written based on experience and first-hand knowledge providing practical inputs. The discussion that follows the post makes us aware of even more real life issues and solutions. I would like to sight example's of Siemens company's Share-Net and Mahindra & Mahindra company's knowledge management system that facilitates knowledge sharing by participation from all classes of employees.

2. Participating nature of blogs helps in supporting/strengthening weaker elements in the community and encourages the stronger elements to excel as they support the weaker elements - for example, I am very good in programming on .net platform and I write a blog post on how to send email using .net framework. Those who are not aware of this solution will get benefited. Readers may ask me some related queries and the solution provided by any of the participants will again help everyone.

3. Podcasts/Blogrooms and not classrooms - Online learning using podcasts is gaining so much popularity that very soon we can see the concept of virtual classrooms materialized. Instead of attending a lecture in the classroom students can view the articles/watch podcasts posted on the blog and participate in the discussion by posting comments. This way students and teachers are not required to be present at the same place for learning to happen. My experience of such 'podcast' was in Parag sir's java class where he conducted a lecture early in the morning from remote location over the phone and internet.

4. Project your skills - it's not possible for anyone to project what he/she is very good at in half an hour of interview. Writing blog will help us project ourselves in the way we wish to and at the same time its easy to self-evaluate and improve our skills in desired area. In my case I think it's definitely easy for me to project my .net skills on the blog than in some interview. I can publish, justify and discuss my solutions with experts in .net and might get appreciation for my work as well. Which definitely will speak more than a structured resume.

5. Gaining knowledge from the explosion of information/blog feeds - its information everywhere! how will I find exactly what I need - google? Wikipidia? Well, if I have to submit some assignment in few hours and I have not read anything in the whole term may be yes! That’s what I am looking for. But if my purpose is to gain knowledge and not just grades then I have blogs dedicated to what I wish to learn. I could subscribe to them and I will get what interests me, automatically as soon as it is published! Blogs are to be looked at as a medium for continues learning and not as an urgent help on troubleshooting some issue.

Other advantages of blogging could include, improving writing skills, thought process and building reputation in online community. I agree with Jaydeep's point that writing surely makes room in your mind for new thoughts and concepts!

From a guy who was just curious about blogs/blogging, today, I have realized the enormous advantages that blogging offers, I see people benefiting from reading/writing blogs and I have began to leverage them as well. Have you?