I just had to write to about this article, seeing as they not only mentioned both my blogs (Dancing with Dogs and Real Women Online), but actually linked to one of them.
Weblogs: a library of live autobiographies
Overall, I found this pretty interesting if not a little on the more opinion than facts side. Take the author's assertion that -
Almost all Indians are anti war, they feel the Iraqi invasion was illegal and they lament the war casualties on both the sides. But when it comes to national interests, there are quite a few bold voices ranting against ‘secular morons’ and advocating racist views.
Off the top of my head, I can come up with me, Ravi, Kingsley, JK, Ashwini (she is on the fence, but if forced, would have chosen the pro-war side), Suman Palit, Niraj and a bunch more people who were pro-war. How does that make almost all Indian voices anti-war? Maybe she is talking about almost all the blogs she visits? I noticed that even though "Dancing with Dogs" is mentioned, it is not linked, while others mentioned in the same sentence are.
Then there is the issue of us calling some people "secular" morons and espousing racist views - I suppose she meant "pseudo-secular" morons who are secular about all religions and haters when it comes to Hinduism. Racist views? I am at a loss here - someone help me how pleas for the Indian Government to be tough on terrorism amounts to racism. I am again assuming that is what the author is talking about, since she doesn't exactly elaborate.
There is a lot more stuff with no naming of names and vague descriptions of events that could fit anyone and anything, given the right slant. Check it out for sure.
Posted by shanti at May 27, 2003 3:26 PMTrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.realwomenonline.com/scgi-bin/mt-tb.cgi/2458
Found the article badly researched and poorly written. Another generalization was about women writing about only personal issues. If he/she has ever visited your blog he/she would know there is atleast one woman who does not write about personal issues. The term racist is used very loosely in the article. I think we have to tell her/him what we feel about this.
Posted by: Ashwini at May 27, 2003 4:43 PM
It was funny though Ashwini, because she obviously knows my blog well enough to use the name and she also linked to “Real Women Online”, where there is absolutely nothing personal written. It is also funny that she links to RWO saying women won’t write about “sex” and our featured story for the week is about sex, sexism and blogging ;)
I don’t know if the writer is just plain ignorant or is deliberately ignoring the facts that don’t fit with what he has in mind for her article.
Posted by: Shanti at May 27, 2003 4:51 PM
Shanti, the email-id of the author of that article indicates that she is just a student at IIJNM (Indian Institue of Journalism and New Media). So, I guess being a student, her inexperience at researching a subject before writing about it, shows!
Posted by: Sameer at May 28, 2003 12:17 AM
Well, whether Indians blog about sex or not, they are excel in just doin it! Check this out …
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com:80/cms.dll/html/uncomp/articleshow?msid=47390551
L.
Posted by: L. at May 28, 2003 3:32 AM
Interesting, Sameer.
Really interesting, L :)
Posted by: Shanti at May 28, 2003 6:06 AM
the poor girl has NO CLUE … was at my ascerbic best in my feedback. Methinks she’s the one “verging on existential nothingness” if she’s not careful.
keep blogging Shanti …
Posted by: Dina at May 28, 2003 6:59 AM
Who says you need great research skills to be a reporter? :mad:
Posted by: Da Goddess at May 30, 2003 3:17 AM
Definitely not the NYT :tongue3:
Posted by: Shanti at May 30, 2003 6:31 AM
Nice articles in a few pages. Please post more, I will visit this site again soon.
Posted by: zip codes at September 6, 2003 3:12 AM
Thanks zip codes - will keep doing so :)
Posted by: Shanti at September 6, 2003 8:32 AM