“Game changing innovations are few and far between. They are usually simple concepts to describe but when they arrive it takes time to fully realize their importance and impact. Television was a game-changer, mobile phones were a game-changer, and blogging is also one.”

___Collis Ta’eed

Not so long ago what emerged as a compendious log of interesting Web links called Robot Wisdom WebLog has now been evolved into a versatile blogosphere, which has ubiquitously revolutionized the trends of communication and conveying information worldwide. The ever-evolving phenomenon of blogging and its ever-expanding dimensions have rendered a new shape to the online media geometry over the years making it a quintessential part of different spheres of life. In today’s times, blogging is not just about having an online journal or an online presence but it is much more than that. Besides being a personal pulpit, a blog could be interpreted as a political soapbox, an advertising tool, a means for social and cultural exchange, and above all, the cornerstone of the citizen journalism and the emerging people’s wire (i.e. twitter).

While a plethora of people have turned to blogging in the European and the American states, the trend of blogging in South Asian countries have perked up and become perceivable only in the recent years. The need for self-expression and the need to create social connections primarily drive the bloggers in the South Asian quarters including Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Pakistan. Amongst these, the Indian and the Pakistani blogosphere seem to stand above the rest. The permeation of blogs in these regions not only brought an online revolution but it also stirred up the opinionated discussions amidst the crowd on various fronts.

Speaking of the Indian blogosphere, it is estimated to have around 2 million active blogs ranging from youth’s tittle-tattle and techie’s tips to blogs of social, political, and philosophical frames. According to a survey, around 14% of the Indian cybercitizens are found to be blogging while 39% of them have an understanding of the concepts of the social phenomenon. Besides the internet geeks and the commoners, a number of celebrities have turned to blogging so as to promote their interactivity with the followers. Several bigwigs in the Indian entertainment industry including Amitabh Bachan (http://bigb.bigadda.com/), Manoj Bajpayee (http://manojbajpayee-en.itzmyblog.com/) and Shekhar Kapur (http://www.shekharkapur.com/blog/) use blogs as their personal pulpits to reach out to the masses.

In addition to the entertainment icons, the Indian bloggerville is also inhabited by a number of citizen journalists. Although, blogs as journalistic platforms have gained more popularity in the US, it is in its embryonic stages in India. One of the leading English dailies of Pune, the “Pune Mirror,” features a dedicated space for blogs called “The Bloggers’ Park.”

Blogging is not just another mere pastime for the Indian bloggers. There are many who have explored the underlying potential of the blogs and are gaining through it. The Indian bloggers are awarded accolades every year under the name “Indibloggies,” which serve as an emblem of recognition for their efforts. Besides, virtual and off-line blogging conferences are being held each year to reflect on the prevailing state of the blogosphere.

Blogging in Pakistan has also come a long way; however, a lot needs to be learnt and practiced for the blogs to thrive and stay. The Pakistani bloggers or “blaagers” (as they proudly call it) are slowly and steadily getting better at harnessing the power of blogs for individual and collective gains.

While the Pakistani bloggers have been considered as somewhat self-centered by many, a notable shift can be seen in the recent years. The Pakistani blogs have transitioned into collaborative spaces addressing several socialistic, nationalistic and political issues in addition to the technological rants. Some of the popular blogs of the Pakistani blogosphere can be perused at the Bloggers Pakistan website (http://www.bloggers.pk/). The Pakistani blogosphere has not only drawn the attention of the netizens worldwide but the local mass media including TV, radio and newspapers have also started giving coverage to the brilliant blaagers of today’s times. Even the leading English daily of Pakistan, the Dawn, has placed a blog on its website, which has gained a massive readership over a short span of time.

A number of celebrities in the music industry such as Ali Zafar, Shehzad Roy, and Najam Sheraz also blog from time to time, however, the celebrity blogs haven’t made it to the limelight because of the irregularity of blog posts and the lack of proper spotlight.

Corporate blogging, a relatively new trend in the blog revolution, is found to be in nascent stages in Pakistan. Corporate blogging not only helps the businesses in publicizing their services to a larger audience but it also bridges the nexus between the corporate executives and the customers. The Central Depository Company of Pakistan (CDC) blog (http://www.cdcpakistan.com/Blogs/default.aspx) is one of the examples of the corporate blogs in Pakistan. Moreover, the Finance Ministry of Pakistan has also launched an official blog (http://www.finance.gov.pk/finance_blog/index.php), which is, indeed a progressive step in the Pakistani blogging world.

Even though the dynamic culture of blogging has been embraced by millions of cybercitizens over the years, there had been crucial times when the blogging sites were blocked by the authorities of the respective countries and the freedom of speech had been affected. The most popular blogging sites in India had experienced a ban in the year 2006 after the train bombing attacks in Mumbai while the Pakistani blogosphere had a similar encounter in the same year. Another interesting case that emerged on the Indian blogging scene was that of the Chautanya Kunte and Barkha Dutt of NDTV where Kunte had to opt for an apology after criticizing the reporter’s work.

Like two sides of a coin, the blogging phenomenon also has its own pros and cons. While, on one hand, blogging can promote a positive image of an individual, company or a society; on the other hand, it can be a lot destructive as it can easily defame and damage an individual’s or an organization’s reputation in minutes as seen in the Kunte’s and Barkha Dutt’s scenario. There has also been a growing concern if blogs could be used by the anti-social elements in the promotion of their malicious activities. Credibility of blogs is another issue when it comes to the demerits of blogging. No matter how authentic information is being posted, there will be a lot of people who won’t take it as a credible source of information because of the lack of the gatekeeper’s concept.

The trend of blogging in the South Asian regions, particularly in the Indian and the Pakistani blogospheres, is progressing at a fast pace, however; a marked development in the field of blogging can only be brought about by the increased penetration of the Internet, which in turn, depends on the improvement in the literacy rates and the availability of technology in the areas. Blogging and the Internet access go hand in hand. The more the rate of Internet literacy, more will be the bloggers and eventually a time will come when a man will be known by the blog he keeps and how well he keeps it.

The article was published in a magazine called SouthAsia (September 2009 Edition).