By Gasper Crasto - May 26, 2009
Blogs, short for web logs, started out mostly as personal web journals. However, thanks to sites like Google, which allows people to easily create blogs in a matter of minutes, these simple internet outposts are rapidly expanding and evolving.
I've noticed that many people have their own blogs nowadays. If they don't, they read other people's blogs and post their comments on them, or forward the links to friends.
There are no longer any limits to what people will post on their blogs. You have people posting pictures, naming and describing them. You have people posting their favorite movies or songs (Really? Who cares?). Some people obviously take it too far and post inappropriate information and visuals.
Some blogs serve a purpose in that they inform people of upcoming events, breaking news or just plain information about many things like drama, culture, language, etc. Certain blogs are politically or economically oriented and give a forum for open debate on vital social topics. These types of blogs are great because they benefit humanity in one way or another.
One of the most significant blogs among Goans is on the Tiatr Academy. The material is taken from several Goan writers/reporters. Another one is Eddie's blog - one of the best on Konkani songs, mandos, etc.
However, there are a large number of blogs out there that don't actually serve a purpose. They are like ‘diaries in disguise'. While some are ‘active' with regular updates others can be termed as ‘pooped' archives.
Some people who blog have a false sense of grandeur. They actually believe that their words, beliefs, likes and dislikes are important to the rest of the world. These bloggers are under the impression that when they post about their diarrhea or the fact that they are allergic to tomatoes, they are being interesting and helpful. These people feel the need to inform the world of their upcoming life events, things that even their own dear ones don't want to hear about.
Why is it so important to know about a blogger who likes to eat while in the shower? Psychologically speaking, there must be a reason for the need to feel important in stranger's eyes...? The internet is a tool that has simplified our lives, we should not use it to publicize how we like to cook our sausages!
Usually, reading someone else's diary is a very interestingly sneaky thing to do. However, when it is posted for the world to see, the deceitful appeal is stripped away. If I am reading someone's secrets and everyone has access to them, then they can no longer be classified as secrets...
In my research I have identified some of the best Goan blogs. (You may add to the list and have your own rating). Of course, most of these blogs are mind-numbingly dull but you need to dig deep to find the gems among them:
The Best Goan Blogs | Category | Rating |
Personal | * | |
Konkani Songs | **** | |
Personal | ||
Personal | * | |
Drama | ** | |
Articles/Poems | * | |
Humor Articles | *** | |
Personal | ** | |
Konkani Songs | ***** | |
Various Issues | *** | |
Blog links | ** | |
Articles | *** | |
http://gaspersworld.blogspot.com | Short stories/articles | ????? |
Goa Books / Links | ** | |
Editorials | ** | |
Special News/Articles | ***** | |
Public Forum | **** | |
Goan Events | ** | |
Goan Musicians | *** | |
Goan Politicians | ** | |
Culture | ** | |
News & archives | *** | |
Magazine | * | |
Culture | * | |
Personal | ** | |
Magazine | * | |
Org. Archives | ** | |
Magazine | * | |
Personal | * | |
Personal | * | |
Konkani Songs | *** | |
Konkani Films | ** | |
Konkani Songs | *** | |
Konkani Poems | ** | |
New Poems | ** | |
Konkani Books | ** | |
Drama | *** | |
Drama | ** | |
Question-Answers | ** | |
Language | * | |
Org. Archives | ** | |
Personal | * | |
Org. Archives | * | |
Places | * | |
Org. Archives | * | |
Film | ** | |
Media | **** | |
Personal | ** | |
Personal | **** | |
Articles | ** | |
Personal | * | |
Articles | ** | |
Drama | ***** | |
Drama | *** | |
Letters | ** | |
Articles | ** | |
Org. Archives | ** | |
Articles | ** | |
Stories/Poems/Articles | **** |
To add another blog to the List - email: gaspercrasto@hotmail.com
:::COMMENTS:::
From: Tony Fernandes [mailto: tonferns@hotmail.com ]
Sent: Fri 5/29/2009 6:44 PM
To: gulf-goans
Subject: RE: [Gulf Goans] The Best Goan Blogs on the web
Dear Gasper,
Thank you for conducting the survey of Goan Blogs on the web. It must have been an enormous and time-consuming task.
It has been a privilege and an honour for me to have been included and listed among the best, and also to have been rated with 4 stars. This will certainly provide me with encouragement.
I will continue in my endeavour in keeping the identity of my blog topics pertaining to all things Goan: its people, culture and traditions, keeping criticism subtle and appreciation higher.
I've noticed that you been very modest in not rating yourself! I am taking the liberty of voting and awarding you with 5 stars for your social work towards the community, 5 stars for your blog, 5 stars for your web-site, 5 stars for the sports coverage and 5 stars for the blog survey.
With thanks, appreciation and best regards.
Tony Fernandes
Author: GOA - Memories of My Homeland
(Poems, Stories, Illustrations & Photographs)
www.tonferns.blogspot.com
e-mail: tonferns@hotmail.com
Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
http://goangenerationnext.blogspot.com/
Link sent by Savia D'Costa d_savia@hotmail.com
Date: Thu, 28 May 2009 00:55:22 +0530
Subject: Couple of more blogs
From: fn@goa-india.org
To: gaspercrasto@hotmail.com
Gasper, thanks for your interesting listing of Goa blogs. A task long overdue!
A couple more, I could suggest:
http://arengoa.blogspot.com/
http://aquinobraganca.wordpress.com/
Frederick Noronha
FN * http://fredericknoronha.wordpress.com/ http://twitter.com/fn
M +91-9822122436 P +91-832-2409490
http://fredericknoronha.multiply.com/ http://goa1556.goa-india.org/
Dear Friends,
To inform you of my blog http://alexfernandesphotography.blogspot.com/ which I have been maintaining for sometime now. I have recently posted a few thoughts in an essay called 'Tiatriste and Jungian Archetypes'. Feed back is welcome as always.
Alex Fernandes
(Caranzalem,Goa)
alexfernandesportraits@gmail.com
Date: Tue, 14 Jul 2009
Subject: here are some more blogs
http://www.mandgoa.blogspot.com/ - activism
http://www.amkanakasez.blogspot.com/ - SEZ watch
http://www.ganv-ghor.blogspot.com/ -village activism
http://www.unlearningunlimited.blogspot.com/ - HRD training
http://www.mondaymuse.blogspot.com/ - motivational
http://www.poems-pravinsabnis.blogspot.com/ - poetry
http://www.trek2goa.blogspot.com/ - trekking
--
Pravin K. Sabnis
pravinsabnis@gmail.com
Date: Fri, 30 Apr 2010 15:25:45 -0700
From: joeboy4545@yahoo.com
Subject: Hi
To: gaspercrasto@hotmail.com
hi Gasper,
I have two blogs to add to the list if possible
http://proudtobeagoan.blogspot.com/
http://californiangoans.blogspot.com/
Both the blogs are dedicated to Goans.
Thanks,
Joseph Lourenco.
USA