Despite Uncertainty, Blogs Positively Gain Momentum by Malvika Tripathi

In about 20 years, Internet has grown from its infancy stage of surfing for information to a highly complex interdependent grid comprising of social media interacting with advertising and marketing models, along with superfluous information emanating from independent sites, bloggers or news websites. In essence, Internet has emerged multifaceted and the sheer multiplicity in content is what characterizes it today. The demographics comprise of Facebook and Twitter (social websites) and blogs which aggregates into one central feature-spontaneity. Earlier considered a means of data, it is now a platform for testing new technologies, business models and as experimental grounds for advertisers.

Web Logs, or blogs, are the most successful and contemporary form of expression on the web in recent times. Coming from a grey area in journalism, every blog has a theme and unique point. Bloggers do not always write with a time frame in mind they’re entirely on the discretion of the blogger whether it is serious like Huffington Post or an excuse to vent like a personal diary. A blog is intangible property with respect to its writer. They are fully responsible if anything controversial is put up. Plus its effect is instantaneous and high on interactivity with sometimes torrential comments within minutes. “Freedom of press is guaranteed only to those who own one”. Although, this would not hold true for conventional media giants but blogging sites have redefined press in a broader sense. It acts as an autonomous network for collective conversation in the modern day public sphere. But now multinationals, newspapers, magazines and even celebrities keep blogs either as a public relations necessity or gaining an upper hand in the blogosphere.

Numbers may argue that the blogging scene has diminished in its present status, the advent of networking sites have ousted blogging more into ‘irrelevance’ than ever before.  So given that the world hasn’t figured what exactly blogs are, let us assume that they are provisional (since mostly they require great deal of maintenance and instant analysis) and offbeat in style of expression. Blogs have still maintained an upward course, in gathering netizens at about 175,000 – 225,000 every day. Blogging is quite young as about 120 million blogs exist. Interestingly, a whopping 50 percent of internet traffic visits these 120 million blogs. The potential of this dynamic medium is often grossly miscalculated if not ignored. It can possibly hold be the most effective advertising online. As blogs cater to niche viewers, understanding consumption pattern and target groups is viable intercepting the portion of readers. 47 percent of online consumers now read blogs for advice. The blog networks that have survived the economic downturn in advertising and the explosion of competing content on the web credit coverage of narrow topics, along with business models that reach beyond advertising. Meanwhile (according to NY times), advertising revenue for magazines dropped 21 percent, and the number of ad pages sold dropped 28 percent. Blogs have also started to get recognised by Media Firms such as Washington Post (for the last 6 years) and recently Associated Press as a credible news source. Mainstream media has rebroadcasted and reported on factual information from blogs especially in time of conflict like during the Iran election protests or Myanmar military repression.

Another unprecedented phenomenon is complete liberty to bloggers over the advertisements that get placed, like in Google ads. Especially, where ownership is concerned, they are responsible for what goes up on their site and how well it will resonate with the readers. In terms of traditional media, it is path breaking because advertisers cannot directly influence content this way round. Such advertising models are light years ahead of print media. Newspapers have realised the prospective of blogs and blog advertising and are making the most of it.

Blogs are foreseen as a substantial part of the web. Innovators searching for inspiration for the next big thing will find it understanding how software programming and optimization of content can do.

Germany: EU's Reluctant Pilot? by Malvika Tripathi

Europe faces testing times since the creation of European Union back in 1950s, amidst protests against austerity measures primarily in Southern Europe. As Germany’s Vice Chancellor Angela Merkel declared, “Europe is at crossroads again. If the Euro fails, Europe fails." Economists believe financial stability and more crises are inevitable, courtesy -irresponsible economic policies, a shrinking and rapidly aging population. The Greek crisis exemplifies this volatility since several other economies mainly Portugal, Spain and Ireland deal with the worst unemployment rates and poor banking. A bailout package did help out Greece and Germany (out of responsibility as Europe’s largest economy growing annualized rate close at 9 percent, as per eurostat, since reunification two decades ago) was the largest contributor at an unprecedented 22.2 billion Euros out of the 900 billion Euros aid scheme.

The Euro currency has had its fault in rigidity because of the central problem that EU didn't create the right institutional machinery when it created a unified currency. Once states give up their own currencies, they cannot deal with financial or fiscal crises by devaluation by debt ridden countries dreading years of deflation and stagnancy ahead. As Greece's credit worsened, Merkel nonetheless fueled the perception that she would rather kick indebted countries out of the currency zone than offer hard-earned German money to spendthrift southern Europeans.

For their part, the Germans have made it clear that they are tired of supporting their dubious partners. Even though, demand for exports would rise as euro weakens, France and Germany are torn between protectionism and idealism-whether to protect their own industries and workers or save Europe as a whole. Euroskeptics believe that the effort to salvage Greece was more for justifying Germany’s vision of a collective Union than its actual willingness.

At having to bail out the rest of the EU combined with frustration at being the single biggest contributor to the EU project while at the same time having the smallest amount of influence (in proportion to both economic might) stoked resentment from German taxpayers. Germany has invested more in the EU than any other member state, yet has had comparatively little say in how the project has evolved.

Germany most trusted to lead the European Union out of its turmoil even as economic nationalism has appealed more to the general public. The Greeks, on the other hand, have not gone down well with the help received, so much so comparing the crisis to the Nazi invasion of Greece. It is hard to see how the EU could make progress on market liberalization or deal with a financial crisis with a reluctant and inward-looking Germany leading way.

Begampur by Malvika Tripathi

The ruins of Begampur are little known to Delhi-wallahs. The degree of indifference displayed by officials in preserving the 700 year old complex makes it easy to forget that it was the foothold for Mohammed bin Tughlak to rule an empire. Spread across some 90,000 square feet, Vijay Mandal, Begampur and Hazar Ustan (thousand-pillared palaces) are one of the earliest specimens of Islamic architecture in India. The style is distinctive from the conventional Islamic style with colossal, domed halls supported by megalith arches and courtyards and passages with minimal decoration. With a plain mousse-shade and sparse ornaments on walls, one would be overwhelmed by its simplicity. Further down, the Begampuri mosque of 64 domes tarred with time and Vijay Mandal’s tower with sloping walls is perhaps better known among historians as it was the social centre of the capital.

I have hardly ever tried to familiarize myself with the surrounding localities of my colony, always feeling it was deign to tread in the cluster of Kalu Sarai, Begampur and Khirki village. One day on my way back from college the auto rickshaw broke down at Siri Fort crossing. Frustrated, I walked till Sarvapriya Vihar and trudged down a meandering lane in Begampur that I was confident would get me home. With only sufficient direction sense to get me slightly close to my destination, I wandered for about 20 minutes. Turning a corner, I was amazed by the abruptness of a view that emerged. Lying on a raised plain, the jutting ruins of mammoth proportion looked out of place in the village setting of an urban city. At about 150 meters from the ground, the octagonal structure of Vijay Mandal is impressive to say the least. The vegetation around the Begampur ruins adds to the old world charm. I did not enter the complex but they say that amongst the modern sprawl one can see the silhouette of Qutub Minar, walls of Siri Fort and the distant buildings of Nehru Place. I walked further down and could recognize the walls of the fort rather, the thousand pillared palace. Climbing several steps I first noticed the massive arches around which children played, their screams reverberating inside what was once a courtyard of the ruling king of India. Goats grazed on the grass growing from between paving stones. Despite the decay, the pavilion still retained a profound and venerable expansiveness.

That day I felt the neglect those set of buildings have faced from people (including me) sometime in the flurry of our day-to-day lives. Hardly ever has there been an effort to preserve the complex .They define a whole era of Islamic rule in our country. A substantial part of Delhi’s legacy has been forgotten, along with this monument.