{"id":1,"name":"Administrator","url":"","description":"Beginning to blog after thirty two years of journalism\r\n\r\nI want to begin my first post on this weblog  with greetings for the new year  in my mother tongue \u2013 Thamizh.\r\n\r\n\"Vanakkam! Puthaandu Vaalthukkal!!\r\n\r\nLet's hope  the  advent of 2009 will see  a bright future  emerge for us all.\r\n\r\nAs for me the dawning of the new year heralds an exciting new venture.\r\n\r\nAfter considerable thought I have  launched my own blog  under my own name.\r\n\r\nMy by-line will be the  name of the blog with of course the mandatory \"dot.com\"\r\n\r\nSo friends , you have to click on  www.dbsjeyaraj.com\r\n\r\nHopefully the new year will see me blogging away as much as possible.\r\n\r\nA friend somewhat unfamiliar with the word asked me \"What is a blog\"?\r\n\r\nWell , this word is derived from  \"weblog\" which itself is a conflation  of  two words \"web\" and \"log\".\r\n\r\nA weblog is a kind of an internet log book. It's a collection of writing posted publicly on the world wide web . Gradually weblog  got popularised and shortened  as blog.\r\n\r\nPersons posting blogs are bloggers and the art of doing so is blogging.\r\n\r\nMy writing has been appearing on the web for many years now. I've also been associated with some websites like www.tamilweek.com, www.transcurrents.com and www.federalidea.com for the past few years.\r\n\r\nIn that sense I do have been on line for quite a while. Yet, there's a reason for this blog.\r\n\r\nUpon reflection I find that most of  the stuff  posted on these websites were actually not intended for the web. Most if not all were written for   newspapers, newsmagazines  and journals.\r\n\r\nThese articles and news stories were posted concurrently on  the websites. So these were not really \"blogs\" meant for the web but actually re-productions from  the  print media.\r\n\r\nNow I want to  write  specifically for the web instead of posting print media articles.\r\n\r\n2006_09_24 (Blogged)\r\n\r\n[A news stand in Minuwangoda, pic by: Dennis S. Hurd, New Westminster, BC, Canada]\r\n\r\nBlogging requires a different approach in writing.\r\n\r\nMany of those who read me on line are under the impression that I am writing exclusively for those websites. That's not correct.\r\n\r\nExcept for a few pieces most of those articles were  for publication and not posting.\r\n\r\nI will of course continue to write for the print media. The DBS Jeyaraj column for example  will continue  to appear on Saturdays in the \"Daily Mirror\" of Colombo.\r\n\r\nThe fact that newspapers in Sri Lanka are publishing what I write on Sri Lankan affairs from Canada is indeed gratifying and self \u2013 satisfying.\r\n\r\nReceiving  mail from readers in all parts of the world is a happy but humbling experience.\r\n\r\nWhat  I  intend doing now is to branch out a bit and    write specifically for the web  on my own blog.\r\n\r\nApril 2009  would mark the 32nd year of my entry into mainstream journalism. It was on April 9th 1977 that I joined the Colombo Tamil daily \"Virakesari\".\r\n\r\nDespite many up's and down's  and facing many difficulties I've managed to stay on course.\r\n\r\nI've been detained at the notorious fourth floor  by the CID in Colombo over my interviewing former LTTE deputy \u2013 leader \"Mahattaya\".\r\n\r\nI've been produced in courts by the Police in Colombo and barred from leaving Sri Lanka for my alleged pro \u2013Tamil writing.\r\n\r\nI was fired as Colombo correspondent by the Chennai \u2013 based \"The Hindu\" for exposing the atrocities of the Indian Army in Jaffna.\r\n\r\nWhen running an independent Tamil weekly in Canada, pro \u2013 LTTE goons assaulted me in the presence of my wife and broke my head and leg.\r\n\r\nLater my paper published in Toronto had to close down  as the tigers in Toronto Intimidated newspaper vendors and advertisers.\r\n\r\nMedia rights organizations had to issue a public appeal when I was subjected to death threats  on a gigantic scale by tiger and pro \u2013 tiger elements.\r\n\r\nEven now I continue to get hate mail, anonymous telephone calls of a threatening nature . I also get vilified in sections of the media on either side of the ethnic divide.\r\n\r\nWhy I persist with writing and journalism despite many opportunities to lead a safer, comfortable lifestyle by switching professions is simply because I LOVE TO WRITE.\r\n\r\nThere is also the commitment as a Tamil of Sri Lankan origin to do what I can to help resolve the conflict  by promoting better understanding and awareness through providing accurate, reliable information.\r\n\r\nThere is also this inherent characteristic of fighting for the underdog and speaking truth to power.\r\n\r\nBut fundamentally I continue to write because I LOVE TO WRITE No force can stop me from writing as long as I am alive.\r\n\r\nAfter decades of writing for the print media I feel it's time to plunge into web journalism, using perhaps all the  advantages of the internet.\r\n\r\nWhen I started www.transcurrents.com , only my articles were posted on it. Later its scope was widened to include interesting and informative pieces written by others also.\r\n\r\nUntil very recently the postings were not regular.\r\n\r\nStill , the website has proved to be quite successful with over a million visitors and  over 1. 6 million hits or pageviews  for this year.\r\n\r\nSo I guess that this blog too would get quite a lot of hits. I do hope that happens.\r\n\r\nThis blog would be one where I post my thoughts and views on different subjects It would not focus on politics and current affairs  much.\r\n\r\nThis does not mean that I would not write on such topics. I will.\r\n\r\nBut my main focus would be on other subjects and themes.\r\n\r\nSometimes I feel that I've  short \u2013 changed myself by focusing on politics greatly. Nowadays politics  disgusts and depresses me.\r\n\r\nAs a person I have a lot of diverse interests. I'm passionate about films and some film personalities.\r\n\r\nI  also read books, magazines. Avidly!\r\n\r\nI am also  interested in   things like music, dance, drama, sports, foreign affairs,Human rights,wildlife, history, literature, nature, architecture, archaeology, travel, places of interest etc.\r\n\r\nSo my blog would  reflect these  wide \u2013 ranging interests in the days to come .\r\n\r\nPeople, places, events, ideas etc would be a recurring agenda  in the blogs.\r\n\r\nNostalgia for the past will be a dominant theme as I am rather sentimental.\r\n\r\nSo I think there would be a variety of posts as time goes by. Eclectic!\r\n\r\nThe underlying thread in all these would be my thoughts, impressions and experiences. MY TAKE on these matters\r\n\r\nThe good thing about blogging is that there are no  restrictive rules on form and content. You can write what you want and in any way you like.\r\n\r\nHowever the blogs are expected to be  comparatively short, varied and topical. Brevity, multiplicity and immediacy are the three watchwords.\r\n\r\nAnother integral part of a blogging is reader comments.There will be a comments section. But bitter experience necessitates some monitoring. That's the sad part of the blogosphere.\r\n\r\nI will welcome your comments but you do not have to post for the sake of posting or  confront me or each other.\r\n\r\nThere will be many readers who will definitely have more knowledge  about or fresh insights into the subject matter of the respective blogs.\r\n\r\nPlease share your knowledge and perspectives. Let's make it informative and interesting.\r\n\r\nThe idea is to have an amiable conversation not an indecent confrontation.\r\n\r\nI think I've said enough for now.\r\n\r\nBlogging is an evolving art. A blog is a creation information.\r\n\r\nSo let's progress together in the coming days and learn from each other.\r\n\r\nMy heartfelt gratitude to my loyal readers.\r\n\r\nI invite you all to embark on a new blogging journey  along with me.\r\n\r\nThank You\r\n\r\nWith Best Wishes\r\n\r\nDavid Buell Sabapathy Jeyaraj\r\n\r\nEmail: dbsjeyaraj@yahoo.com","link":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/?author=1","slug":"administrator","meta":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users"}]}}