Sunday, October 7, 2012

Fad

American Heritage Dictionary gives the following meaning for the word “fad”.

A fashion that is taken up with great enthusiasm for a brief period of time; a craze.

The blogging world also goes through some fad once in a while. It was “award” season. Every blogger was receiving an award and/or giving an award to some one else. Then came the “tagging” season. Every blogger was tagged and asked to answer so many questions. They in turn tagged some other bloggers.

Now the new fad is “contest”. Many companies feed for these contests to promote their products. Looks like several bloggers are entering these contests.

In addition, there is this online marathon of bloggers. They have a monthly theme. Looks many of the bloggers I follow are part of this marathon.

Following are a few recent contests/themes:

Del Monte Blogger Recipe
The Surf (SoakNoMore)
Melbourne
Snap a Deal
Love Marriage ya Arranged Marriage
Hair Problem
The Lakme Diva
The Untold Story

I have read at least 15 posts about how beautiful Melbourne is. About 20 posts on pros and cons of love marriage vs. arranged marriage.  About 8 to 10 posts on others. I am not complaining. No one compelled me to read them. I read them because I want to read what my blogging friends write.

Until yesterday, when I hear “Untold Story” I am always reminded of a book (by that title) written by Lt. Gen. Brij Mohan Kaul of the Indian Army. This book dealt with the Indian military’s setback against the Chinese attack in 1962.

I used to read wonderful posts on their travel, personal experience, the issues they care about, and what is happening around their surrounding. They all have taken a back seat to writing about products these companies want to advertise in the name of contest and monthly marathon themes. I know some friends do not write exclusively for contests/themes only.

After reading several posts on a given subject, now I feel how my English professors would have felt after reading so many papers on Philip Pirrip (Pip) in Great Expectations by Charles Dickens, year after year.
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27 comments:

  1. Who Posted This?October 7, 2012 at 8:55 PM

    It's a marathon not a sprint.
    That's why FAD's come and go all the time...because they get tired really quickly.

    Too bad for me that the biggest FAD right now is President Barry Obummer.
    Romney is right for the US Economy but he is bad for me.

    Regards,
    Big Bird

    Sesame Street says F-A-D = FLUNK ALL DEMOCRATS

    ReplyDelete
  2. Who Posted This?October 7, 2012 at 8:56 PM

    I'm never a FAD!
    Not in 1985. Not in 1955. Not in 2015.
    I'm always in style with my parachute pants, AIWA walkman, and mullet haircut.

    Regards,
    Marty McFly

    ReplyDelete
  3. SGOctober 7, 2012 at 9:23 PM

    Thanks for your comments Big Bird. Hey Romney - go by your first name, Willard and not by your middle name, Mitt. You think people will confuse that with Willard MIT Romney?

    Hey, Willard Romney, You are not even qualified to be a FAD (Fire Alarm Dispatcher)

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  4. SGOctober 7, 2012 at 9:29 PM

    Thanks for your comments Marty. I like you.

    Hey, you are doing good with your Parkinson's disease. Your book, Lucky Man, is an inspiration to all of us. May God give you health and happiness for many more years.

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  5. RenuOctober 7, 2012 at 9:42 PM

    Dont know why, but I can nevr compete, because i could nevr write like that..with a given topic and time limit..may be because I am not a writer, and I write whatever I am feeling.

    Tags I love, but awards.most of the time they are phony..

    now there is one more fad..of writing a guest post..

    All in all all these tricks are for increasing the readership..and most of the time they succeed, mainly because here no one is interested in reading something new or good or interesting, its always ....you comment on my blog and I would do the same.

    ReplyDelete
  6. SGOctober 7, 2012 at 10:14 PM

    Thanks for your comments Renu. I have been your follower for a long time. And, you are the same with my blog.

    I like the way you write. Rarely I disagree with you opinion.

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  7. Aparna (Life Takes)October 7, 2012 at 11:54 PM

    I don't take part in any contests because I can't write when someone prompts me

    But these contests provide a theme/subject to write about and might be useful to overcome writer's block

    Also prize money is involved! One might get lucky anytime!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Priya AroraOctober 8, 2012 at 12:55 AM

    hehe...U said it right. When I wrote for consecutively four contests, I thought somebody is going to tell me i should change my blog's name from happy moments to happy contests :-D....But these contests certainly helped me when i was in Blogger's block....when I just couldn't think what to write, then they came to my rescue. But I understand your point completely :-)

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  9. ekta khetanOctober 8, 2012 at 1:18 AM

    As always a wonderful post! Agreed with everything but wonder how come you do not participate in any :)

    Also, its a fad as a lot of post that we wrote makes no sense, advertisers/ sponsors often end up choosing most crappy ones...and you wonder, why did I do so much of hard work and wasted my time to write a unique post, video, poem for an advertiser whose pigeon brain selects only random posts which is nothing but mindless scrbllings...sigh...I guess high time for me to not participate in these contests and write a thing on them!

    Anyways, did not get the last para's meaning...care to elaborate? :)

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  10. SGOctober 8, 2012 at 7:58 AM

    Thanks for your comments Aparna. I agree with you. But if you are reading 10 posts on the same subject, it gets a little boring.

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  11. SGOctober 8, 2012 at 8:00 AM

    Thanks for your comments Priyaa. I realize that it helps overcome writer's block.

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  12. SGOctober 8, 2012 at 8:11 AM

    Thanks for your comments Ekta. I have to admit a very few “contest” posts are interesting to read. Yours is one of them.

    About the last para. English professors ask students to write papers during the year on many subjects connected with English literature. He/She has to read all of them and grade. If there are 50 students in the class, the professor has to read 50 papers on the same subject. That too every year. How boring for the professor. The character Pip from the novel Great Expectations written by Charles Dickens is an example of the title students are asked to write a paper on.

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  13. Destination InfinityOctober 8, 2012 at 10:24 AM

    I participated in one contest - Love Marriage Vs Arranged Marriage so that my criticism of both reaches a wider audience. With such an attitude (of criticizing the concepts being advertised), no wonder I have not got any prizes :P

    Destination Infinity

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  14. SGOctober 8, 2012 at 10:38 AM

    Thanks for your comments Rajesh. Please read numerounity's comments. To quote her: advertisers/ sponsors often end up choosing most crappy ones. No wonder you did not win.

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  15. rudraprayagaOctober 8, 2012 at 10:49 AM

    True. People are after competitions or contests now a days,might me due to much enthusiasm.

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  16. SGOctober 8, 2012 at 11:20 AM

    Thanks for your comments Sarala. Much enthusiasm. That is why I called it a "fad".

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  17. SandhyaOctober 9, 2012 at 8:49 AM

    Like Renu said, I too can't write about a prescribed subject. I write well on my experiences etc. than about general subjects.

    Awards...giving award means we have to include every person's name who comment on our blog. They take time to read our post. Then there is no meaning in discriminating them.

    Good topic!

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  18. SGOctober 9, 2012 at 9:34 AM

    Thanks for your comments Sandhya. That is what I am looking for. People writing about their experiences, issues they are passionate about, etc.

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  19. AparnaOctober 10, 2012 at 6:35 AM

    Hi...fad or not ...some of those contests and tags are fun. I think I enjoy the fiction prompts the most like InMon....

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  20. smOctober 10, 2012 at 6:51 AM

    interesting post on fad

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  21. SGOctober 10, 2012 at 9:40 AM

    Thanks for your comments Aparna. So you think these contests and tags are fun. I agree with you on tags. You like to read several posts on the same contest theme? Enjoy.

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  22. SGOctober 10, 2012 at 9:40 AM

    Thanks for your comments sm.

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  23. AparnaOctober 10, 2012 at 2:51 PM

    SG...I did mention I prefer it when they are fiction...several takes of fiction for a given prompt is really eye-opening... :)

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  24. SGOctober 10, 2012 at 3:19 PM

    Thanks again for your comments Aparna. If you like it, please go ahead and enjoy.

    I wish you were my English Professor. Instead, I end up you being my Platelet Biology Professor.

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  25. Privy TriflesOctober 13, 2012 at 5:22 AM

    Though it is fun to read others entries on such contests...it is difficult for me to think on those lines and write. I have never been able to participate in them though everytime I see the contest my first thought is well, this is something I can write on and that never happens!

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  26. SGOctober 13, 2012 at 9:36 AM

    Thanks for your comments Me. I find it boring to read many posts on the same subject.

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  27. Shilpa GargNovember 7, 2012 at 1:17 AM

    Agree completely! The awards by fellow bloggers is a craze at the beginning of your blogging life, which is then followed by Tags. tags are fun and fine as they give you one more post to write about. I take them up when suffering from blogger's block! Yes, now we have the brand sponsored contests! Blogging is evolving... good to see that! :)

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