Always be interactive in your blogging: Devanshi Joshi

Devanshi Joshi

Devanshi Vipul Joshi who blogs at URL : www.devanshi-joshi.blogspot.com . She denies to give URL of her another blog saying “Please don’t mind as I have not shared the URL of my blog I run actively because it is a personal one.” Born on 22^nd February, 1985, has completed her:

1. Master in Communication Studies (MCS) Faculty of Journalism & Communication, The M. S. University of Baroda
2. B.Com ( Accounting & Financial Management) MSU
3. Diploma in Tourism & Travels, MSU

She lives in beautiful city Vadodara. Her interests include Blogging, Reading,Writing, Photography, Traveling, Interacting with people, Human psychology, Exploring new things & life at large. She is passionate about communication. Loves exploring all the mediums of  communication.

Presently working as freelance content writer. Previous engagement was with the Daily News & Analysis (DNA) Newspaper as a news Correspondent. Worked in the fields of Journalism, Public Relations and Radio broadcasting with The Times of India, Divya Bhasker, Hanmer & Partners Communication Pvt. Ltd. and Vividh Bharti.

Interview

Q: Welcome to Speakbindas. Tell us since when blogging has been a part of your life? Was there any motive or inspiration as a backbone of it?

• Ans.: Thanks…It is been almost 3 years that I am into blogging now and really enjoying this expressive world. I came to know about blogging in bit of a funny way. It was three years back during an event of my master course program when an alumnus of our faculty was talking about blogs in his speech. That was for the very first time I heard about term ‘BLOG’ but what I heard was not blog but ‘BLOCK’!!! When he ended up his speech what all I knew about this term was that it is something related with writing and being a passionate writer I would love to explore it. I started surfing on net to understand this term ‘BLOCK’ (As I said I had got it as BLOCK instead of BLOG!!!) Funnily my search on BLOCK did not provide me any clue related to writing and blogging. Later on during a casual talk with a friend of mine I came to know that I heard it incorrectly. It is BLOG and not a BLOCK and that opened up the block of my thought process and got to know about blogs and started bloging. And gradually I became so interested into it that I did my Master study dissertation research on blogging having a subject named ‘ My Experience about Blogging.’ This research study of mine gave me a wonderful chance to get in touch with the bloggers across the countries. Reading and knowing their blogs and blogging activities was the great experience.

Q: What is your blog all about? Which topics you cover there? Is that you alone running/maintaining the blog, or have a team?

• Ans.: When I started blogging, initially I used to write on random topics as in something on human nature/psychology, my poetries, current events, movie reviews etc.( Subjects of my interests) later on when I started working with DNA Newspaper as a journalist I created a blog of my Published newspaper articles. Being a journalist and working on special stories I used to come across on varieties of subjects including, youth, culture, festivals, politics, sports, human interest stories, environment and so on. Though I have not posted all the published articles of mine on my blog page but willing to do so to have a good back up of my work. I also have a group blog with 3 of my friends which we created with the purpose of posting interviews of interesting people but feeling bad to say that it is almost in a dead condition now.

Q.: How important is it for the blogger to interact with their readers? Do you respond to all the comments that you receive?

• Ans.: Yes, I do respond to all the comments that I receive on my blog posts because first it gives me a good feeling that someone has read my post. Secondly it gives a chance to interact with different people. Also gives chance to understand other’s perspective and sometime helps you to moderate your views. I believe interacting with the readers is the essence part of blogging. One must interact with the readers to make blogging a two way communication activities adding up liveliness.

Q: What are the present statistics for your blog, i.e. number of daily visitors, visitors geographical status etc.?

• Ans.: I am a free style kind of blogger. I do blogging when I feel to do so. So not sure about the exact statistics of my blog posts or visitors but most of my friends from media are the visitors of my blog. The blog which I recently started involves visitors and readers across the glob who responds on my write ups and vice versa.

Q: Is blogging for you just a passion or a medium for earning too? Does it help you to earn enough cash to quit a 9 to 5 day job?

• Ans.: Right now for me blogging is the platform which supports my passion for writing and communication. Writing for newspaper and posting blogs both satisfy my writing interest. So If I get the opportunity to do blogging as a part of my work I don’t mind taking it up as a source of earning.

Devanshi Joshi

Q: Who are your favorite bloggers, whom you read frequently?

• Ans.: For me favoritism is something relates more with the ‘subject of blog’ rather bloggers. Topic of blog is something makes me interested to read the post. I don’t have any specific bloggers in my list who are my favorites but if I found the blog posts containing subject of my area of interests would like to read it. I also read some of my friend’s blogs who has real high thinking power and also who are the likeminded people. Apart from that sometimes I read celebrity blogs which includes Amitabh Bachchhan, Amir Khan etc.

Q: From the secret bucket of your blogging experiences, what tips you would like to share with the fellow bloggers?

• Ans.: Not sure about the secret part but yeas would definitely like to say this based on my blogging experience that always be interactive in your blogging. It should not be just a one way flow but try to make it a mass responsive thing then you would get chance to learn a lot. And one does not need to be an excellent writer to do blogging. What one need is the expressive mind.

Q: Do you believe that blogging completes you? If yes, tell us how?

• Ans.: It completes in the sense it provides me the platform to express my views, thoughts and words. I love interacting with people, sharing knowledge, learning new things. In short I love to be a global citizen and I feel blogging gives me that opportunity to interact with the people across the glob through my blog.

Q: What was the happiest and gloomiest moment of your life?

• Ans.: Well so far the happiest moment is concerned I am still waiting for that one..lol but I would like to share one moment here. It was the moment I love to remember as that gave me pride on my education and profession both. It was for the first time when I felt proud on myself for achieving something great.

• It was during the last year in December when I received my Mass Communication and Journalism’s masters degree at The M. S. University Convocation and that was the time when I was working with DNA newspaper as a journalist too. So I was at the convocation function as a reporter for the coverage of event at the same as a student to get degree. I was seated at the press lobby representing DNA as a journalist at the same had worn my convocation scarf respecting my degree. The moment came when the Vice Chancellor of the M S University asked all the degree owners to take oath for their degree by standing at their place raising the hand. All the students seated in the student lobby stood up for that and I was the only one who took my oath from the press lobby as a proud student who was taking the oath for the degree of journalism in which she is already performing her acts. I feel that was the moment when I proudly felt happy for myself.

• And about the gloomiest moment I don’t like to remember such things so please don’t mind me not sharing it.

Q: Say, you are sponsored to travel to 3 world destinations, where you need not to worry about costs for food, hotel or anything. Which destinations would you pick up, and why? Would you like to take someone along with you? If yes, whom?

• Ans.: Going for the world tour comes on top of my dream series.. lol But as have to pick up only 3 destinations I would like to visit Egypt to see its Pyramids, France to see its fashion industry and Mexico to have delicious Mexican food I love the most…( These three are just randomly picked up destinations as I said World tour comes as the ultimate destination..lol) I would love to take my Mom and Dad along with me as I want them to see the world with me.

Q: Are you into watching movies? If yes, which fills your list of favorite ones?

• Ans.: Yes I love watching movies. But I am very choosy about the selections as anything can’t go for me. I love watching off beat movies because I really feel it make sense. I also love watching Bollywood romance and comedy but then too it should include some sense in story line. Listing out my favorites is bit difficult as I might not be able to recollect all at this moment but some of them are Page 3, 15 park Avenue, Black, DDJL, Tarrein Zameen Par, Paa, Life in Metro, Band it like Backham, Heraferi etc.

Q: How has blogging helped you other than money?

• Ans.: As I said earlier it helps me in interacting with other people and provides me platform to fulfill my passion for writing and expressing thoughts.

Q: What would be the one thing you’d change about yourself?

• Ans.: Ummm…I guess my over emotional nature though my experience of work in journalism has helped me in adding up shades of practicality in my approach but still I feel I need to learn balancing emotions and practicality.

Q: What is your deepest fear?

• Ans.: Loosing people whom I love the most.

Q: If you could meet one person, dead or alive, who would it be?

• Ans.: My Grandfather ( My Dad’s Dad) whom I lost when I was 7.

Q: Which is your favorite television show? Favorite songs?

• Ans.: Seems like I am feeling up Orkut profile..lolz well, I don’t have any specific favorite TV shows.. I watch News Channel and these days news channels include everything entertainment to reality so watching them keeps me updated with the things happening around me.I am not into TV otherwise.

• ” Ek Pyar ka nagma hai, mojhon ki ravani hai…zindgi aur kuchh bhi nahin teri meri kahani hai….” My all time favorite number.

Q: How much money do you have in your purse/wallet right now (including change)?

• Ans.: Believe it or not but I never keep counted money with me and my Dad considers it the worst habit of mine. Most of the time I carry my debit card with me but I really don’t have an idea about the how much money I have in my purse!!! Moreover I don’t like carrying purse!!!:P

Q: What is your favorite food? Any particular dislikes?

• Ans.: Food is food is food. I am a food lover though don’t have much appetite but I love exploring different cousins. Desi tadka to international varieties all go with me. I would like to share one side track thing that I am considered as the most popular one amongst my friends to take opinion about the food and restaurants. I love exploring restaurants and various cousins. In dislikes, I don’t like too much spicy food.

Q: What’s your take on the technological advancement these days? Does it make people’s life simple or complicated?

• Ans.: Technological advancement has changed the world. Technology has brought the world closer. I don’t say it makes people’s life complicated. Technology can simplify your life if you use it in proper way. Everything has its good and bad one should know the difference.

Q: What do you think of “blogging is the next BIG thing”?

• Ans.: I don’t think there is something like ‘BIG’ thing. It can be the big thing for the people who are interested into Blogs and like blogging. For others who are not interested it is nothing.

Q: Any special message you would like to share with your blog readers as well with everyone else?

• Ans.: Special message!!!!umm… I just want to say….Always give efforts to make things work so at least you don’t have regret that you did not give a chance. You might not get the desire result but some learning would be there to enhance your strength.

Devanshi Joshi with a Piano