Friday, April 24, 2009

The Lankanosphere - So This Is Progress?

Recent events have been "interesting" haven't they?

I use quotation marks there for two reasons; first is that I tend to use far too many of them anyway, like commas, which I'm fond of. Second is that not everyone has found them interesting in a positive, good or nice way.

I'm taking the positive approach and concentrating on the good things, that to me is the way forward, in life as well as the smaller issues.

A certain person with a specific one liner of a post made me think about these things. There are blogs and bloggers out there who inspire, interest me and teach me things and this fellow is one such person.

When I stepped gingerly into the Lankanosphere just over three years ago it was much smaller than it is now. It had the atmosphere, if a virtual world can have an atmosphere, of a small club, a bit like the Capri Club that our fathers (and Java) used to frequent.

Everyone knew everyone and the well known and most popular bloggers could easily fit around a table in a garden cafe somewhere, and often did. As I joined the club in my fairly relaxed and leisurely way I was amazed and delighted by the generally abundant way in which I was welcomed.

The well established leaders were nice people and would comment and correspond with me, there would be some spats (not to be confused with sprats), some insults and mud slinging but it had a certain air of maturity and respect about it, mostly.

What struck me most was that all the Sri Lankan bloggers I met, though their views may have been contrasting and their mindsets different, demonstrated an appetite for knowledge and a desire to learn, characteristics I'd like to think I share.

Three years in the Lankanosphere is about the equivalent of thirty years in "real" life I reckon. That's how much things have changed in what to most is just a short time. It's like a little and friendly football club that used to play Sunday league for fun but has developed into a fully fledged professional club in a few seasons and is now facing a new set of circumstances.

I wonder how the Lankanosphere, largely driven and reflected by Kottu has grown in terms of numbers, both readership and blog membership in the recent past. Indi may know that sort of thing but I suspect the increase has been large and fast, like one of Dominic Sansoni's lenses.

And perhaps the amount of bad stuff going on is merely a by product of the growth. Perhaps there was always half a percent of people on Kottu, or in the Lankanosphere who wanted to behave like that, but it's only now that half a percent actually equals a whole number.

Perhaps, as the the Lankanosphere moves into the next level, this is natural, expected and progressive.

I'll continue to believe in positivity and good things, as I'm sure will TMS and many others. I'll continue to be inspired by and to learn from some of the great friends I've made.

But what do you think?

Are these things just natural symptoms and understandable residue from the Lankanosphere's huge growth?

One thing's for sure. In the words of the great and leather clad Johnny Nash:

The more that I learn the less I know.

Enjoy the weekend all. Because I said so.

6 comments:

indi said...

This stuff has happened before. I assume this too will pass

Kalusudda said...

My friends 4 year old told me also to do something, because "I said so" I can just smile the way he said it, hope you had the same expression, when you typed the last sentence.
What ever is going on, it is not pleasant. I am glad, when I entered the same sphere, You Cerno Java and countless others welcomed with open arms! I am thankful for the gestures and will remember for times to come.
I think as a whole, the sphere will absorb these disturbances and will continue but just like Jupiter's storms, will be visible for a long time to come! Heck even I thought of dropping the whole bag but this is too good to let go!

ViceUnVersa said...

RD, I always say that if we let the dissent around us change us we are weak. Your response to all this clearly has shown to everybody that you have a lot of character and upbringing.
If the need of the hour of those who dissent is notoriety and traffic to their blog so be it. That is and was never yours.
The rest of us will have fun with our blogging. To be honest we all know that the dissent is nothing but a mild annoyance. An itch in our anus that a good shit will flush away. For the dissenters, they will be immortalized for ever on the internet.
We live our lives as we see fit, most times responsibly. We know that what we say on the internet will never come back to bite us badly one day.
You take care and have a lovely weekend too. RD has spoken, so I must. BTW; you do know the rain's back just in time for a few holes of golf on Saturday morning?
PS: Good morning and I love you. (Much more than I love DB after all the awful things he said about him and I in my tourism post). :)

Sach said...

Again, when I was going to put a link here I see that it's already in the links to this post section.
:D

Yeah, as Indi saya, I too think that this will pass...
Such is life, isn't it?

Rhythmic Diaspora said...

Indi - Yes definitely, there are bigger and far more important things going on out there.

KS - I think I had that same expression for sure. Please keep posting, you're due one anytime now I hope!!

DD - Thank you, but I'm confused, where the hell are you?

Sach - Very true, and life goes on. Have a good one in the land of the rising sun!

ViceUnVersa said...

Me back. Would have been crazy to post that post from Colombo. :)