MyMysore.com: closure is an option

other interests · Date: Oct 16, 2006

MyMysore.com: closure is an option

Date: Oct 17, 2006

Mr GVK

I did some web trawling ( 'googling') of your site and discovered that what you are implying as 'uncharitable comments' were themselves made by you against Maj Gen S.G.Vombatkere (Retd) on a fairly acrimonious discussion about the issue "MGP’s speed bump to Infosys growth plan" back in June. The hurt felt by that distinguished soldier by the acrimony triggered by you was papable.

What is interesting in all this was a blogger called Capt. Anup Murthy behaving like a 'rottweiler' on the loose and was trying to shred the respected general into pieces in cyberspace!!

All the above happened long before some of us arrived on the MyMysore.com cyberspace!!. The problem after all lies with you in not researching an issue before 'blogging it' for discussion as "Mysore IT Forum: Where was it when Germans were here?" clearly demonstrated.

I am remided about an old English saying “What’s sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander.”

Date: Oct 17, 2006

Lies often repeated have a tendency to be perceived as facts. This is what Dr. Thandava seem to be doing out of pure childish innocense.

MGP members never got upset with GVK and there was never an "acrominuous" exchange as written by Dr. Thandava and as he writes his esteemed team of well wishers.

In fact what GVK wrote about MGP was true. It is indeed a paper tiger in many respects. But whose fault is it? GVK wrote it with all the best of intentions and MGP accepted it in the same spirit. I often refer to MGP as Mysore Galata Parishat or Mysore Grahachar Parishat. I do not mean to criticise it for the sake of criticism.

It is indeed a pity that when Mysore has so many problems and more than 50% of the residents are unable to meet their basic minimum needs, we take the pleasure of trying to find faults with each other. The very fact those who take time to browse through Mymysore show that they are indeed concerned about Mysore in their own ways. If one is critical, so be it. Let us not get carried by such criticism. Truth will finally prevail.

Date: Oct 17, 2006

O, no! For heaven's sake, please don't do that. I don't think one should be so touchy to criticism even if it is in not in good taste. I think we must get used to the new culture of blog. Closure is just not the answer. This forum has been fairly active; its growth could have been better, but, then, members like me need to take the blame for not contributing their mite for the cause, whatever be our individual compulsions. I will fulfill my commitment and make a comeback shortly.

Date: Oct 17, 2006

Mr. GVK:

MyMysore.com is a great idea. There are always people who cannot take a good thing. But let them share their views and it is up to the readers to take them seriously or ignore them. The thought that you are just doing this to keep yourself active in retirement is laughable. Even if it is, so what? But let me assure you that I have a developed a deep respect for you and others who contribute regularly to keep the site alive, active and informative. I have learned a lot and it has given me a chance to stay connected. Don't give up Mr. GVK. Make it even better.

B.R.Ramaprasad
Millington, NJ, USA

Date: Oct 17, 2006

People like Thandava seems to have missed the point and seems to have a one point agenda and that is to criticize for the sake of criticizing and seems to be picking on individuals. Outsiders like me who need mymysore to keep in touch with whats happening back home will be disappointed with any closure.I have been reading all the blogs and like a silent majority, have begun to appreciate what some Mysoreans are doing.

Date: Oct 17, 2006

Mr Shenoy,

It is surprising how you have changed your tune so fast in respect of MGP. One has to only 'google' the mymysore site to unearth your infinite enthusiasm for MGP in June. Now you call it a paper tiger and 'Mysore Galata Parishat '. Fallen out with the General perhaps? One can similarly 'google' this site to find out what are lies inrespect of 'MGP and InfoSys'a s discussed in June.

What mymysore .com has exposed is that a few want their view points to be 'rubber stamped' by a bunch of dummies who would care to log in. That is not blog but a religion. Many blog issues were badly researched and any one dared to hold opposite views were quickly trounced on by the likes of you. Lots of blogs have folded up for the same reason. A sister blog 'churumuri' is just about breathing, but KP has the good sense to allow wider discussion - he could have taken out some posts but has not.

It has become a habit for Mr GVK to threaten closure from time to time , perhaps to drum up support? Many things have closed - including Maharaja's durbar and his jumboosavari, and world is still ticking and so will be after this blog.

Date: Oct 17, 2006

Murphy said it rightly when he said, 'Smile.... tomorrow will be worse'. That is precisely what is needed at this hour. Surely people can disagree, but communication, sharing of thoughts should go on. If everybody is agreeing on all aspects, there wouldn't be a horse race...When there is discussion on the net, wherein people have not met at all and are perfect strangers, there is bound to be difference in thinking, in their approach.It's the diversity of thought and ideas which helps one to learn and see the other side. It happens in all the human endeavours, and blogging is no different! There can be total disagreements, but it doesn't mean we should close shop. Please keep Mymysore going GVK for the reason, it's needed more than ever before and precisely for the reason it encourages dissent, free thinking and does not insist that everybody should fall in line.

Date: Oct 17, 2006

The gang appears to be the same. They still write rubbish about individuals and people who are making efforts in Mysore. Thandava and his cronies including a Bharadwaj, as you can see from trawling various posts have stayed behind and slandered people inlcuding bloggers on this site. Thandava names people and slanders them like he has done with some of the bloggers and accuses bkh of slander. Thandava is also hiding behind a fake name, if he casts aspersions on a person with initials, what about him? My take (apologies Krishnan) is that to let some of these people keep making their negative comments all the time. They don't have a life and thats why they do it. I have seen the works done by MGP and Dr. Shenoy, these other guys have done nothing. Never heard of a Thandava or any other person that have posted silly comments on any forum in any newspaper in Mysore or have been credited with doing anything worthwhile for the city like MGP and Dr. Shenoy has done. Churumuri has done a god job no doubt but even there the commentsare mostly from people having fictitious handles and initials. What Thandava is scared of?

Date: Oct 17, 2006

As a case in point, I ask the bloggers at this site who are critical of some us to look at the numbers who viewed and responded to the discussion points that Mr Ramachandran has posted in 'churumuri'. While Mr Ramachandran's umpteen blog issues were hardly noticed in mymysore.com cyberspace, his blogs have a high viewing hit and response rates in 'churumuri'. Well blogs open and blogs close, but life goes on.

Date: Oct 17, 2006

I can't place you Mr Ramesh vis-avis Mysore- a philonthropist, a social worker ..? Where were you all these days when Mr GVK wanted bloggers desperately? If posting a comment in a newspaper in Mysore is the qualification to be blogger in mymysore.com , no wonder the
audience is so limited. As far as who I am, my real name is Thandava- ever heard of what this name means? I am a VeeraShiva and the name should not surprise any one with a normal size of brain. Don't you like this name? Should I call myself Sir CV Raman instead? As far as the name Bharadwaj is concerned, ask any one in Delhi IIT or NRN who knows him well. You are saying what wonderful MGP is but Mr Shenoy says it is a 'paper tiger' and calls it 'Mysore Galata Parishat '. Get yourself properly organised with facts before you start throwing comments at people. Infantile tantrums like yours make no sense.

Date: Oct 17, 2006

Perhaps it is best if mymysore.com is closed for a while to give a reflective time for Mr GVK. Many things are wrong in mymysore.com structure. For start, the slogan 'MERA MYSORE MAHAAN' sounds like a line in Raj Kapoor's movie song. Next, allowing a bunch of blog authors some of whom are strongly opinionated self promoters whose arguments do not help good discussion. Third, assuming every comments that follow should be a clone of the posted argument. The much maligned "Mysore IT Forum: Where was it when Germans were here?" is an example. A blog will flourish when criticisms and disagreements are allowed without grudge. Sychopancy is a killer disease for any blog. Lastly, one of my teachers used to say, never threaten something unless you are prepared to carry it out.
Given the low number of views recorded, it is best to close this site, and let some one with a better tolerance threshold in respect of disssents to create a better blog site.

Date: Oct 17, 2006

I sincerely hope Shri GVK that you will not give up the good work of maintaining your excellent site, just because there is some criticism. Nothing can be perfect including different perceptions of the same issue. You do also have many readers from all over the world and acerbic postings and counterpostings only makes it livelier and even humorous at times. Why tax your good son to shut it down? Let it keep going and I respectfully urge suggest you to be immune to criticism in the interests of furthering lively but non personal interchanges of ideas, perceptions, and arguments.

Date: Oct 17, 2006

I am in the minority here and suggest that Mr GVK should close the site to get breathing time to think clearly what he is attempting to achieve. If it is issues concerning Mysore, then there is bound to be many views, and some may strongly disagree with the blog author's views. Reading through some replies , it appears that any disagreement is strongly frowned upon and from then on personal comments seem to be the only route to be taken. I am amused by the fact so many are so touchy about the word 'retired'. In Germany the retired have a very good life as the government is very generous with pensions. In the post 'Mysore IT Forum: Where was it when Germans were here?", it was the comment of the person from the IT Forum (?) that triggered further replies . Some replies are amusing. As some one living in Germany, it was easy for me to check the purpose of the visit undertaken by the Germans in question. After a few queries, I was given to understand that the purpose of the visit was to promote German tourism and that the IT brush up at Bangalore was as a result of a late addition to the agenda by some one in a German ministry who recognised Bangalore as an IT capital. These were the wrong people for promoting IT business. Except one person who was a parliamentarian ( not a prominent one and no clout) the others were lowly civil servants whose brief was to promote tourism. Hence it was an inappropriate blog issue from the very start.

Date: Oct 18, 2006

Aspersions are cast on Prof Bharadwaj as being a member of a vicious cyber gang. I know Prof Bharadwaj as he was my professor in university days in Delhi. His cyber sin was to simply disagree the dictum that IIT admissions operate purely on merit. All his time in Delhi IIT, he resisted the invisible 'backdoor' entry quota thrust upon the department, while all his colleagues went with the devious system. They would agree with him , after their retirement. He was never a member of any 'gang' -for he holds independent opinion. I also read some deprecating remarks about Prof Guru for daring to suggest
something different for German visitors. From my experience, he knows Germans very well, worked in Germany and have placed students in German industry. These two professors took many Mysore students who were denied justice in admission-IIts, universities etc..

I think there is some gross conception about blogs. Blogs are there for free discussion and dissent. If a bunch of people disagree strongly, it does not mean they are all member of a 'gang'. Hence I suggested a closure for a time just to regroup after wider discussion

Date: Oct 18, 2006

Sorry my replies have a few mistakes. For example, 'gross conception' should read 'gross misconception'.

Date: Oct 18, 2006

I did not think that Krishnan asked for suggestion about closing. I re-read what he wrote and seems to me that he is thinking aloud. Amusing to see some of the people here to suggest closure when they can very well stay off the site themselves. Krishnan created the site, for whatever reasons, thats none of the concern of the critics. Perhaps this has been missed by some of the harsh words from dissenters. Looking at his writing, seems that he put up the site to discuss things instead of promoting individuals. Some bloggers are termed as self promoting, names are used and those that use names themselves accuse others of slander, and some non bloggers who make once in a lifetime comment become "the good professor". This perhaps is the reason that Krishnan wants to close down the site. No one invited the nasties, they got themselves in and made an otherwise civilized forum into their personal agendas and promoting websites like churumiru openly. Churumuri is fine but where is the need to compare? Best thing is that if you don't agree with someone, no need to get personal. Like we say it here in the States, if you don't like the TV program, use the clicker and change the channel or switch of your set. Don't yap about everything in a negative way.

Date: Oct 18, 2006

Mr Ramesh

You said something nasty about Bharadwaj without knowing who he is . Rajeev said who he really is. If you open a blog issue people all over the world comment. If you do not like it , it is tough. I thought that people know this in States. Time and again the politicians over there comment how some countries censor the Internet. It is also my opinion that the blog should close because bloggers like you ( living in the States, the so called land of free) do not like dissent, Mr GVK does not like it and so are his other buddies.

Date: Oct 18, 2006

Mr Ramesh

You said " some non bloggers who make once in a lifetime comment". Well said about yourself. You have not commented on the issues raised in "Mysore IT Forum: Where was it when Germans were here?, or Mr Ramachandran's topics on software boom or any of Mr Shenoy's topics. Why this suddent spurt of blog energy from you?

Let us hear your comment on ERR's topic on 'software boom' from you to show your credential as a blogger from the land of billion blogs. You say that you have trawled this blog site. Some topics are crying for replies or comments. Here is your chance!

Date: Oct 18, 2006

I have commented in 'churumuri'. One can verify this. Some one mentioned this site. I guess I am in the thick of something? Comments like " No one invited the nasties, they got themselves in and made an otherwise civilized forum into their personal agendas and promoting websites like churumiru openly" sounds strange. Mr Ramesh seem to object calling names but calls the bunch who disagree or negative as 'nasties' ! About promoting other blogs. Say this in these days of the mighty Google!! come on, we should do better!!

Since Mr Ramesh mentions States, as a fellow resident in this continent, may I ask him to look at the blog site: Axinar's. Axinar is versatile and imports other blog site links. I have something more to say about discussions in this blog site later.

If you open a blogsite for discussion of issues, it is unreal to expect every blogger should agree with the blog author. Axinar does not. Mr Ramesh more than any one should know about free discussions in various forums in the States.

I am not a 'gangster' but a 'floating blogger'.'

Date: Oct 18, 2006

All these arguments and exhortation for 'others' to 'fall in line' and excessive admonitions etc.. reminds of our school days in 1950s .

We had a chemistry teacher in high school in 1950s called B.R, tall and saintly-looking man with a 'nama' on his forehead always exhorting us to follow a disciplined life. At one time he gave physical punishment to a very smart class mate who asked a few questions, for which he had no answers! He used to speak in a funny English accent and what he was dictating to us was the same stuff that he dictated to another class some 5 years ago! A few class mates of us would bring their brothers' note books, and were surprised to note that he was repeating the same stuff word by word! We realised that he had memorised the stuff long time ago and was dishing them out year after year! Hence his anger when an upstart dared to ask him questions! With all his exhortations to us, he in real life, was gambling and drinking at the Cosmopolitan Club, Mysore in evenings, which was accidentally unmasked by another upstart in our class! Soon all of us lost faith in what he was saying.

Date: Oct 18, 2006

It might seem that I'm nitpicking here, nonetheless I must point out that a blog and a forum are not one and the same. While indiscreet comments may be somehow tolerated on a personal blog post, they have no place in a forum such as this. It is for this reason that I had previously requested GVK to make this a moderated forum with registration requirements. The blogs (prefixed as such) maintained by people with Mysore connections are linked on the home-page, though they may not contain posts necessarily about our city.

Mr Thandava, earlier I was only thinking out aloud that your posts "suggest" that you may have had something to do with previous spam attacks here. If that is totally untrue, I am sincerely apologetic for having cast such aspersions.

Closure is an option, yes! But only for this thread. Let's keep the forum alive.

Date: Oct 18, 2006

Mr BKH,
Could you enlighten me what posting/postings that led to your 'conclusion'?

Date: Oct 19, 2006

In the blog posting 'The Educated Unemployables' , there are many misconceptions and some are downright hearsay. This being a complex issue with many dimensions and for a start I start listing misconceptions and give an insider version( a few members of the interview panel who since have spoken to us) what really transpired which is at odds with this blogs premise and the opinions of interested organisations which we collected during the last 24 hours, I would be trampled on as being saying things which is my pure imagination and being negative.

Look at the staus of this blog and other blogs with null responses. Where are the other 'do gooders, the genteel folks who would like to discuss issues and issues only...'? Sans response tolls the demise of blogs. No one needs to suggest closing it down. They simply fade away.

Date: Oct 19, 2006

I work in the States and a colleague of mine is a Mysorean and he mentioned the arguments and insinuations raging in this site. I read most of the posting here and they are really interesting. As some one whose job is in IT security area, a piece of information for those who are interested. We have studied profiles of spammers. A spammer seldom presents himself ( almost all spammers in our experience are young men) as argumentative, dissenter , negativistic etc.. for the simple reason that focus will be on to him as a suspect. But we found that it is one's friend for long years, colleague with whom one goes for a cup of coffee, jealous relative, a competitor etc.. who turn out at the end to be the culprits. Our company had had complaints from blog sites and on investigation we discovered that in more than 50% of the cases our suspicion ultimately narrowed down to the the person who ran the blog site or on his instructions his collegues spammed their own site to generate interest and attention. Cyberworld is an interesting world indeed!

Date: Oct 20, 2006

Dear GVK, and all those who visit this site:

Greetings - I came to My Mysore.Com rather by accident and I stayed only because I found it rather interesting. For the past few months my schedule kept me away. However, I remind you my interest has certainly not diminished.

I liken such sites to be the tech 'watering holes'; when one needs a drink, one comes here. When one wishes to play catch up and meet others (with like or diverse backgrounds) one lands here. Please do keep the forum alive by scribing ideas, opinions, recipes or whatever. I truly believe this site is achieving that traction and goal. We should not get carried away by any specific posting and think about closing it down! That would be absurd!!

While posting it would be good to think twice and ink once. Identify facts over fiction. And when unsure perhaps we should identify it so. And as readers let us also ask before we take aim/offence.

Folks are all welcome to take what they wish from the various items placed in this 'buffet bar'. Everyone is entitled to have their opinion and keep it. And as individuals we ought to respect that. I have read this some place - people cast stones only at trees that are laden with fruit! A barren one is dismissed by all. The fact that we are having heated discussion and are raising the questions around 'shutiing it down' is indicative of an active forum! Keep the podium active. Forums are alive because people choose to keep it alive.

As individuals we all are entitled to have our ideas and form our own opinions. In like manner let us all remember that we can change our views with time! I believe we call this as wisdom, and is not to be confused with knowledge. Knowledge is ever changing. Who was it that said "it is good to be born into religion but not die in it"? Before one gets carried away I am really referring to 'technology' here. I do not wish to poison the 'watering hole'.

Thanks to GVK and everyone that has kept this site alive!

Date: Oct 21, 2006

Happy Deepavali Greetings to all the viewers. May this festival take us from the darkness of ignorance to the light of knowledge, tolerance and civility.

It is quite sad that the situation has come to a stage where the good meaning GVK has to consider closing down this forum. Unfortunately it seems to be the case with many good things in life; it is hard to build for some one, but easy to destroy for some one else. There is also the irony that some of the postings, which seem to have repeatedly done the damage to this forum, also seem to be suggesting that the forum should be closed. I wonder what benefit any one would have by the closure of this forum. If we do not like the way the forum is discussing relevant issues to Mysore, is it not a civilized way to keep away from it? Why do we have to push the things to such a stage where the forum itself has to be closed? There are so many who seem to be benefiting from some of the quality discussions held in the forum.

Date: Oct 21, 2006

I also stopped by this blog today. Blogs are for open discussion and arguments. If this does not happen or critiques are resented, the blog dies, no need to close it.
Not sure why Mr Sharma is for sanitisation. If one wants only 'like minded' bloggers to do the postings agreeing with all one says, the result is like Mr Sharma's other blog postings on 'power'- no takers!!

I contribute to at least 4 other forums, where there is seldom no agreements or nods, but the sites are lively with discussion and issues.

Date: Oct 22, 2006

Some people seem to be confused between the freedom of expression and the strong urge to make uncharitable and personal comments even without any provocation. The difference of opinion has not been questioned at all in these forums, but the harmful nature of uncharitable comments have been protested against.

If more and more people start being acerbic without contributing to the main topic, even the issues that are now being raised may vanish altogether. It should be noted that the new topics being raised are from those who are not acerbic or uncharitable, and who care about certian issues.

If some one cannot comment on any topic or a forum there is no harm, as long as there are no useless comments. It may be that people may not have interest in a given topic and/or they may not know a lot about that topic. If a topic like Vedic astrology or Tribology is raised by a some one, many may keep quiet because they do not know anything about it, rather than making silly comments.

These forums are not any sort of popularity gauges to count how many people comment on a given topic, but just places for exchange of useful information; certainly not places for hurling abuses at others.

Date: Oct 22, 2006

We hear a lot about 'uncharitable' comments, 'harmful' comments. Are these euphemisms for some one being 'critical' or 'disagreeing'? Blogs cannot dangle for long with no comments. They cannot look like 'ten commandments' as they will have no staying power like 'ten commandments'. If a forum is in the cyberspace one cannot demand traditional deference.

Mr Sharama articulates something which existed in pre-Internet days. Internet is highly successful because it is not censored. If some one disagrees with a comment, instead of pontification the viewer could simply ignore it. If blog comments are not acceptable, the blog author could delete it. The flip side of this is that the topics go un-commented, thereby removing the very oxygen of blog.