The human need to be social

There’s a lot of talk of social media – about social media marketing, social networking, viral marketing, tweeting, tagging, cloud sourcing, etc. The talk usually hovers around the Internet and mobilephones, and how technology makes everything possible. More so, because the technology that makes this possible is now in the hands of millions of people.

With this technology – actually it’s a collection and convergence of various technologies – people are talking, connecting, creating, commenting, blogging, tweeting, messaging, emailing, uploading and downloading files... sharing everything from professional information to political points of view to personal interests and experiences.

Although technology has centre-stage at the moment, I wonder if it is being given importance far beyond what it deserves. After all, though technology is making it all happen (and I do give it due credit), technology still needs to make use of, sit on and act upon the solid bedrock of human relationships that makes up our world.

For, it is the human need for relationships and togetherness that seeks out opportunities, methods, resources, time and technology to bring people together. Social media simply complements and completes this need, bringing joy to millions of people around the world. It is this human need to be social that’s driving this phenomenon we call social media.

Immortality gained

I know he is with God. He always has been.

Anyone who has met Rameshji, been to his satsangs, read his books or watched video recordings of his talks would tell you how gladly he shared his wisdom, and the ease with which he explained the most difficult of concepts to seekers like me.

His daughter, Jaya, would often tell me: “My father simplified things.”

After reading many of Rameshji’s books, having listened to some of his discourses, and helping to edit several of his books through his publisher and disciple Yogesh Sharma (of Zen Publications), who had introduced me to Rameshji almost eight years ago, I agree wholeheartedly.

Rameshji was fond of saying, “Consciousness is all there is.” And, so it is.

Ramesh S Balsekar – beloved ‘Rameshji’, Advaita guru and friend to all – left for his heavenly abode this morning. He will be fondly remembered by us all.

Far from the West

Contrary to trends in the West, particularly in the United States, where print is being replaced by online media, and power is shifting away from corporate-owned media to individual journalists and bloggers, the Indian news and media industry, steered by large private business houses, is confidently maintaining its leadership through print and TV, and growing robustly.

In India, neither individual journalists or bloggers, nor the online media, is able to claim a substantial share of voice in the industry. At least, not yet. Traditional news organisations are continuing to play a critical role in keeping the Indian public informed.

Wisdom of crowds?

Yesterday, Jeff Jarvis, American journalism professor, on Twitter, had been imploring the contributors of Wikipedia to correct his date of birth on the Wikipedia entry on him. Finally, he says, someone did.

This made me wonder about the ‘wisdom of crowds’ belief that Wikipedia is supposed to epitomise in today’s world of information and the Internet. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not challenging Wikipedia as a source of inaccurate information (I had done that before and had to correct myself). After all, I have been told that Encyclopaedia Britannica, apparently, contains as many errors as Wikipedia does.

I’m merely contemplating if many people contributing to, and creating, news and information (as it is on the Internet today) is really better than news and information created by a single source (such as a traditional encyclopaedia or the traditional newspaper/TV). Does more and more people contributing to, and creating, news and information necessarily lead to more accurate news and information?

No redemption for The Ram

Darren Aronofsky’s 2008 film The Wrestler is not for the weak-hearted. It’s a brutal film on the life of a washed-up wrestler, Randy ‘The Ram’ Robinson, and his path to self-destruction.

The Ram lives in the past. His sustenance comes from his past glory. Unable to find a place in the world that you and I live in, or love from his estranged daughter and a stripper-dancer he is attracted to, The Ram succumbs to and finds comfort in the only thing he understands: the life of a professional wrestler. But even here, and despite the recognition and admiration he receives from his fellow wrestlers, The Ram’s time has run out.

The Wrestler is a bleak portrayal of this story, and director Aronofsky executes it superbly. From his choice of Mickey Rourke as The Ram, to the bleak setting of New Jersey winter, to the seedy strip clubs where losers hang out, to the futility of The Ram’s life reflected in the life of the stripper-dancer, to the gruesome enactments of the wrestling matches, to the 1980s Rock music, to the camera stalking The Ram from behind… Aronofsky’s mastery is everywhere.

But, it is the pain that is so real in The Wrestler. It seeps through the film and tugs at your heartstrings. One look at The Ram’s aged and scarred face and body tells you everything. You know it’s over even before it begins. Yet, you sit through the whole film with an anticipation you can’t explain. There are a few flashes of hope in The Ram’s life, but soon they are washed away before your eyes – as does The Ram’s own life. There are no redemptions here; no happy endings to hope for.

I’m amazed how Aronofsky pulls the whole thing through. Mickey Rourke (a huge comeback for him after many years) as The Ram is superb. He should have won an Oscar. Marisa Tomei as the stripper-dancer Cassidy also does an excellent job in a supporting role. If you think you can handle the pain, the despair and the not-so-perfectness of life, you’ll enjoy every blow The Wrestler delivers.

Death is only half the story

For most of us, death is a solemn experience. Unless we are related to celebrities or other public figures, and perhaps even then, death is seldom greeted with appreciation. I mean, although death is as common as life itself, rarely do we exhibit it publically, preferring to stick to our grief and simple affairs over funerals and obituaries.

Nevertheless, deaths of public and/or historical figures do involve us now and then, and when we find ourselves in such unexpected situations, we are at a loss for information. Newspaper archives, libraries and the internet do help, but what we really look for is a single easy-to-find source for all famous dead people in this universe.

This may have been a tall order earlier but, thanks to Krishna Andavolu (and a few others), now we have Obit Magazine – an online magazine on obituaries, epitaphs, retrospectives and memorabilia of public figures from around the world. In fact, Obit Magazine is much more than that. If one were to go by its masthead, the online magazine is about ‘life death transition’ – a sort of look at life through death.

Here’s what it says in the introduction to the website’s Meet Obit section:

“Death gives life its immediacy. Because we know it will end, we savor and value life all the more. Obit examines life through the lens of death. Whether it’s the loss of a person, a place, an object or an idea, life’s constant change presents an opportunity for examination, discussion and even celebration.

By examining the transformations we face, we can understand how the past influences our time and our future. Obit aims to offer a forum for ideas and opinions about life, death, and transition that you will find nowhere else.”

Although Obit Magazine specialises in obituaries, it offers sections on topics such as just died, editor’s picks, arts & media, books, business & politics, sports, science, died on the same day, retrospectives, and best send-offs. There are blogs and forums too – as well as features such as news feeds, newsletters and a search facility.

You can log on to Obit Magazine here… and celebrate life as well as death.

[Citation: The title of this post is reproduced from Obit Magazine. The complete line, which appears just below the website’s masthead (except on the home page), states “Death is only half the story. Obit is about life…”]

A life without newspapers

With the internet and the electronic media becoming more and more popular, there’s a growing fear that one day newspapers will simply vanish from our lives. Would that really matter to us?

It should, according to Beth Teitell.

In a rather anecdotal tongue-in-cheek view published in the Boston Globe, Beth Teitell gives us hope that there are still a few applications for which newspapers are irreplaceable.

Here’s one:

“You can shed a tear right now for the iconic ransom note, with letters clipped from newspaper headlines. What’s a kidnapper to do? Print out letters at home using different fonts and point sizes?”

You can read Beth Teitell’s complete article here.

You can also read related posts from my blogs here and here.

[Citation: Save the Presses! by Beth Teitell, the Boston Globe dated 17 May 2009.]