What about staying power?

I am disturbed by the "concerned".

The growing participation on social networking platforms points to a growth in expressions of the masses.

But it is rather like pop corn- instantaneous response, some sound. But mostly air.

When I first found Ryze, I was excited- by what I saw as a business building opportunity. But it did not take me long to figure out that I was not going to be able to do much business there. It had greater potential as a match making website-in my opinion. Finding clients was better done elsewhere.

I almost escaped Orkut- the format was kind of "too" anonymous - if that is an acceptable expression in the English Language. But I suppose I should proceed to write with confidence , almost disregard the English language issue- after all in the world of SMS and computers, anything goes. I have put up a profile on Orkut too but all I get is some strange satisfaction in telling people ki maine aapko us nazar se nahin dekha- aur dekhna bhi nahin chahti. Get OFFF!!!! They really ask me nothing more than what do I do- which is anyway part of the profile. And if a person cannot read on the internet, he might as well not exist.

I find Face Book has caught the fancy of people- who I fancy- even those middle aged fuddy duddys who did not check their mail boxes five years back are on it. Even if it is just to keep up with the ..... children.......own or other people's who are posting exciting stuff here.

Disregard the disdain- and there is indeed a respectable mix of people here- the ones I know and the ones I'd like to know. A mix of the light hearted "entertain and be entertained" approach, love of anything beautiful, art, poetry, and then there is the spurt of citizens' groups, causes etc.

I am interested in following the progress of these last. Probably my (extremely) close involvement in such activity on yahoo groups for the last five years is the reason for the interest. Or maybe it is just a voyeuristic pleasure that I get. Some people somewhere trying to do things which I no longer can- and making it.

Whatever.

The intent is honourable- and I am not talking about mine here please.
The time seems ripe for the literate middle class to come together in cyberspace. But attracting attention is only the first step. Preen and there will be response. We know that. Males of all species were designed that way. However much I might like to blame the generations of men before me, I cannot but appreciate that it is only the human male that has ensured that this responsibility is shared by the females. And maybe the gender sensitive should pay attention here and give credit where it's due.

Getting back to the "concerned" people, what is the role of the initiator of a platform promoting civil society participation and social change as a consequence of that increased interaction?

I find it noteworthy, that the treatment of issues is often shallow. Let me commit myself here- it is always shallow.

That is killing me guys.

Imagine a situation- someone shows interest, titillates, shows promise, and then- fizzles out. A failure to rise to the occasion, or a speedy spillover- the result is just- disappointment.

What about staying power? Why is that so .......missing?

And then if I pause and consider other times, what was different then? Is there a time and place that I can look at, with a longing to return?

Of course the idea of the Indian freedom struggle is about all that comes to my mind. There is no other model of an individual concern culminating into a shared achievement. But the thing is, I was not there then. And I am not sure it was all that it is made out to be. I mean I can hardly ignore Gandhi ji's disappointment on 15th of August 1947.

A friend who has been trying to emulate Gandhi ( in getting people going) says he is stumped, and just cannot see " What made him succeed"? Gandhi did not have significantly more resources or time when he began, nothing that any middle class literate person like you and me is lacking.

And yet, he could mobilise people.

Now here, I am very conscious of some facts- that I am not an authority on Gandhi, nor am I committed to going into some research mode, so I can talk about him forcefully. What I have is my ( limited) view of him- and I do believe that that is what is relevant to me. If the reader here has a better view then he is welcome to share it. And beyond this explanation, I am not going to worry about my limited understanding of this that or the other.

So, Gandhi ji could mobilise people. He had something.

Why does he inspire me as a leader?

I think for myself, and I can say this; what impresses me most, into following anyone, briefly or over my life, is their capacity to dig deep. And to make me dig deeper than I ever have.

I think there is only one way I could be so motivated- if I was provoked.

And that is why, the Face Book seems a good place- it does provide an opportunity to provoke. The self first and then the other.

But I do see a dearth of staying power- not many people write notes.
The single line wall posts are all that we have time for.

Am I then destined to remain dissatisfied?

Or is this the promised land of adequate foreplay.