The Pakistani Spectator

Would you please tell us something about you and your site?

Well, I’m SAWJ and I’m a Web Developer by profession. Currently not working but I can take projects related to PHP. (Yes, that was a hint.)

SAWJ Blogs… is my place to reach out to people and tell them what I’m thinking. If possible, I make them see my way. Otherwise, I just fool around.

Do you feel that you continue to grow in your writing the longer you write? Why is that important to you?

The more I have to think on a topic, the better I write it. And it helps improve my writing ability. Plus a controversial topic is always good at getting you visitors.

I’m wondering what some of your memorable experiences are with blogging?
I’ve forgotten them all!

What do you do in order to keep up your communication with other bloggers?
First in line is commenting on blogs. Then there’s email, Facebook, Twitter, etc. The world is getting smaller by the minute and everyday we’re getting something new. Okay, not everyday but every month…well, almost.

What do you think is the most exciting or most innovative use of technology in politics right now?

Now that’s a big question. It would be anything that gets you a large audience.

Do you think that these new technologies are effective in making people more responsive?

People are responsive but sometimes you wish that they would just shut the hell up. Most don’t deserve to comment unless they know what they are talking about, that’s what I believe. And not everyone’s thinking power is great enough for their opinion to matter. Neither is everyone an expert on every subject.

What do you think sets Your site apart from others?
Everything’s in the wrong place.

If you could choose one characteristic you have that brought you success in life, what would it be?

Balance between optimism and pessimism.

What was the happiest and gloomiest moment of your life?

Everytime I get a new gadget is a happy time.

The gloomiest moment would be when my grandmother died. Also, when a good friend succumbed to cancer. The really sad part here is that he fought lung cancer for a year and survived. But bone marrow cancer got him four months later.

If you could pick a travel destination, anywhere in the world, with no worries about how it’s paid for - what would your top 3 choices be?
Iraq, Iran and Syria.

What is your favorite book and why?

Hard question! There are many books that I like. Any good fictitious story that keeps me engrossed is good for me. Or a history book that’s on a favorite topic.

What’s the first thing you notice about a person (whether you know them or not)?

Appearance. But it’s bad to judge someone by that. There have been times when I was impressed by people who did not “appear” nice and then there are the decent-looking ones whom you wish should never have opened their mouths when you met them.

Is there anyone from your past that once told you you couldn’t write?
My English teacher during high school. We got a story writing assignment and she wouldn’t believe I wrote my story. Oh, how I hate her for that!

How bloggers can benefit from blogs financially?
Search Engine Optimization, posting original content and placing ads. The right combination of the three can be pretty good for the wallet.

Is it true that who has a successful blog has an awful lot of time on their hands?

Absolutely! It takes time to maintain your blog and you have to be responsible for what you write and defend your stance.

What role can bloggers of the world play to make this world more friendlier and less hostile?

Remove misconceptions, spread information about “reality”, wake people living in their own small world and introduce them to the larger picture.

Who are your top five favourite bloggers?

I believe answering this question will break some hearts and most certainly get me killed.

Is there one observation or column or post that has gotten the most powerful reaction from people?

I recently did two posts (question and answer) on the topic of “shirk” (which blogger Karachiwali [http://karachiwali.wordpress.com] pointed out was actually “Kufr”, but I have been too lazy to correct.) The question got a lot of hits and comments but the answer quickly surpassed it in the amount of total hits and remains the most popular post on my blog to date.

What is your perception about Pakistan and its people?
Awesome country, absolutely stupid people.

Have you ever become stunned by the uniqueness of any blogger?
Not really. If you search the blogosphere, you’ll find some of every kind.

What is the most striking difference between a developed country and a developing country?

A developing country is where people are still learning from their mistakes whereas a developed country is where people know what hurt them in the past.

What is the future of blogging?

Very bright. The world has a lot to say and blogging is an unrestricted medium. But people should learn self-censorship, everything’s not better out that in.

You have also got a blogging life, how has it directly affected both your personal and professional life?

I’ve come across a wide range of people and seen their perspectives on different things. Some of them made me reevaluate myself and some made me stick to my beliefs. In the end, I turned out to be a better person.

What are your future plans?

In my “real” life, I intend to go for my MS soon. But as far as my “virtual” life is concerned, I’ll be blogging for a long, long time. Also been planning to start a tech blog soon if God gives me the strength, and the brain power.

Any Message you want to give to the readers of The Pakistani Spectator?
Be responsible for what you write. And always keep in mind what repercussions your writing might have. Different people view things in different ways. What you intend for as your message may not exactly be the one people perceive from your writing. So tailor your writing skills to effectively counter this.