RIP- Rediff iLand
March 4th, 2011
Once upon a time, there was this place called rediff iLand. It was a virtual paradise, a place of refuge from the toils and tensions of everyday life. It had many residents, people from as far as Australia and South Africa in addition to a majority of us from different parts of India. It was a simple place, easy to negotiate and one could manage even with an elementary knowledge of computers. Even if people visited your blog and left silently, their footsteps would be visible on your blog.
The residents of this iLand were my friends, my brothers and sisters. One would put up a post and there would be a number of comments. Without knowing what was a persons age, sex or location, we all built up relations, friendships and bonds which still survive. ( even if on facebook ) It was such an important part of my life that it finds a mention in the acknowledgements of my debut novel, The long road.
Then Rediff, in an ill advised and foolish attempt to modernise the platform of the blog, upgraded to Rediff blogs and rediff iLand died. All my friends drifted away one by one. Some stayed back due to sentimental reasons, but interaction with them has dwindled over time. I still come back to rediff by sheer force of habit and post my blogs, but nobody reads them now. No comments, no messages in guest-book and no communication!
All I can do is sigh and say, ” Rediff iLand, I miss you. May your soul rest in peace”.
Really heart touching account ..i was feeling as if i am returning after attending the funeral of some near and dear one….yes, we can again create and revive Iland…nothing can replace that tender feeling we had while we were residents of Rediffiland…
And who is to blame? I think we ourselves killed Rediff iland. Remember the times when there were some technical glitches and all of us would keep shouting and posting and acting as if world can end if one of our comment disappears? And they replaced our lovely iland with this
We are to blame…
As such I am happy with new rediff blogs too…
Hmm… dropped in after a very long time. Can surely identify with your feelings Ben… Those were the days my friend We thought they’d never end…. I wish something miraculous happens and iland becomes same as it was in those days…