Jan 222013
 

Some time ago I wrote a post on how blogging changed my life it was more of introspection. What I missed was how we bloggers can be catalysts or change agents using our reach in social media to bring social change. I have no qualms about the influence we bloggers have and we will never get to taste the power that is poison, nor will we be able to replicate the Arab Spring. What I am writing in this post emerged from the Hyderabad Bloggers meet that I attended last Sunday, which was meticulously planned and organized by Subhorup Dasgupta.

Hyderabad bloggers meeting

Hyderabad Bloggers Meeting at ITC Kakatia (pic by Subho)

The theme was How Blogging can be used for Social Media activism. We started with Satish CoolpcTips ( that is what is  he is known as) talking about SEO and how he is also running an NGO where he is helping youth to get a direction in life and career advise  free of cost.

Satish sponsored the Tshirts and caps

I was very impressed with the work that Bhavana-TillingtheEarthwoman is doing in working and bringing accountability amongst NGO so that funds can be better utilized, she has come all the way from Chennai to offer support to the Hyderabad meet. It was also the day I met the queen bee of Travel Bloggers –Anuradha Goyal, whose travel blog is one of the best in  not only India but is a regular reference point for foreigners visiting India. Anu as she is called in the blogging circle has done her bit for environment like recycling plastic bags before it became fashionable, she has helped wanna be travel bloggers with travel writing workshops.

Anuradha Goyal talking about Travel Blogging-Pic from Subho’s upload

I was very impressed with the tech bloggers present there who are not only helping others start blog but also making a good amount of money by helping others through their blogs.

Satish, Pavan,Saikumar, Sampath, Kondeenya-guys u have a lot to teach us

Some of them like check some of them here on the Facebook group created for this purpose. But I was most eagerly waiting to meet Pattu Raj whom regular readers to my blog would know as the organic gardener who started blogging about her garden after retiring. She is an inspiration to all of us and her she radiates positive energy in the room.

As you will see all the bloggers are socially conscious beings and they all are doing their bits for the society in one form or another. So the question is how this social consciousness can be  harnessed in a more structured way to have a bigger impact. That is what this group aims to achieve and many times a simple post can be very useful for the information it has. Check this post on the Fightback application that can help women in distress send a SOS message and her location to her family, this post was shared more than 100 times using various social media.

Gifts brought by various Hyderabad bloggers- pic by Sandeep

Many people make fun of others who like socially conscious messages on Facebook, but let us remember when a 1000  people like a message some of them will take action. Somebody may give some money, some may decide to volunteer and some may continue to forward it till it reaches who gets up to take an action. Our aim here in Hyderabad Bloggers group is to be those people who not only spread the message for social change but also take action us to be catalysts for change.

We had some very positive interactions at the meet and one good idea that Subho gave was to bring a random gift for others. Anuradha gifted me an author signed copy of “Hot Tea across India” written by Rishad Saam Mehta.

What more can a travel blogger ask for A book on travel 🙂

Bigbasket gifted the bloggers a rupees 500 gift coupon, which I promptly redeemed. I would also like to thank ITC Kakatiya for the venue, and chef P Sekar who joined us in the meeting being an avid blogger himself.

We are moving forward to accelerate the momentum generated by the meeting and would request all to join.

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  15 Responses to “Hyderabad Bloggers Meet-Using Social Media for Change”

Comments (15)
  1. Great job sir

  2. Hi,

    I have just begun my journey as a blogger. It would be great to interact with active bloggers.
    I would like to join in the next interactive session. Please let me know when it is organized.

    • All the best, I do suggest join some blogging groups on FB etc. to know more about happening in the blogging world… A Pan India blogging group to check would be ITBC Chat where I am one of the moderators

  3. Hyderabad Bloggers’ Meet 2014 is coming up on December 7. At Saptaparni. All day long! Hope to see you all there.

  4. Hyderabad bloggers are doing a great job! Love the camaraderie, truly a great feeling to see all the unity amongst the various bloggers, just elevates the entire experience.

  5. Hello Desi Traveler,

    I am very excited for the upcoming meet in Hyderabad on 28 th January. I have never attended any blogger meet.

    I really like your blog and hope to meet you in a person tomorrow.

    Regards
    Rachit

  6. Loved reading your review and all the others that I have been reading about the HBM. Truly a meet with a difference.

  7. What a lovely & meaningful meet it was. Anuradha is a friend and I can relate to what you mentioned about her. 🙂

    ringing gifts for others is an excellent idea. So what did you take for others? 🙂

    • Hi Nisha….Yes it was a very good meet, it was good to know personally people I have been reading on web got some good insights from.
      I took printouts of 3 of my favorite pictures that I clicked in 2012. Hope those who got them will like them.

  8. I had heard about you, Prasad and kind of observed you on TSBC. But sometimes, it is a meeting that increases curiosity about a blog. My first time here (apologies for that) but looking forward to reading your works. The photographs you gifted were awesome! And your presence gentle. And thanks so much for the fightback application link! I am downloading it right now as we speak!

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