Taking the Long View-Next Stop Denver!

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SM began four years ago this summer after I wrote the bloggers who I read every day (who were all more accomplished bloggers than I) a hastily constructed email filled with bad grammar (some things never change). Part of it read like this:

Date: Thu, 29 Jul 2004 21:05:43 -0700 (PDT)
From: “Abhi ”
Subject: My Fellow Bloggers…
To: “Vinod “, “Manish”, “Anna”

Guys,

I have been thinking something over of late and would like to know your thoughts. This is me thinking out loud so don’t worry at all about saying so if the following doesn’t seem like such a good idea or you are not interested. My brain tends to think faster than I can process it all to see if I am actually making sense.

All of us are bloggers and it seems like we all enjoy it as a hobby apart from our careers. We all have different focuses or perhaps no focus at all 🙂 This past week with the Democratic Convention in the news, and all the talk of the bloggers that have been invited and how much power they seem to have, it got me thinking how there is no widely read news/issues/discussion/politics/random musings source target for South Asian Americans on the web. Sure there are lots of magazines like India Abroad and websites like Rediff, but all of these are “old media,” and so diffuse. They all rely on editorial staffs, deadlines, etc. and are not at all dynamic or interactive. There is none of the freshness that a blog can deliver. Plus, most of them lack the perspective of people that grew up in this country. I am convinced that there exists a vacuum out there on the web just waiting to be filled…

I was thinking “what if” all the most widely read South Asian American bloggers joined forces somehow and created a superblog based on the “Menudo” model. This could be the definitive source for South Asian issues/news/opinion/culture/entertainment etc.

<

p>All of the bloggers, guest bloggers, contributors, and administrators in our “Menudo” model have worked really hard over the years. Even our readers and commenters have been quoted by major media for their thoughtful opinions. Today, with the arrival of the email below, all of us can say we have a Macaca in the tent:

Congratulations. The Democratic Convention staff has completed its review of blog credential applications and I’m writing to let you know that your blog will be credentialed at the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver.

We’re excited to welcome so many blogs to the Convention (about 3 times as many as 2004). And we know you’re eager to make travel plans for August. We’ll contact you next week with logistical information regarding housing, credential distribution, and other key details. You probably have several questions. Please be patient – as our goal is to distribute this information to all credentialed blogs at the same time.

<

p>We did it y’all.

[The full list can be found here]

70 thoughts on “Taking the Long View-Next Stop Denver!”

  5. Macacas REPRESENT!

    ps: huma won’t appreciate the shady eye, abhi. stay classy.

  10. Yes! Congratulations! (I’m writing to the DNC to ask that the attending mutineers be granted temporary superdelegate status!)

  12. Congrats, well deserved. Do they give you just one pass, or will several of the bloggers be going?

  15. Any chance after the event is over in Denver, you will make the drive to Minnesota for some big event the following week.

  16. As someone who has very limited understanding of the media especially reporting, could you please explain what are the practical implications. Do you have to spin the party line ( pro democrat blah blah) coz you are accredited. What significant advantage does accredited carry over not being accredited. Does this mean that SM is now a part of MSM? On another note, will SM get invited to the Republican convention as well.

  18. I think there must be a mistake, cause I didn’t see Littlegreenfootballs.com on the list.

  21. pretty damn cool. congratulations and thanks for sharing. i love this blog!

  27. Will you be at the Republic Convention as well? Great job with the blog and good luck!

  31. I will read about the convention sitting in Mysore sipping Coorg coffee and reading my favorite blog!! Yaaay!!!

  32. That is so fucking cool!!! CONGRATULATIONS, y’all, really. Absolutely inspiring.

  33. 5 · portmanteau said

    Macacas REPRESENT! ps: huma won’t appreciate the shady eye, abhi. stay classy.

    lmao!

  36. Congratulations. Just remember your lesson from Rob Lowe in ’88 Dem Convention – don’t set up a video camera.

  44. How can you make claims of being neutral and not selling out [per your fund raising appeal], when you are so clearly pro-Democratic Party? No that there is anything wrong with the party’s agenda, I personally subscribe to most of it.

  45. Abhi: Congratulations to you and your SM Team. Keep up the good work. Next, I am waiting for the other good news !! God Speed and Sweet Moon here I come ! Good Luck.

  46. finally!!! REAL reporting from a convention.

    congrats everyone. and abhi, i dont want to see you on cnn balking about michigan and the democratic process.

    for real-you guys rock. call me if you get put in detention… 😉

  47. How can you make claims of being neutral and not selling out [per your fund raising appeal], when you are so clearly pro-Democratic Party? No that there is anything wrong with the party’s agenda, I personally subscribe to most of it.

    What makes you think that we’ve only applied for permission to blog the DNC? The DNC was mentioned in the email 4 years ago in part because it was more blogger friendly than the RNC, and was in the news as such. We go out of our way to be non-partisan.

  48. Congratulations! I’m excited to hear y’alls perspectives on the convention (one of the few I care about!).

    But this begs the question…as Yogi and Melbourne Desi asked…does the Republican Convention even allow blogs? Do you plan on appyling?

    *I don’t mean to imply that Republicans are anti-blog, just that they seem less interested in embracing web 2.0.

  49. 47 · Ennis said

    What makes you think that we’ve only applied for permission to blog the DNC? The DNC was mentioned in the email 4 years ago in part because it was more blogger friendly than the RNC, and was in the news as such. We go out of our way to be non-partisan.

    Whoops. Didn’t see that. Question answered.

    Congrats!!!

  50. 47 · Ennis said

    How can you make claims of being neutral and not selling out [per your fund raising appeal], when you are so clearly pro-Democratic Party? No that there is anything wrong with the party’s agenda, I personally subscribe to most of it.
    What makes you think that we’ve only applied for permission to blog the DNC? The DNC was mentioned in the email 4 years ago in part because it was more blogger friendly than the RNC, and was in the news as such. We go out of our way to be non-partisan.

    “We go out of our way to be non-partisan.” It would be better if SM went out of its way to be honest. SM’s treatment of Indian american republican candidates compared to indian american democratic candidates reveals just how non-partisan SM is. Compare SM’s treatment of Raj Bhakta or Amit Singh to Ashwin Madia.