Time To FOOL Around!!!

Date for Blog-a-Ton 9: April 3, 2010

Hey friends, I hope you liked the new looks of Blog-a-Ton. I must thank the Blogger Team for introducing this new feature, Blogger Template Designer which is now available on Blogger in Draft.

Before I declare the topic for this Blog-a-Ton, lets welcome the new Blog-a-Tonics:

• Chatterbox
• Monty (Please provide a valid bloglink to be blogrolled)
• Varnita (Please provide a valid bloglink to be blogrolled)
• Shilpa (Please provide a valid bloglink to be blogrolled)

On the wide consensus and the overwhelming support it got, the topic for Blog-a-Ton 9 is Fool.    I must congratulate the (foolish) proposer of the topic, Siddhesh 'Ravan' Kabe for suggesting this topic. 

While dealing with the topic 'Fool', you have the freedom to treat it the way you want. Its upto you; which genre of writing you choose, i.e. simple essay-type, article, dialogue, short story (even 55 Fiction for that matter), poem or whatever you feel like.

Moreover, its upto you; which mood or tone you choose to set it in, i.e. serious, witty, humour, optimistic or whatever that comes to you naturally.

Again, you have the freedom to choose the language of communication. However, we'll suggest you to write in English to put across your views to the maximum members which will also help you when its the time to vote for the BATOM.

I hope this clarification helps the new Blog-a-Tonics.

So, you all have ample time to write it but you'll have to wait till Apr 3 to post it finally along with everyone else.

Please write your posts on time as the late entries will not be allowed to participate in the voting round (though the links will be added to the participants list).

Other rules regarding posting will be conveyed to you later.

So kindly wait for that notification on next Friday rather than putting up queries right now. If the queries are regarding general pattern of the event, please go through the posts about previous events.

Wishing you all, a free flow of thoughts

Blog-a-Tonically yours

Vipul Grover

Blog-a-Ton 9 is here!!!

Date for Blog-a-Ton 9 : April 3, 2010
Topic declaration : March 27, 2010

Hey friends, just take a break from IPL as Indian Blog-a-Ton League  is back!!!!

Lets get together to make it even Bigger and Better... For the starters, there is a BIG news - Blog-a-Ton has croosed 300 members :)

Now lets welcome the bloggers who have joined us and will be hopefully participating this time-

• Mansi
• Srikanth
• Sid (Only active bloggers are blogrolled - Intimate us once you start regular blogging)
• Surbhi (3 Cheers for the 300th Blog-a-Tonic)
• Payal
• Krishna 
• Chet Baker (Please provide a bloglink to be blogrolled) 

 You all will be blogrolled soon.

So with this, I invite your suggestions for the topic for Blog-a-Ton 9. Please keep the following things in mind while suggesting.

• Each member can suggest only one topic.
  
  
• The topic should be general in scope, so that more and more Blog-a-Tonics can participate.
  
  
• Before suggesting, go through the previous ones for sure.
  
  
• If you like any of those, VOTE for them rather than giving a new suggestion.
  
  
• If you like a suggested topic but don't like the wordings, still VOTE for it and alongside suggest a new title for it.
  
  
• In case you have already suggested a topic but find some subsequent suggestion better than yours, you are allowed to vote for it. But this can be done only once.

• Rather than criticising the suggestions made by others, kindly give better suggestions.
  
  
• Give your suggestions and votes in the comments section of this post.
  
  
• Do not embolden your comment using HTML bold tag.
  
  
• Please keep these points in mind to make my job easier.

In case a comment is not posted according to these rules, it will be deleted.

And before I leave, a request to Tweeting Blog-a-Tonics - Please use #blogaton tag to make this event more popular!!!

Hoping to receive some interesting suggestions

 Blog-a-Tonically Yours

Vipul Grover

Lets congratulate the BATOM 8

The Blog-a-Ton journey continues with successful conclusion of yet another edition.  So, now it is the time to declare the Blog-a-Tonic of the Month in the Eighth Edition of BAT.
To celebrate this joyous moment with us, we have some new blog-a-tonics. Let us welcome them first

• Veeru
• Freelancer
• Vivek
• Neha
• Mayank (Please provide a bloglink to be blogrolled)
• cool4u
• SE
• Rahul
• Brown Phantom aka Prashant
• Abhilash (Please provide a bloglink to be blogrolled)

You all will be blogrolled soon!

So now, it is the RESULTS time.

As evident, each vote from a participant =2 cheers whereas from non-participants =1 cheer

So it is Tavish Chadha, the BATOM 8. And he receives a well deserved BATOM Badge Award. Don't miss his story, a nice concoction of 3 Idiots and The Christmas Carol to bring home a beautiful message.

I must also congratulate Karthik, the BATOM 6 for giving a close fight to Tavish.

Tavish, please forward your e-mail id so that the badge award can be mailed to you. 

You all can also read the voting comments now. Just click here to find who all voted for you or liked your entry and what they had to say about it!

P.S. A couple of late votes have not been counted while compiling these results. Please be on time in future to make your vote count.

Will be back soon with Blog-a-Ton 9
Blog-a-Tonically Yours

Vipul Grover

Vote for the Eighth BATOM

Voting time has been extended. It ends at 2300 hrs (IST) on Mar 12, 2010

Let us welcome SpB!, the lone new member since yesterday.

Click here to check the fellow Blog-a-Tonics who took part in this Blog-a-Ton along with the direct links to their posts.

In this edition, 42 entries came in  within the stipulated time.

Please follow the following rules while voting:

1. You must cast only 1 vote and of course you can not vote for yourself.

Don't vote for more than one person because that will be of no use for any of them as your vote will be discarded without any prior warning.

2. Your Voting Comment should start as follows:

---

In case you participated -

I participated - http://vipulgrover.blogspot.com/2009/12/all-in-days-work.html

I vote for - XYZ; his/her post = http://ABC/xyz.html

Code:

<b>I participated - <a href="YOUR POST LINK">YOUR POST LINK</a></b>

<b>I vote for - NAME OF THE BLOGATONIC YOU VOTE FOR; his/her postlink = <a href="HIS/HER POST LINK">HIS/HER POST LINK</a></b>

---

In case you did not participate -

I did not participate but I am blogrolled by the name of Vipul Grover.

I vote for - XYZ; his/her post = http://ABC/xyz.html

Code:

<b>I did not participate but I am blogrolled by the name of YOUR NAME ON OUR BLOGROLL. </b>

<b>I vote for - NAME OF THE BLOGATONIC YOU VOTE FOR; his/her postlink = <a href="HIS/HER POST LINK">HIS/HER POST LINK</a></b>

---

Replace the parameters highlighted in red with their actual values.

Remember, in case you participated, your vote will be counted as 1 and in case you didn't, then it will just carry the 1/2 value.

Hence, do not forget to give your post link or blogrolled name (whichever is applicable as clearly visible in the above code) as it will decide whether your vote is counted as 1 or 1/2 in value.

3. DO NOT VOTE for those posts, links to which have been posted after the stipulated time.

Now coming to the other rules:

• Voting ends at  2300 hrs (IST) on  Mar 12, 2010.
• Post your vote in the comments section of this post.
• I have started moderating the comments and won’t display the voting comments till the end of this process to keep the result secret till its conclusion.
• After the voting code mentioned above, you may also add the reason, why you voted for a particular post to help others know what you expect as a reader. Moreover, you may also mention the other posts that you liked though you can vote for just one of them.
• In case there are multiple entries from any Blogger, while counting the votes received by him/her, the entries will be considered individually for the award.

The Votes will be discarded without any prior warning in case they are not sufficiently compatible with the rules.

So, if there is any query about voting or you do not find yourself blogrolled, feel free to drop in a mail at 'Contact The Marshal'. I'll try to get back to you asap.

Recent members, who have been duly welcomed in previous posts will be blogrolled within a day. So please bear with the delay.

A Humble Appeal : Please do not indulge in unfair Favouritism. Let us keep Blog-a-Ton clean of such practices.

Hoping to see genuine and fair voting

Blog-a-Tonically Yours

Vipul Grover

Rules and Reminder for Blog-a-Ton 8

Publish the post on March 6, 2010 anytime between 0000 hrs and 2359 hrs (IST)!

Date for Blog-a-Ton : March 6, 2010

Before I give you the details about posting, lets welcome the new Blog-a-Tonics

• Bastab
• Chandni
• Zeba (Please provide your blog link to be blogrolled)
• Chanz
• Vittaldas (Please provide your blog link to be blogrolled)

You all will be blogrolled soon.

As you already know, the topic for Blog-a-Ton 8 has been finalised as:
Time Travel

Please follow these rules while publishing your post and thereafter:

• The title of your post should be the topic itself; i.e. Time Travel.
  Please do not use any alternative title or your post link will be removed.

• The post should start with this text within blockquotes and with link to this blog. Just copy the following HTML code and paste to your post in Edit HTML mode:
  
  <div style="text-align: justify;">
  <blockquote>
  This post has been published by me as a part of the <b>Blog-a-Ton 8</b>; the eighth edition of the online marathon of Bloggers; where we decide and we write. To be part of the next edition, visit and start following <a href="http://blog-a-ton.blogspot.com/"><b>Blog-a-Ton</b></a>.
  </blockquote>
  </div>

• The post should end with this text within blockquotes and with links to the comments section of this post and this blog. Just copy the following HTML code and paste to ur post in Edit HTML mode:
  
  
  <div style="text-align: justify;">
  <blockquote>
  The <b>fellow Blog-a-Tonics</b> who took part in this Blog-a-Ton and links to their respective <b>posts</b> can be checked <a href="http://blog-a-ton.blogspot.com/2010/03/rules-and-reminder-for-blog-ton-8.html#comments"><b>here</b></a>. To be part of the next edition, visit and start following <b><a href="http://blog-a-ton.blogspot.com/">Blog-a-Ton</a></b>.
  </blockquote>
  </div>

• Publish the post on March 6, 2010 anytime between 0000 hrs and 2359 hrs (Indian Standard Time)

• After publishing it, do not forget to leave the link in the comments section of this post.

• Use the following code to provide direct link to your post.

<a href="ADDRESS OF YOUR POST">YOUR NAME - TIME TRAVEL</a>


It will look like this: Vipul Grover - TIime Tavel and will link to your post.
Please follow this rule to ensure easy navigability to your post as this time no separate list of the participants will be provided later on.

• In case you post your link after the stipulated time, then your submission will not be considered for voting.

• DO NOT USE THE COMMENTS SECTION OF THIS POST FOR ANY OTHER PURPOSE.
  If there are any queries, ask them in the comments section of previous post.

• Return on Mar 6 to vote for your favourite post. A separate notification for the same will be posted upon the conclusion of the event. So do not vote till then. Till then just enjoy reading the various entries, keeping in mind your favourite one. 

Wishing you free flow of thoughts
Blog-a-Tonically Yours

Vipul Grover