I write this in utter shock, disbelief and pain ..
Did I accidentally discover some ugly truths about IndiBlogger?
I am stating the facts .. you come to your own conclusions..
The last two days have been excruciating because of my bitter experience with IndiBlogger and am putting up this blog post to:
- find articulation for myself
- let the wider blogging community know
- let the brands and online digital partner community know
It started yesterday with IndiBlogger declaring the winners for the Sunsilk Recharge Your Hair, Recharge Your Life contest a little past midnight.
I was stunned to see my entry had not even won one of the 30 basic consolation prizes.
It is for the wider community to read through my post as well as all the other entries/posts in the total contest pool.
My blog post / entry had not received any hits from IndiBlogger and the sponsor in a significant period of time before the results announcement.
That, in my blog tracker, means nobody read the blog post entry to the contest.
I filed a ticket with IndiBlogger yesterday requesting if my entry was indeed forwarded to the sponsor. Also wrote an email to Renie Ravin, the founder of IndiBlogger. No response has been provided BUT TODAY EARLY MORNING 03:00 A.M. IST, MY PROFILE ON INDIBLOGGER HAS BEEN DEACTIVATED.
I wrote to Renie Ravin as well as tried reaching IndiBlogger staff (called as IndiTeam members) Vineet and Swati on their mobile numbers - because Renie's mobile number is not provided in the site and an official landline phone cannot be dialed on a weekend day.
Vineet and Swati have not responded at all;
Renie sent a 2 line email that IndiBlogger had to do it to 'protect IndiBlogger members'!
I sent a further email asking for a review and other pertinent questions - no response thus far.
Background:
In the past, I had been stunned when my 14 entries to this IndiBlogger WeChat contest did not even get a basic consolation prize when the contest had 84 prizes for 380+ entries (so, even by basic probability, 1 in 5 or 8 or 10 entries must get a prize).
This is just one example. I have a long list of IndiBlogger contests where it did not get even the basic consolation prize of as minimum as Rs.1000, given in numbers of 30 or 50.
More importantly, I was also troubled to notice that for quite a few contests, for a significant period before results were published (e.g., a month), my blog post had not received any hits from IndiBlogger or the sponsor.
How do I know this?
(a) Due to stalking and copying issues in the past, I had installed (an as such invisible) blog tracker which gives me comprehensive details of every read on the blog. It is not the regular FeedJit traffic widget we all display - its a bit deeper and works in the background and many bloggers use it. I had originally put this on only because of stalking / copying issues (and it has helped reduce that).
(b) In the case of 2 IndiBlogger contests, I had no hit whatsoever for 1 month+ before the contest result was announced - when i say no hit, zero hits - from anybody, let alone IndiBlogger or the sponsor. No hit from readers other than IndiBlogger and the sponsor probably because these blog posts are typically written at least two to three months before the results come out and the bulk of the community has already read it in the first few weeks, after which the post gets buried in the archives. In all the other cases, I have been able to identify and place each visit - which does not pertain to IB team or an unidentified IP from the sponsor.
(c) After almost half a dozen contests in mid 2013, when multiple entries from me (all of which are available in this blog still) did not even fetch any basic prize or mention, I was puzzled and confused;
(d) Alongside this, I noticed some bloggers (just two or three) were copying.
(e) So, towards the end of December 2013, I had posted a small thread post on IndiBlogger (without naming any blogger) citing non-abating copying menace with particular reference to a contest that had just ended plus filed a plagiarism ticket on IndiBlogger.
(f) Oh boy, that was the beginning of two and a half days of non-stop onslaught on multiple threads within IndiBlogger as well as on 'IndiTalk' the chat service within IndiBlogger.
(g) The people carrying out the onslaught on me (mind you, I had not even named the bloggers whom I had the plagiarism concern with) were Vijay Prabhu (who started it all), Nandini Deka and Bushra Zeba. Others also participated but these were the principal ones. Almost all of them are called 'Active IndiBloggers' and you can see this on the site (this is how it looks as of today):
This is a screenshot from the IndiBlogger homepage. I have highlighted some of them with red boxes. Of course, there are others in the picture - many of whom have nothing to do with it - since it is a screenshot from a public page, it appears as a whole segment.
These active IndiBloggers dominate every thread. This is echoed in someone else's public articulation (see link at the end of this post). Very few others ever get there - I have got assaulted when I tried expressing.
(h) For two and a half days, nobody from IndiBlogger was available - and the cyber bullying and onslaught on me - ridiculing me and harassing me - continued unabated.
(i) In those days (this is December 2013 Christmas time), IndiTalk used to be entirely available (over 600 pages) in a downloadable format - so i was put through the agony in full view of any IndiBlogger member - any member could view and download the IndiTalk archives [only after that I wrote to Renie and I believe it had an impact in IndiTalk now being available for only two or three pages, with a warning that wrong behavior will invite action].
(j) I wrote to Renie who replied back to me that he is on a Christmas holiday with family and will take a while getting back.
(k) I let go and waited - and subsequently myself became immersed in my life.
(l) Renie came back and had email interactions with me, but nothing ultimately came of it:
(m) In short, Renie wrote to me IndiBlogger will send Vijay a written warning to keep away from me (a copy of which was never provided to me despite a written request from me to Renie, through email). Vijay had apologized in one of the threads but had kept up the onslaught along with half a dozen others on IndiTalk for a full two days.
(n) When all of this transpired, I had obviously expressed that I had kept quiet for rather long, through so many contests, with multiple entries and with some getting copied as well. [Until yesterday, I had not shared the fact about me monitoring read hits on contest posts just before the results announcement, though i was distraught].
(o) Thereafter, I won 4 to 5 runner-up / consolation prizes (small ones - a movie GV worth Rs.240, one Rs.1000 GV, one each of Rs.2500 & Rs.5000 GV). Some of the prizes are actually pending to be received - don't know if they will hereafter even give and how to reach and chase when profile is deactivated. I am not sure if i was allowed to win these only because I had now made it known (inadvertently, through the ticket and the thread discussions - when I was being attacked) that I have been very patient and things have broken beyond tolerable limits. Otherwise, the quality of my posts and my blog's reach (traffic) has been consistent through the last year.
(p) Then, for this Dove Contest entry, in 2014, I got an email from Swati asking to provide a photo because Dove wants photos of winners and she wrote not to disclose anything until results were announced; I sent it.
(q) For multiple days after that, there was no news, so i wrote to her that it was getting anxious and I had waited very long to win the top 3 prizes in an IndiBlogger contest - she replied back it is not yet decided that I am a winner! And she apologized for the confusion.
(r) I wrote to her that i am worried about my photograph and unless I am the first prize winner, please don't share the photo (i am a little reluctant to share it publicly - though, when I have a big win or a nice engagement, i do occasionally share).
(s) I gave up after that and was surprised to see when fellow bloggers intimated me on twitter that I won my only first prize in an IndiBlogger contest.
(t) AND, Nandini Deka started an onslaught against my win, publicly stating on IndiBlogger threads that the Dove judges seemed to have been on booze whilst deciding and my bitstrips based post was not worth even a Rs.1000 consolation prize. 
IndiBlogger did nothing but delete her thread posts. I left it at that.
Interestingly, I have no history with Nandini and neither of us has either plagiarized or had a conversation with the other; however, she has been having a free onslaught on me ever since the day I had raised a plagiarism ticket and had posted on a thread.
(u) It did not stop with the blog-o-sphere!
I had sent Renie this proof of Bushra Zeba - one of her blogs and her twitter account is called 'Stilettomaniac' - who neither follows me on twitter nor do I (except she assaulting me on IndiTalk) - having played a contest out of my twitter timeline (which is intriguing because unless she time and again came on to my timeline specifically, this is not possible):
Nothing happened and life went on.
Until yesterday.
Incidentally, this girl Bushra Zeba has won pretty much every prize there has been on IndiBlogger - I do not know if all of it is through merit or not and will refrain from passing any judgment.
Yesterday, she had won two top 3 prizes in the Sunsilk and WeChat contest - and both her posts had shortcomings as per forum standards - the Sunsilk post had not attributed any source to the pictures she used from the public space (i have never seen any of her serial winning posts doing that) - though IndiBlogger insists and even writes to some of us to update sources. Her WeChat winning post yesterday spelt 'crowds' as 'crouds' and 'economics' professor as 'economic' professor.
I posted in this Generic discussion about contests thread on IndiBlogger - without naming her - only naming the winning post - exactly as my Dove winning post was cited for bitstrips and source (and nobody's profile was deactivated for 'attacking me' - those are the words Renie uses - asking me for even more source declaration - despite the fact that it very obviously is Bitstrips, i gave a clear copyright clarification and Renie himself posted in the thread that judges were aware my winning post had bitstrips and they found merit in it, even without the bitstrips)!
I named the two winning posts and mentioned that while a lot of quality posts and writers never seem to make it to the winning list at IndiBlogger, with the same rehashed folks - round about - winning everything (may be five or ten occasionally new and good writers win now and then - remains to be analyzed if those are THE grand prizes - I have not seen many), repeat winners with posts whose quality is not towering over the contest pool are winning - the concern, I articulated, was not with repeat winning, but with winning without having posts towering in quality over the pool.
I then filed a ticket for my Sunsilk post.
Then, Nandini Deka came over and assaulted me on the thread. All I did was continuously ask her to step away - IndiBlogger IndiPolice have removed my threads as well as hers. Then, I added IndiPolice on my network (so we can have a direct mail chat called IndiMail) and moved there. But, IndiPolice - even after I clearly wrote on the thread that I am exiting the thread and heading over to IndiMail, issued a warning to both me and Nandini to step away. This is only an initial warning to step away - I heeded it and did not engage with Nandini thereafter, leaving two or three posts for IndiPolice and exiting.
Nandini, however, at 11.45 pm last night, went back to the same thread and posted this after my last thread post:
These screenshots are of IndiBlogger's push emails that update us through email, for additions to a thread, when we choose 'Track This Topic'.
I did not go to the thread - merely forwarded this to Renie by email and said I have not received any response from him for the ticket and my email asking what's about my Sunsilk entry because there is no blog read hit. Obviously, given the agony I was being put through, had to write that if none supported me and this continues, i will have to go over to external parties - be it the police or the sponsor (thus far, have refrained - but when one is in agony, have to point out that support is needed).
At 03:00 am IST, Renie had deactivated my profile.
Questions that rage in my mind:
1. Is IndiBlogger employing bias or quota systems when it shortlists and sends only some entries out of the entire contest pool, to the sponsor judges?
2. Though it famously says 'judges decision is independent', is IndiBlogger shortlisting (and eliminating good posts as well, along the way) as it forwards to the sponsor judges?
3. I posted my Sunsilk entry blogpost in Sunsilk Hair Experts' Facebook page last evening, past 7 p.m. and asked them with lot of concern if they have even seen my blogpost - after which someone from there (facebook) came on and read the post for 25 minutes (my tracker has all details including IP address etc.). So far, no response (may be because its a weekend). I would be surprised if Sunsilk read it and did not find it fit for a minimum mention among the top 32 entries. Also, the fact that someone came on and saw my post for 25 minutes followed by visiting my IndiBlogger profile and then coming on to my blog from there (all at approximately 7 pm) - primarily gives me a feel that it was the first time they were seeing it.
4. Why has my profile been deactivated in this hurry last night - despite me having a very cordial relationship with IndiBlogger - as can be seen from my twitter and blog interactions - while I have asked the questions in IndiBlogger forums, have never had a fallout with Renie himself ever. He was corresponding as normally even two days ago - over IndiSpire, an initiative for creative writing.
5. Did the fact that I highlighted and questioned why no read hits exist result in my hurried deactivation?
6. After I repeatedly asked today by email, why my ticket about this has not been answered, IndiBlogger has updated that ticket - but I am not able to see it because my profile has been deactivated - I got an email from IndiBlogger that the ticket is updated. I wrote to Renie but I have not been told what the updation is - as of 6.30 pm IST today. Why wouldn't IndiBlogger transparently answer that question but hurriedly deactivate my profile? Does credibility matter?
7. Is it not cruel betrayal of trust of a blogger who invests very significant time (my Sunsilk post took me 15 hours in just research) and efforts in a blog post, if IndiBlogger filters it out - when the sponsor gets the final few to judge? Is my post worthy of filtering? Read it yourself and judge.
8. I wrote to Renie about the pending contest results - the contests I had entered (and which had closed before yesterday) - I have very high quality post entries to as many as half a dozen pending contests with leading brands. No response. Is IndiBlogger betraying me as well as the brand by depriving me through this sudden deactivation? Which responsible blogging platform would penalize both a blogger and the brands for contests that have ended - and into which the blogger has put in obviously superior efforts - and when in good standing with the community? Is it malice? Or is it vindictive?
9. If they have deactivated my profile, how come my last IndiSpire post is still appearing in the IndiBlogger homepage? See time stamp .. screenshot just taken:
10. How come, a leading blogging community (do they call themselves the largest in India?) unilaterally and suddenly deactivates with no review mechanism - when I actually have not infringed on any of the principles - except counter Nandini Deka's onslaught and raise questions in the thread that welcomes contest related discussions - on shortlisting process (giving examples of my entry not receiving any blog read hit).
11. Is this becoming or could this become an unhealthy 'middleman' situation in blogging (for bloggers) and digital marketing (for brands)?
12. Am I the only one whose profile has been deactivated or is Nandini Deka's profile deactivated as well? If yes, is it for real or a facade and until a while before IndiBlogger brings her on, again?
This blog post is not a 'sour grapes' post - as you can see, I have still made my way through to win a handful of consolation prizes and one rare first prize.
This blog post is to highlight that I have potentially accidentally discovered that blog post entries are not even reaching Sponsors and is all well with the IndiBlogger shortlisting process?
Incidentally, found a few concerns elsewhere in the public space - though they seemed to have expressed it quite earlier:
http://www.abookisasexything.com/2013/10/an-open-letter-to-renie-revin-is.html
http://todayontech.com/learn-from-blog-contests/
http://www.tech2date.com/samsung-indiblogger-and-the-rat-trap.html
Should brands start interacting with us directly? Has a blogging community portal like IndiBlogger become too big for transparency or accountability?
For all the talk of 'Corporate' nature of IndiBlogger in recent times, is it still operating on the whims and fancies of one man - Renie? Does IndiBlogger have Corporate Social Responsibility?
Here are some of my pending IndiBlogger contest posts for top brands:
Cadbury 5 Star #ConditionSeriousHai
British Council - Studying in the UK
Skyscanner
British Airways
Tata Do Right - which is for charity and cause.
Quite shocked and devastated ..
:'-C