Not many know that the free wordpress.com blogs have ads on them
Advertisements from the user side are not allowed on the free wordpress.com blogs (only VIP blogs and self-hosted wordpress.org blogs can have them). However, many wordpress.com users/bloggers think that there are no ads on wordpress.com blogs. That is not true. WordPress.com does show Google AdSense ads on free wordpress.com blogs to help pay the bills.
However, the ads are "discreet." The dictionary meaning of discreet is ‘careful not to cause embarrassment or attract too much attention by keeping something secret.’ You can yourself see the ads on your blogs. The ads are usually visible to users not logged in to WordPress and visitors who aren’t regular (which may mean that only a small percentage of visitors may be seeing them, so says WordPress). If you don’t want WP to show ads on your blogs, you can buy the no Ads upgrade in 30 dollars.
Here is an example of an ad on this wordpress blog. Some minutes ago, I searched in Google "save water hindi poem" and landed on one of my most popular posts: the poem on saving water. Just below the poem the Google AdSense ad was sitting. Here is the snapshot. This is how an ad looks like most of the time on the free wordpress.com blog:
Photo: What a beautiful cycle
Sometimes some handicraft item looks so beautiful. This hand-made cycle made of aluminium wires is so beautiful! I bought it in 20 Rupees near Rajghat, New Delhi (it was also available at Lal Qila). This is arguably the world’s most beautiful cycle. The guy was also selling motorcycles, rickshaws etc. and every item was breathtakingly beautiful!

सर्दी-खांसी: A humorous Hindi poem on Cold and Cough
This is a short Hindi poem on cold and cough/common cold. I am suffering from cold and cough from almost three days now and ended up writing these Hindi lines (poem) on the issue. This Hindi poem will be liked by kids and could also be seen as a Hindi poem/slogans on health, nature (weather), headache, winter etc. Click here to read all Hindi posts/poems on this blog. I aim to write a lot of Hindi poems for kids/children who search for Hindi poems and slogans on various issues/themes. Feel free to submit me a request for Hindi poems or slogans on any topic for non-profit social purposes.
सर्दी-खांसी से बुरा हाल है 
डॉक्टर को दिखाया है
हालत सुधर रही है
ढेरों कैप्सूल खाया है!
जब सर्दी-खांसी हो जाती है
मन चिडचिडा हो जाता है
नाक बहती रहती है
कुछ भी नहीं भाता है!
भगवान् बड़े रोग दे दे
पर दे न कभी सर्दी-खांसी
कुछ खास नुकसान तो नहीं होता
पर मन में छायी रहती उदासी!
सर में थकान सी रहती है
सब भारी-भारी लगता है
किसी काम में दिल नहीं लगता
बस सोने का मन करता है!
नाक सुड-सुड करता है
आवाज अजीब हो जाती है
कुछ दिन आदमी नहीं नहाता
छीकें खूब आती हैं!
मैं तो इतना हेल्थी हूँ
फिर भी सर्दी लग जाती है
प्रकृति के आगे जोर नहीं चलता
सर्दी-खांसी सालाना आती है!
Also see (ये कवितायेँ भी देखें) these Hindi poems liked by kids and adults:
- दिल्ली की गर्मी [Hindi poem on Delhi's weather/summer season]
मेरा हिन्दुस्तान [Hindi poem on India, Indian culture, life, patriotism etc.]
पानी बचाएँ बने महान [Hindi poem on the need for saving water, environment, conservation]
Copyright: Vikas
Some reasons why you must use Windows Live Writer for offline blogging
You need offline blogging tools if you badly miss the following aspects with your WordPress or BlogSpot in-built editor: write your post without any internet connection, save a local draft on your machine, speed, easy uploading and editing of pictures, cross post to multiple blogs, MS Word-esque ease etc. If you are not using an offline blog tool/editor/software, then you are missing a lot in life and blogging. Off line blogging, simply put, is doing it offline and then needing the connection for some seconds to publish it online on your blog.
Offline blogging is much easier and highly recommended. Windows Live Writer is without doubt the best offline blogging software tool. Here are some quick reasons on why you should must use it and what you are losing if you are not. These points (only indicative and not exhaustive) are solely based on my experience but I have yet to find a person who is not happy with the offline blogging tool called the Windows Live Writer.
vikas-gupta.in : My blog has its own domain now
Some days ago I had bought my own domain name and now I have used the domain forward option with WordPress and it points to my blog. Hereafter my blog address is http://vikas-gupta.in and not vikasgupta.wordpress.com [typing the latter will only lead to the former].
| Then | Now |
| vikasgupta.wordpress.com | vikas-gupta.in |
I wanted to buy emotionallyspeaking.com but it was taken and so I chose my name and vikas-gupta.in was the only available option (the other obvious options were already taken).
The domain name cost me some ten dollars and so did the domain forwarding (WordPress upgrade). You can read more about domain mapping here if you want to use the domain forward option for your WordPress blog.
In another few months, this blog will be a self-hosted blog using the WordPress software and will be free of the WordPress.com limitations and terms of service (I want those gorgeous themes and plugins). I have a nice, extremely reliable web host from Ireland: Vade Internet Solutions. You can read more about my web hosting research and experimentation here if you want to self-host your blog and are looking for a reliable and affordable web host.
I have bought a total of four domain names recently and I’ll set up blogs on each one of them or redirect my existing blogs on them. This is the first in the series.
Please upgrade the link to my blog if I’m in your blogroll/links page. Thank you.
Keep reading.
Prof. Matuk Nath Chaudhary and Julie in JNU campus: A multimedia report
The uninitiated may read about “love guru” Professor Matuk Nath and Julie, arguably India’s most controversial couple, here and here. Yesterday evening [10 pm to almost midnight], the duo [both one-time JNU students] addressed the JNU students at Sutlej hostel of the JNU campus and concluded it with a Q and A session. This is a brief multimedia report of the public meeting on the issue Love and Society Today.
Prof. Matuk Nath (formerly with Patna university) was a JNU student in the 1970s and also narrated some of his humorous experiences of the campus. The duo spoke in Hindi [Julie had a throat issue and spoke little only interjecting at times to buttress some points put forward by the professor]. I’ll make my prejudices clear in the beginning: I do not like them but that is neither here nor there. The programme was anchored by Prakash K Ray and Zahid.

I'm Vikas. Creative, Emotional, health-conscious and a typical Taurus addicted to writing and blogging. This blog is a mixed bag. You'll find a lot of JNU stories here, social issues, Hindi poems, photography, blogging tips, even comics.
vox pop (bouquets/brickbats)