(I think there is some rule that says that introductions should be written in the third person, so let me try…)
This blog is written by Vijay Narayanan — variously referred to as Vijay Krishna Narayanan, Vijay K. Narayanan, Vijay Krishna, Vijay or VK. He describes himself as a just another normal person who interprets the world through the eyes of some of the foremost thinkers and philosophers of our time, chief among them Koundamani and George Costanza. People who know him would attest that he is a good man, a description that makes him feel uncomfortable, and to which his usual response, apart from a sheepish smile, is “My mom would be pleased to know that.” He currently lives in the Greater Philadelphia area. The first 24 years of his life were spent in the adorable city of Chennai Madras, in South India. This explains his liking, even failing for spicy food, good music and calm environs.
Vijay is a firm believer in the power of inquiry, which is about the only constant in his world view. Sometimes traditionalist, sometimes non-conformist, sometimes humanist and sometimes elitist, his philosophies tend to vacillate based on a number of factors. Consequently, one might draw different conclusions about him, depending on the post(s) one reads; and where his lines of thought seem at odds over time, he entreats readers to consider the most recent viewpoint as reflective of his outlook. Over time, he has also learned to resist the urge to think as if he were a political or religious leader or a social reformer — a malaise that he confesses to have been afflicted by in olden times — for he knows he is not any of those nor does he harbor any such aspirations. His posts, therefore, tend to draw from his own experiences, possibly the only subject that he is more competent at than others are.
The original blog (then on Blogspot) was started on the (sunny, hot) afternoon of May 31, 2005. The author had been thinking really hard for a name for a blog, and it struck him that he could name it VKpedia, as a play on Wikipedia. This blog, like all other blogs, is unlike any other blog. Comments and reactions range from “awesome”, “very interesting” and “the best I’ve come across” (which is an overstatement, definitely) to “rubbish” (which is also an overstatement!), “blockhead!”, “flimsy” and “grow up, kid”.
You can reach the author at vijay [@] vkpedia.com. Fan mail gets responded to personally within 24 hours. Hate mail has a faster turnaround.