People, especially journalists who chest-thump about their own importance, do not seem to understand that because of profound technological changes, journalism is becoming more and more merely an activity. That means, journalism today -- even in Nepal -- is less of a profession than what it was even 5 years ago. If you read well, write well and can argue well and have access to data/information, snyone can set up blogs, web sites, add bits of podcasting features and so on and on and DIVERT readers' attention away from reading the mainstream media. And, seriously,who has time to read Kantipur online after you have had your daily fix of, say, blog.com.np and few other non-stream outlets of information? In this context, someone like Rishi is to be praised and commended for being the most ACTIVE "journalist" in Nepal. He gets people to talk publicly about issues of national importance. His events are widely covered by the mainstream media. Because he appears to get along well with everyone, that trait makes him -- inteterestingly enough -- the most NEUTRAL journalist there is in Nepal. Rishi has become a brand unto himself: a brand of someone who can get just about anyone on the phone in nepal and get information about it. That's power. That's influence. True, some people never tire of talking about lack of formal educational credentials -- as a reader, I'd worry if my medical doctor were only "class-8 pass" . . . as for journalists, I, as a reader, don't care how educated they are so long as they provide news and informnation to the public in ways NO ONE ELSE CAN. And that's what Rishi has been doing for several years. Hats off to him. oohi ashu