All about Church Citizens’ Voice, It’s humble beginning & growth – james kottoor & joseph mattappally

Rear-view Driving or Chewing the Cud?

http://almayasabdam.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/James-Kottor.jpg       Many newcomers among the readers of Church Citizens’ Voice (CCV: www.almayasabdam.com) were asking us of late: "Who are all behind this Internet Portal, since many names appear to be at the helm?"

The source of Energy for growth for any public venture in the modern world is: Advertising and Publicity. We don’t believe in ‘Advertising’, but we do in ‘Publicity’. Advertising is exaggeration without appearing to exaggerate, which is being less than honest. Publicity instead, is lighting a candle and putting on a lamp stand, not under a bushel, which is a must, a duty, so that all may see the good and glorify the Father. CCV has been failing on both counts – not doing enough – and we apologize to our readers for it. So this ‘chewing the cud’ at this moment.

CCV was officially launched on Nov. 6, 2014 and it had two separate periods of growth. In the initial stage it was managed by a Triumvir, james kottoor (editing expert), Joseph Mattappally (internet expert) and Zac Nedunganal (philosophical writer). The first was called Editor-in-Chief and the other two Associate Editors. 

In the first two years, the first stage, all were in real heat and so up and doing, but later not up to the mark on the publicity front, while concentrating on the national and international content which paid off and continues to prompt portals in America and Europe to publish CCV articles instantly.

 

First year report of growth

So here below we are publishing the first year report prepared by Chief Editor and Associate Editor to give an inside view of the workings of CCV. Chewing the cud or locking into a rear view mirror has to be done bit by bit to help the digestion of the readers.

A more comprehensive report and an up-to-date presentation, can be expected before the 4th anniversary of CCV’s launch, which is on Nov. 6th 2018, In the meantime continue to help us with your moral support of kudos and brickbats – james kottoor.


CCV: First year Report – Church Citizens’ Voice, First in World ranking of Indian Religious Online News sites.

Church Citizens’ Voice (CCV) will soon celebrate its first birth anniversary, precisely on Nov. 6th. It was on this day CCV was officially launched last year, 2014.

Originally CCV was part and parcel of the Malayalam portal, അല്മായശബ്ദം (almayasabdam.blogspot.com), functioning as the communication and publicity wing of the Kerala Catholic Church Reformation Movement (KCRM) to bring about radical reform in the Syromalabar Church in Kerala and abroad.

As such, almayasabdam blog had two limitations, it had to function like frog in two wells – the geographical well Kerala and its linguistic communication well Malayalam. It was to get out of these two wells and go global that CCV was planned with contact persons, reporters, and contributors from all over India and abroad, especially America, Europe and Australia. 

After a test run for several months, it was finally launched as an All English Portal, CCV with its separate website: www.almayasabdam.com on Nov. 6, 2014, under the guidance of a Triumvir, dr.james kottoor. Editor in Chief and two associate editors, Joseph Mattappally and Zacharias Nedunkanal. All of them were introduced to the CCV readers and those details can be found in the “About Us” section of CCV.

CCV India’s First in World Ranking

As CCV approaches its first birth day everyone connected with it – its readers, writers, contributors, editors and well wishers – have reason to rejoice because, unexpectedly (for us most unexpectedly we must confess) in the world ranking of some seven prominent religious websites in India operated by individuals,  CCV unbelievably captured the First Rank. Our humble thanks to the giver of all good things, because we neither dreamt of it, nor did we strive for it.

No one expected CCV, just a ten month old toddler, to come up to or overtake its six year old elder sister Blogspot in Malayalam. But today in the world ranking of websites CCV has captured the 417,734th and its Blogspot 984,703th position.

As a professional news and views portal CCV does not show partiality to anyone, it is not afraid of anyone, it does not distort facts, and it did not have to withdraw anything it published. It goes ahead working without fear or favour trusting firmly in the principle: ”Truth is mighty and will prevail”

CCV personnel work 24 hours a day. At present one of its operators is working from Chicago, another from Switzerland and the third from Kerala. Today CCV has a large network of friends, supporters and well wishers around the world, among them many are our own writers and columnists. It is thanks to these collaborators who have a nose for news and send us instantly what they come across, we are in the forefront of Church related news. News is not news if it is not new. We make sure what appears in the CCV is  NEW.

Since, “uniting people of goodwill from around the world” is one of the main goals of CCV we work in collaboration with all, especially with our sister portals like Laitytude of Bombay and Matters India of Delhi. In the same spirit of brotherly collaboration, not competition, we take relevant items from other portals also and publish in CCV. The principle is to give wings to “Good News” to fly fast and far to reach as many ears as possible.

 

Hurdles & Problems

This one year past was not a happy-go-lucky-ride for CCV or a path of roses. We had our own trials and tribulations. Around eight times CCV was hacked as part of some sinister design to silence us – yes to silence our Voice as the Voice of the Voiceless. Here we are  reminded of St.Paul’s missionary journeys in which he was shipwrecked several times. But God’s hand helped us from drowning, not due to our smartness. Trusting in that providential help we go forward.

You can see that unseen hand working in this portal. CCV has not received any prayer-offering or good will donation as at church services, nor did we ask for it from anyone, some portals do ask. Ours is a labour of love. None of the office bearers who work 24 hours take any Paisa from anyone as remuneration imitating others who ask for donations or contributions to pay their editorial board members, which  of course is not wrong .

But thanks be to God, because this website is built, its running cost is met and its maintenance is done thanks to a prominent website building company in India. Also CCV is taken care of and protected by its well wishers. It has its own legal advisers as well to guide and show the right way. Yet it has no Bank account of its own. Still CCV makes fast progress and gets ahead of others without exploiting anyone, even the Church which it serves.

 

Website Design

CCV website is designed to surprise, inspire and give hope. The image of the Risen Lord against the cross He overcame is CCV’s masthead. Through His outstretched hands we embrace all of you readers and visitors. His smiling face and embracing hands are CCV’s proud proclamation that it leads a movement of Risen people worshiping a living God, not a dead Christ as non-Christians think.

As the website opens, some 20 attractively illustrated headlines in two rows pop up beckoning you gently: “Click open and read me first” with a content at least for 5 to 10 minutes. Simultaneously there are more than 20 or more three or four liners calling your attention elsewhere.

Each news item or articles stays exposed for at least one week before it disappears. What has disappeared can be instantly retrieved by clicking on the right date and month in the “Search Posts by Date” at bottom right side. To see much more visit: www.almayasabdam.com.

Finally there is a bit of a pudding at the end of this meal from our Website Expert and organizer Joseph Mattappally keeping a close eye on growth or decline of CCV. Given below is  his hand out as of October 30th. 

JM Editor

Joseph Mattappally

“Hai JK and Zac,

I have gone through available statistics with regard to CCV. In India CCV is the most read online Christian religious portal. Its global ranking among others I know of in India as of Oct. 30th 2015 is given below: 

CCV, Ernakulam:                                      414,111

Matters India, Delhi:                                 509,101

Almaya blogspot:                                     967,528

Indian Currents, Delhi                             3,426,968

Laitytude,  Bombay:                                4,325,098

Ootty Diocean Catholic News is not ranked at all since there are not enough page views. Daily page-viewers of CCV and blogspot are now hanging around at an average of 400 and 500. 

Most hits go to our exclusives, that were forwarded and posted with comments by JK – Congrats! The one ahead of us, Indian Portals, is UCAN, an Asian portal based in Hong Kong. Its global ranking is as below”

UCAN, Global  Rank, below IC 351,370

As a prelude to commemorate (not celebrate) the Birth day the Editorial Board presents its first year report of service to you our esteemed readers, supporters and well-wishers who alone are our Masters. No celebration because we are reminded of the Gospel injunction: “After doing all that are expected to do, call yourself, useless servants.”

His Foot-washing-ministry is our model. You judge how we performed, passed or failed, and tell us what better things you expect from us in the  new year. Your order please, for your servants are at this end. Like Samuel we pray: Speak Lord for your servants are listening.

The CCV Editorial Board

Editor in Chief:

james kottoor, jameskottoor@gmail.com;

Associate Editors:

JosephMattappally: jmattappally@gmail.com;

Zach Nedunkanal: znperingulam@gmail.com)

PS:  The above write up was published on the first anniversary of CCV. Today CCV has one more Associate Editor and columnist, Isaac Gomes from Kolkata. 


Joseph Mattappally wrote on Oct. 29/15, for the benefit of Malayalam speaking readers:

കേരളാകാത്തലിക് ചർച്ച് റിഫോർമേഷൻ (കെ സി ആർ എം) ന്റെ ആഭിമുഖ്യത്തിൽ, സീറോ മലബാർ കത്തോലിക്കരുടെ പ്രശ്നങ്ങൾ ആഗോളതലത്തിൽ ചർച്ച ചെയ്യുകയെന്ന ഉദ്ദേശത്തോടേ ആരംഭിച്ച Church Citizens' Voice – CCV (almayasabdam.com) ഈ നവംബറിൽ  ഒരുവർഷം പൂർത്തിയാക്കുകയാണ്.

ഭാരതത്തിലെ ഏറ്റവും കൂടുതൽ വായിക്കപ്പെടുന്ന മൂന്നു പ്രമുഖ ഓണ്‍ലൈൻ മതപ്രസിദ്ധീകരണങ്ങളുടെയൊപ്പം Church Citizens' Voice, കേരളത്തിലെ സഭാനവീകരണ പ്രസ്ഥാനങ്ങളുടെ അഭിമാനമായി ഇന്നു തലയുയർത്തി നിൽക്കുന്നുവെങ്കിൽ അതിൽ സന്തോഷിക്കാൻ ഇതിന്റെ എല്ലാ പ്രവർത്തകർക്കും അഭ്യൂദയ കാംഷികൾക്കും അവകാശമുണ്ട്.

കെ സി ആർ എം ന്റെ അല്മായാശബ്ദം ബ്ലോഗ്ഗിനെക്കാൾ Church Citizens' Voice വളരുമെന്ന് ആരും പ്രതീക്ഷിച്ചതല്ല. പക്ഷെ, വെബ്സൈറ്റുകളുടെ  ലോക റാങ്കിങ്ങിൽ ബ്ലോഗ്ഗ് 984,703 മതും CCV 417,734 മതും സ്ഥാനങ്ങളില്ലാണിപ്പോൾ. 

Church Citizens' Voice ആരോടും വിവേചനം കാട്ടിയിട്ടില്ല, ആരെയും ഭയന്നിട്ടുമില്ല; അലക്ഷ്യമായി വസ്തുതകൾ വളച്ചൊടിച്ചിട്ടുമില്ല, പ്രസിദ്ധീകരിച്ച ഒരു വാക്കുപോലും പിൻവലിക്കേണ്ടിയും വന്നിട്ടില്ല;  24 മണിക്കൂറും CCV പ്രവർത്തനനിരതമാണെന്നതാണ് സത്യം. ഇന്ന് CCV യുടെ സുഹൃത് വലയം വളരെ വലുതാണ്. നമ്മുടേതെന്നു പറയാൻ സ്ഥിരം ലേഖകരുമുണ്ട്, വാർത്തകൾ അപ്പപ്പോൾ എത്തിച്ചുതരാൻ സ്വന്തം പ്രതിനിധികളുമുണ്ട്. നിരവധി പ്രസ്ഥാനങ്ങൾ  CCVയോടൊപ്പം നില്ക്കുന്നു. അത്മായരും സഭാപിതാക്കന്മാരും ഒരുപോലെ ഇത് വായിക്കുകയും ഇതിൽ എഴുതുകയും ചെയ്യുന്നു. ആഗോളകത്തോലിക്കാ സഭയുടെ സ്പന്ദനങ്ങൾ അതുപോലെ കാണാൻ  CCV സഹായിക്കുന്നു. 

തുടക്കത്തിൽതന്നെ നിരവധി പ്രതിബന്ധങ്ങളെ CCVക്കു നേരിടേണ്ടി വന്നിട്ടുണ്ട്. ഏതാണ്ട് 8 ഓളം പ്രാവശ്യം ഈ വെബ്സൈറ്റ് ഹാക്ക് ചെയ്യപെട്ടു. ബോധപൂർവ്വമായ ഒരു നീക്കത്തിന്റെ ഭാഗമായിരുന്നതെന്നു സ്പഷ്ടം. ദൈവികപരിപാലന എങ്ങിനെ പ്രവർത്തിക്കുന്നുവെന്ന് കാണാൻ ഇതിന്റെ പ്രവർത്തനത്തിലേക്ക് നോക്കിയാൽ മാത്രംമതി. സ്തോസ്ത്ര കാഴ്ചയായോ സംഭാവനയായോ കൂലിയായോ ഒരു നയാപൈസാ പോലും CCV വാങ്ങിയിട്ടില്ല. ഒരു ലേഖകനും CCV പ്രതിഫലംകൊടുക്കുന്നില്ല, ഇതിന്റെ മുഴുവൻ സമയ പത്രാധിപരിൽ ആർക്കും ആരും ശമ്പളവും കൊടുക്കാറില്ല, എങ്കിലും  ഇതിനെ സംരക്ഷിക്കാൻ അണികളുമുണ്ട്, ഇതിനുനിയമോപദേശം നല്കാൻ പ്രഗൽഭരായ അഭിഭാഷകരുമുണ്ട്. ഒരുബാങ്ക് അക്കൗണ്ട്പോലും ഇല്ലാതിരുന്നിട്ടും CCV അതിവേഗം മുന്നേറുന്നു, സഭയെ ചൂഷണം ചെയ്യുന്നവർക്ക്  ഭീഷണിയായി!

2014 നവമ്ബറിലാണ് CCV പൂർണ്ണ തോതിൽ പ്രസിദ്ധീകരണം ആരംഭിച്ചത്. കഴിഞ്ഞുപോയ ഏതു ദിവസത്തെ വാർത്തകളും ആർക്കും എളുപ്പത്തിൽ കണ്ടുപിടിക്കുകയും വായിക്കുകയും ചെയ്യാവുന്ന രീതിയിലാണ് CCV യുടെ വെബ്സൈറ്റ് ഡിസൈൻ ചെയ്തിരിക്കുന്നത്. CCV യുടെ പ്രവർത്തനങ്ങൾ കൊണ്ടു പ്രയോജനമുണ്ടായ നിരവധി സന്ദർഭങ്ങൾ ഇതിന്റെ പ്രവർത്തകർക്ക്  പറയാനുണ്ട്. അനീതി വിളമ്പുന്നവരെല്ലാം CCVയെ ഭയപ്പെടുന്നു. അത്പോരാ! യേശുവിനെ അപമാനിക്കുന്ന ഭരണാധികാരികളിൽ നിന്നും വിശ്വാസികൾ പൂർണ്ണമായും മോചിതരാകുന്നിടംവരെ നമുക്കു പോകേണ്ടതുണ്ട്. ആ പ്രഭാതം അകലെയല്ലതാനും!

പത്രാധിപസമിതിക്കു വേണ്ടി

Joseph Mattappally, Vrindavan Complex,  Koorali P.O., 

686 522, Kottayam Dt., Kerala, India. 

Mob: +91 9495875338 (Kerala),    jmattappally@gmail.com

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