[Reader-list] Inviting coding collaborations

[Monica Narula]

(Please post this message to other lists as well as people who might 
be interested.) 

Dear All,

We would like to share some ideas about possible collaborations 
between anyone interested in coding and the work that is taking shape 
within Sarai. 

One of our projects that especially demands addressing by programmers 
- and will benefit a lot of people - is the CyberMohalla. 
Cybermohalla is a project that is primarily trying to develop a 
computing culture within non-elite social spaces. Our first 
experimental lab has been set in the basti adjoining the LNJP 
hospital (between Ajmeri gate and Delhi gate).

Some possible areas of collaboration:-

1) Network based collaborative tools - by this we mean tools that are 
very easy to use and fun to play around with. These tools would make 
it possible for different users within the network to work together 
and create content. Basically, tools that facilitate a play with 
image, text and if possible sound. Over a period of time these tools 
could be available over the Internet as well. 

2) Programming tools for beginners - This is especially keeping in 
mind that the first (and even later participants) of CyberMohalla are 
young people, and people who have no past experience with computer 
cultures, but would/could be excited at the idea of going beyond the 
veil. At the least, it will make programming a point of conversation 
among many people who otherwise would not enter it because of having 
missed formal education. We can publish both CDs and the manuals 
in large numbers and do workshops to continuously develop these tools.

3) Games reflecting our conditions and environment - These could be 
simple games involving, say, crossing the ITO criss-cross, or 
Daryaganj crossing. In that sense, they would help comment on the 
experience of being a pedestrian in the city. 

These could later develop into serious games involving complex 
movement within the city. 

4) A good Hindi desktop - Perhaps it is already available, and 
someone merely needs to inform us of the details...

5) A Database Interface - that makes for the visualization of an 
image-sound-text database's internal schema and allows the user to 
navigate with ease.

The procedure:

1) Our Public Project Space will be open to the programmers - we have 
4 linux boxes, and hope to have 2 more very soon.
2) We will be willing to host intensive workshops, where design and 
development plan for the project can be further worked out by all the 
collaborators.
3) We are committed to covering material costs (travel, books, 
photocopies, etc.) as well paying out a decent honorarium to the 
project participants.


What interests us is that in collaboration we can create possible 
approaches and possibilities that will facilitate the establishment 
of an interesting computing culture. A culture that speaks to a wider 
audience by creating social software (in absence of a better term!). 
All the software that will be generated will be put under GPL and we 
would be very keen to support a long term development plan for 
each/any of these softwares.

If there are any other suggestions and ideas, we would be happy to 
begin joint thought on those as well. Student projects are 
especially welcome.

cheers
Sarai Media Lab

-- 
Monica Narula
Sarai:The New Media Initiative
29 Rajpur Road, Delhi 110 054
www.sarai.net