Extremity unbound
http://www.extremescience.com/
There are many extremes in science: extreme weather conditions, extreme natural disasters, etc., which play havoc with the lives of people. But extremity can be interesting and so this website is dedicated to all such extremes. You can learn more about disasters like volcano eruptions, tsunamis and earthquakes, look at the world records related to these extremes and, of course, you can look at some of the extreme creatures in the animal kingdom as well.
Zipping made easy
http://krun.ch/
If you’re one of those people who constantly need to zip their documents, here’s a neat little break from WinZip and WinRar. Krunch is a relatively unknown but rather interesting online tool that you can use to zip and unzip your files. All you need to do is upload files from your PC to zip them and then download them once unzipped. The only bothersome thing is the limited number of files (10) which you are allowed to zip but even then, Krunch is a refreshing change from WinZip.
Green future
http://www.pfaf.org/
You don’t need a green thumb to appreciate the capabilities of plants. This website gives you some idea of the utilities of plants in a variety of medicinal and edible ways. This is not at all difficult; in fact, you can easily go through them and check out the top 20 plants. Not only this but you can also download the database of the species provided on the website. In all, this is a useful website, especially if you are a gardening buff.
Buttoning it up
http://www.buttonator.com/
Whether you host your own website or maintain a regular blog link, buttons are always a must-have for some much-needed promotion. This website has a very cool button generator; all you need to do is select the style of the button, colour scheme and text and your button will be generated through a mere click. However, you have to find some way of hosting the image of your button, if you want to use it as a link.
Saturday, November 25, 2006
Sunday, November 19, 2006
The good, bad and the ugly
IF YOU ever Google the phrase, “teacher quotes” you’ll get approximately 3,630,000 results. When you go through some of the websites which turn up only on the first page, you’ll come across some of the best words that could ever be used to pay tribute to a teacher. Consider the following examples, for instance: “What nobler employment, or more valuable to the state, than that of the man who instructs the rising generation” (Cicero) and “those who educate children well are more to be honored than parents, for these only gave life, those the art of living well” (Aristotle).
Of course, words can never really do justice to a teacher/educator who plays an important part in one’s life, be it a school, college or university. One may ask then, what motivates students to rebel against their teachers? Why do they like some teachers and despise others? There are many reasons for that and one of them is incompetence.
There was a time when students had a completely devoted to their teachers. They couldn’t even imagine replacing their teacher let alone complain about him/her to the school authorities. A teacher was assigned to their class and that was the end of the story.
Now, however, there is a marked difference. Students over time have learnt to evaluate their teachers, often with a very critical eye and the result is that a teacher, who falls short of their expectations, comes under fire.
The quality of teachers is a determining factor in this regard. Previously in Pakistan, and even now in other parts of the world, teachers are selected on the basis on a very strict criterion often after they have passed a specific examination and have the necessary degrees.
With the mushrooming of private schools and colleges in Pakistan, the demand for teachers has considerably increased. Consequently, anyone, who has some free time on his/her hands and wants to make quick money in the easiest way possible way, opts for teaching. Thus, people who do not have the required qualifications start teaching subjects like science and computing, with the result that students end up learning nothing at all.
So, students are reluctant to accept whoever is assigned to them as a teacher because they believe they have a right to receiving quality education which they feel they can only receive if they have a good teacher at their disposal. But what happens when students don’t like certain teachers? What makes one teacher more incompetent than the others?
“An incompetent teacher is someone who doesn’t deliver. For example, s/he is very particular that you should submit assignments on time but will take forever to check them and make mistakes in the process. An incompetent teacher is also someone who isn’t enthusiastic enough about his/her subject, doesn’t follow up on developments in the field, and is not in a position to answer your questions; someone who speaks more of his/her personal life and achievements rather than the subject matter at hand, who is lazy and doesn’t understand the psyche of students,” says Mariam Rehan, an MBA student.
Faria Hussain, on the other hand, feels that those who enter the teaching profession just to make some extra money rather than impart knowledge are probably the most incompetent as they fail to inspire students to excel. “Teachers should equip themselves with the necessary tools to teach students,” she stated. “For example, teachers need to be well-informed and updated and should not rely on delivering the same old stuff they learnt at college themselves.”
Knowledge of the subject was cited by many students as the major prerequisite for competence. “Someone who is inept at answering questions and does not have a thorough know-how of his/her subject is definitely incompetent,” says Maria Ejaz, another student. “Attitude problems also count,” she adds.
As can be seen from the above statements, students have very clear ideas about competency or its lack thereof. Unfortunately for them, they do end up with their share of teachers who fall short of their expectations. So what do they do in such cases?
“We once had a young teacher who was my benchmark of the worst a teacher can be,” says Sarah Hassan, an Honour’s student at a well-known university. “We have a teacher evaluation form at the end of the term. I gave a very honest account of my experiences with her but unfortunately, I don’t think it worked because now she has been made a permanent teacher.”
“We have had many teachers who didn’t know what they were teaching and didn’t give us space to express ourselves. Moreover, they imposed themselves and their authority,” says Saira Shafaat. “But since we were A-level students and had a time constraint, we couldn’t exactly complain. Some of my classmates opted for tuitions and others just decided to study on their own.”
“When I was in the primary section, we had a teacher who taught only the first two rows and those who were sitting at the back didn’t follow a single word. I got my mother to complain at the PTA meeting, but it didn’t help,” complains Hira Anwar, who is now in her O’Levels.
Of course, there are students who are extremely pessimistic about the whole situation. They feel it is better to let the teacher do whatever s/he wants for the simple reason that if a teacher discovers that a rebellion is stirring within her class, those at the forefront can suffer numerous consequences. The most serious consequence which deters most students is fear of failure. Hence, students often decide to learn a subject on their own.
Bina Arshad feels very strongly about this. “Teachers usually cannot accept the fact that they are wrong. They have an air of superiority about them. Every once in a while, a student could be right but no one accepts this. And if they do, it is probably because they hold a grudge against the teacher. The problem is no one really likes criticism. If you have the gall to point out a problem to someone, you’re likely to pay sooner or later.”
However, there are schools which do try and take action at the request of students. “We had a complaint against our senior teacher and we went to complain to the headmistress. She was very understanding. But at the same time she told us she would remove that teacher only if we managed to get another one,” elaborates Faria.
Kinza Salim, a student of BE, agrees. “One of our teachers just comes in class, writes stuff on the blackboard and then leaves. No explanations are given. But whenever we complain, we are told to find another teacher on our own.”
It all comes down to a lack of good teachers. Of course, all this is not say that all teachers are incompetent. There are teachers who have gone a long way in positively influencing the lives of those whom they have taught. One sees these teachers even today, dedicating their lives to making a difference.
However, there are those who bring a bad name to the profession and it’s about time action was taken against them. It would be best to hold training courses for teachers before they are assigned to a particular class along with some sort of an evaluation at the end of each term.
So it isn’t as easy as it looks. Still, schools can take the initiative to ensure that the teachers they hire are qualified enough and have undergone some form of training. Till that time, students will continue to suffer.
(Names of students have been changed to ensure their privacy)
Of course, words can never really do justice to a teacher/educator who plays an important part in one’s life, be it a school, college or university. One may ask then, what motivates students to rebel against their teachers? Why do they like some teachers and despise others? There are many reasons for that and one of them is incompetence.
There was a time when students had a completely devoted to their teachers. They couldn’t even imagine replacing their teacher let alone complain about him/her to the school authorities. A teacher was assigned to their class and that was the end of the story.
Now, however, there is a marked difference. Students over time have learnt to evaluate their teachers, often with a very critical eye and the result is that a teacher, who falls short of their expectations, comes under fire.
The quality of teachers is a determining factor in this regard. Previously in Pakistan, and even now in other parts of the world, teachers are selected on the basis on a very strict criterion often after they have passed a specific examination and have the necessary degrees.
With the mushrooming of private schools and colleges in Pakistan, the demand for teachers has considerably increased. Consequently, anyone, who has some free time on his/her hands and wants to make quick money in the easiest way possible way, opts for teaching. Thus, people who do not have the required qualifications start teaching subjects like science and computing, with the result that students end up learning nothing at all.
So, students are reluctant to accept whoever is assigned to them as a teacher because they believe they have a right to receiving quality education which they feel they can only receive if they have a good teacher at their disposal. But what happens when students don’t like certain teachers? What makes one teacher more incompetent than the others?
“An incompetent teacher is someone who doesn’t deliver. For example, s/he is very particular that you should submit assignments on time but will take forever to check them and make mistakes in the process. An incompetent teacher is also someone who isn’t enthusiastic enough about his/her subject, doesn’t follow up on developments in the field, and is not in a position to answer your questions; someone who speaks more of his/her personal life and achievements rather than the subject matter at hand, who is lazy and doesn’t understand the psyche of students,” says Mariam Rehan, an MBA student.
Faria Hussain, on the other hand, feels that those who enter the teaching profession just to make some extra money rather than impart knowledge are probably the most incompetent as they fail to inspire students to excel. “Teachers should equip themselves with the necessary tools to teach students,” she stated. “For example, teachers need to be well-informed and updated and should not rely on delivering the same old stuff they learnt at college themselves.”
Knowledge of the subject was cited by many students as the major prerequisite for competence. “Someone who is inept at answering questions and does not have a thorough know-how of his/her subject is definitely incompetent,” says Maria Ejaz, another student. “Attitude problems also count,” she adds.
As can be seen from the above statements, students have very clear ideas about competency or its lack thereof. Unfortunately for them, they do end up with their share of teachers who fall short of their expectations. So what do they do in such cases?
“We once had a young teacher who was my benchmark of the worst a teacher can be,” says Sarah Hassan, an Honour’s student at a well-known university. “We have a teacher evaluation form at the end of the term. I gave a very honest account of my experiences with her but unfortunately, I don’t think it worked because now she has been made a permanent teacher.”
“We have had many teachers who didn’t know what they were teaching and didn’t give us space to express ourselves. Moreover, they imposed themselves and their authority,” says Saira Shafaat. “But since we were A-level students and had a time constraint, we couldn’t exactly complain. Some of my classmates opted for tuitions and others just decided to study on their own.”
“When I was in the primary section, we had a teacher who taught only the first two rows and those who were sitting at the back didn’t follow a single word. I got my mother to complain at the PTA meeting, but it didn’t help,” complains Hira Anwar, who is now in her O’Levels.
Of course, there are students who are extremely pessimistic about the whole situation. They feel it is better to let the teacher do whatever s/he wants for the simple reason that if a teacher discovers that a rebellion is stirring within her class, those at the forefront can suffer numerous consequences. The most serious consequence which deters most students is fear of failure. Hence, students often decide to learn a subject on their own.
Bina Arshad feels very strongly about this. “Teachers usually cannot accept the fact that they are wrong. They have an air of superiority about them. Every once in a while, a student could be right but no one accepts this. And if they do, it is probably because they hold a grudge against the teacher. The problem is no one really likes criticism. If you have the gall to point out a problem to someone, you’re likely to pay sooner or later.”
However, there are schools which do try and take action at the request of students. “We had a complaint against our senior teacher and we went to complain to the headmistress. She was very understanding. But at the same time she told us she would remove that teacher only if we managed to get another one,” elaborates Faria.
Kinza Salim, a student of BE, agrees. “One of our teachers just comes in class, writes stuff on the blackboard and then leaves. No explanations are given. But whenever we complain, we are told to find another teacher on our own.”
It all comes down to a lack of good teachers. Of course, all this is not say that all teachers are incompetent. There are teachers who have gone a long way in positively influencing the lives of those whom they have taught. One sees these teachers even today, dedicating their lives to making a difference.
However, there are those who bring a bad name to the profession and it’s about time action was taken against them. It would be best to hold training courses for teachers before they are assigned to a particular class along with some sort of an evaluation at the end of each term.
So it isn’t as easy as it looks. Still, schools can take the initiative to ensure that the teachers they hire are qualified enough and have undergone some form of training. Till that time, students will continue to suffer.
(Names of students have been changed to ensure their privacy)
Saturday, November 4, 2006
The ominous Ctrl-C
IMAGINE the following scenario: you have an assignment to submit on the most boring topic ever. The last thing you want to do is to go to the library to check reference material. You don’t even feel like doing any research over the internet. So you decide to take the easy way out by logging onto some essay websites and hitting Control C.
You repeat this process with several such websites, design a nice cover page and print out the whole thing to submit the next day. You know your teacher is not that tech-savvy so s/he will probably never guess that your assignment is nothing but a rip-off and you’ll breeze your way through it with an A. All’s well that ends well. End of story, right?
Unfortunately not. You have just fallen prey to one of the worst categories of websites which were conceived on the World Wide Web. These websites come under many different, jazzed-up names, with equally appealing headlines and alluring promises, but underneath their façade, they’re all the same.
They feature essays and term papers written by people like you and me. No matter which topic your teacher/professor gives you to write an essay on, you are sure to find something written on it on one of these websites, even if it comprises just a paragraph. At best, you can find a whole five to six-paragraph essay on it. They are all absolutely for free so all you do need is to hit Ctrl and C.
But before you hit those keys, stop and reflect for a while. Have you wondered why they are for free in the first place? If you have spent quality time researching on a topic, analysing it from all angles and then writing down something concrete, will you put it up online and let anyone copy/paste it for free without even giving you due credit for all that hard work? It’s highly unlikely.
On the other hand, if you know what you have written is a shoddy piece of rip-off from different websites from the internet, you won’t really mind if anyone copies it. After all, it wasn’t even yours in the first place, was it?
And therein lies the basic problem with these websites. The essays and papers grossly lack quality. Saying that the essays featured here are horrible would be the understatement of the year. They aren’t just horrible. They’re terrible to the nth degree, replete with spelling and grammatical errors. Even paragraphing leaves a lot to be desired and sometimes, the formatting of the webpage itself is so bad that you feel like closing the window immediately.
Moreover, most of the times, there is no coherence between paragraphs. One paragraph will talk about something which is completely different from the track the writer has taken in the next paragraph. This is something which can easily send your head spinning if you’re trying to read and make some sense out of it.
If you think this is an exaggeration, then check out the following sentences copied verbatim from one of the websites which was extremely popular among a group of A-level English General students a couple of years ago:
— “Computer crime first is a very new problem in our society today and it is crimes that are committed from a computer.”
— “I’m about to take up a position which is going to be deamed by some, if not all, as a terrible stand to take.”
— “That being suicide does have its merits.”
— “Why should it be looked upon as disgracefull, when some religions claim death the be the reward for people after their time on earth is done.”
— “Hacking is a process of learning not following any manual.”
As you can well imagine, almost every sentence of such essays is filled with such mistakes. There is no proper sentence structure and typos dominate the entire body of the written material.
Another problem with these websites is that the term papers and essays which they put up for free copy/pasting look as if they have been copied from different sources. If you go through the essays carefully, you’ll discover that in nine out of 10 cases, the content hardly ever relates to its title. It is as if the essay title says something and the body talks about something totally different.
Of course, this discussion shouldn’t serve to alert you to find an alternative means of copy/pasting. It is simply a wake-up call for you to realise that that what you are copy/pasting now is completely wrong in the first place. The fact is that copy/pasting is simply another name for cheating, no matter how much you try to justify it. The internet may have simplified matters but if you hit that Ctrl C key too often for your assignment, you are technically committing a crime.
The internet is there for you can find new information and assess its utility before you decide to include it as part of your assignment/thesis. One of the problems with this medium of information is that anyone can put up anything on any website. There is no accountability factor. On the one hand, it has allowed a great degree of freedom to ordinary people to get their ideas and opinions across. But on the other, there is no dearth of twisted facts and figures, which spread more misinformation than awareness.
Then, there is naivety on the part of students today who don’t even think about questioning the information they come across and include in their assignments. This unauthentic information is apparently lost on the educators and teachers who correct the essays which students pass off as their own work. This is indicated by the somewhat alarming frequency of comments by visitors to essay websites who thank the authors for their “commendable” work — between the lines it means that they got excellent grades on those papers.
Of course, it would be unfair to generalise. There are students who genuinely work hard and teachers who are tech-savvy enough to detect plagiarism. There are also websites which feature the hardwork and research of professionals. You will need to probe in deeper to find their websites but once you do, there’s no reason why you cannot rewrite in your own words any authentic information that you come across, as long as you give credit to the website and the author in your bibliography. So basically what you do need to wake up to is the fact that all those web sources which encourage copy/pasting are highly dubious. Copy/pasting may seem like the easy way out, but inadvertently, it’s spoiling your language and general knowledge. If this is the price you want to pay for your laziness, go ahead by all means. But remember that it would do you a world of good if you do your own work for a change.
You repeat this process with several such websites, design a nice cover page and print out the whole thing to submit the next day. You know your teacher is not that tech-savvy so s/he will probably never guess that your assignment is nothing but a rip-off and you’ll breeze your way through it with an A. All’s well that ends well. End of story, right?
Unfortunately not. You have just fallen prey to one of the worst categories of websites which were conceived on the World Wide Web. These websites come under many different, jazzed-up names, with equally appealing headlines and alluring promises, but underneath their façade, they’re all the same.
They feature essays and term papers written by people like you and me. No matter which topic your teacher/professor gives you to write an essay on, you are sure to find something written on it on one of these websites, even if it comprises just a paragraph. At best, you can find a whole five to six-paragraph essay on it. They are all absolutely for free so all you do need is to hit Ctrl and C.
But before you hit those keys, stop and reflect for a while. Have you wondered why they are for free in the first place? If you have spent quality time researching on a topic, analysing it from all angles and then writing down something concrete, will you put it up online and let anyone copy/paste it for free without even giving you due credit for all that hard work? It’s highly unlikely.
On the other hand, if you know what you have written is a shoddy piece of rip-off from different websites from the internet, you won’t really mind if anyone copies it. After all, it wasn’t even yours in the first place, was it?
And therein lies the basic problem with these websites. The essays and papers grossly lack quality. Saying that the essays featured here are horrible would be the understatement of the year. They aren’t just horrible. They’re terrible to the nth degree, replete with spelling and grammatical errors. Even paragraphing leaves a lot to be desired and sometimes, the formatting of the webpage itself is so bad that you feel like closing the window immediately.
Moreover, most of the times, there is no coherence between paragraphs. One paragraph will talk about something which is completely different from the track the writer has taken in the next paragraph. This is something which can easily send your head spinning if you’re trying to read and make some sense out of it.
If you think this is an exaggeration, then check out the following sentences copied verbatim from one of the websites which was extremely popular among a group of A-level English General students a couple of years ago:
— “Computer crime first is a very new problem in our society today and it is crimes that are committed from a computer.”
— “I’m about to take up a position which is going to be deamed by some, if not all, as a terrible stand to take.”
— “That being suicide does have its merits.”
— “Why should it be looked upon as disgracefull, when some religions claim death the be the reward for people after their time on earth is done.”
— “Hacking is a process of learning not following any manual.”
As you can well imagine, almost every sentence of such essays is filled with such mistakes. There is no proper sentence structure and typos dominate the entire body of the written material.
Another problem with these websites is that the term papers and essays which they put up for free copy/pasting look as if they have been copied from different sources. If you go through the essays carefully, you’ll discover that in nine out of 10 cases, the content hardly ever relates to its title. It is as if the essay title says something and the body talks about something totally different.
Of course, this discussion shouldn’t serve to alert you to find an alternative means of copy/pasting. It is simply a wake-up call for you to realise that that what you are copy/pasting now is completely wrong in the first place. The fact is that copy/pasting is simply another name for cheating, no matter how much you try to justify it. The internet may have simplified matters but if you hit that Ctrl C key too often for your assignment, you are technically committing a crime.
The internet is there for you can find new information and assess its utility before you decide to include it as part of your assignment/thesis. One of the problems with this medium of information is that anyone can put up anything on any website. There is no accountability factor. On the one hand, it has allowed a great degree of freedom to ordinary people to get their ideas and opinions across. But on the other, there is no dearth of twisted facts and figures, which spread more misinformation than awareness.
Then, there is naivety on the part of students today who don’t even think about questioning the information they come across and include in their assignments. This unauthentic information is apparently lost on the educators and teachers who correct the essays which students pass off as their own work. This is indicated by the somewhat alarming frequency of comments by visitors to essay websites who thank the authors for their “commendable” work — between the lines it means that they got excellent grades on those papers.
Of course, it would be unfair to generalise. There are students who genuinely work hard and teachers who are tech-savvy enough to detect plagiarism. There are also websites which feature the hardwork and research of professionals. You will need to probe in deeper to find their websites but once you do, there’s no reason why you cannot rewrite in your own words any authentic information that you come across, as long as you give credit to the website and the author in your bibliography. So basically what you do need to wake up to is the fact that all those web sources which encourage copy/pasting are highly dubious. Copy/pasting may seem like the easy way out, but inadvertently, it’s spoiling your language and general knowledge. If this is the price you want to pay for your laziness, go ahead by all means. But remember that it would do you a world of good if you do your own work for a change.
Saturday, October 28, 2006
Lights, camera, action!
THE simple act of writing a diary online, describing one’s thoughts and opinions, has evolved over the years to something more complex, fascinating and fulfilling. The bloggers of today are not content with simply making an account on Blogger and typing in a random entry every now and then. They want to do something more.
And this is where video blogging (or vlogging) comes in. The content of a video blog is essentially video clips which have been shot by the blogger in question. These clips can either be personal and completely random or they can follow a particular theme; for instance, education, environment or politics, decided again by the vlogger.
Vlogging is simple enough once you get the hang of it. All you really need is a digital camera with which you can shoot the video. Once it is shot, you can transfer it to your PC via your USB and after editing, upload it on one of the many websites which allow video hosting for free. And then, all that is required is a blog in which you can post the link of the video. Your readers can easily follow the link and get the video streamed to their PCs. For additional functionality, you can add an RSS feed so that all those who regularly come to your vlog can subscribe to it.
Vlogging is a fairly recent phenomenon if the dates and events associated with it are anything to go by. It was only in November 2000 when a blogger, Adrian Miles, and Australia-based teacher, introduced vlogging. You can go through his entry at http://hypertext.rmit.edu.au/vog/vog_archive/000082.html. Hs vlog can be accessed at http://hypertext.rmit.edu.au/vlog/.
The very first vlog, however, didn’t come until 2004 when Steven Garfield, a Boston-based blogger, launched the first ever video blog at http://stevegarfield.blogs.com/videoblog/. It is Garfield who is considered to be the father of video blogging. To date, his vlog has a wide assortment of video clips featuring interviews, seminars and much more.
Vlogging has now caught on with the rest of the world, with vloggers being a strong virtual community in their own right. A Vlogger Conference was held in January 2005 which brought together all video bloggers and podcasters on one platform to discuss the potential of this new and very exciting form of communication.
In May 2005, the present hub of video blogging was born. That was the month in which a preview of YouTube (www.youtube.com) went online. In the following months, YouTube become a raging success. People not only used it to video blog, but they also uploaded many different programmes from the mainstream media to share with their friends, something that resulted in copyright lawsuits for the YouTube management. However, YouTube is still surviving and a popular choice for those who want to upload their video clips or watch them at ease.
As the situation with vlogging now stands, video blogging is not just a fascinating way to interact with the rest of the world, it is highly effective too. It is basically doing away with the power that people in the mainstream media have to choose what information should be disclosed to the people and what should be withheld.
With video blogging, this power lays in hands of the public. An average person going about his business on a routine day can shoot whatever he deems would be interesting, informative and entertaining to his audience and put the video up for the entire world to watch at its leisure. There is the accountability factor too. One can also shoot all those things going on in the society which shouldn’t be and use the videos as evidence. At its best, this alternative medium is actually empowering people.
But the question remains, is this trend popular in Pakistan?
“Regrettably, there are no video bloggers in Pakistan, as per my knowledge,” says S.A.J. Shirazi, a prolific blogger. “I sometimes see videos posted on Adil Najam’s blog or Asad Raza’s blog – both are expatriates. Adil Najam cross-posted a video on my blog in his August 14 post as well. But that does not mean that they are necessarily video bloggers.”
This indicates that, unfortunately, the rate at which video blogging is diffusing in Pakistan is rather slow. There can be a variety of reasons for that, the major one being, of course, that many people simply aren’t familiar with the term video blogging and its advantages. In a country like ours, where internet literacy is already low and out of that only a handful of people have chosen to blog actively, the fact that video blogging hasn’t caught on doesn’t really come across as a surprise.
Even so, it is a pity, especially when one considers the potential for video blogging in the Pakistani context. We are living in a world where Pakistan constantly comes under fire in mainstream media for various reasons. Video blogging can actually be a very good way of dispelling some of the myths about Pakistan that people from other countries believe to be true. The advantage of video blogging is that the videos don’t really have to be about celebrities or “cool” hangout places. The videos can feature the daily lives of ordinary people going about their routine work, random people talking in public buses as if they have known each other for years, shopkeepers haggling with fussy females or the whole city preparing for some festive occasion. They would all be ordinary videos but they would give off a very strong message that ours is a country just like any other. People here actually have a life and they don’t go around wearing bullet-proof vests and brandishing weapons at those who don’t agree with them.
Another benefit is that many people who come online can’t really read the extensive text on webpages or blogs without getting a severe headache. A blogger who is simply writing has to consider keeping his entry short and to the point. In contrast, a video blogger has the advantage of letting his audience see what he has to say.
In the light of the above reasons, vlogging does seem like a promising addition to the world of blogging in Pakistan. All one requires is some time and effort. For those who want to disseminate information which would never find a place on the airwaves, here is a fast and convenient way to reach out to a large number of people.
And this is where video blogging (or vlogging) comes in. The content of a video blog is essentially video clips which have been shot by the blogger in question. These clips can either be personal and completely random or they can follow a particular theme; for instance, education, environment or politics, decided again by the vlogger.
Vlogging is simple enough once you get the hang of it. All you really need is a digital camera with which you can shoot the video. Once it is shot, you can transfer it to your PC via your USB and after editing, upload it on one of the many websites which allow video hosting for free. And then, all that is required is a blog in which you can post the link of the video. Your readers can easily follow the link and get the video streamed to their PCs. For additional functionality, you can add an RSS feed so that all those who regularly come to your vlog can subscribe to it.
Vlogging is a fairly recent phenomenon if the dates and events associated with it are anything to go by. It was only in November 2000 when a blogger, Adrian Miles, and Australia-based teacher, introduced vlogging. You can go through his entry at http://hypertext.rmit.edu.au/vog/vog_archive/000082.html. Hs vlog can be accessed at http://hypertext.rmit.edu.au/vlog/.
The very first vlog, however, didn’t come until 2004 when Steven Garfield, a Boston-based blogger, launched the first ever video blog at http://stevegarfield.blogs.com/videoblog/. It is Garfield who is considered to be the father of video blogging. To date, his vlog has a wide assortment of video clips featuring interviews, seminars and much more.
Vlogging has now caught on with the rest of the world, with vloggers being a strong virtual community in their own right. A Vlogger Conference was held in January 2005 which brought together all video bloggers and podcasters on one platform to discuss the potential of this new and very exciting form of communication.
In May 2005, the present hub of video blogging was born. That was the month in which a preview of YouTube (www.youtube.com) went online. In the following months, YouTube become a raging success. People not only used it to video blog, but they also uploaded many different programmes from the mainstream media to share with their friends, something that resulted in copyright lawsuits for the YouTube management. However, YouTube is still surviving and a popular choice for those who want to upload their video clips or watch them at ease.
As the situation with vlogging now stands, video blogging is not just a fascinating way to interact with the rest of the world, it is highly effective too. It is basically doing away with the power that people in the mainstream media have to choose what information should be disclosed to the people and what should be withheld.
With video blogging, this power lays in hands of the public. An average person going about his business on a routine day can shoot whatever he deems would be interesting, informative and entertaining to his audience and put the video up for the entire world to watch at its leisure. There is the accountability factor too. One can also shoot all those things going on in the society which shouldn’t be and use the videos as evidence. At its best, this alternative medium is actually empowering people.
But the question remains, is this trend popular in Pakistan?
“Regrettably, there are no video bloggers in Pakistan, as per my knowledge,” says S.A.J. Shirazi, a prolific blogger. “I sometimes see videos posted on Adil Najam’s blog or Asad Raza’s blog – both are expatriates. Adil Najam cross-posted a video on my blog in his August 14 post as well. But that does not mean that they are necessarily video bloggers.”
This indicates that, unfortunately, the rate at which video blogging is diffusing in Pakistan is rather slow. There can be a variety of reasons for that, the major one being, of course, that many people simply aren’t familiar with the term video blogging and its advantages. In a country like ours, where internet literacy is already low and out of that only a handful of people have chosen to blog actively, the fact that video blogging hasn’t caught on doesn’t really come across as a surprise.
Even so, it is a pity, especially when one considers the potential for video blogging in the Pakistani context. We are living in a world where Pakistan constantly comes under fire in mainstream media for various reasons. Video blogging can actually be a very good way of dispelling some of the myths about Pakistan that people from other countries believe to be true. The advantage of video blogging is that the videos don’t really have to be about celebrities or “cool” hangout places. The videos can feature the daily lives of ordinary people going about their routine work, random people talking in public buses as if they have known each other for years, shopkeepers haggling with fussy females or the whole city preparing for some festive occasion. They would all be ordinary videos but they would give off a very strong message that ours is a country just like any other. People here actually have a life and they don’t go around wearing bullet-proof vests and brandishing weapons at those who don’t agree with them.
Another benefit is that many people who come online can’t really read the extensive text on webpages or blogs without getting a severe headache. A blogger who is simply writing has to consider keeping his entry short and to the point. In contrast, a video blogger has the advantage of letting his audience see what he has to say.
In the light of the above reasons, vlogging does seem like a promising addition to the world of blogging in Pakistan. All one requires is some time and effort. For those who want to disseminate information which would never find a place on the airwaves, here is a fast and convenient way to reach out to a large number of people.
Saturday, September 23, 2006
Webwatch
Path of the moon
http://mistupid.com/astronomy/moonphase.htm
Yes, we all know the path of the moon and have studied it numerous times in the science classes. But how would you like to see its simulation on your PC? Check this website out which has an animation showing the moon going through different phases in a month. There is a great deal of related information as well on the solar system and orbits of planets in case you are interested in astronomy. So do visit this website to learn more on the subject.
http://www.ventrella.com/
This website has something of everything. You can simply point and click to download an array of stuff from interesting Windows programs to animations and simulations on scientific phenomena. There are detailed notes and technical details provided with each so you can figure out exactly how a specific tool was developed and how it works.
http://mistupid.com/astronomy/moonphase.htm
Yes, we all know the path of the moon and have studied it numerous times in the science classes. But how would you like to see its simulation on your PC? Check this website out which has an animation showing the moon going through different phases in a month. There is a great deal of related information as well on the solar system and orbits of planets in case you are interested in astronomy. So do visit this website to learn more on the subject.
Safety first
http://www.foody.org/atomic/atomic01.html
With countries around the world becoming embroiled in one conflict too many, the information on this website is something that is worth looking at. Basically this website will tell you how you should protect yourself when your city is being bombed by keeping organised and defending yourself effectively. It also delves into the way it works and the scale of its destruction along with various lesser known facts about atomic bombs. This website is definitely worth taking a look at in this day and time.
Monopolising Monopoly
http://www.tkcs-collins.com/truman/monopoly/monopoly.shtml
Are you a die-hard Monopoly fan yet keep losing one game after the other? This website will let you know how a simple program written in C and the way knowledge of basic mathematics can help in figuring out the probability for each square and income. It’s a bit technical but if you are really into monopoly, read through the whole thing, and relive your experiences of Monopoly.
http://www.ventrella.com/
This website has something of everything. You can simply point and click to download an array of stuff from interesting Windows programs to animations and simulations on scientific phenomena. There are detailed notes and technical details provided with each so you can figure out exactly how a specific tool was developed and how it works.
Saturday, September 9, 2006
Webwatch
Supplies galore
http://www.flinnsci.com/search_MSDS.asp
Short of supplies for your research laboratories? This is one website where you can get all the information on the latest supplies that are available for laboratories. All equipment and supplies are divided into different science categories which makes it easy to identify what is required. So whether you are looking for basic or more advanced stuff, everything is easily available here.
http://www.flinnsci.com/search_MSDS.asp
Short of supplies for your research laboratories? This is one website where you can get all the information on the latest supplies that are available for laboratories. All equipment and supplies are divided into different science categories which makes it easy to identify what is required. So whether you are looking for basic or more advanced stuff, everything is easily available here.
High voltage projects
http://www.electronicpeasant.com/
The voltage is definitely running high on this website. Featured here are a variety of electronic gadgets made as part of advanced electronics. You can go through them and read up on their functionality. But a word of caution: do not try making them yourself if you are a student. If you are a researcher, however, then it’s a different story. There is a whole section on do-it-yourself projects for you to check out.
Tutorials all around
http://www.totaltutorial.com/
When it comes to computers and the internet, you can never learn enough. There is always something new and exciting out there to master. This website has loads of tutorials on a wide variety of topics related to computer software and the internet. You can use these tutorials to learn almost anything from new programming languages to making your website interactive.
Science trick
http://pomonahistorical.org/12times.htm
How do you fold paper in half 12 times? Believe it or not, this is actually a paper folding problem which has baffled mathematicians for years. But now a student, Britney Gallivan, has solved this puzzle. You can go through this website to discover what exactly the problem is and the mathematical equations that have been used to solve it.
Saturday, September 2, 2006
Mass media on the web
ONE consequence of contemporary technology is that differences between various mass media are gradually diminishing. There was a time when dramas and sitcoms were the domain of television. Now it is a different story altogether.
Media forums, and official websites of television channels, are all the rage. Put together, they ensure that the average television viewer goes beyond the idiot box and delves a bit more into whatever s/he chooses to watch. The internet, of course, has made that job extremely easy.
Let’s start with media forums. There are many reasons why you may miss a few episodes of your favourite soap or sitcom when they are aired on television. So what do you do?
Of course, you can watch reruns that are aired at various times during the day. But sometimes the timing may not jive with your schedule. What next? With the proliferation of media forums and websites, you can simply go online and download your favourite episode to watch at your own leisure.
There are many websites, with more mushrooming by the day, which have members geared up to providing media content to internet surfers. These members watch the show, tape it and then upload it to many of the free video-hosting websites that are available. They then post the link on the website of the forum where users may download it free of charges.
And in case you are wondering how in the world can anyone manage such large downloads, things have been made easy with all the download accelerators and video downloader software that are available. And if you happen to visit some of the websites hosting videos of media content, you will notice that the number of downloads will be well over a thousand. This means that the file size is no longer an issue.
So what’s the advantage? First and foremost, this is a wonderful way of watching everything at one’s own convenience. Plus, there are days when the timings of different programmes clash, thanks to the wide range of channels.
Also, one is not bound by the timings of the programmes. Downloading can be done at any time. And the downloaded versions, though low in quality, are always free of advertisements which does save a lot of time.
Moreover, if one visits these forums, one finds that most of the internet users there are Pakistanis living abroad. Since most of them cannot subscribe to all Pakistani channels, they do the next best thing, which is downloading and watching programmes on their computer.
But there is the very important underlying issue of piracy here. There is talk of software piracy and books’ piracy, but what about film/television piracy? One can’t help but doubt whether these websites which are either offering free downloads of Pakistani dramas or streaming them to their users are actually making payments to the concerned production house. Also, why would anyone bother subscribing to a channel when they are getting all the content right there on the websites?
However, the average internet user is concerned only with content. Issues of piracy are lost on most people, who simply want to watch all media content that they can get free and at their convenience.
But one shouldn’t belittle these media forums because of piracy. They are actually a wonderful means of interacting with fellow Pakistanis on issues relating to mass media and their content. One cannot only discuss a specific drama serial or its characters but can go a step further and talk about why dramas are declining, why all nauseating soaps are so popular and why the comedy isn’t funny?
The comments of expatriate Pakistanis regarding Pakistani private channels make for an interesting read. It is apparent that these expatriates do not feel that the private channels are airing anything worth watching these days. And they use online forums to get their opinions across to a more media literate audience.
It is also these very Pakistanis who actually mobilise the audience. When a well-known private channel started telecasting Indian soaps, there was an uproar on the forums. There were quite a few people who discussed the issue, voiced their strong opinions and then not only did they send emails to the concerned channel, they made sure everyone else did the same. In this way, forums can build public opinion.
When it comes to online media, the official websites of private channels have also played their role. Internet users can watch promos of the programmes on these websites, view picture galleries and, of course, check the schedule of the numerous reruns. A great feature of these websites is the feedback option available. Now users can communicate directly with the media personnel through their websites and voice their issues and concerns. Some websites also offer a free download of the title tracks of various dramas.
Not to be left behind, production houses now have separate email addresses for every programme of theirs which goes on air. At the end of the credits, they invite feedback through an email address and this, of course, is another convenient way viewers can let their opinion known to the content providers of mass media. When one can send out a dozen forwarded emails a day, why not send one to the concerned production house?
Hence, it is the contemporary media websites and forums which have changed the entire concept of a media audience. There are now many different ways that one can use to relay their voice of dissent or encouragement directly to the production house or channel. The concept of silent and personal bashing is fast disappearing.
So the next time you see a drama or soap and think you would rather have done something else than watch it, log on to any of the official websites or forums and let the concerned people know that you didn’t like it. Voice your opinion and give your suggestions. There is, now, no excuse for being passive.
Media forums, and official websites of television channels, are all the rage. Put together, they ensure that the average television viewer goes beyond the idiot box and delves a bit more into whatever s/he chooses to watch. The internet, of course, has made that job extremely easy.
Let’s start with media forums. There are many reasons why you may miss a few episodes of your favourite soap or sitcom when they are aired on television. So what do you do?
Of course, you can watch reruns that are aired at various times during the day. But sometimes the timing may not jive with your schedule. What next? With the proliferation of media forums and websites, you can simply go online and download your favourite episode to watch at your own leisure.
There are many websites, with more mushrooming by the day, which have members geared up to providing media content to internet surfers. These members watch the show, tape it and then upload it to many of the free video-hosting websites that are available. They then post the link on the website of the forum where users may download it free of charges.
And in case you are wondering how in the world can anyone manage such large downloads, things have been made easy with all the download accelerators and video downloader software that are available. And if you happen to visit some of the websites hosting videos of media content, you will notice that the number of downloads will be well over a thousand. This means that the file size is no longer an issue.
So what’s the advantage? First and foremost, this is a wonderful way of watching everything at one’s own convenience. Plus, there are days when the timings of different programmes clash, thanks to the wide range of channels.
Also, one is not bound by the timings of the programmes. Downloading can be done at any time. And the downloaded versions, though low in quality, are always free of advertisements which does save a lot of time.
Moreover, if one visits these forums, one finds that most of the internet users there are Pakistanis living abroad. Since most of them cannot subscribe to all Pakistani channels, they do the next best thing, which is downloading and watching programmes on their computer.
But there is the very important underlying issue of piracy here. There is talk of software piracy and books’ piracy, but what about film/television piracy? One can’t help but doubt whether these websites which are either offering free downloads of Pakistani dramas or streaming them to their users are actually making payments to the concerned production house. Also, why would anyone bother subscribing to a channel when they are getting all the content right there on the websites?
However, the average internet user is concerned only with content. Issues of piracy are lost on most people, who simply want to watch all media content that they can get free and at their convenience.
But one shouldn’t belittle these media forums because of piracy. They are actually a wonderful means of interacting with fellow Pakistanis on issues relating to mass media and their content. One cannot only discuss a specific drama serial or its characters but can go a step further and talk about why dramas are declining, why all nauseating soaps are so popular and why the comedy isn’t funny?
The comments of expatriate Pakistanis regarding Pakistani private channels make for an interesting read. It is apparent that these expatriates do not feel that the private channels are airing anything worth watching these days. And they use online forums to get their opinions across to a more media literate audience.
It is also these very Pakistanis who actually mobilise the audience. When a well-known private channel started telecasting Indian soaps, there was an uproar on the forums. There were quite a few people who discussed the issue, voiced their strong opinions and then not only did they send emails to the concerned channel, they made sure everyone else did the same. In this way, forums can build public opinion.
When it comes to online media, the official websites of private channels have also played their role. Internet users can watch promos of the programmes on these websites, view picture galleries and, of course, check the schedule of the numerous reruns. A great feature of these websites is the feedback option available. Now users can communicate directly with the media personnel through their websites and voice their issues and concerns. Some websites also offer a free download of the title tracks of various dramas.
Not to be left behind, production houses now have separate email addresses for every programme of theirs which goes on air. At the end of the credits, they invite feedback through an email address and this, of course, is another convenient way viewers can let their opinion known to the content providers of mass media. When one can send out a dozen forwarded emails a day, why not send one to the concerned production house?
Hence, it is the contemporary media websites and forums which have changed the entire concept of a media audience. There are now many different ways that one can use to relay their voice of dissent or encouragement directly to the production house or channel. The concept of silent and personal bashing is fast disappearing.
So the next time you see a drama or soap and think you would rather have done something else than watch it, log on to any of the official websites or forums and let the concerned people know that you didn’t like it. Voice your opinion and give your suggestions. There is, now, no excuse for being passive.
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