Echoes

Had I disappeared? I didn`t even know I had, let alone that I have reappeared. Guess I must be more absent-minded than I thought. :)

My opinion to beej`s points on how to utilize front e-estate.

>Ten recommendations for the redesigned front page (must act right away):

>(1) Merge “avoice” and “echoes” into one (much smaller) box and call it by a term that >simple folks can understand – try “editorial”. Shorten to no more than three lines total.

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>(2) Drop the “Explore chowk” box. It has not been used by any one since 1906.

Not a very good idea.

>(3) Drop the “Featured” box – it is one of the nuttiest ideas I have ever seen! There is no >reason the new editor should start showing her bias toward individual writers so brazenly!

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>(4) Drop pictures from the “Columns” box – some of them are fifty years old – like the >one the Gillster used for his wedding proposal.

I am also not comfortable with the pictures. They drag chowk closer to the real world. Imagination works better in an imagined world. Chowk has an advantage in remaining distant from the real.

>(5) Move the “i-logs” box to a side – as used to be.

Yes, they are awkward in the middle.

>(6) Reduce the height of the “Self publish” box, by arranging each entry over two rows >only.

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>(7) Get rid of those yucky colors in the center – move “profile”, etc. to side >under “Columns”.

Colors in the center do not fit. They are doing nothing less than ruining the feel of the front page.

>(8) Drop “Who’s on line” – it is meaningless, it does not work right, and who cares!

Yup. It doesn`t work.

>(9) MOST IMPORTANT: Return the central portion the way it used to flow before (7 items >in detail, plus seven in less detail). Put back the page names.

Yup, that gave an on and off reader an easier interface to plan which articles to read and when. Please don`t make chowk fast paced.

>(10) Next time you develop a sudden itch to make changes in the interface – ask BEFORE >you go ahead and do it!

They have the right to make the changes. But they will be responsbile for the consequences.

Other than this, I don`t feel good as chowk moves closer to a mundane embodiment. Chowk needs to be abstract, a barren land where people come in search of the gems (good articles) and fellow gem seekers (interactors) can interact.

Chowk staff had an advantage in remaining perdah daar. They had a divine(in a sense) status. It gave chowk a status of an unbaised unassociated entity, something everybody can feel comfortable with. It made chowk an extention of mother nature to the cyberworld.

And yes, vulgur interactions need to be controlled but in a very linient and automatic manner. A system of a lot of warnings (mere numbers on the interactor`s profile) can really work which can then change to delayed interation previlages for some time. Something which a school principal would do.

Re: # 43
...people are so gullible...next you will believe gujju that ferzana versey is a pakistani jihadi...;)

Re: # 42

...it`s nit EIC...it`s EEK...that`s what women do when they see a mouse...;)

Letter to Ginni and Safwan
Part II

Here are some of the reasons why many of us grow more and more concerned with where Chowk is heading:

1. anti intellectualism and refusal to support those
writers and interactors who are pushing for more
considered and scholarly work
2. a sporadic and problematic engagement with women`s
issues, and feminism as discussed across the
subcontinent and diaspora
3. an inchoate engagement with issues of diaspora that
draws on various academic and activist knowledge
4. the lack of an unapologetically rigorous interdisciplinary
interrogation of South Asian economic, political and
social issues.
5. a refusal to provide the coherent engagement of cultural studies that
works from the actual knowledge of
interdisciplinariness, concepts and theories of this
field
6. a self congratulatory insularity in regards to race
and ethnicity in relation to the experiences within
and out of the subcontinent.
7. a departure from interdisciplinary discussion of
the wide range of issues facing south asians of all
classes
8. less emphasis on the integral discussion of grassroots projects
taking place within and out of the subcontinent
9. No scholarly REAL discussion of HIV issues or issues dealing with the reproductive and sexual health of south Asians.
Unfortunately, the common response on chowk.com seems to confuse the engagement of intelligent and courageous discourse as “elitism”. It is a sad indication of the disintegrating standards at Chowk, if seeking legitimate research, knowledge and social action has become “elitist”.

Sincerely,
Saminasha

An Open Letter To Chowk Publishers

Dear Ginni and Safwan:

When I started visiting chowk.com about fours years
ago it was exciting to be able to discuss South Asian
culture, identity, politics and vision on a website
that encouraged literacy, communication and knowledge
making.

Chowk embodied to me a working project of dialectic, a
space where interactors were encouraged to think
critically, creatively and humanely about issues that
were in actuality long before language could trace
them.

I thank you for this opportunity, this instruction
in what is possible given the commitment and will.

I`ve also met some fine interactors here who have
modeled through their intellect, talent, principles,
tolerance and support the vision of Chowk.com could
be.

Despite the more disturbing trends on the website,
such as the cyber flaming and trolling, the presence of
these interactors was a reassuring indicator that
Chowk would find again it`s vision and I continued to
visit.

Offline it came to be a joke among some of us how
evidently Chowk was too busy or outright condoning the
shenanigans of some brazen interactors who have scant
respect for their mothers and sisters let
alone the women here. We are all familiar with these
interactors. I found it particularly curious that
people who challenged this tacit acceptance of the
abuse of Chowk`s resources, money, labor and
reputation were met with silence and then finally,
reluctant action that focused less on the
transgressors and more, through ignore functions, on
learning how to accept and turn a self blinded eye to
the growing invective.

I have noticed that many of the people who have most
thoughtfully gifted their labor, time, and effort to
Chowk have disappeared from this website. I am
disappointed that the absence of these workers
Chowk.com has been accepted with such utter disregard.
It is a clear signal that there is an official
willingness to accept mediocrity and questionable
behavior on this website.

Quite frankly, this became clear the moment there was
conjecture about whether flaming, stalking, trolling
and multinicking was not a device of cyber
harassment.

In addition, as Scout has pointed out, this is part
of a pattern that shows what can only be
perceived as imperiousness. Indeed, this is your site.
You pay for its upkeep. But you must remember that
Chowk is the sum of its interactors, writers and
readers.

The decisions you make are within your rights as
owners and publishers of Chowk.com. However, I will
respectfully point out that in ignoring the efforts of
interactors who have responded constructively and
through their unpaid labor to the professed goals of
Chowk, it is also a signal that this website is loudly
and incoherently moving to a de-evolution.

The Chowk of today is not the same as Chowk of old.
While I understand that the nature of discourse is of
constant flux, it is within Chowk`s best interests to
support what draws the best and most thoughtful from
us as readers-not the most reactionary, defensive or
simplistic.

Increasingly as publishers you are asserting that in
the end what matters are what appears to be your
whimsical interpretations of your “idealism.” As
paymaster some of it is your right. But you would do
well to recall that without chowkies that actually
care, Chowk com is just another cyber site.

In addition, the manner in which the labor of a few
generous and brilliant workers for Chowk was dismissed
is unacceptable to me. Moreover, it lowers the level
of how Chowk operates and what it has become indeed, a
free for all.

I cannot be a part of that.

Chowk’s self professed ``unflinching idealism`` is phrased in bold, as if the emphasis and repetition is lost on us. I question ``unflinching``. Is there an unblinking stare?

I am heartened to see the reappearance of writers like
Bina Shah and Shandana Minhas. If this website has a
chance, it is through the efforts of Minhas, Shah,
Revathy Gopal, Dr. Hoodboy and Nadeem Paracha. I wish
Chowk.com the best.

Sincerely,

Saminasha

omar qureshi and dost mittar,

chowk was called a `democracy` and that`s why i asked the question that i did.... in any case, i agree with amrita, chowk should provide us with information as what EIC means, since it was announced with such glitz

ok i have a question, not a comment -

everyone seems to have differing ideas about what being EIC means. can chowk staff or farzana pls elucidate?

Gosh, what the hell! Are people really as insecure as they come through in their comments?

I think that FV is a good choice and I am sure she will make a good Editor. Interesting that most of the unsupportive comments are coming from men - Geez! how secure can you all be? Let the woman do her job and we shall all see whether it is a good choice or not. And for heaven`s sake, this is not the end of the world and neither is Chowk the only place to write so take a chill pill and let`s see what these new changes are all about. But, having said this, I do think that being heard should not have to bear the tag of wisdom. There is not enough of that in the world anyway. So, everyone should have their say, wise or not.

I am a regular reader of CHOWK for the last 4 years, but did not contribute anything to
chowk so far, and did not interact with the articles either. The reason is:
Chowk editors do not respond to my e-mails.
I do not understand why usernames are different from real names.
Chowk staff do not seem to read the interacts before publishing them. There are a number
of typos and spelling errors in many interacts. Because of this, I sometimes doubt if my
spelling of a certain word is correct.
I would like to know who has access to the profiles of the interactors.
Indians and Pakistanis bash each other and many interactors abuse each other.
These are a few things which are hurdles for Chowk to be a super website.
If anyone is offended by the above remarks, I offer my heartfelt apology.

scout#23:

I agree with Omar. The relationship between the publisher and editor is one of employer-employee. Throughout the publishing world, editors are chosen by publishers without consulting their readers/subscribers. And publishers do choose an editor who is not only competent but also whose views they find agreeable (Ask Meredith or Conrad Black). One could say that in choosing Farzana, Publishers may have indicated their own preferred worldview.

My own little suggestion to Saima would be that she should not call chowk a ``democracy``, which gives rise to comments like scout`s. Perhaps, Saima wanted to say that chowk is a website that listens closely to the voice of its readers and interactors.

scout dear -- being an editor of any organization is like being its head -- who told you it is democratic -- in fact the editor anywhere can be quite editor because what he or she says eventually GOES ... editors are usually always chosen and selected by the publisher -- on that count the nomination per se of the new candidate is in order

Look at the following websites:

http://www.chusni.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi

http://www.ragistan.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi

The whole chowk format needs to change to Ultimate Bulletin Board (UBB) format. The main advantage being the resurrection of dead topics and threads should someone find something interesting to say about that topic, say, one year after the original topic was posted. Why should issues be deemed dead after sometime? This would also keep redundant essays from being submitted because they have been discussed recently and could be resurrected by a single interact. For example, Mohammad Gill has been saying the same thing in all his essays.. which is nothing. So instead of submitting different essays, he can talk about what`s on his mind in one single long thread and it would all seam into a single seam of thought.

Versey is a good candidate for a responsibility which will hopefully keep her away from mouthing off her own trivialities as masterful writings. She also seems eager to look credible and has provided explanation to questions like `your ilog was long..` (per her ilog). This, to kaka, demonstrates a sense of accountibility and a hell of free time. An editor could use both.

I`ve never been able to view who`s online either.

I`m also not so sure about the colored boxes with ``profiles`` ``humidor`` etc. etc. How do they fit in with the scheme of the front page? Are these columns, and if so, why aren`t they listed along with Djinn and Tonic and the other science column? Are there regular writers for these columns or what?

Thanks.

Speak wisely -- you will be heard!

...reminds me of the chain at the main gate of jahangir`s bedroom ...feryaadi feryaad lay ker aaya hai jahan panah...says the feryaadi
tujhe insaaf milega...says the drunken king
zill-e-elahi...hum aap ke mushkoor hain... says the feryaadi before his head is chopped off...;)

SaimaShah,

How much power does the editor in chief have if this is a democracy? And if chowk is a democracy as you claim, how come there was no popular election for the position of EIC.

Anyway, I don`t think the sudden `ehlaan` of the editor-in-chiefdom was something that stands for Chowk. The editorial was almost smug.

But that`s my humble opinion. I hope my posts don`t get deleted because I speak my mind.