This one is a rad Zabibha original – from DAMA handloom texture.

Here she is standing near the Ganesha shrine on SL.

Understanding through doing…. the assignment emphasis was less on techical expertise of website building (most of the builders are beginners) and more on attempting to convey the concept that came from the client (as interpreted and understood by each of the groups based in their socio-cultural contextual locations). Is there a concept without an interface?

Feedback from readers is most welcome (you can email me or post to the blog’s comments)

Kang and Shuang’s DAMA site

[our client LT had this to say about the website - "I really like the website as the process and product are well represented. Visuals are overpowering the information. But the information given is very good in terms of stressing the point that handlooms are better than other power driven mill fabrics without an apologetic tone."]

Anca, Bridget and Erin

[our client's final overview comments on this one - "It is a well designed website. Home page gives a clear indication of the nature of the industry and also explains the characters of handloom fabrics at a glance. It is a wee bit patronizing and also it could have stressed on the fact that the fabric is as stylish and contemporary as the fabrics the consumers are using today."]

Andy, Jacob, Mark

[client's comments - DAMA and Products page although starts with a question but flows into a good description of handloom process and industry. But the products itself were very not communicative enough.

The page on the community is very innovative and would encourage a healthy dialogue.

I also like the narrative as it explains the process and its advantages in a good articulate way. Home page is well done and I like the understated feel although there are a few spelling mistakes.]

Dan and Dexin

[client feedback - The main page is very good as the products are featured and it communicates the product effectively.

The potential buyer’s page gives both the buyer and DAMA a very good platform to establish contact, interact and take the business further.]

Amy, Brett, Nikki

[The sub heading ‘Weaving made Natural’ is very good although it sounds as if we made the technology natural but it gets the point across.

Product representation is very good with details of the fabric quality and aesthetic.

Although there is a whole page dedicated to the Natural dyeing process, there is confusion in the product range as the product ranges shown in the web site are both chemical dyed and natural dyed.]

Finally. A moment to write. To quickly swiftly wiggle my fingers over the keyboard. When I took this job – did I think it would slow down my writing and research? Yes I was warned. But I also knew that if I did not write I would stop breathing…. So I cannot stop writing.

But I stop to think – is it because of the busy schedule of being Graduate Coordinator that stops me from writing in response to Adrienne’s call that we start to focus on disruption of family secrets – or is it – yet again – my mind refusing to reveal secrets to my typing fingers?

This morning as I chugged away on the exercise machines – first running on the treadmill and then moving on the elliptical runner – with my ipod trinket playing in my ears, my mind seeking out words of wisdom, some sign perhaps from all the songs I’ve heard many times before over and over again. Hoping for the random shuffling of the songs to talk to me – knowing I have embedded my father’s voice and his poem for my mother in the midst of a medley of old and new bollywood songs, South Indian and North India classical music, Western Classical music, a bit of remix and desi rap as well as some other mixed music from the 80s and 90s…. Every morning its pretty much the same – I seek to get a sign from all these technologies I use. Perhaps this is the root of my fascination with technologies – they are my modern day spirits. Like Samantha in Bewitched and Jeannie in I dream of Jeannie – I will twitch my nose or blink my eyes and my family and friends will teleport towards me – converse with me, laugh with me and give me words of wisdom or sarcasm to live and laugh by….

So I entered second life again and clicked something and found myself on a boat with a guy who was cursing about lag…

“Hello” he said

he said….

Dorothy is not in Kansas anymore, I thought.

Darn those English metaphors again

But I am writing in English … .my audience wont get my linguistic twists and metaphors from another language and context – and if I tried to explain they would be no fun any more…

Yes that is why I disappear into techno-spaces. That is why I am so aware of technologies – for you, my audience, here and now are the technologies shaping me and speaking to me and giving me a “sign” –that I must interpret as either validation or rejection or neither through my own lenses of understanding and affect…

You sit around me… and I think – what are my secrets today?

I click on your profile button – but it tells me nothing I want to know

I set my profile button – to tell you nothing you need not know

But we must establish some bonds of trust if we are to write together like this….

So I will start my narration….

This one needs the volume turned on.

Okay – for now I find twitter (at least the public timeline part) annoying.

but I see potential for interesting kinds of writing collaborations through the friends connections of course – the form would be shaped by the shortness of the communication (perhaps like writing on leaves or something) so we’d have to think of putting a thought down in that short space.
But as it is the public timeline and replying to what are you doing now is annoying…