Book Lovers Network

Source: www.shelfari.com

I was recently sent an invitation by one of my long lost friends to join the Book Lovers Network- http://www.shelfari.com/. The invitation had thrilled me becausefew days back. working on my Social Network through Digital Medium, I was surfing for one such site. At first instant my reaction was to be amazed and thankful for a site where you can read books for free. So I registered but to my disappointment it turned out to be little different.

What it actually does is brings together readers of same books. The profiling is similar to many other social network sites with posting your picture, writing about yourself, searching for friends and groups to widen your network. You can leave 'notes' ('Scraps' in orkut and 'Poke' in facebook) on your Group's notebook or your friends. In addition it has 'My shelf' 'Build shelf' items where you can selsct from galore of books. But again this sections take you to a search link where you nee to type author/title/subject/or even the ISBN number to add to your list. You are entitled to four type of lists: My Shelf, Wishlist, Top 10 and Reading List. Networks get automatically created by:

• Joining Groups




• Adding Friends and getting included in their network




• Adding books being part of network of readers of that book

Clicking on a book takes you to Book specific page with complete information on the book that includes autor, publisher, number of pages, editions. Also you can write your review on the book or add a comment. It also gives provision to rate the book.

Source: www.shelfari.com

The site is very new. It will take few months to catch the groove. Also at present many books are without book covers and they look blind in the community. Maybe soon there will be an option where any member is able to provide the book cover. The buttons on books on the shelf need to be modified because they repeat in each book. Also makes it difficult to click and navigate to the book page. Maybe the site provides us with options like Fiction, non fiction, profession, hobby, regional that focuses the search. It will also make the profile of member more magnetic to other users with similar book-interests.

Till then happy surfing books online!!!

My Grid Explorations

Maybe,

I don't want to get out of my squares
There is so much to explore and so much to bare
It's like digging deeper into a box
And find out all it can unlock
It's like taking one single thing
And collecting all it can bring
It's like joggling your mind
When there is so much to find
It's like getting closer as it seems
To a world full of dreams
So let the grids slowly unveil
Strokes and Palettes of tale...

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Writing Matters

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The Unfolding

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Group of Friends

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Where have they gone?

Evolution of Social Networking through Web

Nodoubt there have been a blast of Social networks in the web today including video sharing sites like You tube/Google Video and a long list of blogs.Social Networks have evolved from friendship, relationship and entertainment platforms between netizens. Orkut, Myspace, Facebook they bring together people with dissimilar set of interests. Its quiet frequently used by common net users to find long lost friends or acquaintances. But what is interesting to note that now unique networks are being created by sites that provide the functionality to share with other netizens. Sites like Flickr and Picassa help you to share your photos with rest of the world. Same with blogs that gives you the platform to share your thoughts and writtings. Not to forget- Youtube and Google Video and many more. Commenting, Marking as favorite, rating are few actions that makes unknown unseen people to communicate and build a relationship with eahother.

Another aspect of Social Networks that also cannot be missed is how some key players in this field are converging ways to network. To cite an example is Google and Yahoo. Google that started with Search engine went on to emails and chats to Orkut then whole set of blogs, photo sharing video sharing maps document sharing etc etc. Giving the user to network through different mediums and be part of one huge community.

All these are general in nature and not specific. What happens if I want to join a social network with members who are ardent readers or cricket fan or bollywood fans. A site had come up joga.com for football fans but became more of a trash site than anything else. Now Google is trying to revive it.

Can the third generation of Social Network sites evolve into networks of specific interest and have functionalities that be useful for those in that community then maybe networking through web become more fruitful.

Living a Dream

Image created by author

Breath of fresh air

Flowed down to my heart

I looked up to find

Horizon seen in the postcard

The sky was Blue

The leaves were Green

It was my first step

On a place found in dream...

Microsoft Office 2007

Today I discovered that Microsoft had launched its 2007 Office softwares recently. (http://www.microsoft.com/india/office/newday/default.mspx?WT.mc_id=Online)
Note: Visual design of site is complementing the navigational strategy used in their latest version of Office package.
I was impressed by the additions and changes they had implemented in the softwares. From smooth navigation to impressive graphics and usable tool bars, the interface of Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Power Point and Microsoft Outlook are reflecting cognitive comfort. It is evident that to reach the decisions in the interfaces through lot of user testing and usability tests have been done. I was grabbed by the popping up of toolbars as when required. In earlier versions the user had to go to options and then select to show the tool bar. The intuitive action by the interface makes the software work as a team member in a project that understands and reacts to requirements.

Source: Screenshot from the web

The interfaces are softer to look at. This gives relief to the eye of the user. The placement of menu items and tools are chunked not as per content but as per the level of use while working with the software. You can see a change in placement of Open, Save, Undo, Redo menu items. They are iconized and kept at extreme top left. They are seperated from the all the tools that are required for working. The concept can be looked at also as segregating actions on the file and actions on the content.

It has been tried that commands and tools are supported by icons. This will help cognitively new users of the software. Keeping in mind that visuals speaks more than words, the graphics will help users to make an idea of the action of the command or the tool.
More visually soothing templates are provided that adds value to the content by its meticulously thought out information visualizations.

The drop down menus have given way to Contextual tabs and Ribbons. Microsoft explains ribbons as set of items that are kept handy for the user. This saves clicks and searching through commands in dialog boxes. Contextual tabs opens up options for the user related to the menu item. Example: Clicking on picture automatically pops up Picture format Tab with options to format the picture.

Live Preview is another feature that has changed the working style using these softwares. Whenever the user selects from the options provided like tabel format, information visualization of content, colors, templates and many more, the document reflects the changes so that the user easily knows how is his document shaping up with the formatting.

In these upgraded versions of popular office tools, the user is given the power to customize content and add appeal to it. The templates provided have improved from being just graphics to cntent relevant graphics. The Smart Art option in PowerPoint 2007 offers user with varied ideas that can make a simple content slide look bold and precise.

Source: Screenshot from the web

Microsoft office tools are used for content representation. The new version makes the process of content representation more convienient and user-'idea' friendly. Through its templates and options it helps user to refine and represent his idea. Looking at softwares through a concept that makes the interface more intuitive in nature may be a step towards making human computer interaction cognitively better too.

Delhi

Wide roads and narrow lanes, posh localities and dingy colonies, administrative hub and roadside markets, historical glories and cosmopolitan lifestyle, all are inseparable parts of the National Capital Territory of Delhi.

Delhi is located in northern India in banks of river Yamuna. It is one of the oldest cities in the world. It was destroyed and rebuild seven times in history. It has seen the invasions and prosperity of Slave dynasty, Khilji dynasty, Tughlaq dynasty, Lodhi dynasty, Mughal Empire and the British Empire. The layers of legacies it holds within its heart makes the city rich and colorful. The Red Fort, the Old Fort, the Qutb Minar, the Lodhi Tomb and Jantar Mantar tries to whisper in our ears the magnificence of empires. Gandhi Smriti, Raj Ghat, India Gate reminds us of the struggle that led to Indian independence. Nehru Planetarium, National Gallery of Modern Art, National Museum, National Science Museum, Doll Museum gives valuable contribution to education and research. Dilli Haat, Chandni Chawk, Janpat and innumerable shopping malls tempt us to gather the variety in our arms that Delhi offers.

The mouth watering cuisine of Delhi becomes an unforgettable experience. From chaats and samosas to galore of Mughlai and Punjabi dishes can beckon any fussy eater. Haldiram, Nathu Sweets, Bengali Sweets are some of the famous restaurants. Delhi offers the fun of enjoying snacks standing in street corners and the comfortably relishing a meal sitting inside well decorated eating joints.

Delhi is inhabited by people from all states in India. Being the capital of the nation, it has immense job opportunities, not only in administrative sector but also in upcoming IT sector. This large city with high development rate has also thrown open many new job avenues. This has attracted not only citizens of India to the capital but also employees and companies from all over the world. All festivals are celebrated with joy. People from different strata of life co-exist amicably. They cheer together for a good movie and criticize injustice vehemently.

Delhi is the city of diversity yet it gives stability to the whole nation. The history, attractions, culture calls out to all those who like to experience diversity in life.

Living Life

Fallen leaves
Barren trees
Empty chairs
Chilly air
but.......
Smiles are there
Everywhere

Image created by author

Introducing Scrabbling DoOdles

Atlast!!!
I got a blog with a better name
I hope I do justice to it.
The blog will be a link
for you and me
to a world of interafces, interactions,
informations and digitization of content
And ACTIONS!!
Lets Scrabble with the Doodles of
Information Technology and Communication!!!!