The Next Digital

Arjun Singhal
Arjun Singhal
from New Delhi
8 years ago

Hi

I am seriously looking for people who'd be interested in beta testing a networking platform I am working on for digital media. Over the past weeks, I have been posting my thoughts under the "Work-in-progress" category on my blog about how I am wishing we can use technology to bring people together. Not as per "divide and rule" but together in the very nature of human spirit.

With the limited time I have at hand, I don't have time to drill into details, so if this post isn't apt for the forum, you can let me me know. Again, I don't know how, because I don't want to provide links etc. My blog is at r7un[dot]com for those who would wish to explore.

Please do feel to add comments here, or any of the posts to get in touch. I really look forward to making this work.

Edited 8 years ago
Reason: developing the next level now
Replies 1 to 8 of 8 Descending
CyberKID
CyberKID
from India
8 years ago

If you could share the benefits people might get, being a part of your beta testers team, like monetary compensation, or anything else you are comfortable in sharing with people,(afterall, if you go hunting for and employ application testers, they too need to be compensated), I guess more people would be interested. Plus, I personally don't see anything wrong with your thread, rest, as IndiPolice decides.

Good luck!

Arjun Singhal
Arjun Singhal
from New Delhi
8 years ago

Thanks CyberKID for the encouragement.

At the onset, what I am looking for are people who have the "strive" to go forward in the Digital Media space. The proposed DNA of the internet was that people be able to network across the globe, and it would be a fail-safe network. However, the way we use the internet today, is by "paying ISPs" and even after using the internet for 20 years, we are still not having a fail-safe network. Not to mention the fact, that although we have reached the 1 Billion mark of users, we divide them by age, income levels, interest groups, and the entire market space is governed by "influencers" as was traditional media. Thus, we haven't really seen the benefits of "digital" this far.

The initial people who would like to come forward are people who would like to strive to make the internet to reach the entire population of the world. I've tried to introduce this concept in many places, but yes the "power influencers" have so often just thrown the idea out, because such technological innovation will throw "commercial games" out of power. We do live in an age, where there are people fighting for neutrality, and creating causes. But then, we need to create the better win-wins from technology.

I have conviction in what I am working for, and thus, I have been developing it myself. I am not funded in this endeavour and not actively seeking it either. I do not know if "compensation" is the right word because when we hit success, the gains will definitely appear trivial. Rest, I do not know how to explain. More information is available on my blog. Thanks for allowing me to express this far. 

Arjun Singhal
Arjun Singhal
from New Delhi
8 years ago

The initial members can seek to benefit from extra features in networking, which may be gated in future, depending on how people work together.

CyberKID
CyberKID
from India
8 years ago

Arjun, It's great to know your Point of View.

However, your notion of commercialization of the Internet seems to be somewhat flawed (or atleast I feel so). The reason being the undeniable fact that every effort to connect the world needs infrastructure, which in turn needs investment. Who will invest when he/she can't see profits? There is one basic principle of Economics, according to which - Man is an economic animal who tries to maximize his profits.

So, even if you are an NGO, with a very good and genuine motive, you will still need money to do things. So, it's not to say that your idea is flawed or useless, however, everyone, (that includes even you) will expect some RoI (Return of Investment) on whatever they invest, be it money or time. If it's time, people would expect some kind of "compensation", and that's where the point of compensation came in, and for investment in terms of money, profits is what they look forward to.

These days, when we are supposed to even pay for water, the one of most ubiquitous human needs, you can't expect people not asking for compensation for the work they do. Even when some of them would come up with you, it won't go on forever, without any kind of REWARD in sight.

Arjun Singhal
Arjun Singhal
from New Delhi
8 years ago

A. I am not an NGO. And like I said, I am not seeking funding for ideas.

B. I believe man has a greater purpose than economics. So does technology. Everything needs investment yes. But most tech products you use today, are restricted in use by their manufacturers, only for the soul purpose of maximising profit. To the point, many products are made insecure, because for example, internet communication happens along 7 OSI layers, and the lower layers being secure, are not offered as obiqutous mediums of communication, but simply serving as point-to-point nodes of a structured network that's restricted to perform, in case you were motivated to do peer-to-peer.

Anyway, all I am saying is, interested people can come forward and interact with me. The entire site will soon be available as public beta after the initial testing is done. After then, will see where it goes. Those interested in pursuing it further may also be able to seek assignments from the platform from interested parties, take up employment with us. I am planning to work on high-engagement sites for focussed conversations across different industries. For me, that would be the step, instead of dividing people along interests and categories, we will bring people together and keep conversations focussed. It will help mitigate data privacy issues, improve engagement and provide a very immense scope for opt-in marketing. I have the vision in my head. As said earlier, I have limited time to communicate as I am implementing the whole concept.

As a notion, if you would like to imagine how internet use has changed with just the first billion people coming aboard, imagine what is going to happen when another billion come online. They are going to create, share and program a new wave of technology, a lot of it will happen through mobile technology. There are language barriers to overcome. Cultural differences to sort. Messages to give. More than a billion people are differently abled. They need to be provided access. By the time we will reach 7 billion, the possibilities will be so vast, it's hard to put it down in terms of "dollars" right now.

They are already calling it the internet of things. The first billion came online in search of content and knowledge and information. Before the next billion come aboard, the internet will be searching for people. I might sound absurd, or like John Galt, but yeah. I am like the first one who's searching for such people.

CyberKID
from India
8 years ago

Great to know that you are hell bent on proving your idea to be a feasible one. I'd like to wish you good luck. Smile

Arjun Singhal
Arjun Singhal
from New Delhi
8 years ago

Thanks CyberKID

Its been a tough journey to keep explaining. But then, I have a firm belief that the mind has always encountered great opposition from mediocrity. Hence, have taken up the task to do things on my own and make it happen.

Arjun Singhal
Arjun Singhal
from New Delhi
8 years ago

i just made an edit to the headline for this forum. we released the public beta yesterday, and have begun work behind the scenes for the next level. let's see where it goes. with the next release, we want to be clearly communicating our goals for digital during the next 10 years.

Rajesh K
Rajesh K
from Chennai
8 years ago

You may want to rephrase your 'About' page as it is too generic. Try to make it specific and come to the point quickly. I still don't understand what your venture is, even after visiting the site. It looks like yet another blog.


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