At web moderators meet, digital dreams are realised

The moderator meeting held by Yahoo Groups, has shed light on the most positive aspects of the Internet

Meet, chat, discuss, dream and accomplish. Online communities today are not only about meeting new people and having fun online, but also discussing, planning and working offline for a cause. Yahoo Groups is one such platform where people come together, talk about their passions and finally realize their dreams.

Yahoo, as an initiative, has started a Moderators Meet, wherein moderators of different groups on Yahoo come together and discuss their online experiences. It was the third meet here in Mumbai, which was a direct interaction between, IM Swaminathan, director, Communication and Community Products at Yahoo India and moderators of different groups.

Swaminathan says, "The whole idea is to know the people who use our facilities. It gives a human touch to our venture. We want to know about their interests that drive them."

He added that it also leads to better interaction, not only between Yahoo and different groups, but also the groups themselves. It also helps Yahoo get constructive feedback on how they can improve facilities for users.

Such meets have also brought  out some interesting stories of different people doing things…well…differently.

For instance, a group called Indian-Whistlers was founded in 2004, by 18-year-old Rigveda. The group is about people who love whistling. They proudly promote whistling as a "mainstream performing art" and want to improve the way it is seen in India. After four years the group has 330 members, not only from India, but also from Pakistan, the US, and Sri Lanka. The age of member whistlers ranges from six to 74, and they get a common platform to showcase this unique art.

Another group is The Saddle Tramps, formed to fuse the common interest of people mad about travel on two-wheelers. The moderator of the group, Deepak Dorge, says,

"There are a lot of biker groups on the Net, but the thing I found lacking was the interaction in the real world. That is one reason why we are only restricted to Mumbai - so that we have people actually being a part of the events we host." He also adds that motor-cycling is a lot of fun, because one lives the journey, but on the other hand they also feel the need to educate people on motorcycling safety.

So discussions on riding techniques/disciplines and requisite safety gear are always a part of their regular discussions.

Similarly there is another interesting group called the Temple Cleaners. It has nearly 300 members who are interested in restoring India's heritage, ancient culture and languages. They accomplish this in different ways. They identify such sites and then engage the local folk to keep it clean and safe. They even help economically-challenged scholars, artisans and sick people. Most importantly they try to inculcate learning and appreciation of ancient languages, scripture and stone inscription among the youth.

Apart from these amateur groups, there are some professional ones as well who have come together. Like the group, Indian Association of Energy Management Professionals (IAEMP), which comprises certified energy auditors and energy management professionals. They plan to work as "conscious keepers to the nation on energy matters". 

The group has its registered office in Hyderabad and an administrative office in Bangalore. They also have a Western Regional Office in Mumbai. The mission of the group is to make India energy independent by 2022, for which it has even prepared a vision document as an action plan. The document has been published and sought by the US Library of Congress and the World Bank.

Likewise, Yahoo allows various groups' users interact and then act. It can be a small fan club or a forum discussing issues of national interest. But the only thing that makes them different is the users' passion. They have gone one step further to help change the ground realities, switching them from online to offline.