Portal to host all that is Bengalooru-ian

Portal to host all that is Bengalooru-ian
Deccan Herald

Darshinis to Deepika Padukone. Open Source Circuit to Nirvana. Kannada shlokas to tips on passport applications. Helmet rule to Habba.

By mobilising a web community, two Bangalore-based techies are trying to ‘reconcile’ the City’s apparent disparities. Sridhar G and Aashish Solanki, promoters of www.ybangalore.com, hope to cover Bangalore in all its multi-layered vibrancy, while retaining its essence, in the portal.

“The idea is to put Bangaloreans under one umbrella and let people discuss everything about the City,” says Solanki, who is Project Head at Yulop, a company he formed with Sridhar, his senior at the BNM Institute of Technology. IT Swami -- the portal mascot -- symbolises the modernity and tradition that embody the ‘Bangalorean spirit’, says Solanki, a final-year computer engineering student.


Beta version

Launched on November 1, the portal is running a beta version.

Solanki and Sridhar hope to “give it its final shape” by January-end, with added features like maps and radio plug-ins.

‘Shout box’

Blood banks, ambulances, hospitals and doctors’ contacts, schools, colleges and consumer services will be featured at the portal, that will also cover services of BWSSB, BMP, BSNL and KPTCL.

The portal has around 480 registered users who have posted more than 700 articles.

There are sections such as ‘Things we need to preserve’ and ‘Things we must improve’ wherein users vent feelings on civic issues. On the home page, there’s a live ‘shout box’ where one can interact with online users.

Help on travel, stock market trends, automobiles, yoga, software downloads, gadgets, movie reviews, trekking spots and recipes are covered. Users can also post pictures in the e-gallery.

Local flavour

Gaadegalu (the essence of Kannada culture and heritage as distilled in sayings, janapada and folklore) and Chalana Chitra (discussion on Kannada movies) add to the portal’s local flavour. There are also polls that cover topics, including traffic administration and Greater Bangalore.

Moderators will monitor the classifieds link, where individuals advertise services.

“Commercial interests won’t be entertained. There are no ads or pop-ups. The portal is built entirely with our money and even when we decide to opt for a revenue model, it will only be through tie-ups with companies,” says Solanki. To join the community, log on to www.ybangalore.com