Enhancing Online Access to Sikh Cultural Heritage

Abstract

Human Computer Interaction (HCI) is currently in Social Computing phase and now is overlapping with Cultural Computing (Kansei – Mediated Interaction). Social networking websites act as tools for social networking. Cultural Computing is an emerging field. Cultural Computing aims the development of tools to help people understand different cultures and promotion of culture, through efficient use of different computing trends. This thesis focuses on the use of computing technology for enhancing online access to Sikh cultural heritage. Sikhism possess many cultural objects which need urgent attention, otherwise they will be lost for forever. The combination of Social Networking and Cultural Computing will help in achieving the main goal of this thesis. This thesis presents data and information collected from literature survey of the various trends of Social Networking. It is observed that these days’ youth remains deprived of the knowledge of their cultures, due to various changes in their lifestyles. Based on the literature survey, it has been observed that the youth spends maximum of their time using Social Networking websites, without any fixed agenda in their minds. To make our young generation understand different cultures, the need of the hour is to make them understand their culture, through the websites/portals where they visit. These findings are published in the form of cultural portal synchronized with social networking website, Facebook. In this thesis, effort is made to develop a cultural portal. This portal preserves the old Sikh Scriptures (both handwritten and printed) using CAPTCHAs. The words in these Scriptures appear one by one to every user in sequence during the login process. After each CAPTCHA is generated, it gets stored and digitized in a folder. Another important feature of the cultural portal is semantic search of data – Page Rank wise search and searching metadata, for intelligent access to information related to Sikh cultural heritage. This search facility makes the system intelligent enough to understand the information required by the user. Links of pages relevant to the search are made available to the user (Page Rank wise); that is, the most relevant result at first position, next relevant result at the second position and so on. Searching metadata helps the user to know about the information available on website and contribute new cultural information. Also, depending upon the age and type of user using the cultural portal, games (Sikhism special) are made accessible to the user type – kids, beginners and learners. Three games – Kaun Banega Crorepati, Pehchan Kaun and Tic – Tac – Toe; are provided on the portal. These games will help in easy learning about Sikhism. Kaun Banega Crorepati asks the user questions related to Sikhism. Pehchan Kaun game challenges the users to identify different pictures related to Sikhism. Picture identification puts a mark on user’s mind and the user learns and understands cultural information in play – way style. It is concluded that, in order to make cultures easily accessible and learnable to the users, need of the hour is to incorporate technology in the cultural objects.