Quack! Online

From the past few months, we have been witnessing that the upper area of library is sometimes closed for the students. Can anybody pour out the reasons for it? Please come up with your comments.

THE WEBMASTERS student committee of National University of Computer and Emerging Sciences (FAST), Karachi campus, cordially invites you to DIGITALeyez, the inaugural digital-media centric event of NUCES FAST. It is scheduled to take place on the 12th of April, 2008. DIGITALeyez offers the following competitions:

1. Photography
2. Short Film & Animation
3. Web Design
4. Xpressions (Skethcing & Painting)
5. Brainiac (Quiz)
6. Young Acheivers (TV program)

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• First post was made on August 21, 2003.
• Quack! Online is 4 years, 0 days old.
• Average of 0.29 posts per day in the past week.
• Average of 0.27 posts per day in the past month.
• Average of 0.24 posts per day since the start.
• Average of 22.00 comments per post in the past week.
• Average of 9.75 comments per post in the past month.
• Average of 8.38 comments per post since the start of the blog.

There are currently 347 posts and 2,942 comments. That. is. a. lot.

Time and again people need to be told about Quack!. About what it is. What it’s about. What it can mean to the average student at TIP. Time and again I’ve talked about it. Posted articles, gone to freshmen classes to introduce the forum even talked to the faculty about what the ideology behind the student news paper is.

I’ve got all sorts of responses, from all sorts of people. Ranging from “hmm,” to “haha,” to “yeah right,” to “Yeh quack shuak chor do. Apnay grades pay dehan do.” Of course it’s not always been negative. Some people have really been encouraging. Some people have wholeheartedly participated, while others with difficulty or after constant nagging. Some are yet to write their first article. Either way, Quack! has been around for a while now.
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Did you know that within the TIP administration and faculty there exists a committee who’s listed tasks include the ominous sounding task “Quack.” This could possibly mean that they are finally considering to bring back the ducks to our campus, or even re-acknowledging the TIP duck mascot.

Or it could mean that the TIP administration and faculty are taking a larger interest in this fine independent student newspaper. The Quack team has always extended an open invitation to them (the administration and faculty, hereby referred to as ad-fact) to be more involved in this worthy endevor. Our suggestions included:

1. contribute their own news and views
2. encourage their students to write for Quack, maybe as part of the English lessons
3. report on industry news and insights
4. talk about TIP events and activities
5. list new additions to the library

Though sometimes we did have some wholehearted contributions, they fell short in their frequency by rarely being more than once a year. Here’s to hoping that the new “tasks committee” will have an honorable approach.

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We’ve polled this one countless times, mostly informally, and the answer is always the same, “could be better.”

This time, 53% of the respondents thought that Quack could be better, 23% think it is the “Best. Thing. Ever” (don’t know what they’re smoking), and 23% saw a butterfly (definitely don’t know what they’re smoking).

From which we can reasonably conclude that 46% of those polled are smoking some strong stuff.

Does Quack! really suck?

Best. Thing. Ever. 23% of all votes
Could be better… 53% of all votes
Ooh look! A butterfly! 23% of all votes

Total Votes: 43 Started: February 1, 2007

Nevertheless, the majority (23 of 43 respondents) thinks that Quack! could be better, and we must respect the majority’s opinion. Which leads us to, just what is their opinion? Please leave your thoughts on just how Quack! could be better (and what you will do to make it better) in the comments below.

Welcome to the new home for Quack! Online.

1. What does this mean for the user?
   A website name that is easier to remember, and easier to tell people about it. A new design that makes the website easier to navigate, and articles easier to read. The ability to have custom sections, such as a different area for clubs (like The Book Club). We also have forums online, and a photo gallery. Do register yourself at the forums.
2. What this this mean for authors?
   A different backend means that it will be easier to add and edit your own articles, with features like WYSIWYG edited (that means that it’s similar to typing in Microsoft Word), and soon to come will be a built-in spellchecker.
3. What does this mean for the editors?
   The new system also allows for enhanced author management, and comment management.
4. What does this mean for TIP?
   A website that students can call their own would mean an enhanced flow of conversation between the students and between faculty.