Dara (platform)
| File:Dara.network brandmark.png Dara brandmark | |
| File:Dara login.png Dara's login screen | |
| Developer(s) | Dara Network |
|---|---|
| Initial release | 16 April 2020[1] |
| Stable release | 4.7.0 (Google Play)
/ November 4, 2021 |
| Written in | Flutter, Python |
| Engine | |
| Operating system | Android, iOS, Web |
| Size | 23.73 MB |
| Available in | 3 languages |
List of languages English, Hindi, German | |
| Type | Communications software |
| Website | https://dara.network/ |
Search Dara (platform) on Amazon.
Dara is a communications platform that aims to helps people and organizations build social capital. Dara started through a digital arts grant from the British Council, and is an example of an arts project that has grown into a SaaS start-up with the operational investor Techstars.[2][3] Dara is partnered with various organizations focused on changemaking and upskilling, such as the Goethe-Institut[4] and BeFantastic.[5]
The platform is currently accessible on Android, iOS and Windows, and offers several features that are meant to ease online communication and collaboration. One example is Dara's asynchronous video messaging system, which allows users to send short video notes that may be responded to at a time of convenience.
History
The platform was founded by it's Chief Creative and Operations Officer Archana Prasad, along with it's CEO Sean Blagsvedt in May 2019, using a grant they won from an Open Call announced by the British Council, who leverage technology towards expanding Indo-British cultural partnerships.[6][7][8] Prasad and Blagsvedt had responded to the British Council's Open Call for Digital Arts (2018) by proposing the development of DaraBot, which was conceived as India's first chatbot for creative professionals, and now sits at the core of the Dara network.[9]
Dara went through three major tests during it's early development. These began with asking a group of twenty people from the UK and India if the idea of a chatbot meant to spark creative collaboration intrigued them. Next, Prasad and Blagsvedt undertook the Wizard of Oz experiment, which involves a machine shifting it's personality from mechanical to human during the course of a conversation, without the human engaging with it being aware of the exact point at which this takes place. This was meant to gauge DaraBot's human-likeness. Finally, the duo would deploy Dara's early prototype to nine people, to see whether it's language was relatable.[10] The word "Dara" is used to refer to a thread in Kannada, which is the state language spoken in Prasad's native Karnataka.[11]
Initially, the Dara network, along with the ubiquitous chatbot for which it is named, was designed as a community-building project, with the aim of helping Indian artists access international collaboration through a secure communications channel. Over time, the Dara platform has grown to inculcate a focus on creative and cultural discourse, and now hosts several projects that fit within the ambit of art and technology. Dara also hosts discussions featuring speakers who practice within the art, technology and cultural sectors.
Features
Dara is a fully integrated platform and some of its most popular elements are chatting, community building, events, and a job board. Dara contains an asynchronous chat system which allows text, audio, and video,emojis and polls. Users can also may receive badges that show their involvement with the app's partners. Additionally, Dara also contains community management and analytics support, and accounts can post events, which come with settings such as RSVP and calendar linkage, and jobs, where the the app allows users provide links to their parent organizations' own websites and social media handles, along with details regarding the nature of work involved.[citation needed]
Additionally, Dara had some other features during it's early development, that have either been abandoned or retooled into currently existing features. An example of this was a personality test meant to match people based on their dispositions.[12]
Monetization
Dara does not host advertisements, and instead receives a membership fee from it's Partners. Additionally, Dara is a Techstar start-up, for which it has also received funding from the Colorado-based seed accelerator.[2]
References
- ↑ play.google.com/store/apps/details/id=network.dara.dara
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Techstars Bangalore Accelerator Class of 2021". www.techstars.com.
- ↑ "Techstars Bangalore picks 9 startups for 3rd cohort in India". Sify.
- ↑ "BeFantastic TOGETHER - Fellowship Programme 2021 - Goethe-Institut Indien". www.goethe.de.
- ↑ "Partners". BEFANTASTIC. 25 August 2017.
- ↑ Bhuyan, Avantika (16 June 2019). "Now, a creative bot for artists". mint.
- ↑ "British Council India".[permanent dead link]
- ↑ "This AI-based chatbot helps artists collaborate with each other and find suitable projects". Edex Live.
- ↑ "British Council releases DARA chatbot for creative professionals". Business Standard India. 22 May 2019.
- ↑ May 12, Mahalakshmi P. / TNN /. "Chatbot that unites artists - Bengaluru News - Times of India". The Times of India.
- ↑ "Now, a chatbot to connect local with international artists". The Hindu. 30 May 2019.
- ↑ "British Council releases DARA chatbot for creative professionals". Deccan Chronicle. 23 May 2019.
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