About SikhNet
Our Plans for 2010
Thanks to your valuable input and ideas, along with our own ongoing brainstorms, we have come up with our list of SikhNet projects for 2010. We welcome your feedback as we get started working on them.
-
A New Children's Website – With Guru's Grace we want to create an entirely new resource for inspiring kids towards Sikhism. We started with the children's stories which are very fun to listen to as well as packing a great message. We feel that kids today are also visual, so we want to create animations, interactive games, videos, cartoons, comic books etc. Given the resources to start on a project as ambitious as this, we will begin implementing it in 2010.
-
Gurbani Media Center Updates - We were exited to launch the revolutionary Gurbani Media Center in 2009, and although it works great there is always room for improvement. We plan to add even more Gurbani tracks along with all the tracks uploaded by users, along with new features for both artists and listeners.
-
Video Series on Parenting - In 2009 we started the InspirationsRelationships video series which explored the topics of male-female relationships and marriage. In 2010 we will be exploring the topics of raising children and parenting in general.
-
Straight Talk Section –We've been wanting to update the Youth Question and Answer Forum for a while now. The current forum is filled with great personal advice that anyone can read and gain wisdom from. There is a large existing archive of questions and answers that are relevant to many people and situations. So instead of people asking the same question again and again, we want to improve it so that the archives are easier to search and use. We paln to present multiple answers and then allow our SikhNet users rank the answers which they think are most valuable. Think about Yahoo Answers!
-
The SikhNet Spotlight – SikhNet is filled with many articles, videos, music tracks and stories... just LOTS of information. Some things are a little hard to find, and we know there are valuable resources on SikhNet you may have never seen. Over and over we hear, "Wow! You have that on SikhNet? I never knew that." We need to build new systems to do this dynamically. We want to change that and bring the hidden gems to light. This will require designing, conceptualizing, and programming, and then we will shine the SikhNet spotlight on things you may never have seen before!
-
Introduction to Sikhism Website – SikhNet has always been a hub for practicing Sikhs as well as a resource for anyone who does know about Sikhism and wants to learn more. Our existing “Introduction to Sikhism” page is good, but we think this subject deserves its own comprehensive section. It would be like its own website with lots of references, videos, articles and integration with SikhiWiki. As well as an easy and concise way to learn the basics if you just want to understand Sikhism at a glance.
-
Expanded Gurdwara Finder – We already have the Gurdwara Finder on Sikhiwiki using Google Maps, but we want to make it even more useful. The possibilities are endless. We could incorporate a Sikh directory, so you when you are travel you can find Sikhs in any area to which you are traveling. We could incorporate a location-specific events calender with “groups” that will be notified via email of events in their area. Classified listings is another thing that could plug into the Gurdwara finder - in a similar manner as craigslist.com which has separate sections for many different cities. We could create a do-it-yourself page template which would enable Gurdwaras on the Gurdwara Map to create their own mini-website which they could then update with their own information and events.
-
Global Sikh Youth Council – At Camp Miri Piri 2009 we explored the idea of a Global Sikh Youth Council as a structure for leadership into the future. As time goes on the next generation needs to take charge, and there needs to be a structure that supports that. If that structure doesn't exist, then we have to create it. We don't yet have a clear idea what this structure is but we think it could be supported on the web and that's where SikhNet could serve best.
-
VCD in Punjabi – The basic idea is get thousands of VCD's of SikhNet Inspirations videos and have them distributed freely in villages in Punjab. The first question we need to tackle is what format to have them in; Punjabi subtitles, Punjabi dubbing, or leave them in English? Dubbing or subtitles videos is quite a project, and one that we would need help with since we primarily don't speak Punjabi, but if this project is supported by you, we will figure it out.
-
English translation of the Siri Guru Granth Sahib in audio format - This is currently in progress We bought some special audio recording equipment for this, and a few enthusiastic local Sikhs have volunteered to record the audio. We are splitting the shabads up by the SikhiToTheMax shabad ID system, so these audios can be used in different ways such as creating a continuous file for Akhand Paath, or listening individually. Note - this project is separate from the English audio Hukamnama katha by Sukha Singh where he explains the shabads word for word. This purpose of this is to be a straight reading through of the entire English translation.
Our Mission Statement
SikhNet's leadership
Our policy for the SikhNet News is "good news, good will". We avoid
posting political news, or news that's negative in nature, rather we
focus on what can inspire and inform. SikhNet is not funded by, nor
does it represent, 3HO or any other sect, or organization. We do our part to
create unity instead of division, we do not take sides and we do not
promote or condemn any Sikh group. Our ideals are to be universal,
uniting, inspirational, uplifting and neutral, and that's why we focus more on
what can inspire us to be more spiritual human beings rather than on
controversy and politics.
How SikhNet is funded
SikhNet is not funded by any other organizations, and relies on two funding sources (1) Donations from users and sponsors and (2) SikhMatrimonials.com membership fees. SikhNet uses these funds to employ three full-time staff, two part time staff, to pay for office expenses, Internet hosting expenses, and to pay for contract labor for special projects, programming, graphics, bookkeeping, system administration etc.
About SikhMatrimonials.com
Since we started SikhMatrimonials more than 10 years ago, many more matrimonial sites have appeared on the scene. Since we are a small non-profit company we don't have the resources to be able to compete with such big companies, nor is that our intention. We fulfill a specialized need and we rely on our long time customer base which has let us continue to offer this service. In fact, while other websites may be larger and have more features, SikhMatrimonials continues to have the most Sikh profiles online.
What SikhNet does
SikhNet is the largest Sikh website, receiving over 20,000 visits every day. The most popular feature is the Daily Hukamnama followed by many other services such as the daily SikhNet News, khalsa.com email, SikhNet radio, the Gurbani Archive, Childrens Stories, Featured Videos, Sikhiwiki, the Siri Guru Granth Sahib online and our downloads (Bani files, kirtan audios, Sikhism wallpapers, Gurmukhi Fonts etc.). Explore the World of SikhNet.
The SikhNet staff do web development and programming, SikhNet news population, SikhMatrimonials customer service, fundraising/networking, content creation (such as articles and videos) coordinating initiatives like the Sikh Youth Film Festival and events like Jaap Sahib, and Camp Miri Piri.
At SikhNet we couldn't do it without volunteers. The SikhNet staff and the international "cybersangat" deeply appreciate the discussion moderators, the English Hukamnama translators and transcribers, the Sikhiwiki contributers, the Youth Q&A moderators, the GurSikh Speed Meeting organizer, the video interviewees, stories for children narrators, and the many members of the SikhNet family who send us news articles, comments and feedback. We are grateful to Art of Punjab for exchanging your beautiful artwork which has and continues to visually brand our new website. Thank you so much to our donors who make this all possible. Donate Now!
History of SikhNet
SikhNet went online for the first time in 1984 with technology that seems primitive to us now. From February 1986 until October of 1994, SikhNet was online as a computer bulletin board system. For ten years, SikhNet was up and online 7 days a week, 24 hours a day, but it finally stopped in October 1994 when Guruka Singh was no longer able to serve as the Sysop (System Operator). After SikhNet had been offline over a year, by the grace of God and Guru, Gurumustuk Singh, our wonderfully talented and creative young Webmaster appeared. Through the efforts of the development team, through your donations, and in collaboration with Sun & Son (a Khalsa owned software development firm based in New Mexico), SikhNet was funded and finally reborn on the World Wide Web on March 24th 1996. More >>
SikhNet Staff
|
| |
|
| |
|
Gurujot Singh started working at SikhNet in April 2005. At that time he was involved different aspects like Customer Service Management and doing the SikhNet News. While doing Graphic Design school on the side he has taken on the video development, as well as designing and producing much of the graphics and products you see on the Web site. He also helps oversee customer service with Loveleen. | |
|
| |
|
Gurumustuk Singh Khalsa - Webmaster and Chief Operating Officer
Guruka Singh Khalsa – Teacher and Chief Executive Officer 
Loveleen Kaur Ahluwalia – Customer Service
Harijot Singh Khalsa – Children's Stories ManagerHere are the SikhNet Annual Reports
2008 Annual Report (HTML)
2007 Annual Report (pdf)
2006 Annual Report (pdf)
Feeds
Youtube
Twitter
Facebook