We are a bit nosy here at Qatar Visitor, and when a new site popped up on our radar we just had to contact the owner and find out what it was all about. Jimcale at Qatar Social gives us his answers.
I have seen a number of different strands to Qatar Social - classifieds, adding images, news stories. What's the central theme/idea behind the site?
The central theme and my basic idea for Qatar Social was to make a place to easily organize activities, talk about issues without bashing and name calling and to give the community the power of moderation.
Classifieds and other sections came as a result of request from our loyal users. Our classifieds section is easy to use and do not require users to become a member to post.
What gave you the idea for the website?
Seeing just how many people were complaining about lack of activities in Qatar!
You have a section called power shop. Could you explain the idea behind this?
The Power Shop is a place to buy power to use on the site, you can buy what we call cards, that can be used to moderate threads or comments, anyone can buy a card using credits and use them against threads. Example of cards include delete card, move card, edit card, etc.
Can you explain how the credits and tasks section of the website works?
Credits are somewhat similar to user points found on some websites yet more powerful, credits on Qatar Social gives you lots of extra power, medals and rank on the site. Tasks are actions required from the user to perform to earn credits, example of tasks include, uploading your avatar, introducing yourself, etc.
Are you aiming to compete directly with QatarLiving.com, or do you think you provide something that complements QL?
We are a direct competitor to Qatar living, in fact I am aiming to provide an alternative to common issues associated with QL such as religious bashing, a moderator power centered to single person and a friendly forum where one can get answers without being told to Google it or get Lost.
I didn't seen any adverts on your site. Is something you are doing for fun, or do you intend to make money from it in the future?
I am actively trying to get adverts these days.
Our thoughts:
The site looks nice and has some good ideas. However, taking on Qatar Living with its established and often very loyal user base will not be an easy task!
