About Us

Overview

Given the rise and expansion of technology it is important to remain apprised of the changes and to utilize said to make the world a better place. Asthma Advisor is the brainchild of four individuals (Aakash, Andy, Arin, and Gurpreet), some of which even have first-hand experience of asthma, while all of them have knowledge of asthma and its debilitating effects and have closely observed it affecting their friends and family. Understanding these realities enable and motivate Asthma Advisor to bring the message a little closer to home by spreading said through all mediums available--such as the Internet. Having come one step closer to achieving these goals, Asthma Advisor is confident that such efforts will better raise awareness of asthma to not only those afflicted but to people in general.

And what better way to raise awareness, than to present a resource to the community which can be utilized towards such an end. Often, one of the key flaws in much of the sources available on the subject of asthma is that it is written in a manner which is hardly universally understandable. Therefore, with that in mind, the current resource that Asthma Advisor provides is down to earth, from individuals (as stated) who have personal experience and knowledge with the disease, and can convey it clearly. So whether you are a 7 year old or a 70 year old, this site can be of assistance. Asthma Advisor encourages the use of this resource for any purpose (be it education or recreation) and in any setting (from the classroom to the lounge room)!

The key to fighting this disease is to utilize collective knowledge, enhanced via awareness, at all levels. The more collective knowledge, especially in the educational system where the next critical player in the fight against this disease may arise, is definitely a step in the right direction. Asthma Advisor fundamentally believes that the information here will be of use. This project may have been the brainchild of four individuals, but ultimately it is the collective who will further this project's aims; and really, in the end, that's what it's all about!

Team Collaboration

Asthma Advisor is a collaborative project comprised of four individuals with varying backgrounds and situations: Aakash, Andy, Arin, and Gurpreet. The goal was clear: provide information on asthma that could be understood and utilized by the general public on asthma; the question was how best to proceed in carrying out such efforts.

Initially the group faced issues with regards to managing content updates and delegating tasks--as any group is likely to face. To solve these issues multiple communications channels were created (bulletin boards, SMS, mailing lists, Skype conferences, etc) to aid in communications, as well as utilizing a subversion system to handle content updates. The group members themselves, as stated, came from diverse backgrounds and experiences.

Aakash--an asthma sufferer--used his direct experience with the disease to tone down complex language to succinct form that could be clear to all. In addition he also used his experience to edit and reinforce not only his own writing, but that of the other members.

Andy, another member, also contributed his linguistic skills in manners of content editing, and placed emphasis on doing so in a down-to-earth tone.

Arin, used his oral skills in conjunction with video editing and design ability to create an overview video to explain how asthma works to children. Arin also used his ability to contribute to the general design of the site, and assisted on several IT aspects of the project in general.

Gurpreet, the final member of the group used his IT skills to advantage when setting up said channels of communication, designing the site and its underlying code (some research required), as well as contributing several content zones to the site.

All in all, the four members of this project utilized their various skills in conjunction to produce Asthma Advisor, a site resource dedicated to fulfilling their goals of raising global awareness and action.

Team Diversity

As stated under "Team Collaboration," this group is comprised of four individuals of varying backgrounds. Andy is Hispanic, coming from a multicultural family which enables him to speak and understand several languages to a greater extent (which is useful when having to convey concepts that may be culturally selective). Aakash is Indian (Hindu) and is afflicted by asthma. Arin, is a foreign national from Kolkata, India (Bengali) and was actually in said region during a portion of the project duration and worked remotely (via skype and other channels); Arin believes that his affinity for children comes from being surrounded by them at all parts of his life. Gurpreet is also Indian (Sikh). What's striking here is ethnic diversity but common interest and goals which convey the fact that asthma is a global pandemic. In addition geo-location plays little role here, for even though all save Arin live in small communities (and thus not often in contact with those afflicted), all members of the group maintain an equal level of concern for the issue.

The Team