Patenting growth
Patenting growth
From ERP solutions to employing sales force automation tools, pharma majors are leaving no stone unturned in getting the most out of IT, says Sushma Naik
SUSHMA NAIK
Posted online: Monday, May 23, 2005 at 0046 hours IST
The $25 billion chemicals and pharmaceuticals sector in India comprises companies that manufacture petrochemicals, organic chemicals, agro-chemicals, bulk drugs and paints & dyes. Indian pharma companies have had to adjust to the changes in patent laws that replace the older system of process patents where patented drugs could be manufactured using a different process. Indian companies can no longer depend on reverse engineering techniques to manufacture drugs.
This has influenced two trends. First, Indian companies can use their low-cost manufacturing operations to offer contract manufacturing facilities to MNCs. Analysts believe that India with its skilled manpower and low cost skills both in research and in manufacturing will attract global players. The second is about creating new business opportunities. Forced out of the generics business, big Indian pharmaceutical companies are left with little option but create new drugs or target the market for blockbuster drugs that are going off patent. An estimated $45 billion worth of drugs are expected to go off patent by 2007 in the US alone.
This has led to the industry spending more on R&D and globalisation initiatives. These are validated by the findings of the survey which highlights that 67 percent of companies in this sector plan to launch new products. What’s interesting is that 33 percent of the companies say that their top IT priority is investments in new technologies. As Indian companies venture into global markets, IT is expected to help pharmaceutical companies comply with regulations.
For FY 2005-06, companies in this segment will spend Rs 6.86 crore compared to Rs 13.07 crore for the average spend of large businesses. Of the total IT spend, organisations in this sector spend 22 percent of their IT budget on enterprise hardware, 16 percent on bandwidth and another 16 percent on enterprise wide applications.
The projected areas of investment show increased allocation toward storage and bandwidth. Investments in storage are expected to increase from 7 to 20 percent of overall IT spend. 67 percent of respondents who have invested in storage have deployed SANs while another 40 percent have opted for NAS. Similarly, investments in bandwidth are expected to increase from 16 percent to 27 percent of the IT spend.
ERP is Pharma’s oxygen
As the pharmaceutical industry follows strict guidelines and regulations, every system needs to be validated as per existing laws and regulations. Complying with regulations means that companies need extensive control over production, stores, QC processes and data. Hence, an ERP system is an absolute necessity for pharmaceutical companies to keep track of data. An ERP system for pharmaceutical companies enables them to comply with regulations such as the 21 CFR Part 11 of the US FDA. The need for an ERP system is even more critical in the pharmaceutical industry than it is in others since products in this sector cannot be defective. Any defect can mar a company’s reputation.
Features like electronic batch record management and multi-location warehouse management system are a necessary part of an ERP system for pharmaceutical firms. Most companies in this sector realise the importance of an ERP system and 89 percent have an ERP system as part of their IT infrastructure. An example of the benefits of using an ERP system can be found at Chennai-based Orchid Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals. The company implemented a SAP solution that has ensured the integration of operations across units. Operational efficiencies have also risen. For instance, capacity utilisation after the ERP implementation has increased to 93 percent from 85 percent, while raw material shortage is down from 8 percent to 5. Additionally, Orchid Pharmaceuticals is now able to respond to customers within a day instead of 10 earlier.
Another pharmaceutical major, Torrent Pharmaceuticals, has deployed SAP and expects to increase its operational efficiency. Says Jyoti Bandopadhyay, Vice President-Information Technology, Torrent Pharmaceuticals, “We expect to increase our operational efficiencies by a significant margin post-deployment of the ERP solution.” The company has integrated the ERP system with its home-grown sales force application. As this represents a huge market, Indian vendors are trying to woo Indian customers with customised ERP packages.
Mobilising the sales force
Sales force automation (SFA) is a key application for pharmaceutical companies with some arming their medical representatives with notebooks. These notebooks are being used to give product representations, and for writing sales records that can be later be uploaded to the company’s central server. This can be seen from the fact that 67 percent of respondents plan to invest in notebooks for FY 2005-06. Another 38 percent plan to invest in PDAs. This is a logical result of automating pharmaceutical sales forces. For example, Dr Reddy’s Laboratories has purchased over 500 handhelds from Acer India as part of a larger project to promote front-end sales force automation. This will enable the company’s sales force to access topical and relevant information on new formulations, check stock availability, submit daily reports from the field and provide market and competitor intelligence. Similarly, Torrent Pharmaceuticals, the flagship company of the Ahmedabad-based Rs 3,000-crore Torrent group, has deployed SAP and integrated it with its sales force automation solution.
The SFA solution caters to a 2,000 strong force that uses it on a daily basis to access relevant data from the ERP system. With the costs of mobile phones dropping significantly, some companies are looking at using these ubiquitous devices for SFA. Sun Pharmaceuticals has deployed a mobile-based sales force automation application from Base Information Management. Sun had a large sales force, which needs to interact with busy physicians. The need of the hour was to keep the sales force updated so that they could be well prepared to answer doctors’ queries. Sun Pharmaceuticals’ sales force can use the mobile SFA application to access corporate information and file activity reports from any Java-enabled mobile phone. Hence, its marketing team does not have to look for a cyber cafe at odd hours or locations to send in call reports.
Encrypted security
All respondents from this sector have invested in anti-virus systems, 85 percent in firewalls and another 50 percent in intrusion detection systems. 27 percent review their security policy once in three months, 13 percent in six months while 33 percent review it once a year. The need for a secure system is more important in the current product regime as a host of firms are involved in drug discovery. While the R&D expenses of each new drug are substantial, only a few generate significant returns.
Consequently, there is a need to keep bringing new drugs to market and ensure that returns generated by these products justify the investments made and make up for the cost of R&D for products that bombed. A data leak can cripple a company’s chances of patenting a drug.
Sunday, July 24, 2005
E-UP hai bhaiya...- The Times of India
E-UP hai bhaiya...- The Times of India
E-UP hai bhaiya...
PRASHANT SRIVASTAVA
TIMES NEWS NETWORK[ THURSDAY, MAY 26, 2005 11:10:51 PM ]
LUCKNOW: Sitting here, do you want to make a real fast buck? If your answer is yes (which predictably will be) then don't waste any time and rush to Udyog Bandhu!
How do you reach there? Simple. Go to any Cyber cafe and open the official website of Government of UP - www.upgov.nic.in. You will find that the site which pops up has the state government's logo on the top left and has links to all the important departments, organisations, district websites, institutions and even the Vidhan Sabha.
On the bottom of the screen you will find a note stating that the site contents are owned, maintained and updated by Department of Information and Public Relations.
If the listless site disappoints you, still don't leave. For you may fritter away once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Now, just activate the "Organisations"hyperlink and it will present a gamut of links to state organisations starting from accountant general (Accounts), UP to UP Tourism. Just click the link to "Udyog Bandhu".
If you are a harassed industrialist, tormented by some state regulation or a dispute, stop pursuing the site any further. But if you are looking to make a quick buck, you will find the link quite helpful.
This link will take you to a site which has further sub-links such as 'Business opportunities', 'Real Estate', 'Work from home', 'Texas holdem', 'Music', 'Hotels' and so on. Amused! Just go to the 'Work from home' link. Here you will find detailed information about how you can make thousands of rupees on a daily basis by exploiting the massive boom in the online casino gaming. The 'Business opportunities' the way in which you can become a franchisee of a company making laser hair removal device.
Click on "Texas holdem"and you will find the golden tip of how to cheat successfully in any online poker game and make big money. The "Airline ticketing"tells you how you can fly to Singapore for free. The list is endless. If you miss out on "Udyog Bandhu", you still have the same offers with the "NOIDA"site.
But if you genuinely want to know anything about "Udyog Bandhu"or some of the other important government departments, then be prepared for a wild-goose chase. The LDA site will not be found. Similar is the fate of LMC's which asks you to view the page via a secure channel (no idea, what that means!). CIMAP, NBRI and PCDF sites will also not be found. Anyway, welcome to e-governance in UP.
E-UP hai bhaiya...
PRASHANT SRIVASTAVA
TIMES NEWS NETWORK[ THURSDAY, MAY 26, 2005 11:10:51 PM ]
LUCKNOW: Sitting here, do you want to make a real fast buck? If your answer is yes (which predictably will be) then don't waste any time and rush to Udyog Bandhu!
How do you reach there? Simple. Go to any Cyber cafe and open the official website of Government of UP - www.upgov.nic.in. You will find that the site which pops up has the state government's logo on the top left and has links to all the important departments, organisations, district websites, institutions and even the Vidhan Sabha.
On the bottom of the screen you will find a note stating that the site contents are owned, maintained and updated by Department of Information and Public Relations.
If the listless site disappoints you, still don't leave. For you may fritter away once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Now, just activate the "Organisations"hyperlink and it will present a gamut of links to state organisations starting from accountant general (Accounts), UP to UP Tourism. Just click the link to "Udyog Bandhu".
If you are a harassed industrialist, tormented by some state regulation or a dispute, stop pursuing the site any further. But if you are looking to make a quick buck, you will find the link quite helpful.
This link will take you to a site which has further sub-links such as 'Business opportunities', 'Real Estate', 'Work from home', 'Texas holdem', 'Music', 'Hotels' and so on. Amused! Just go to the 'Work from home' link. Here you will find detailed information about how you can make thousands of rupees on a daily basis by exploiting the massive boom in the online casino gaming. The 'Business opportunities' the way in which you can become a franchisee of a company making laser hair removal device.
Click on "Texas holdem"and you will find the golden tip of how to cheat successfully in any online poker game and make big money. The "Airline ticketing"tells you how you can fly to Singapore for free. The list is endless. If you miss out on "Udyog Bandhu", you still have the same offers with the "NOIDA"site.
But if you genuinely want to know anything about "Udyog Bandhu"or some of the other important government departments, then be prepared for a wild-goose chase. The LDA site will not be found. Similar is the fate of LMC's which asks you to view the page via a secure channel (no idea, what that means!). CIMAP, NBRI and PCDF sites will also not be found. Anyway, welcome to e-governance in UP.
Chennai tops CBSE Class X results
Chennai tops CBSE Class X results
Chennai tops CBSE Class X results; overall pass percentage improves
May 26, 2005 20:57 IST
A healthy 74.60 % of 6,05,477 students cleared the Class X Central Board of Secondary Education exams with the Chennai region throwing up the best pass percentage of 90.74% and girls once again outshining boys.
The results for the three remaining regions -- Delhi, Guwahati and Allahabad -- were declared on Thursday at 6 pm. The board came out with the results for the Ajmer, Chennai and Chandigarh regions on Tuesday.
The overall pass percentage has improved by 2.38%.
Chennai, whose results had been declared on Tuesday, has the best overall percentage of 90.74, with Ajmer second best at 87.70%.
The pass percentage in Chandigarh stood at 82.21 and Allahabad was in the fourth slot with 80.60%.
National capital Delhi, with 60.84% success rate, is at the fifth spot, while Guwahati has fared the poorest, with an overall pass percentage of 45.90.
Outdoing boys once again, girls have shown a pass percentage of 75.26. The pass percentage for boys is 74.13.
There was a rush of students at cybercafes, with the results posted on the CBSE Web sites: www.cbse.nic.in, www.results.nic.in and cbseresults.nic.in.
Arrangements for accessing results through SMS or Interactive Voice Response were also available, apart from the traditional trip to the school.
Chennai tops CBSE Class X results; overall pass percentage improves
May 26, 2005 20:57 IST
A healthy 74.60 % of 6,05,477 students cleared the Class X Central Board of Secondary Education exams with the Chennai region throwing up the best pass percentage of 90.74% and girls once again outshining boys.
The results for the three remaining regions -- Delhi, Guwahati and Allahabad -- were declared on Thursday at 6 pm. The board came out with the results for the Ajmer, Chennai and Chandigarh regions on Tuesday.
The overall pass percentage has improved by 2.38%.
Chennai, whose results had been declared on Tuesday, has the best overall percentage of 90.74, with Ajmer second best at 87.70%.
The pass percentage in Chandigarh stood at 82.21 and Allahabad was in the fourth slot with 80.60%.
National capital Delhi, with 60.84% success rate, is at the fifth spot, while Guwahati has fared the poorest, with an overall pass percentage of 45.90.
Outdoing boys once again, girls have shown a pass percentage of 75.26. The pass percentage for boys is 74.13.
There was a rush of students at cybercafes, with the results posted on the CBSE Web sites: www.cbse.nic.in, www.results.nic.in and cbseresults.nic.in.
Arrangements for accessing results through SMS or Interactive Voice Response were also available, apart from the traditional trip to the school.
Need for an effective privacy policy
Need for an effective privacy policy
Need for an effective privacy policy
SUCHETA DALAL
Posted online: Monday, May 30, 2005 at 0156 hours IST
A natural corollary to the issue of data and databases that we have discussed here over the last two weeks is the question of privacy. For instance, what is the answer to a reader’s simple query: ‘‘Is the personal data on individual’s/corporates safe from unscrupulous elements? What is the privacy policy? Can database agencies be sued if they are hacked and the data misused?’’
Although the right to privacy is enshrined under Article 21 of the Constitution, enforcing this right through consumer action and compensation are tricky issues because the legal process is slow and expensive and the judiciary is niggardly about granting punitive damages. We have already learnt to live with the consequences of stolen data. How else are our mobile phone numbers and addresses available to a variety of marketing companies? But a clear privacy policy becomes extremely vital at a time when the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has already kicked off the controversial Market Participants Database (MAPIN) and is now in the process of reviewing it after widespread investor anger.
BrideGroom
18-2526-3031-3536-4546-5099-50
How important is data privacy and the need for a clearly articulated and legislated privacy policy? I spoke to a few experts in the Information Technology (IT) and security industry and found that there is considerable concern among leaders about the security of personal information that is being collated by MAPIN, Cibil (Credit Information Bureau of India Ltd) and the Income Tax department as Permanent Account Numbers (PAN) and the Tax Information Network (TIN). Today, in the absence of clear legislation, there is nothing to prevent personal information from being shared across the board with anybody. Organisations may claim to have an internal privacy policy, but in the absence of clear legislation, they don’t come under any legal obligation.
Nasscom President Kiran Karnik says, ‘‘Personally, I feel deeply concerned about the obsession we have with ‘security’ (and I am not talking of data security), which seems to provide a cover-all for anything and everything. It seems to permit the government and its multiple security agencies to do anything from tapping telephones to intercepting mail to seeking identity and sites accessed by cyber cafe users. Sadly, the ‘intelligentsia’ is not bothered: this is, after all, ‘other people’s’ problem.’’
Sunil Mehta, Vice-President of Nasscom says, ‘‘As Internet penetration in India increases, e-governance initiatives grow in reach and more and more ‘personal identifiable information (PII)’ becomes digitised, many of us are increasingly concerned about privacy and security breaches. I really believe there should be a genuine public debate in this country among all stakeholders around the kind of privacy laws that we, as citizens, really need.’’
Nandkumar Sarvade, DCP police and IIT engineer, who is currently on deputation with Nasscom (National Association of Software Companies) says, the growth of databases is inevitable, since government itself needs large databases, such as a list of all the citizens, voters, tax payers, vehicle owners, drivers, property owners and so on.’’
‘‘Since information infrastructure is increasingly being controlled by private players, without a legal framework, profit maximisation would remain the primary purpose resulting in exploitation and resale of databases. A legal framework would therefore be required to lay down the rules, within which legitimate data aggregation can be practised.’’
Most experts believe that Self Regulatory Organisation (SRO) is a good start. But Sunil Mehta insists, the ‘‘SROs would have to be carefully designed to give it some real powers to create a code of ethics (and adherence to security standards, self-certified audits, third-party audits), create capacity by training key officials in member companies, investigate and adjudicate breaches and expel members who fail to correct behavioural lapses. This has to be backed by ‘‘a legal framework, which can be triggered off by the SRO in case all else fails.’’
The controversy over biometric identification that is being discussed by a SEBI committee in connection with MAPIN makes the issue of security and efficacy of databases even more relevant.
Sarvade quotes a chilling passage from Simson Garfinkel’s book on databases and privacy, (‘Database Nation: The Death of Privacy in 21st Century’) with specific reference to biometric identification. It says, ‘‘Biometrics are a powerful means to ascertain somebody’s identity, but only for the person or the machine that actually does the measuring. Once a biometric is stored inside a computer, all of the security provided by biometric identification is lost. A stored biometric could easily have been copied from another computer, rather than being directly measured. This is a critical distinction to understand when using biometrics. It is a distinction that is so subtle that it frequently is overlooked by the people implementing and using biometrics-based systems.’’
The direct consequence of copying biometric identification is its misuse with nightmarish consequences for the victim. For instance, the misuse of a credit card only causes monetary losses (which can sometimes have extreme consequences), but the misuse of biometric could falsely implicate a person in criminal activity, which would be impossible to disprove.
Prakash Hebalkar, a leading IT expert, has long been concerned with the issue of Identity Theft. He first raised it in 2002 in connection with the PAN database. He wrote: ‘‘Can you imagine trying to prove to the Income Tax authorities that it was not you who asked for that demand draft payable to the cross-border terrorist, despite your PAN being misused on the draft application to the bank? Or that you did not buy that SIM card for the mobile phone that was used to make extortionist calls? The list could go one ad infinitum, limited only by one’s imagination.’’
Hebalkar believes that Indian criminal law must introduce provisions similar to the US statute, which provides for imprisonment for 20 to 25 years and forfeiture of property for identity thefts. Instead, the fine for a misstatement or misuse of the PAN today is a paltry Rs 10,000.
Interestingly, many experts still believe that our current legal framework, if well enforced, is adequate to addresses violations of personal privacy. To my mind, the current legal framework is rendered ineffective because of the slow legal process and paltry punishments. It is only when there is adequate debate and discussion on privacy issues that the government will recognise the need for an effective legislative framework to protect individual privacy.
Need for an effective privacy policy
SUCHETA DALAL
Posted online: Monday, May 30, 2005 at 0156 hours IST
A natural corollary to the issue of data and databases that we have discussed here over the last two weeks is the question of privacy. For instance, what is the answer to a reader’s simple query: ‘‘Is the personal data on individual’s/corporates safe from unscrupulous elements? What is the privacy policy? Can database agencies be sued if they are hacked and the data misused?’’
Although the right to privacy is enshrined under Article 21 of the Constitution, enforcing this right through consumer action and compensation are tricky issues because the legal process is slow and expensive and the judiciary is niggardly about granting punitive damages. We have already learnt to live with the consequences of stolen data. How else are our mobile phone numbers and addresses available to a variety of marketing companies? But a clear privacy policy becomes extremely vital at a time when the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has already kicked off the controversial Market Participants Database (MAPIN) and is now in the process of reviewing it after widespread investor anger.
BrideGroom
18-2526-3031-3536-4546-5099-50
How important is data privacy and the need for a clearly articulated and legislated privacy policy? I spoke to a few experts in the Information Technology (IT) and security industry and found that there is considerable concern among leaders about the security of personal information that is being collated by MAPIN, Cibil (Credit Information Bureau of India Ltd) and the Income Tax department as Permanent Account Numbers (PAN) and the Tax Information Network (TIN). Today, in the absence of clear legislation, there is nothing to prevent personal information from being shared across the board with anybody. Organisations may claim to have an internal privacy policy, but in the absence of clear legislation, they don’t come under any legal obligation.
Nasscom President Kiran Karnik says, ‘‘Personally, I feel deeply concerned about the obsession we have with ‘security’ (and I am not talking of data security), which seems to provide a cover-all for anything and everything. It seems to permit the government and its multiple security agencies to do anything from tapping telephones to intercepting mail to seeking identity and sites accessed by cyber cafe users. Sadly, the ‘intelligentsia’ is not bothered: this is, after all, ‘other people’s’ problem.’’
Sunil Mehta, Vice-President of Nasscom says, ‘‘As Internet penetration in India increases, e-governance initiatives grow in reach and more and more ‘personal identifiable information (PII)’ becomes digitised, many of us are increasingly concerned about privacy and security breaches. I really believe there should be a genuine public debate in this country among all stakeholders around the kind of privacy laws that we, as citizens, really need.’’
Nandkumar Sarvade, DCP police and IIT engineer, who is currently on deputation with Nasscom (National Association of Software Companies) says, the growth of databases is inevitable, since government itself needs large databases, such as a list of all the citizens, voters, tax payers, vehicle owners, drivers, property owners and so on.’’
‘‘Since information infrastructure is increasingly being controlled by private players, without a legal framework, profit maximisation would remain the primary purpose resulting in exploitation and resale of databases. A legal framework would therefore be required to lay down the rules, within which legitimate data aggregation can be practised.’’
Most experts believe that Self Regulatory Organisation (SRO) is a good start. But Sunil Mehta insists, the ‘‘SROs would have to be carefully designed to give it some real powers to create a code of ethics (and adherence to security standards, self-certified audits, third-party audits), create capacity by training key officials in member companies, investigate and adjudicate breaches and expel members who fail to correct behavioural lapses. This has to be backed by ‘‘a legal framework, which can be triggered off by the SRO in case all else fails.’’
The controversy over biometric identification that is being discussed by a SEBI committee in connection with MAPIN makes the issue of security and efficacy of databases even more relevant.
Sarvade quotes a chilling passage from Simson Garfinkel’s book on databases and privacy, (‘Database Nation: The Death of Privacy in 21st Century’) with specific reference to biometric identification. It says, ‘‘Biometrics are a powerful means to ascertain somebody’s identity, but only for the person or the machine that actually does the measuring. Once a biometric is stored inside a computer, all of the security provided by biometric identification is lost. A stored biometric could easily have been copied from another computer, rather than being directly measured. This is a critical distinction to understand when using biometrics. It is a distinction that is so subtle that it frequently is overlooked by the people implementing and using biometrics-based systems.’’
The direct consequence of copying biometric identification is its misuse with nightmarish consequences for the victim. For instance, the misuse of a credit card only causes monetary losses (which can sometimes have extreme consequences), but the misuse of biometric could falsely implicate a person in criminal activity, which would be impossible to disprove.
Prakash Hebalkar, a leading IT expert, has long been concerned with the issue of Identity Theft. He first raised it in 2002 in connection with the PAN database. He wrote: ‘‘Can you imagine trying to prove to the Income Tax authorities that it was not you who asked for that demand draft payable to the cross-border terrorist, despite your PAN being misused on the draft application to the bank? Or that you did not buy that SIM card for the mobile phone that was used to make extortionist calls? The list could go one ad infinitum, limited only by one’s imagination.’’
Hebalkar believes that Indian criminal law must introduce provisions similar to the US statute, which provides for imprisonment for 20 to 25 years and forfeiture of property for identity thefts. Instead, the fine for a misstatement or misuse of the PAN today is a paltry Rs 10,000.
Interestingly, many experts still believe that our current legal framework, if well enforced, is adequate to addresses violations of personal privacy. To my mind, the current legal framework is rendered ineffective because of the slow legal process and paltry punishments. It is only when there is adequate debate and discussion on privacy issues that the government will recognise the need for an effective legislative framework to protect individual privacy.
Saturday, July 23, 2005
Post offices to offer Internet Browsing facility : India, Tamil Nadu
Post offices to offer government securities, banking -->
Indo-Asian News Service
Chennai, July 18 (IANS) The local post office in India is due for a dramatic makeover that will make it an economic hub for bill payments and a cyber café.At the annual conference of heads of postal circles here Monday, Communications and IT Minister Dayanidhi Maran launched a scheme in which government securities will be available through post offices."The focus of the department will be on be quality-conscious, market-driven and customer-friendly schemes," said Secretary of Posts R. Ganesan.As many as 33 post offices in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, New Delhi and Mumbai will offer government securities through a scheme run by IDBI Capital Market Services.Any adult with a demat account with the National Securities Depository Limited or with the Central Depository Services Limited can buy securities with minimum face value of Rs.10,000 and multiples of Rs.1,000 thereafter. IDBI Capital Market Services is a leading financial services provider and a subsidiary of IDBI Bank."Government securities are an excellent option for individuals desiring regular interest income without compromising on the safety of their investment," said IDBI Capital chairman S. Muhnot, who signed an agreement with India Posts in the presence of Maran. "Plans are afoot to turn 100,000 post offices in the country to common service centres by the yearend," Maran said.Each post office serving as a cyber-cafe and collection centre for electricity and phone bills will be connected to six villages. Postmen will collect money for postal savings from the doorstep and deliver it to the customer on maturity. Maran said his department would push for more power for post offices to enable them to function as banks.
Indo-Asian News ServiceFor clarifications/queries, please contact IANS NEWS DESK at 2616-5778/8546, 2617-3369 or mail us atsupport@eians.com
Indo-Asian News Service
Chennai, July 18 (IANS) The local post office in India is due for a dramatic makeover that will make it an economic hub for bill payments and a cyber café.At the annual conference of heads of postal circles here Monday, Communications and IT Minister Dayanidhi Maran launched a scheme in which government securities will be available through post offices."The focus of the department will be on be quality-conscious, market-driven and customer-friendly schemes," said Secretary of Posts R. Ganesan.As many as 33 post offices in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, New Delhi and Mumbai will offer government securities through a scheme run by IDBI Capital Market Services.Any adult with a demat account with the National Securities Depository Limited or with the Central Depository Services Limited can buy securities with minimum face value of Rs.10,000 and multiples of Rs.1,000 thereafter. IDBI Capital Market Services is a leading financial services provider and a subsidiary of IDBI Bank."Government securities are an excellent option for individuals desiring regular interest income without compromising on the safety of their investment," said IDBI Capital chairman S. Muhnot, who signed an agreement with India Posts in the presence of Maran. "Plans are afoot to turn 100,000 post offices in the country to common service centres by the yearend," Maran said.Each post office serving as a cyber-cafe and collection centre for electricity and phone bills will be connected to six villages. Postmen will collect money for postal savings from the doorstep and deliver it to the customer on maturity. Maran said his department would push for more power for post offices to enable them to function as banks.
Indo-Asian News ServiceFor clarifications/queries, please contact IANS NEWS DESK at 2616-5778/8546, 2617-3369 or mail us atsupport@eians.com
Results net in profits for them - Newindpress.com
Results net in profits for them - Newindpress.com: "Results net in profits for them
Tuesday May 31 2005 11:04 IST
PURI: For cyber cafe owner Bikram Ranjan Sahoo and his ilk, May and June are the months to cheer about.
Sip a drink, browse the net and know your examination result. The trend that has caught up students here like their brethren around the globe has only made the cyber cafe owners laugh all the way to the bank.
A place where the number of internet users is not very encouraging, publication of results on the internet has come as a boon for the innumerable cafe owners.
Lowering usage cost, installing placards and sticking posters outside their shops, they are going all out to rake in the moolah.
��On an average day, we get a maximum of two customers and there have been times when we hardly have one visitor,� informs Bikram, owner of �Lagoon dot.com, a city-based cyber cafe. But the �result season� has kept him busy the whole day negotiating a crowd of roll number holders.
It includes students from outside the city too and many cafes earned in thousands on a single day -- the day the matriculation result was published.
The trend has, however, spelt disaster for those selling result booklets published by the State Government since years.
��I had to rush to the CHSE office on Monday for the Plus-II result booklet but all my efforts have gone in vain. I am yet to recover my transport expense as students are heading towards cyber cafes,� rued Asit Pradhan, who has been in the trade since last four years."
Tuesday May 31 2005 11:04 IST
PURI: For cyber cafe owner Bikram Ranjan Sahoo and his ilk, May and June are the months to cheer about.
Sip a drink, browse the net and know your examination result. The trend that has caught up students here like their brethren around the globe has only made the cyber cafe owners laugh all the way to the bank.
A place where the number of internet users is not very encouraging, publication of results on the internet has come as a boon for the innumerable cafe owners.
Lowering usage cost, installing placards and sticking posters outside their shops, they are going all out to rake in the moolah.
��On an average day, we get a maximum of two customers and there have been times when we hardly have one visitor,� informs Bikram, owner of �Lagoon dot.com, a city-based cyber cafe. But the �result season� has kept him busy the whole day negotiating a crowd of roll number holders.
It includes students from outside the city too and many cafes earned in thousands on a single day -- the day the matriculation result was published.
The trend has, however, spelt disaster for those selling result booklets published by the State Government since years.
��I had to rush to the CHSE office on Monday for the Plus-II result booklet but all my efforts have gone in vain. I am yet to recover my transport expense as students are heading towards cyber cafes,� rued Asit Pradhan, who has been in the trade since last four years."
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Raleigh - In an effort to promote technology education and inclusion, and help eliminate the digital divide throughout North Carolina, Microsoft has announced a grant to the e-NC Authority, totaling $50,000 in cash to support the e-NC Business & Technology Telecenter program. Known as an Unlimited Potential grant, the monies go toward helping people realize their promise through technology.
�We are extremely grateful for Microsoft�s generous support,� said e-NC Authority Chair Oppie Jordan. �The e-NC Business & Technology Telecenter program works with citizens and businesses in our most distressed areas, promoting the effective use of technology as a means of improving the economy. This grant will help us take the job-producing telecenter program to a new level.�
Microsoft�s grant supports the e-NC�s Business and Technology Telecenter (BTT) program. In 2002, the e-NC Authority launched telecenters in rural areas. In 2004 alone, these telecenters provided free Internet access and computer training to more than 46,000 individual citizens. The centers also provided technical and business support services to 16,673 public and private sector clients, and leased space to 33 organizations. More than anything else, telecenters acted as catalysts for economic development in their regions by creating a combined total of 289 local jobs in 2004 alone.
Now the e-NC Authority is in the process of supporting four additional telecenters, one of which opens July 21. The e-NC Authority recently gave a planning grant to prepare for another telecenter. As well, the authority is developing a telecenter tool kit, a step-by-step guide for creating a telecenter, and a technopreneur program, which will provide for "
Raleigh - In an effort to promote technology education and inclusion, and help eliminate the digital divide throughout North Carolina, Microsoft has announced a grant to the e-NC Authority, totaling $50,000 in cash to support the e-NC Business & Technology Telecenter program. Known as an Unlimited Potential grant, the monies go toward helping people realize their promise through technology.
�We are extremely grateful for Microsoft�s generous support,� said e-NC Authority Chair Oppie Jordan. �The e-NC Business & Technology Telecenter program works with citizens and businesses in our most distressed areas, promoting the effective use of technology as a means of improving the economy. This grant will help us take the job-producing telecenter program to a new level.�
Microsoft�s grant supports the e-NC�s Business and Technology Telecenter (BTT) program. In 2002, the e-NC Authority launched telecenters in rural areas. In 2004 alone, these telecenters provided free Internet access and computer training to more than 46,000 individual citizens. The centers also provided technical and business support services to 16,673 public and private sector clients, and leased space to 33 organizations. More than anything else, telecenters acted as catalysts for economic development in their regions by creating a combined total of 289 local jobs in 2004 alone.
Now the e-NC Authority is in the process of supporting four additional telecenters, one of which opens July 21. The e-NC Authority recently gave a planning grant to prepare for another telecenter. As well, the authority is developing a telecenter tool kit, a step-by-step guide for creating a telecenter, and a technopreneur program, which will provide for "
Thursday, July 21, 2005
CIOL : News : More funds from Microsoft for rural India
CIOL : News : More funds from Microsoft for rural India
More funds from Microsoft for rural India
Collaborates with NASSCOM Foundation and Mahila SEWA Trust to take ICT to the grass root level.
Monday, July 11, 2005
A D V E R T I S E M E N T
BANGALORE: Microsoft Corporation India Private Limited rolled out a third round of funding under its 'Unlimited Potential - Project Jyoti' program. The private-public partnership program is dedicated towards empowering women and communities through the use of Information & Communication Technologies in rural India.
According to the press release, the two grant beneficiaries include NASSCOM Foundation and Mahila SEWA Trust, which get grants of Rs 10.6 crore and Rs 2.5 crore respectively in cash and software over the 2 -year grant period.
NASSCOM Foundation, will be using cash and software grant for setting up 65 CTLCs over the 2 year grant period & providing IT skills training to 6500 young adults and women in strategic locations covering 65 districts in the states of Orissa, Kerala, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh & Karnataka. These CTLCs will help to impart IT skills, training and capacity building to underserved individuals, and thus create opportunities, facilitate access, and promote economic as well as social equity and inclusion, stated the press release.
In terms of cash grants, Microsoft has invested a total of Rs 5.01 crore in India since program launch in August 2004.
Microsoft is also one of the key partners supporting IDRC for roll-out of the telecentre.org program which aims at building and supporting the capacities of telecentres across the globe, thus helping underserved individuals learn new skills and improve the quality of their lives.
Telecentre.org will make social investments in four areas, primarily convening telecentre operators, sharing knowledge, developing innovative services and building network capacity. Under the telecentre.org program, there is a significant opportunity to provide IT training and capacity-building for grassroots-level entrepreneurs who will run the Village Knowledge Centres in order to deliver on the Mission 2007 objectives. This will include investment in curriculum, train-the-trainer programs and other capacity building efforts defined by Mission 2007.
Elaborating on the role of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in development, Ravi Venkatesan, Chairman, Microsoft Corporation India Private Limited said " This is extremely disconcerting since a majority of India's population resides in villages. Therefore, focusing on rural India is a priority and what we need is an effective public-private partnership model to leverage technology as an ally in the movement for creating economic, social and gender equity."
"Going forward, we seek to work with a larger NGO network and civil society groups for targeting more field interventions in training and capacity building of rural communities," added Ravi.
CIOL Bureau
More funds from Microsoft for rural India
Collaborates with NASSCOM Foundation and Mahila SEWA Trust to take ICT to the grass root level.
Monday, July 11, 2005
A D V E R T I S E M E N T
BANGALORE: Microsoft Corporation India Private Limited rolled out a third round of funding under its 'Unlimited Potential - Project Jyoti' program. The private-public partnership program is dedicated towards empowering women and communities through the use of Information & Communication Technologies in rural India.
According to the press release, the two grant beneficiaries include NASSCOM Foundation and Mahila SEWA Trust, which get grants of Rs 10.6 crore and Rs 2.5 crore respectively in cash and software over the 2 -year grant period.
NASSCOM Foundation, will be using cash and software grant for setting up 65 CTLCs over the 2 year grant period & providing IT skills training to 6500 young adults and women in strategic locations covering 65 districts in the states of Orissa, Kerala, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh & Karnataka. These CTLCs will help to impart IT skills, training and capacity building to underserved individuals, and thus create opportunities, facilitate access, and promote economic as well as social equity and inclusion, stated the press release.
In terms of cash grants, Microsoft has invested a total of Rs 5.01 crore in India since program launch in August 2004.
Microsoft is also one of the key partners supporting IDRC for roll-out of the telecentre.org program which aims at building and supporting the capacities of telecentres across the globe, thus helping underserved individuals learn new skills and improve the quality of their lives.
Telecentre.org will make social investments in four areas, primarily convening telecentre operators, sharing knowledge, developing innovative services and building network capacity. Under the telecentre.org program, there is a significant opportunity to provide IT training and capacity-building for grassroots-level entrepreneurs who will run the Village Knowledge Centres in order to deliver on the Mission 2007 objectives. This will include investment in curriculum, train-the-trainer programs and other capacity building efforts defined by Mission 2007.
Elaborating on the role of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in development, Ravi Venkatesan, Chairman, Microsoft Corporation India Private Limited said " This is extremely disconcerting since a majority of India's population resides in villages. Therefore, focusing on rural India is a priority and what we need is an effective public-private partnership model to leverage technology as an ally in the movement for creating economic, social and gender equity."
"Going forward, we seek to work with a larger NGO network and civil society groups for targeting more field interventions in training and capacity building of rural communities," added Ravi.
CIOL Bureau
The Hindu : Bridging the digital divide
The Hindu : Bridging the digital divide
PCO kiosk — Chiraag is equipped with a PC, multimedia, web camera, printer, corDECT wall set, speaker microphone and power backup connecting rural areas.
NOT LONG ago the possibility of networking rural areas with a telephone connection remained a pipedream. But if you still hold on to this notion you are not in sync with the latest developments. As of today nearly 300 villages have been networked. And remember, this networking is not restricted to just providing a telephone connection but has gone one step further. Simultaneous telephone and Internet access has been achieved using indigenously developed (wireless) corDECT technology.
If that is not making you sit up and take notice then taste this. Internet connectivity is not restricted to what you and I perceive in the traditional way. Video conferencing, telemedicine, e-agriculture, e-Dr. Veterinary, are just some of the customised services provided. More advanced services are getting their finishing touches and would soon be launched. The brain behind this, Ashok Jhunjhunwala, Professor of the Electrical Engineering Department, IIT, Madras is happy but not satisfied.
He hopes to bring nearly 20,000 villages connected in a year's time. A tall order indeed. But for a man whose middle name is perseverance, the task does not seem intimidating. "It is a tough task but we will be able to do it," he said. He dreams big and wants to network the entire 6.4 million villages in the country. "But it's a long way to go before we do that," he said humbly.
Making him realise his dream is the Chennai based n-Logue Communications Pvt Ltd that has its task cut out to network the rural areas. The networking is happening in several states. Maharashtra is one of the states that is leveraging the technology. Already several connections are in place and the Maharashtra government wants another hundred more to serve as dedicated agricultural access points.
But a shot in the arm for n-Logue is the mandate from the Tamilnadu government to network and put in place the infrastructure required in ten districts. TN's Rural Access to Services through Internet (RASI) project has already got 70 villages in each of the two districts — Madurai and Cuddalore — networked and running. And nearly 5-10 villages are getting networked every month in these two districts. Three more districts would get connected in a couple of month's time.
"We like to have 30 projects in TN running by March 2004 with each project connecting 250-300 villages. It is expected to serve nearly two crore people," said P.G. Ponnapa, Chief Executive Officer, n-Logue. The government has taken on itself to provide the content. For a welcome change RASI project seems to be different from other government projects that start with a bang and die even before inaugurations comes to an end. And the reason — it has attracted attention from corporates, educational institutions, hospitals and private telecom companies.
Akin to a PCO booth, the telephone cum Internet access point for a villager will be housed in a kiosk named `Chiraag'. It uses Prof. Jhunjhunwala's corDECT technology to provide the last mile wireless connection. The kiosk is equipped with a PC with CD ROM and multimedia, web camera, printer, corDECT wall set, speaker microphone and power backup for four hours. The language barrier has been taken care by providing local language software.
The kiosk is connected to a Local Service Provider (LSP) where a (DIU) switch is located. LSP in turn is connected to the basic service operator (BSO) be it BSNL or private operators like Tatas or Reliance using copper or fibre optics. The copper carries the voice while a leased line from a LSP to a nearest Internet gateway carries data. A LSP can serve kiosks within a radius of 25 km (2000 sq km) and cater to needs of nearly 300 villages. LSP and Chiraag kiosks work in a typical hub and spoke type pattern with the LSP forming the hub and the kiosk operators forming the spoke. This arrangement provides dedicated bandwidth for all hub and spoke connection. The advantage is fully realised when video conferencing is being done and particularly when multiparty video conferencing is done. Video conferencing is already in vogue between villagers and agricultural institutions and hospitals. Of course it is possible to videoconference between two kiosks.
Videoconferencing between the district collector and villagers is expected to be launched in Nellikuppam (Cuddalore district) early this year. The multiparty videoconferencing technology where more kiosks are in the loop with a hub is undergoing beta testing. Other applications like connecting primary health centres to tertiary hospitals are on the card.
corDECT provides 35 kbps and 70 kbps connectivity speed. The 35 kbps is generally offered to kiosks with the 70 kbps reserved for premium customers. Typically videoconferencing requires 128 kbps connectivity but n-Logue has been able to pull it off with just 35 kbps connectivity. "We are able to do it at 35 kbps by compressing the audio and video apart from shrinking the size of the video," Mr. Ponnapa explained.
Audio is compressed to 8-9 kbps and video to 20 kbps. But the trade off does not end with image shrinking - the voice and image do not stream seamlessly. But for the rural areas time lag and lack of seamless stream is a non-issue and has not dampened the villagers' eagerness or of others involved in the project. "It's the best thing to happen and has tremendous potential to change the face of the country," Prof. Jhunjhunwala commented.
How corporates gained
THE STORY of EID Parry Ltd as the LSP at Nellikuppam to enable sugarcane farmers to do business online is now a well-known instance of empowering the farmer. The Chennai based Tractors and Farm Equipments Ltd (TAFE) took a leaf out of this Parry experiment to reach people in remote areas. And success came more quickly than they expected. It sold a tractor to a Melur (in Madurai district) villager in a month's time of uploading the order form and has received five more enquiries. "A dealer sitting in Madurai would find it difficult to reach these remote places. RASI has made it happen," said Vijay Bhat, Deputy Manager (Dealer Development), TAFE.
Hindustan Lever Ltd is in discussion with n-Logue to explore if Chiraag could be used by its Self Help Groups for accessing information on agriculture, weather, fertilizers/seeds, education, jobs, government schemes and health. This is just the tip of the iceberg and there is plenty to be tapped by the government and corporates alike.
Private telecom operators who are required to provide rural connections would stand to gain from Chiraag. As a matter of fact it would be a win-win situation for n-Logue and private operators.
If the last mile connection is taken care by n-Logue, the operators provide the backbone required for Chiraag.
Closing the loop is the involvement of ICICI Bank in the RASI project for issuing credit cards to kiosk operators. Three kiosk operators in Nellikuppam and seven in Melur would be provided with the plastic. Payment (in cash) of LIC, telephone bill to name a few by villagers will now be a short walk to the kiosk.
The operator in turn would transfer this amount to the bank using credit card issued to him. "Compare this with the present scenario where the villager has to travel all the way to a nearby town to make his payment," Mr. Ponnapa noted. "That is the power that Chiraag wields and various applications and benefits that can be reaped are limited only by one's imagination."
R. Prasad
in Chennai
PCO kiosk — Chiraag is equipped with a PC, multimedia, web camera, printer, corDECT wall set, speaker microphone and power backup connecting rural areas.
NOT LONG ago the possibility of networking rural areas with a telephone connection remained a pipedream. But if you still hold on to this notion you are not in sync with the latest developments. As of today nearly 300 villages have been networked. And remember, this networking is not restricted to just providing a telephone connection but has gone one step further. Simultaneous telephone and Internet access has been achieved using indigenously developed (wireless) corDECT technology.
If that is not making you sit up and take notice then taste this. Internet connectivity is not restricted to what you and I perceive in the traditional way. Video conferencing, telemedicine, e-agriculture, e-Dr. Veterinary, are just some of the customised services provided. More advanced services are getting their finishing touches and would soon be launched. The brain behind this, Ashok Jhunjhunwala, Professor of the Electrical Engineering Department, IIT, Madras is happy but not satisfied.
He hopes to bring nearly 20,000 villages connected in a year's time. A tall order indeed. But for a man whose middle name is perseverance, the task does not seem intimidating. "It is a tough task but we will be able to do it," he said. He dreams big and wants to network the entire 6.4 million villages in the country. "But it's a long way to go before we do that," he said humbly.
Making him realise his dream is the Chennai based n-Logue Communications Pvt Ltd that has its task cut out to network the rural areas. The networking is happening in several states. Maharashtra is one of the states that is leveraging the technology. Already several connections are in place and the Maharashtra government wants another hundred more to serve as dedicated agricultural access points.
But a shot in the arm for n-Logue is the mandate from the Tamilnadu government to network and put in place the infrastructure required in ten districts. TN's Rural Access to Services through Internet (RASI) project has already got 70 villages in each of the two districts — Madurai and Cuddalore — networked and running. And nearly 5-10 villages are getting networked every month in these two districts. Three more districts would get connected in a couple of month's time.
"We like to have 30 projects in TN running by March 2004 with each project connecting 250-300 villages. It is expected to serve nearly two crore people," said P.G. Ponnapa, Chief Executive Officer, n-Logue. The government has taken on itself to provide the content. For a welcome change RASI project seems to be different from other government projects that start with a bang and die even before inaugurations comes to an end. And the reason — it has attracted attention from corporates, educational institutions, hospitals and private telecom companies.
Akin to a PCO booth, the telephone cum Internet access point for a villager will be housed in a kiosk named `Chiraag'. It uses Prof. Jhunjhunwala's corDECT technology to provide the last mile wireless connection. The kiosk is equipped with a PC with CD ROM and multimedia, web camera, printer, corDECT wall set, speaker microphone and power backup for four hours. The language barrier has been taken care by providing local language software.
The kiosk is connected to a Local Service Provider (LSP) where a (DIU) switch is located. LSP in turn is connected to the basic service operator (BSO) be it BSNL or private operators like Tatas or Reliance using copper or fibre optics. The copper carries the voice while a leased line from a LSP to a nearest Internet gateway carries data. A LSP can serve kiosks within a radius of 25 km (2000 sq km) and cater to needs of nearly 300 villages. LSP and Chiraag kiosks work in a typical hub and spoke type pattern with the LSP forming the hub and the kiosk operators forming the spoke. This arrangement provides dedicated bandwidth for all hub and spoke connection. The advantage is fully realised when video conferencing is being done and particularly when multiparty video conferencing is done. Video conferencing is already in vogue between villagers and agricultural institutions and hospitals. Of course it is possible to videoconference between two kiosks.
Videoconferencing between the district collector and villagers is expected to be launched in Nellikuppam (Cuddalore district) early this year. The multiparty videoconferencing technology where more kiosks are in the loop with a hub is undergoing beta testing. Other applications like connecting primary health centres to tertiary hospitals are on the card.
corDECT provides 35 kbps and 70 kbps connectivity speed. The 35 kbps is generally offered to kiosks with the 70 kbps reserved for premium customers. Typically videoconferencing requires 128 kbps connectivity but n-Logue has been able to pull it off with just 35 kbps connectivity. "We are able to do it at 35 kbps by compressing the audio and video apart from shrinking the size of the video," Mr. Ponnapa explained.
Audio is compressed to 8-9 kbps and video to 20 kbps. But the trade off does not end with image shrinking - the voice and image do not stream seamlessly. But for the rural areas time lag and lack of seamless stream is a non-issue and has not dampened the villagers' eagerness or of others involved in the project. "It's the best thing to happen and has tremendous potential to change the face of the country," Prof. Jhunjhunwala commented.
How corporates gained
THE STORY of EID Parry Ltd as the LSP at Nellikuppam to enable sugarcane farmers to do business online is now a well-known instance of empowering the farmer. The Chennai based Tractors and Farm Equipments Ltd (TAFE) took a leaf out of this Parry experiment to reach people in remote areas. And success came more quickly than they expected. It sold a tractor to a Melur (in Madurai district) villager in a month's time of uploading the order form and has received five more enquiries. "A dealer sitting in Madurai would find it difficult to reach these remote places. RASI has made it happen," said Vijay Bhat, Deputy Manager (Dealer Development), TAFE.
Hindustan Lever Ltd is in discussion with n-Logue to explore if Chiraag could be used by its Self Help Groups for accessing information on agriculture, weather, fertilizers/seeds, education, jobs, government schemes and health. This is just the tip of the iceberg and there is plenty to be tapped by the government and corporates alike.
Private telecom operators who are required to provide rural connections would stand to gain from Chiraag. As a matter of fact it would be a win-win situation for n-Logue and private operators.
If the last mile connection is taken care by n-Logue, the operators provide the backbone required for Chiraag.
Closing the loop is the involvement of ICICI Bank in the RASI project for issuing credit cards to kiosk operators. Three kiosk operators in Nellikuppam and seven in Melur would be provided with the plastic. Payment (in cash) of LIC, telephone bill to name a few by villagers will now be a short walk to the kiosk.
The operator in turn would transfer this amount to the bank using credit card issued to him. "Compare this with the present scenario where the villager has to travel all the way to a nearby town to make his payment," Mr. Ponnapa noted. "That is the power that Chiraag wields and various applications and benefits that can be reaped are limited only by one's imagination."
R. Prasad
in Chennai
moora.yourguide
moora.yourguide: "Funding boost for telecentres
Thursday, 14 July 2005
THE Mingenew, Jurien Bay and Mullewa community telecentres will each receive $5,200 in State Government funding for much needed equipment that will help in the production of their local newspapers.
Local MLC Kim Chance said the funding was a part of a one-off round of grants worth $1.1million for community, indigenous and ethnic media outlets throughout Western Australia.
The grant money will purchase a high-speed copy printer for both the Mingenew and Jurien Bay telecentres and a photocopier for the Mullewa Telecentre.
'The Gallop Government recognises the contribution the local newspapers have made to the community, and the volunteer staff who give their time to assist in their production,' Mr Chance said.
'These recipients have proven track record in the development and delivery of community media.'
Culture and Arts Minister Sheila McHale said the need to provide support for specialised media was acknowledged by the Government last year.
'The grants mean the Gallop Government can recognise the contribution of community broadcasters and thousands of volunteer staff who foster local industry development and create jobs,' Ms McHale said.
'The funding also supports the arts, tourism and advertising industries and creates new business opportunities, jobs and training - particularly in regional WA.
'The Gallop Government is improving the quality of services to all Western Australians wherever they live.'"
Thursday, 14 July 2005
THE Mingenew, Jurien Bay and Mullewa community telecentres will each receive $5,200 in State Government funding for much needed equipment that will help in the production of their local newspapers.
Local MLC Kim Chance said the funding was a part of a one-off round of grants worth $1.1million for community, indigenous and ethnic media outlets throughout Western Australia.
The grant money will purchase a high-speed copy printer for both the Mingenew and Jurien Bay telecentres and a photocopier for the Mullewa Telecentre.
'The Gallop Government recognises the contribution the local newspapers have made to the community, and the volunteer staff who give their time to assist in their production,' Mr Chance said.
'These recipients have proven track record in the development and delivery of community media.'
Culture and Arts Minister Sheila McHale said the need to provide support for specialised media was acknowledged by the Government last year.
'The grants mean the Gallop Government can recognise the contribution of community broadcasters and thousands of volunteer staff who foster local industry development and create jobs,' Ms McHale said.
'The funding also supports the arts, tourism and advertising industries and creates new business opportunities, jobs and training - particularly in regional WA.
'The Gallop Government is improving the quality of services to all Western Australians wherever they live.'"
allAfrica.com: Nigeria [column]: Potentially Failed Enterprises
allAfrica.com: Nigeria [column]: Potentially Failed Enterprises
Potentially Failed Enterprises
Daily Champion (Lagos)
COLUMN
July 11, 2005
Posted to the web July 11, 2005
By Tunji Adegboyega
Lagos
This column was not published two weeks ago, not necessarily because I intended to be off, but essentially because some people were not as interested in doing their job as I was in doing mine. And I promised last week that I would tell you what really happened. There is so much inefficiency even in the so-called private sector.
What happened was that I set out for the cyber café where I have been doing the job since about the beginning of this year, in the hope of writing the column and returning to my house in the next two hours or so. But I got a raw deal that I did not bargain for. Really, the cyber café in question is not the closest to my house, but it offers a unique service.
As a matter of fact, I was doing the job somewhere along Old Ota road until sometime last year when they had some problems in that place necessitating my change over to the new place.
As with many cyber cafe's in Lagos, the place (the old Ota Road cyber café) used to be a beehive of activities apparently because of its conspicuous location. Many students used to swarm there ostensibly to browse and do some other things that really should not be their concern for now. The cyber café, I understood, belongs to a member of one of the old Pentecostal churches whose members generally give the impression that this world is really not their home and that it is only a transit place that they are just passing through (apologies to Jim Reeves). There are posters on the corners of the cyber café warning against porno sites. Surprisingly, and to my chagrin, I once got some of the people working there on porn sites.
What baffled me was that even when it was obvious to the ladies (or were they girls? Anyway, they were somewhere in-between), that I was watching them, they could not care less. They just carried on as if to say, 'well, if you are interested, come on board!'
Yet, here were girls who buried their ears under the scarves on their heads, covering their hair plated with black nylon thread, a characteristic of SU members that ordinarily would have made one take them for saints from above.
I had always had reservations about the possibility of the place surviving even long before this incident.
One thing I observed was that there was no love among the workers. I picked interest in one of them who is fairly elderly and mature and subsequently began to give her my column to set whenever I could not go to the office to do it. And, quite honestly, what made me develop interest in her was the fact that right from my first day in the place, she distinguished herself from the rest. I told them that I did not have the time to wait and set the material and that I would therefore appreciate if it could be done for me by one of them. While the others pretended as if they did not hear what I said, this lady took the material from me and told me to come back later. By the time I returned, she had done the job. All I had to do was to read through and effect corrections and send the material. Even though she did not charge me anything extra, I handsomely rewarded her, to make a point to the others
This was how we started the purely official deal. Over time, she became an object of envy by the others and whenever I got there and she was not around, none of them would want to accept the material from me, giving one lame excuse or the other. Why I concluded that the place would soon die was not because the workers (SU members for that matter) sometimes sneaked to the porn site, after all there are many cyber cafés in Lagos where porno is allowed and some of them are thriving.
It is much a question of attitude of the employees. Today, when I pass through the place, it is a shadow of its former self about this time last year. It is still open for business, though, but it now operates as a business centre. Those who patronised the place then would pity the owner seeing its current prostrate state. Sometimes, I feel guilty that I did not make my observations known to the owner early enough.
Back to my 'newfound' cyber café that (I am afraid) is threading this same path to destruction. The attraction there, to me, is that it offers 'executive service' which attracted N150 per hour until about three weeks ago (against N70 in the 'popular side'.
The air conditioning system in the 'executive section' is also very effective. I thought that was a fair enough price for the comfort. I do cerebral work there and therefore cannot afford to be in the 'popular side' where as many as three students could be breathing over one's neck while sharing one computer system. Within two hours, other things being equal, I am usually through. I stay longer occasionally sometimes because, as we all know, things may not be equal all the time.
We were having a chummy relationship, at least until Saturday, June 25, 2005. That day, I spent more than four hours at the cyber café. Actually, that was the day Nigeria edged out Holland 10 - 9 in the sudden death penalties during the just-concluded World Youth Championship. The computer had been giving some minor problems even before the tension-soaked match began.
Somehow, I was getting the attention of the engineer then. But when the match began, I bought more time to enable me conclude my mission. They sold ticket to me.
By now, the corridor to the 'popular side' was jam-packed with soccer fans, effectively blocking the way to the engineer's office. At this point, I needed attention and went to the girl who sold the ticket to me. She asked me to get in touch with the engineer. My complaint that it was her responsibility to get the engineer for me, since she took the money for the transaction from me, fell on deaf ears. Meanwhile, my time was running even though I was not working on the computer. Efforts to log out failed as the system refused to take instructions. In fact, this was what annoyed me most. Remember too that that match almost lasted till eternity. At a point, I had to scream and it seemed that worked.
Although I did not realise that this worked until after the match, when the manager came into the 'executive section' and I complained to him about what I had been going through in the past two or so hours.
It was then he said that they had switched off the Server at a point when they discovered that someone was on the porn site! I reminded him that he should realise that I come there often and I usually sit in a conspicuous place where it is not possible to be on porn site without being noticed. Somehow, he apologised and it is that that made me mellow about what I am writing today.
But then, it would not be proper for me to be completely silent on it, especially so after reading Akin Taiwo and Olakunle Abimbola's experiences in the 'New age' newspapers last week. Honestly, owners of small businesses need to wake up and be ready to monitor their investments if such are not to become potentially failed enterprises due to the activities of some incorrigible staff who do not care a hoot since they always collect their salaries at the end of the month. It is the owner that loses whenever anything goes wrong with a business.
Potentially Failed Enterprises
Daily Champion (Lagos)
COLUMN
July 11, 2005
Posted to the web July 11, 2005
By Tunji Adegboyega
Lagos
This column was not published two weeks ago, not necessarily because I intended to be off, but essentially because some people were not as interested in doing their job as I was in doing mine. And I promised last week that I would tell you what really happened. There is so much inefficiency even in the so-called private sector.
What happened was that I set out for the cyber café where I have been doing the job since about the beginning of this year, in the hope of writing the column and returning to my house in the next two hours or so. But I got a raw deal that I did not bargain for. Really, the cyber café in question is not the closest to my house, but it offers a unique service.
As a matter of fact, I was doing the job somewhere along Old Ota road until sometime last year when they had some problems in that place necessitating my change over to the new place.
As with many cyber cafe's in Lagos, the place (the old Ota Road cyber café) used to be a beehive of activities apparently because of its conspicuous location. Many students used to swarm there ostensibly to browse and do some other things that really should not be their concern for now. The cyber café, I understood, belongs to a member of one of the old Pentecostal churches whose members generally give the impression that this world is really not their home and that it is only a transit place that they are just passing through (apologies to Jim Reeves). There are posters on the corners of the cyber café warning against porno sites. Surprisingly, and to my chagrin, I once got some of the people working there on porn sites.
What baffled me was that even when it was obvious to the ladies (or were they girls? Anyway, they were somewhere in-between), that I was watching them, they could not care less. They just carried on as if to say, 'well, if you are interested, come on board!'
Yet, here were girls who buried their ears under the scarves on their heads, covering their hair plated with black nylon thread, a characteristic of SU members that ordinarily would have made one take them for saints from above.
I had always had reservations about the possibility of the place surviving even long before this incident.
One thing I observed was that there was no love among the workers. I picked interest in one of them who is fairly elderly and mature and subsequently began to give her my column to set whenever I could not go to the office to do it. And, quite honestly, what made me develop interest in her was the fact that right from my first day in the place, she distinguished herself from the rest. I told them that I did not have the time to wait and set the material and that I would therefore appreciate if it could be done for me by one of them. While the others pretended as if they did not hear what I said, this lady took the material from me and told me to come back later. By the time I returned, she had done the job. All I had to do was to read through and effect corrections and send the material. Even though she did not charge me anything extra, I handsomely rewarded her, to make a point to the others
This was how we started the purely official deal. Over time, she became an object of envy by the others and whenever I got there and she was not around, none of them would want to accept the material from me, giving one lame excuse or the other. Why I concluded that the place would soon die was not because the workers (SU members for that matter) sometimes sneaked to the porn site, after all there are many cyber cafés in Lagos where porno is allowed and some of them are thriving.
It is much a question of attitude of the employees. Today, when I pass through the place, it is a shadow of its former self about this time last year. It is still open for business, though, but it now operates as a business centre. Those who patronised the place then would pity the owner seeing its current prostrate state. Sometimes, I feel guilty that I did not make my observations known to the owner early enough.
Back to my 'newfound' cyber café that (I am afraid) is threading this same path to destruction. The attraction there, to me, is that it offers 'executive service' which attracted N150 per hour until about three weeks ago (against N70 in the 'popular side'.
The air conditioning system in the 'executive section' is also very effective. I thought that was a fair enough price for the comfort. I do cerebral work there and therefore cannot afford to be in the 'popular side' where as many as three students could be breathing over one's neck while sharing one computer system. Within two hours, other things being equal, I am usually through. I stay longer occasionally sometimes because, as we all know, things may not be equal all the time.
We were having a chummy relationship, at least until Saturday, June 25, 2005. That day, I spent more than four hours at the cyber café. Actually, that was the day Nigeria edged out Holland 10 - 9 in the sudden death penalties during the just-concluded World Youth Championship. The computer had been giving some minor problems even before the tension-soaked match began.
Somehow, I was getting the attention of the engineer then. But when the match began, I bought more time to enable me conclude my mission. They sold ticket to me.
By now, the corridor to the 'popular side' was jam-packed with soccer fans, effectively blocking the way to the engineer's office. At this point, I needed attention and went to the girl who sold the ticket to me. She asked me to get in touch with the engineer. My complaint that it was her responsibility to get the engineer for me, since she took the money for the transaction from me, fell on deaf ears. Meanwhile, my time was running even though I was not working on the computer. Efforts to log out failed as the system refused to take instructions. In fact, this was what annoyed me most. Remember too that that match almost lasted till eternity. At a point, I had to scream and it seemed that worked.
Although I did not realise that this worked until after the match, when the manager came into the 'executive section' and I complained to him about what I had been going through in the past two or so hours.
It was then he said that they had switched off the Server at a point when they discovered that someone was on the porn site! I reminded him that he should realise that I come there often and I usually sit in a conspicuous place where it is not possible to be on porn site without being noticed. Somehow, he apologised and it is that that made me mellow about what I am writing today.
But then, it would not be proper for me to be completely silent on it, especially so after reading Akin Taiwo and Olakunle Abimbola's experiences in the 'New age' newspapers last week. Honestly, owners of small businesses need to wake up and be ready to monitor their investments if such are not to become potentially failed enterprises due to the activities of some incorrigible staff who do not care a hoot since they always collect their salaries at the end of the month. It is the owner that loses whenever anything goes wrong with a business.
Online gaming edges out video games
Online gaming edges out video games
Online gaming edges out video games
It is not only the youth but the elderly as well as professionals hooked on to it.
Divya Sethi
Ludhiana, June 23: Video games are passe. Welcome the brand new world of computer gaming. With the intense heat not leaving many avenues for entertainment, it is this form of gaming which is rocking the city. And do not be surprised as you enter a cyber cafe to find that it is not just the young or the teenagers hooked on to computer games, but the elderly and professional as well, who claim it is fast becoming their passion and obsession.
The new wave of online gaming has been fats popularised by cyber cafes. Shivali Sharma of Reliance Web World said, ‘‘Youngsters in the age group of 15-25 years mostly come and spend approximately two to three hours daily on these games, which are played via the internet. The most popular games among youngsters are Need For Speed, Fifa, War Craft and Counter Strike. The interesting feature in these games is that your game partner could be any one - your cousin sitting in LA or las Vegas or even the friend sitting on the computer terminal next to you.
Raja Mandeep Singh, a veterinary doctor who claims to be one such gamer, says, ‘‘I really enjoy playing online games. Earlier, this facility was not so easily available at cyber cafes, but now as the trend is catching up, I am not an exceptional one. I enjoy playing counter strike and spend atleast two hours in the cafe.’’
Gurvinder Singh, Territory Manager, Sify i-way, says, ‘‘Online gaming is increasing in popularity with each passing day. Customers in the age group of 8-13 years come to pass time, this style of gaming has become passion for the 20-30 age group as well. People above 30 years also come and they play for stakes.’’ He said this trend of online gaming is popular among all age groups. Online gaming competitions are also organised. Shivali Sharma of Reliance Web World added, ‘‘We organised this competition last month and divided it into three phases Zonal, Middle and Final; and the response was beyond our expectation.’’ The pile of entries sitting on Shivali’s desk, some 36 inches in height, showed how popular online gaming is.
Surinder Singh is 22 years old and finds online gaming the best mode of entertainment. He says, ‘‘I am a marketing executive and after a tiring day I refresh myself with these games. My favourite game is War craft, which is the most difficult game.’’
Online gaming edges out video games
It is not only the youth but the elderly as well as professionals hooked on to it.
Divya Sethi
Ludhiana, June 23: Video games are passe. Welcome the brand new world of computer gaming. With the intense heat not leaving many avenues for entertainment, it is this form of gaming which is rocking the city. And do not be surprised as you enter a cyber cafe to find that it is not just the young or the teenagers hooked on to computer games, but the elderly and professional as well, who claim it is fast becoming their passion and obsession.
The new wave of online gaming has been fats popularised by cyber cafes. Shivali Sharma of Reliance Web World said, ‘‘Youngsters in the age group of 15-25 years mostly come and spend approximately two to three hours daily on these games, which are played via the internet. The most popular games among youngsters are Need For Speed, Fifa, War Craft and Counter Strike. The interesting feature in these games is that your game partner could be any one - your cousin sitting in LA or las Vegas or even the friend sitting on the computer terminal next to you.
Raja Mandeep Singh, a veterinary doctor who claims to be one such gamer, says, ‘‘I really enjoy playing online games. Earlier, this facility was not so easily available at cyber cafes, but now as the trend is catching up, I am not an exceptional one. I enjoy playing counter strike and spend atleast two hours in the cafe.’’
Gurvinder Singh, Territory Manager, Sify i-way, says, ‘‘Online gaming is increasing in popularity with each passing day. Customers in the age group of 8-13 years come to pass time, this style of gaming has become passion for the 20-30 age group as well. People above 30 years also come and they play for stakes.’’ He said this trend of online gaming is popular among all age groups. Online gaming competitions are also organised. Shivali Sharma of Reliance Web World added, ‘‘We organised this competition last month and divided it into three phases Zonal, Middle and Final; and the response was beyond our expectation.’’ The pile of entries sitting on Shivali’s desk, some 36 inches in height, showed how popular online gaming is.
Surinder Singh is 22 years old and finds online gaming the best mode of entertainment. He says, ‘‘I am a marketing executive and after a tiring day I refresh myself with these games. My favourite game is War craft, which is the most difficult game.’’
Daily Express, Sabah, Malaysia -- News Headlines
Daily Express, Sabah, Malaysia -- News Headlines
Porn censorship directive to ISPs
15 June, 2005
CYBERJAYA: The government has directed Internet service providers (ISPs) and telecommunication companies (telcos) to provide censorship services for pornographic and undesirable contents.
Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Seri Dr Jamaludin Jarjis said such services would be offered on a "cost recovery" basis to Internet and mobile device users, who would be given a choice on whether to use the services.
He said this was part of a joint proposal by his ministry and the Energy, Water and Communications Ministry in the efforts to combat the problem of pornographic and undesirable materials.
Jamaludin said the cabinet has agreed to the proposal which would also require cybercafe operators to make available similar censorship services as part of the licensing conditions.
He added that with this measure, to be implemented by the Housing and Local Government Ministry, children would not be able to download pornographic materials from the personal computers (PCs) in cybercafes.
Jamaludin said other measures included the setting up of a centre to handle complaints on pornographic and undesirable materials and awareness programmes by government agencies and the private sector for targeted groups.
He said the problem not only affected the Internet but also communication devices such as mobile phones through which users are able to download all kind of content.- Bernama He was speaking to reporters after the pre-conference on the Global Public Policy Conference 2005 here Tuesday.
Jamaludin said the joint proposal forwarded to the cabinet last week was a follow-up on news reports concerning the growing problem of pornographic materials over the Internet.
Jamaludin said the directive to ISPs and telcos to provide censorship services is to be enforced with immediate effect by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC).
He said Internet and mobile phone users could request the ISPs and telcos for software to be installed in their PCs or phones to bar pornographic materials.
He added that the MCMC would also be the secretariat for the centre handling complaints on pornographic and undesirable contents.
Jamaludin also said that research by the National Information and Communications Technology Security and Emergency Response Centre (NISER) showed that computer abuse by the working community in downloading pornographic materials was high.
"Research by foreign agencies also showed that child pornography is bringing billions in profits to those who are irresponsible," he said.-Bernama
Porn censorship directive to ISPs
15 June, 2005
CYBERJAYA: The government has directed Internet service providers (ISPs) and telecommunication companies (telcos) to provide censorship services for pornographic and undesirable contents.
Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Seri Dr Jamaludin Jarjis said such services would be offered on a "cost recovery" basis to Internet and mobile device users, who would be given a choice on whether to use the services.
He said this was part of a joint proposal by his ministry and the Energy, Water and Communications Ministry in the efforts to combat the problem of pornographic and undesirable materials.
Jamaludin said the cabinet has agreed to the proposal which would also require cybercafe operators to make available similar censorship services as part of the licensing conditions.
He added that with this measure, to be implemented by the Housing and Local Government Ministry, children would not be able to download pornographic materials from the personal computers (PCs) in cybercafes.
Jamaludin said other measures included the setting up of a centre to handle complaints on pornographic and undesirable materials and awareness programmes by government agencies and the private sector for targeted groups.
He said the problem not only affected the Internet but also communication devices such as mobile phones through which users are able to download all kind of content.- Bernama He was speaking to reporters after the pre-conference on the Global Public Policy Conference 2005 here Tuesday.
Jamaludin said the joint proposal forwarded to the cabinet last week was a follow-up on news reports concerning the growing problem of pornographic materials over the Internet.
Jamaludin said the directive to ISPs and telcos to provide censorship services is to be enforced with immediate effect by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC).
He said Internet and mobile phone users could request the ISPs and telcos for software to be installed in their PCs or phones to bar pornographic materials.
He added that the MCMC would also be the secretariat for the centre handling complaints on pornographic and undesirable contents.
Jamaludin also said that research by the National Information and Communications Technology Security and Emergency Response Centre (NISER) showed that computer abuse by the working community in downloading pornographic materials was high.
"Research by foreign agencies also showed that child pornography is bringing billions in profits to those who are irresponsible," he said.-Bernama
STUFF : TECHNOLOGY : DIGITAL LIVING - STORY : New Zealand's leading news and information website
STUFF : TECHNOLOGY : DIGITAL LIVING - STORY : New Zealand's leading news and information website
Avoiding bugs and bots at internet cafes
27 June 2005
By REUBEN SCHWARZ
Internet cafes have come a long way from the shabby shops with tinted windows that first sprung up in the dot-com boom. Today, many are clean and bright, marketed not at game-playing students but business people and tourists.
But don't let the gloss fool you. Like the saloons in the Wild West, the industry is still young, still unregulated, and, in some cases, still quite dangerous for the uninitiated.
An informal study of New Zealand's internet cafes by IBM showed computers in 90 per cent contained spyware and adware and in some cases more insidious programs such as trojans and keyloggers that can be used to steal passwords by recording keystrokes.
Computers in four of the cafes surveyed hadn't yet upgraded to Windows XP Service Pack 2 – showing it's not just laypeople who ignore Microsoft's advice – and two were still running Windows 98. That might not be as unsafe as it sounds, since many malware programs – adware, spyware, viruses, trojans, worms, and the like – only work on Windows XP.
Some cafes, though, do offer a secure Web experience and work hard to keep their computers clean. The industry is making tentative noises toward adopting some sort of voluntary code of compliance, a set of standards good cafes could follow to be certified – and advertise themselves to the public – as secure establishments.
"It's a good first step in getting the industry itself organised," says Liz Butterfield, director of Internet safety group Netsafe. "I think it's definitely worth exploring but we do have to be realistic about the limitations."
A code would be a good substitute for government intervention, a route some countries have chosen. In India's Bangalore, for example, cafes must record details such as name, age and address before a customer can use the Internet.
Cafes in Taipei face a raft of red tape governing their locations, access by minors, and censorship of extreme violence. Many have chosen to go underground to avoid the rules – in fact, estimates put these at three times the number of legally registered ones.
Saudi Arabia requires cafes to record IDs of customers, ostensibly to discourage terrorists, criminals, and minors from using them, though the rules seem to be widely ignored.
China also watches cafes closely, with police in one province issuing 200,000 swipe cards to monitor which sites individuals visit.
Uzbekistan requires cafe owners to ensure customers don't access "forbidden" information, and rewards owners who dob them in.
The actual number of places with public internet access in New Zealand is hard to pin down. Nationwide, the Yellow Pages lists 114 entries in the "internet cafe" category, but this doesn't include the many backpackers and libraries which have computers available for public use.
AdvertisementAdvertisementThe Yellow Pages lists 526 backpackers in New Zealand.
Some believe the computers in backpackers aren't as secure as in regular internet cafes because they're more likely to be managed by people without the necessary experience, and kept up on the cheap.
IBM New Zealand security practice leader John Martin, who conducted the informal survey of eight Auckland and two Wellington cafes, says none of the surveyed cafes displayed an acceptable use policy, though one had a dress code and another warned customers they'd be booted off if they downloaded popular file-sharing program Kazaa.
Lack of common standards is a problem. Customers by and large don't know how risky public Internet can be, and don't know what to look for in a cafe to keep safe.
"The internet seems secure and private, but it's not," Mr Martin says. "Unless you're totally aware of what's on that computer it's not in your control."
THIS could be addressed through a voluntary code of compliance to let customers know what's expected of them and that the cafe they're using meets a minimum security standard. The code could mandate regular malware sweeps, filtering of adult content, supervision of minors, and a well-protected network.
Mr Martin says a voluntary code may help win back public confidence in the cafes, damaged by a recent spate of bad press kicked off when a hacker installed a trojan on a cafe computer to gain access to customers' bank accounts. "It would be good for business."
Netsafe's Ms Butterfield says a voluntary code, if it does nothing else, would help raise public awareness of security issues. First, though, the industry must decide how to objectively and randomly audit cafes.
She believes the industry will improve over time, and customers will start avoiding unsavoury cafes and learn more about how to stay safe online. "It's not just about the conduct of the cafe owners. It's also about the conduct of cafe users," she says.
Most customers don't take the simple precautions on public computers that can prevent identity theft and bank fraud.
Mr Martin recommends users download an anti-spyware program before using any applications and that they then delete any documents and logs when they finish.
Still, there's only so much the average user can do.
"Unless you really know what you're looking for you wouldn't know it's actually there," Mr Martin says.
He wouldn't use an Internet cafe to do banking, though he would for e-mail after following these precautions.
The websites of ANZ, National and BNZ advise caution when using public computers.
Westpac advises customers check that the latest firewall, anti-virus, anti-spyware and browser software is installed. Spokesman Ian Bonnar says customers should also change their passwords on a "known secure computer as soon as possible after using a public computer".
BNZ spokesman Owen Gill goes one further, saying customers should "generally avoid Internet cafes or public computers if they are using on-line banking. They are taking a risk they don't need to take".
Maarten Kleintjes, head of the police's e-crime unit, says cafes are fine for e-mail and surfing the Web.
"But for Internet banking, we wouldn't recommend it. You have no idea about the security that these machines have."
Mr Kleintjes supports a voluntary code of compliance, with certification displayed in the window to show customers a cafe is safe.
"It'd be good for the tourists when they come here to know what Internet cafe is a safe environment to go to, because they can't go anywhere else."
Cafes contacted by NZ InfoTech were all confident their computers were secure and malware-free.
Cafes commonly restore computers daily from "ghost images" which wipe all but a set list of programs and delete anything installed by customers during the day. However, that doesn't protect customers from malware installed on the day they use the machine.
The iPlay Internet cafe in Manners Mall takes another precaution. It has proprietary software called Cafe Manager to eliminate programs not on its safe list every time someone logs on.
Manager Arona Wehipeihana says there's only been one attempt by a customer to download malware, and that was captured quickly.
Mr Wehipeihana says a voluntary code would be effective if "people realise its significance. It couldn't hurt the industry at all. It'll help everyone that complies with it."
Cyberjacks in Paraparaumu takes the unusual, but often advised, step of locking up the backs of its computers. This prevents someone from installing a hardware token to record keystrokes, such as the devices used to attempt to steal 220 million euros from the London offices of the Sumitomo Mitsui bank earlier this year.
If customers want to do online banking, owner Jackie Hunkin says they're placed on computers which haven't yet been used that day. Since the cafe restores its 24 computers from ghost images every night, these terminals will be free from malware.
Ms Hunkin says a voluntary code would be useful in allaying the public's fears. "There is a fear and if the fear is there it needs to be addressed. Personally, I think these computers here are safer than the ones they have at home."
"It's keeping up with the hackers that's the problem," she says. "It's quite hard. They're very clever people."
John Hamilton, owner of Lambton Quay's CyberSpot, doesn't restore daily from a ghost image though he's investigating doing so.
He uses another network monitoring program to ensure no one downloads malware on to his 13 machines.
He knows other public internet sites aren't as stringent with security, saying he gets customers who "come in with infected files downloaded from other cybercafes".
Mr Hamilton supports a voluntary code, calling it an "excellent idea".
"I think there really needs to be some sort of organisation that cybercafes can belong to."
That may be what it comes to in the end – some sort of national organisation to unify the splintered internet cafe industry, dictating common standards to allay the public's fears.
The saloons in the Wild West never banded together to keep criminals in line and protect the public. Can New Zealand's internet cafes?
Avoiding bugs and bots at internet cafes
27 June 2005
By REUBEN SCHWARZ
Internet cafes have come a long way from the shabby shops with tinted windows that first sprung up in the dot-com boom. Today, many are clean and bright, marketed not at game-playing students but business people and tourists.
But don't let the gloss fool you. Like the saloons in the Wild West, the industry is still young, still unregulated, and, in some cases, still quite dangerous for the uninitiated.
An informal study of New Zealand's internet cafes by IBM showed computers in 90 per cent contained spyware and adware and in some cases more insidious programs such as trojans and keyloggers that can be used to steal passwords by recording keystrokes.
Computers in four of the cafes surveyed hadn't yet upgraded to Windows XP Service Pack 2 – showing it's not just laypeople who ignore Microsoft's advice – and two were still running Windows 98. That might not be as unsafe as it sounds, since many malware programs – adware, spyware, viruses, trojans, worms, and the like – only work on Windows XP.
Some cafes, though, do offer a secure Web experience and work hard to keep their computers clean. The industry is making tentative noises toward adopting some sort of voluntary code of compliance, a set of standards good cafes could follow to be certified – and advertise themselves to the public – as secure establishments.
"It's a good first step in getting the industry itself organised," says Liz Butterfield, director of Internet safety group Netsafe. "I think it's definitely worth exploring but we do have to be realistic about the limitations."
A code would be a good substitute for government intervention, a route some countries have chosen. In India's Bangalore, for example, cafes must record details such as name, age and address before a customer can use the Internet.
Cafes in Taipei face a raft of red tape governing their locations, access by minors, and censorship of extreme violence. Many have chosen to go underground to avoid the rules – in fact, estimates put these at three times the number of legally registered ones.
Saudi Arabia requires cafes to record IDs of customers, ostensibly to discourage terrorists, criminals, and minors from using them, though the rules seem to be widely ignored.
China also watches cafes closely, with police in one province issuing 200,000 swipe cards to monitor which sites individuals visit.
Uzbekistan requires cafe owners to ensure customers don't access "forbidden" information, and rewards owners who dob them in.
The actual number of places with public internet access in New Zealand is hard to pin down. Nationwide, the Yellow Pages lists 114 entries in the "internet cafe" category, but this doesn't include the many backpackers and libraries which have computers available for public use.
AdvertisementAdvertisementThe Yellow Pages lists 526 backpackers in New Zealand.
Some believe the computers in backpackers aren't as secure as in regular internet cafes because they're more likely to be managed by people without the necessary experience, and kept up on the cheap.
IBM New Zealand security practice leader John Martin, who conducted the informal survey of eight Auckland and two Wellington cafes, says none of the surveyed cafes displayed an acceptable use policy, though one had a dress code and another warned customers they'd be booted off if they downloaded popular file-sharing program Kazaa.
Lack of common standards is a problem. Customers by and large don't know how risky public Internet can be, and don't know what to look for in a cafe to keep safe.
"The internet seems secure and private, but it's not," Mr Martin says. "Unless you're totally aware of what's on that computer it's not in your control."
THIS could be addressed through a voluntary code of compliance to let customers know what's expected of them and that the cafe they're using meets a minimum security standard. The code could mandate regular malware sweeps, filtering of adult content, supervision of minors, and a well-protected network.
Mr Martin says a voluntary code may help win back public confidence in the cafes, damaged by a recent spate of bad press kicked off when a hacker installed a trojan on a cafe computer to gain access to customers' bank accounts. "It would be good for business."
Netsafe's Ms Butterfield says a voluntary code, if it does nothing else, would help raise public awareness of security issues. First, though, the industry must decide how to objectively and randomly audit cafes.
She believes the industry will improve over time, and customers will start avoiding unsavoury cafes and learn more about how to stay safe online. "It's not just about the conduct of the cafe owners. It's also about the conduct of cafe users," she says.
Most customers don't take the simple precautions on public computers that can prevent identity theft and bank fraud.
Mr Martin recommends users download an anti-spyware program before using any applications and that they then delete any documents and logs when they finish.
Still, there's only so much the average user can do.
"Unless you really know what you're looking for you wouldn't know it's actually there," Mr Martin says.
He wouldn't use an Internet cafe to do banking, though he would for e-mail after following these precautions.
The websites of ANZ, National and BNZ advise caution when using public computers.
Westpac advises customers check that the latest firewall, anti-virus, anti-spyware and browser software is installed. Spokesman Ian Bonnar says customers should also change their passwords on a "known secure computer as soon as possible after using a public computer".
BNZ spokesman Owen Gill goes one further, saying customers should "generally avoid Internet cafes or public computers if they are using on-line banking. They are taking a risk they don't need to take".
Maarten Kleintjes, head of the police's e-crime unit, says cafes are fine for e-mail and surfing the Web.
"But for Internet banking, we wouldn't recommend it. You have no idea about the security that these machines have."
Mr Kleintjes supports a voluntary code of compliance, with certification displayed in the window to show customers a cafe is safe.
"It'd be good for the tourists when they come here to know what Internet cafe is a safe environment to go to, because they can't go anywhere else."
Cafes contacted by NZ InfoTech were all confident their computers were secure and malware-free.
Cafes commonly restore computers daily from "ghost images" which wipe all but a set list of programs and delete anything installed by customers during the day. However, that doesn't protect customers from malware installed on the day they use the machine.
The iPlay Internet cafe in Manners Mall takes another precaution. It has proprietary software called Cafe Manager to eliminate programs not on its safe list every time someone logs on.
Manager Arona Wehipeihana says there's only been one attempt by a customer to download malware, and that was captured quickly.
Mr Wehipeihana says a voluntary code would be effective if "people realise its significance. It couldn't hurt the industry at all. It'll help everyone that complies with it."
Cyberjacks in Paraparaumu takes the unusual, but often advised, step of locking up the backs of its computers. This prevents someone from installing a hardware token to record keystrokes, such as the devices used to attempt to steal 220 million euros from the London offices of the Sumitomo Mitsui bank earlier this year.
If customers want to do online banking, owner Jackie Hunkin says they're placed on computers which haven't yet been used that day. Since the cafe restores its 24 computers from ghost images every night, these terminals will be free from malware.
Ms Hunkin says a voluntary code would be useful in allaying the public's fears. "There is a fear and if the fear is there it needs to be addressed. Personally, I think these computers here are safer than the ones they have at home."
"It's keeping up with the hackers that's the problem," she says. "It's quite hard. They're very clever people."
John Hamilton, owner of Lambton Quay's CyberSpot, doesn't restore daily from a ghost image though he's investigating doing so.
He uses another network monitoring program to ensure no one downloads malware on to his 13 machines.
He knows other public internet sites aren't as stringent with security, saying he gets customers who "come in with infected files downloaded from other cybercafes".
Mr Hamilton supports a voluntary code, calling it an "excellent idea".
"I think there really needs to be some sort of organisation that cybercafes can belong to."
That may be what it comes to in the end – some sort of national organisation to unify the splintered internet cafe industry, dictating common standards to allay the public's fears.
The saloons in the Wild West never banded together to keep criminals in line and protect the public. Can New Zealand's internet cafes?
news - Uganda CMCs Scoop Awards
news - Uganda CMCs Scoop Awards: "Uganda CMCs Scoop Awards
/noticias.info/ Two community multimedia centres supported by UNESCO in Uganda reaped the rewards of their efforts to impact at the grassroot level earlier this month, when they dominated the UNICEF Children's Broadcasting Day Awards. 'This is a milestone for community radio', commented Nabweru CMC manager Edward Juuko as he collected two prizes. The competition, which assessed the best dramatic program and the best participatory programming, attracted entries from a number of both commercial and community radios.
On a specific day, the entrants had to dedicate four hours of programming entirely to a children's show, built on specific thematic issues, under the directorship of the radio managers. Once all the programmes were assessed, Nabweru CMC took first place with the trophy for a dramatic program and also the second position trophy for participatory programming, with a cash prize equivalent to $ 755. A second CMC, Apac CMC, took the first place for participatory programming and second place for dramatic programme, with the same cash prize, leaving nothing for the commercial radios that had also participated.
Uganda's UgaBYTES Initiative, reporting on the event, noted that the success of the community broadcasters comes at a time when 'the issues of sustainability and relevancy of ICTs in community development dominate current chat rooms of development agencies'.
UNESCO established a multipurpose telecentre at the Apac community radio station and established the radio station at Nabweru's community telecentre only last year, in 2004. 'The very fact that the radio at Nabweru is so recent makes this award all the more impressive', commented UNESCO project officer Hezekiel Dlamini, 'it goes to show that the mobilisi"
/noticias.info/ Two community multimedia centres supported by UNESCO in Uganda reaped the rewards of their efforts to impact at the grassroot level earlier this month, when they dominated the UNICEF Children's Broadcasting Day Awards. 'This is a milestone for community radio', commented Nabweru CMC manager Edward Juuko as he collected two prizes. The competition, which assessed the best dramatic program and the best participatory programming, attracted entries from a number of both commercial and community radios.
On a specific day, the entrants had to dedicate four hours of programming entirely to a children's show, built on specific thematic issues, under the directorship of the radio managers. Once all the programmes were assessed, Nabweru CMC took first place with the trophy for a dramatic program and also the second position trophy for participatory programming, with a cash prize equivalent to $ 755. A second CMC, Apac CMC, took the first place for participatory programming and second place for dramatic programme, with the same cash prize, leaving nothing for the commercial radios that had also participated.
Uganda's UgaBYTES Initiative, reporting on the event, noted that the success of the community broadcasters comes at a time when 'the issues of sustainability and relevancy of ICTs in community development dominate current chat rooms of development agencies'.
UNESCO established a multipurpose telecentre at the Apac community radio station and established the radio station at Nabweru's community telecentre only last year, in 2004. 'The very fact that the radio at Nabweru is so recent makes this award all the more impressive', commented UNESCO project officer Hezekiel Dlamini, 'it goes to show that the mobilisi"
wagin.yourguide
wagin.yourguide: "Wagin Telecentre to build on success
VEANA SCOTT
Thursday, 7 July 2005
THE Hon. Wilson Tuckey MP, Member for O'Connor officially opened a Rural Transaction Centre at the Wagin Telecentre last Thursday.
Invited guests included Wagin Shire CEO Ian Fitzgerald, shire president, Telecentre chairman and committee members, and representatives Westpac and CY O'Connor College of TAFE.
Telecentre chairman Phillip Blight said it all started in 1998 with a tour of up and running telecentres.
Mr Blight said a key thing they learnt was 'location', to be a success the telecentre needed a main street shop-front.
A steering committee was formed and in 1999 luck fell their way. Westpac was gearing down and offered them the building rent free for two years with the bank to remain as an in-store facility.
In February 2000 the Wagin Telecentre was officially opened.
The next step was to secure funding to purchase and upgrade the building.
'Through an application for Rural Transaction Centre funding we achieved this.
'Today marks the end of a six-year plan to open premises and declare them our own,' said Mr Blight who thanked everyone who had had an input into the successful outcome.
RTC funding of around $90,000 was obtained which helped to not only purchase the telecentre building from Westpac, but to undertake extensive renovations.
The building now sports excellent meetings rooms and disabled access.
Wagin Shire president Marilyn Brockway said by becoming a Rural Transaction Centre the telecentre can offer people face to face contact, for Centrelink, other government agencies and banking.
Mr Tuckey said he had great pleasure in formally opening the Rural Transaction Centre in Wagin.
'"
VEANA SCOTT
Thursday, 7 July 2005
THE Hon. Wilson Tuckey MP, Member for O'Connor officially opened a Rural Transaction Centre at the Wagin Telecentre last Thursday.
Invited guests included Wagin Shire CEO Ian Fitzgerald, shire president, Telecentre chairman and committee members, and representatives Westpac and CY O'Connor College of TAFE.
Telecentre chairman Phillip Blight said it all started in 1998 with a tour of up and running telecentres.
Mr Blight said a key thing they learnt was 'location', to be a success the telecentre needed a main street shop-front.
A steering committee was formed and in 1999 luck fell their way. Westpac was gearing down and offered them the building rent free for two years with the bank to remain as an in-store facility.
In February 2000 the Wagin Telecentre was officially opened.
The next step was to secure funding to purchase and upgrade the building.
'Through an application for Rural Transaction Centre funding we achieved this.
'Today marks the end of a six-year plan to open premises and declare them our own,' said Mr Blight who thanked everyone who had had an input into the successful outcome.
RTC funding of around $90,000 was obtained which helped to not only purchase the telecentre building from Westpac, but to undertake extensive renovations.
The building now sports excellent meetings rooms and disabled access.
Wagin Shire president Marilyn Brockway said by becoming a Rural Transaction Centre the telecentre can offer people face to face contact, for Centrelink, other government agencies and banking.
Mr Tuckey said he had great pleasure in formally opening the Rural Transaction Centre in Wagin.
'"
Japan Today - Features - Tokyo's 'manga ' cafes serve a restless generation - Japan's Leading International News Network
Japan Today - Features - Tokyo's 'manga ' cafes serve a restless generation - Japan's Leading International News Network
Tokyo's 'manga ' cafes serve a restless generation
By David Hickey
Manga enthusiasts read comics at i-Cafe in Akihabara.
TOKYO — Whether they be 200-year-old teahouses or modern-day coffee shops, "kissaten" (traditional cafes) hold a special place in Japan's national psyche. These are places where green tea greased the cogs for secret rendezvous between shogun and coup-plotting rebel leaders, and where kimono-clad girls doled out sexual favors over a brew of Vienna's finest. They are also where longhaired hippies could wig out all day on obscure free jazz records for the price of an American blend. A trip to a "kissaten" has long been about a whole lot more than just sipping on a hot beverage.
The latest incarnation of this noble trend, "manga kissa," can be found almost exclusively in metropolitan areas, hovering out of sight a few floors above or below ground level. They play host to a round-the-clock procession of no-nonsense businessmen, bashful teenage couples, students and parents who can leave the kids at the on-site nursery and indulge in a quick fix of manga and mocha.
"Manga kissa" are not new. A style of coffee shop offering a mini-library-sized collection of manga comics available for customers to read on the premises, the first opened in Nagoya in 1979 around the same time that jazz "kissa" were shutting up shop as their once revolutionary-minded clientele got married, had kids and moved on.
But it's only recently that these cafes have become spacious havens where coffee is very much a secondary concern. As the tagline runs at i-Cafe, whose flagship shop can be found on the seventh and eighth floors of a regular looking office building in Akihabara, the modern "manga kissa" is about providing "Time and Space" for the customer, akin to the "ochaya" and "kissaten" of yore. On an average weekday at i-Cafe Akihabara, about 400 customers — mostly businessmen, "freeters" (part-timers) and students — roll through their doors, a number that rises to 600 on a weekend.
Managers insist that there is no "typical" customer. At J-Net Cafe, which lies in an area of Shibuya dotted with similar cafes, "Niwatori," a 20-year-old part-timer from Kanagawa, was about to check out some "shojo manga" — manga for girls that feature "pretty, leggy saucer-eyed heroines in saccharine plots, endlessly falling desperately in love or staring wistfully into space," in the words of Frederik L Schodt's "Dreamland Japan: Writings on Modern Manga."
Customers can use Net, watch DVDs
Nor is it just about manga. Customers can take advantage of high-speed cable Internet access, view the latest DVDs in a reclining chair, or take on other gamers from across the globe in a private booth. They might also grab a two-seat booth with a friend between lectures and kill time with a PS2 or X-Box, or take care of business in a fully equipped "office booth" while stocking up on free food.
Predictably, the Internet has played a major role in the evolution of the "manga kissa." So while Niwatori and his ilk may snub the Net, 33-year-old British animator Trevor, living in Shibuya, came in for an hour to check out some potential eateries online for a date.
Indeed, it's the online experience that's helped accelerate the transformation, and popularization, of "manga kissa" from a dreary coffee shop with a hodgepodge collection of manga with the stigma of attracting only manga-obsessed "otaku," to something resembling a comic book library where the customer can truly feel at home, and be charged not by the cup, but by the hour.
So at home, according to Tomohiro Koizumi, HR manager at Manga Kissa Tanpopo in Ekoda, that while a salaryman surfs the Net, it is not uncommon to find in the booth next door "a customer reading a whole manga series, from start to finish" — no small feat when a single manga magazine may include around 20 serialized stories from a previous volume and run to 400 pages.
Customers can stay the night
Lose track of time and miss the last train home? The vagaries of an expensive taxi ride should be consigned to the dustbin along with last week's "Big Comic Original," since most "manga kissa," including the "Big Three" — Gran Cyber Cafe, Manga Gera Gera and Manga Manboo — have a "nightpack" rate of around 1,200 yen, which is considerably cheaper than the average capsule hotel or love hotel.
Many have a flat seat in which the customer can comfortably settle down in for a night. Some, such as Gran Cyber Cafe, even have a private booth with a flat double seat in which a couple can snuggle up, the modern equivalent of the "dohan kissa" of old, where hard-up lovebirds paid for a coffee before settling down on a two-seater sofa behind a curtain.
Some media commentators continue to oversimplify the link between the seemingly inexorable rise of "manga kissa" and the declining sales of manga. Why would anyone buy the books, the argument goes, when a whole series can be read very cheaply, with free drinks, at a "manga kissa?" But as Edward Venn, a Tokyo-based Canadian publisher who has worked at publishing houses like Shufu no Tomo and Image Publications suggests, even if there is a "threat" from "manga kissa," it could act as a shot in the arm for the manga producers, forcing them "to innovate and improve their ability to compete."
It is up to the manga artists, editors and publishers to rise to challenge. For the rest of us, "manga kissa" let us just kick back and enjoy them.
July 18, 2005
http://www.japantoday.com/e/?content=feature&id=958
Tokyo's 'manga ' cafes serve a restless generation
By David Hickey
Manga enthusiasts read comics at i-Cafe in Akihabara.
TOKYO — Whether they be 200-year-old teahouses or modern-day coffee shops, "kissaten" (traditional cafes) hold a special place in Japan's national psyche. These are places where green tea greased the cogs for secret rendezvous between shogun and coup-plotting rebel leaders, and where kimono-clad girls doled out sexual favors over a brew of Vienna's finest. They are also where longhaired hippies could wig out all day on obscure free jazz records for the price of an American blend. A trip to a "kissaten" has long been about a whole lot more than just sipping on a hot beverage.
The latest incarnation of this noble trend, "manga kissa," can be found almost exclusively in metropolitan areas, hovering out of sight a few floors above or below ground level. They play host to a round-the-clock procession of no-nonsense businessmen, bashful teenage couples, students and parents who can leave the kids at the on-site nursery and indulge in a quick fix of manga and mocha.
"Manga kissa" are not new. A style of coffee shop offering a mini-library-sized collection of manga comics available for customers to read on the premises, the first opened in Nagoya in 1979 around the same time that jazz "kissa" were shutting up shop as their once revolutionary-minded clientele got married, had kids and moved on.
But it's only recently that these cafes have become spacious havens where coffee is very much a secondary concern. As the tagline runs at i-Cafe, whose flagship shop can be found on the seventh and eighth floors of a regular looking office building in Akihabara, the modern "manga kissa" is about providing "Time and Space" for the customer, akin to the "ochaya" and "kissaten" of yore. On an average weekday at i-Cafe Akihabara, about 400 customers — mostly businessmen, "freeters" (part-timers) and students — roll through their doors, a number that rises to 600 on a weekend.
Managers insist that there is no "typical" customer. At J-Net Cafe, which lies in an area of Shibuya dotted with similar cafes, "Niwatori," a 20-year-old part-timer from Kanagawa, was about to check out some "shojo manga" — manga for girls that feature "pretty, leggy saucer-eyed heroines in saccharine plots, endlessly falling desperately in love or staring wistfully into space," in the words of Frederik L Schodt's "Dreamland Japan: Writings on Modern Manga."
Customers can use Net, watch DVDs
Nor is it just about manga. Customers can take advantage of high-speed cable Internet access, view the latest DVDs in a reclining chair, or take on other gamers from across the globe in a private booth. They might also grab a two-seat booth with a friend between lectures and kill time with a PS2 or X-Box, or take care of business in a fully equipped "office booth" while stocking up on free food.
Predictably, the Internet has played a major role in the evolution of the "manga kissa." So while Niwatori and his ilk may snub the Net, 33-year-old British animator Trevor, living in Shibuya, came in for an hour to check out some potential eateries online for a date.
Indeed, it's the online experience that's helped accelerate the transformation, and popularization, of "manga kissa" from a dreary coffee shop with a hodgepodge collection of manga with the stigma of attracting only manga-obsessed "otaku," to something resembling a comic book library where the customer can truly feel at home, and be charged not by the cup, but by the hour.
So at home, according to Tomohiro Koizumi, HR manager at Manga Kissa Tanpopo in Ekoda, that while a salaryman surfs the Net, it is not uncommon to find in the booth next door "a customer reading a whole manga series, from start to finish" — no small feat when a single manga magazine may include around 20 serialized stories from a previous volume and run to 400 pages.
Customers can stay the night
Lose track of time and miss the last train home? The vagaries of an expensive taxi ride should be consigned to the dustbin along with last week's "Big Comic Original," since most "manga kissa," including the "Big Three" — Gran Cyber Cafe, Manga Gera Gera and Manga Manboo — have a "nightpack" rate of around 1,200 yen, which is considerably cheaper than the average capsule hotel or love hotel.
Many have a flat seat in which the customer can comfortably settle down in for a night. Some, such as Gran Cyber Cafe, even have a private booth with a flat double seat in which a couple can snuggle up, the modern equivalent of the "dohan kissa" of old, where hard-up lovebirds paid for a coffee before settling down on a two-seater sofa behind a curtain.
Some media commentators continue to oversimplify the link between the seemingly inexorable rise of "manga kissa" and the declining sales of manga. Why would anyone buy the books, the argument goes, when a whole series can be read very cheaply, with free drinks, at a "manga kissa?" But as Edward Venn, a Tokyo-based Canadian publisher who has worked at publishing houses like Shufu no Tomo and Image Publications suggests, even if there is a "threat" from "manga kissa," it could act as a shot in the arm for the manga producers, forcing them "to innovate and improve their ability to compete."
It is up to the manga artists, editors and publishers to rise to challenge. For the rest of us, "manga kissa" let us just kick back and enjoy them.
July 18, 2005
http://www.japantoday.com/e/?content=feature&id=958
The Star Online : TechCentral - Malaysia Technology
The Star Online : TechCentral - Malaysia Technology
Porn sites: Najib calls for self-regulation
KUALA LUMPUR: Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak called on the private sector, schools and cybercafe operators to take it upon themselves to prevent the accessing of pornographic websites on their premises.
"At government departments, we can act against access to such sites. We hope the private sector and schools can take the necessary measures," he said, according to national news agency Bernama.
Najib said access to smut on the Internet can be blocked with specific software and that while the installation of such software was on a voluntary basis, the Government wanted more people to be aware of its importance.
"We hope people will take it up," he said, adding that the Government had not considered making such measures compulsory.
Speaking to Bernama after opening the "Mediamorphosis: Communication, Technology and Growth" international conference here on Thursday, Najib said prevention could be viewed from a wider perspective - that is, through inculcating good moral values which could serve as a defense mechanism for the individual.
"If our value system is strong, we can differentiate between good and bad. We can decide and make our own choice," he said.
He said present global trends, which transcended borders, made it difficult for the Government to filter all information disseminated through advanced and sophisticated information technology systems.
Bernama reported that earlier, in his speech, Najib had voiced his concern over the free access to millions of pornograpic websites, available to all Internet users.
"As we have heard recently, there are 33 million webpages of pornographic material and Malaysians - including our children - are exposed to 1.5 million unrestricted pornographic sites. How are we to curb this, especially when we are moving to 3G wireless technology?" he said.
Meanwhile CHARLES F. MOREIRA reports that Deputy Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Kong Cho Ha said the ministry has no power to compel cybercafes to install anti-pornography filters.
"That power rests with the local authorities and the Minister (of Science, Technology and Innovation, Datuk Seri Dr Jamaludin Jarjis) had only recom¬mended that cybercafe owners be made to take that measure," he said at Fuji Xerox Asia-Pacific Pte Ltd’s launch of its ApeosPort C6550 I enterprise document-management system here on Thursday.
Dr Jamaludin had last month announced a Cabinet decision to have cybercafe owners install filters to prevent access to online pornography before they are given a licence to operate (see The Star, June 15).
A straw poll of cybercafe operators after the announcement showed that most supported the Cabinet decision (see In.Tech, June 21).
To block such content from its patrons, the cybercafes would need to maintain a blacklist of pornographic websites that would be made inaccessible to the web browsers on its computers.
Kong said it was outside his ministry’s jurisdiction to enforce such a blacklist.
The Government has said in the past that it will not censor the Internet, a commitment made in the Multimedia Super Corridor’s Bill of Guarantees.
It has exhorted Malaysians to practice self-censorship, self-discipline and self-education while surfing the World Wide Web.
However, the Malaysian Crime Prevention Foundation (MCPF) had proposed early last year that the Government enact laws against online pornography.
MCPF vice-chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye had said that if cybersmut continued to be circulated, it might be time for the Government to take a second look and see whether it could do something about it.
On the other hand, those who are against government censorship of the Internet have argued that "no censorship" does not mean the people are free to indulge in pornography with impunity and with disregard to existing laws. If these laws are breached, the perpetrator will still be liable.
Porn sites: Najib calls for self-regulation
KUALA LUMPUR: Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak called on the private sector, schools and cybercafe operators to take it upon themselves to prevent the accessing of pornographic websites on their premises.
"At government departments, we can act against access to such sites. We hope the private sector and schools can take the necessary measures," he said, according to national news agency Bernama.
Najib said access to smut on the Internet can be blocked with specific software and that while the installation of such software was on a voluntary basis, the Government wanted more people to be aware of its importance.
"We hope people will take it up," he said, adding that the Government had not considered making such measures compulsory.
Speaking to Bernama after opening the "Mediamorphosis: Communication, Technology and Growth" international conference here on Thursday, Najib said prevention could be viewed from a wider perspective - that is, through inculcating good moral values which could serve as a defense mechanism for the individual.
"If our value system is strong, we can differentiate between good and bad. We can decide and make our own choice," he said.
He said present global trends, which transcended borders, made it difficult for the Government to filter all information disseminated through advanced and sophisticated information technology systems.
Bernama reported that earlier, in his speech, Najib had voiced his concern over the free access to millions of pornograpic websites, available to all Internet users.
"As we have heard recently, there are 33 million webpages of pornographic material and Malaysians - including our children - are exposed to 1.5 million unrestricted pornographic sites. How are we to curb this, especially when we are moving to 3G wireless technology?" he said.
Meanwhile CHARLES F. MOREIRA reports that Deputy Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Kong Cho Ha said the ministry has no power to compel cybercafes to install anti-pornography filters.
"That power rests with the local authorities and the Minister (of Science, Technology and Innovation, Datuk Seri Dr Jamaludin Jarjis) had only recom¬mended that cybercafe owners be made to take that measure," he said at Fuji Xerox Asia-Pacific Pte Ltd’s launch of its ApeosPort C6550 I enterprise document-management system here on Thursday.
Dr Jamaludin had last month announced a Cabinet decision to have cybercafe owners install filters to prevent access to online pornography before they are given a licence to operate (see The Star, June 15).
A straw poll of cybercafe operators after the announcement showed that most supported the Cabinet decision (see In.Tech, June 21).
To block such content from its patrons, the cybercafes would need to maintain a blacklist of pornographic websites that would be made inaccessible to the web browsers on its computers.
Kong said it was outside his ministry’s jurisdiction to enforce such a blacklist.
The Government has said in the past that it will not censor the Internet, a commitment made in the Multimedia Super Corridor’s Bill of Guarantees.
It has exhorted Malaysians to practice self-censorship, self-discipline and self-education while surfing the World Wide Web.
However, the Malaysian Crime Prevention Foundation (MCPF) had proposed early last year that the Government enact laws against online pornography.
MCPF vice-chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye had said that if cybersmut continued to be circulated, it might be time for the Government to take a second look and see whether it could do something about it.
On the other hand, those who are against government censorship of the Internet have argued that "no censorship" does not mean the people are free to indulge in pornography with impunity and with disregard to existing laws. If these laws are breached, the perpetrator will still be liable.
The Japan Times Online
The Japan Times Online: "THE ZEIT GIST
Cyber war grips Asia
Internet users mirror diplomatic strife across the region
By TONY McNICOL
If comments on bulletin boards were bullets and hacking attacks real skirmishes then East Asia would probably be a war zone now.
Mirroring offline diplomatic clashes, Internet users in Japan, China and Korea have been posting verbal assaults and hackers launching determined cyber-attacks.
Internet technology has also been at the core of recent frictions over textbook and territorial disputes.
In China, mobile phones and the Internet were used to organize protests against Japanese diplomatic missions and businesses. In Korea, citizens debated the row through blogs and bulletin-boards. In Japan, irate netizens reacted with sometimes jingoistic attacks on their country's neighbors.
As tensions peaked this Spring, numerous sites in Japan were targeted by hackers -- presumed to be based in China and Korea. Government ministries, universities, local authorities and the national police agency Web site were affected.
Yasukuni Shrine posted a notice on its Web site reporting that as many as 15,000 DOS (denial of service) attacks a second had been launched against its home page. The shrine described them as 'a base act . . . terrorism that is a fundamental negation of Internet law and order.'
Despite some reports of counter-attacks by Japanese hackers, it seems that Japan generally came off the worse in the cyber skirmishes.
Until recently Japan's digital security has been weak, says Naoki Miyagi of the National Information Security Center, a 26 strong department set up this April.
'Government Web sites were vulnerable, not properly managed. (But) recently we've been taking aggressive measures.'
The Chinese government was also caug"
Cyber war grips Asia
Internet users mirror diplomatic strife across the region
By TONY McNICOL
If comments on bulletin boards were bullets and hacking attacks real skirmishes then East Asia would probably be a war zone now.
Mirroring offline diplomatic clashes, Internet users in Japan, China and Korea have been posting verbal assaults and hackers launching determined cyber-attacks.
Internet technology has also been at the core of recent frictions over textbook and territorial disputes.
In China, mobile phones and the Internet were used to organize protests against Japanese diplomatic missions and businesses. In Korea, citizens debated the row through blogs and bulletin-boards. In Japan, irate netizens reacted with sometimes jingoistic attacks on their country's neighbors.
As tensions peaked this Spring, numerous sites in Japan were targeted by hackers -- presumed to be based in China and Korea. Government ministries, universities, local authorities and the national police agency Web site were affected.
Yasukuni Shrine posted a notice on its Web site reporting that as many as 15,000 DOS (denial of service) attacks a second had been launched against its home page. The shrine described them as 'a base act . . . terrorism that is a fundamental negation of Internet law and order.'
Despite some reports of counter-attacks by Japanese hackers, it seems that Japan generally came off the worse in the cyber skirmishes.
Until recently Japan's digital security has been weak, says Naoki Miyagi of the National Information Security Center, a 26 strong department set up this April.
'Government Web sites were vulnerable, not properly managed. (But) recently we've been taking aggressive measures.'
The Chinese government was also caug"
B�o �i?n t? - Th?i b�o Kinh t? Vi?t Nam
B�o �i?n t? - Th?i b�o Kinh t? Vi?t Nam
MPT to tighten the net cyber rules
VNECONOMY updated: 15/06/2005
The circular on the management of internet agencies was compiled by the ministries of public security; post and telematics (MPT); culture and information; and planning and investment nearly a year ago and is expected to be signed this month.
Nguyen Hong Hai, director of the MPT’s Telecommunications Department, said the circular was nearly ready for signing after lengthy discussion among the four ministries about issues such as local management of internet resources and limiting access to inappropriate content.
“The management situation is very pressing in localities, while there is a lack of common regulations on licence-granting criteria and operating criteria. We are finishing the document and selecting a day this month for signing,” Hai said.
Instead of waiting for uniform regulations, many provinces have issued their own rules on internet services, including Hung Yen, Ha Tinh, Yen Bai and Binh Duong, along with urban centres like Ho Chi Minh City.
Owners of internet cafes have been asked to enforce specific measures to monitor and control sites visited by their customers, including implementing tracking software or upgrading infrastructure.
The draft circular regulates the minimum space for each computer, stipulating that all terminals must be in shop owners’ view to prevent the viewing of inappropriate sites. Each cafe must also meet safety conditions, such as fire-prevention measures and a requirement that they be located at least 200 metres from schools. Internet agencies and cafes will also have to install software that requires customers’ names and ID numbers. The software will be offered by internet service providers (ISPs) and will be built by individual ISPs or groups of ISPs.
Each agency and cyber shop has to clearly indicate its regulations and business hours, and must warn customers not to view pornographic sites. The shop owners must demonstrate their responsibility or face fines.
The Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee issued a decision to postpone the granting of new licences to cyber cafes for public use because there is a shortage of staff to monitor them.
According to an official from the Ho Chi Minh City Culture and Information Office, who asked not to be identified, authorities at the district level have either suspended or limited the granting of new licences for public internet businesses.
In the mountainous province of Yen Bai, a quarter of the internet cafes are licensed, and most of them began offering internet service after previously offering only electronic games. Most of them do not have enough knowledge about networks or security to prevent surfers from accessing unwholesome websites, said local authorities.
Meanwhile, local authorities are hesitant to grant new licences, and the Tax Office is applying high taxes to suspected illegal internet agencies as a way to manage the problem until the circular becomes effective.
Nguyen Van Duoc, head of the Yen Bai Post and Telematics Office, said many cyber cafes allow surfers to access sexually explicit websites. Up to 90 per cent of young people have viewed pornographic sites, while 26 out of 28 supervised cafes had evidence of sex sites on their computers.
MPT to tighten the net cyber rules
VNECONOMY updated: 15/06/2005
The circular on the management of internet agencies was compiled by the ministries of public security; post and telematics (MPT); culture and information; and planning and investment nearly a year ago and is expected to be signed this month.
Nguyen Hong Hai, director of the MPT’s Telecommunications Department, said the circular was nearly ready for signing after lengthy discussion among the four ministries about issues such as local management of internet resources and limiting access to inappropriate content.
“The management situation is very pressing in localities, while there is a lack of common regulations on licence-granting criteria and operating criteria. We are finishing the document and selecting a day this month for signing,” Hai said.
Instead of waiting for uniform regulations, many provinces have issued their own rules on internet services, including Hung Yen, Ha Tinh, Yen Bai and Binh Duong, along with urban centres like Ho Chi Minh City.
Owners of internet cafes have been asked to enforce specific measures to monitor and control sites visited by their customers, including implementing tracking software or upgrading infrastructure.
The draft circular regulates the minimum space for each computer, stipulating that all terminals must be in shop owners’ view to prevent the viewing of inappropriate sites. Each cafe must also meet safety conditions, such as fire-prevention measures and a requirement that they be located at least 200 metres from schools. Internet agencies and cafes will also have to install software that requires customers’ names and ID numbers. The software will be offered by internet service providers (ISPs) and will be built by individual ISPs or groups of ISPs.
Each agency and cyber shop has to clearly indicate its regulations and business hours, and must warn customers not to view pornographic sites. The shop owners must demonstrate their responsibility or face fines.
The Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee issued a decision to postpone the granting of new licences to cyber cafes for public use because there is a shortage of staff to monitor them.
According to an official from the Ho Chi Minh City Culture and Information Office, who asked not to be identified, authorities at the district level have either suspended or limited the granting of new licences for public internet businesses.
In the mountainous province of Yen Bai, a quarter of the internet cafes are licensed, and most of them began offering internet service after previously offering only electronic games. Most of them do not have enough knowledge about networks or security to prevent surfers from accessing unwholesome websites, said local authorities.
Meanwhile, local authorities are hesitant to grant new licences, and the Tax Office is applying high taxes to suspected illegal internet agencies as a way to manage the problem until the circular becomes effective.
Nguyen Van Duoc, head of the Yen Bai Post and Telematics Office, said many cyber cafes allow surfers to access sexually explicit websites. Up to 90 per cent of young people have viewed pornographic sites, while 26 out of 28 supervised cafes had evidence of sex sites on their computers.
libcom.org | newswire
libcom.org | newswire
The race is on for the control of cyberspace.
By Julian Gibson
The internet has revolutionised life for many people, particularly political radicals. The mass anti-capitalist movements and demonstrations of Seattle, Quebec and Genoa that so shook the world’s elites prior to 9/11 would not have been possible were it not for global online networking. The internet has provided an invaluable tool of communication and information for political dissidents through online communities like Indymedia and libcom.org, free spaces for radicals who are otherwise denied a place in the mainstream media. All the research for this article was done online- hell, I’d never even heard about anarchism till I looked it up on the internet! But the freedom of the web we currently enjoy must not be taken for granted.
Cyberspace is not some separate domain; it is now an essential component of our legal, political, economic and social lives. ‘The internet’ is not a single entity, it is a giant collection of computer networks held together by cable, telephone and other connections. Born in a research project by the US Department of Defence, it was designed by the Rand Corporation to be a decentralized communications system that could withstand nuclear attack.
The decentralised nature of the internet has led to more horizontal and essentially anarchistic communication, but it is not necessarily the great liberator and source of freedom as previously presumed.
The nature of censorship on the Internet has taken some surprising turns over the years. No communications and information medium in history has endured such a varied and continued assault on its functioning and infrastructure, particularly since 11th September 2001. A study by Freedom House: “Freedom of the press 2005” revealed the overall level of press freedom worldwide is worsening, notable setbacks took place in Pakistan, Kenya, Mexico, Venezuela, and in the worlds most powerful ‘Democracy’, the United States.
The US National Strategy to Secure Cyberspace, an excruciatingly boring read, contains ominously vague plans for controlling the internet as a part of their National Strategy for Homeland Security, as “the healthy functioning of cyberspace is essential to the US economy and national security…We are facing increasing threats from hostile adversaries in the realm of cyberspace.” It claims organised cyber attack may endanger the Nations security, possibly even causing loss of life, though they neglect to explain exactly how.
It is arguable that at the beginning of the 21st century corporations will rival (and possibly collude with) governments in threatening internet freedoms. Some US cable companies- AOL for instance- seek to control the internet in the same way as TV and radio, and are putting in place the necessary technological changes to do this.
Censorship of the internet is commonplace in most regions. In countries such as Burma and China, the level of control is such that the internet has little value as a medium of free speech. In fact, such use often results in personal dangers to activists. Burma has come closest to trying to block the entire internet- out of the entire web it ‘whitelists’ about 900 sites in all. China- with the second largest population of internet users behind the United States, uses the vague term of ‘subversive’ speech as the object of censorship, limiting discussion about Falun Gong, the Dalai Lama and Tiananmen Square. Incidentally, China’s ‘Golden Shield’ blocking device is sustained by Western developed software. In Tunisia plainclothes ‘cyber-police’ monitor cybercafes for subversive activity, regularly collecting details of internet activity, blocking “subversive” websites and arresting “over-active” internet users- cyber-dissidents. Morocco bans criticism of Islam, or the monarch, or ‘offensive reporting’ by journalists. Cuba has made internet usage illegal without a permit. Iranian authorities have arrested 20 online journalists during a recent crackdown, Arash Sigarchi- an Iranian weblogger was jailed for 14 years on charges of spying and aiding counter-revolutionaries.
Though in the UK we enjoy greater freedom, it would be foolish to think the internet here is free. In October last year, two servers hosting the Indymedia’s websites were turned over to the FBI by Rackspace hosting, without notifying Indymedia- affecting over 20 Indymedia sites worldwide. In a statement regarding the incident, Rackspace claimed to be “acting in compliance with a court order pursuant to a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT), which establishes procedures for countries to assist each other in investigations such as international terrorism, kidnapping and money laundering…Rackspace is acting as a good corporate citizen and is cooperating with international law enforcement authorities, the court prohibits Rackspace from commenting further on this issue.”
The UK has proposed data retention rules under its Anti-Terrorism, crime and Security Act 2001, where this will lead remains to be seen.
British Telecom are working with the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) to prevent users from accessing child porn sites, the technology, called BT Cleanfeed, blocks access to ‘blacklisted sites’. But BT admits that the Cleanfeed system will not be effective against the determined paedophile, and will only stop surfers stumbling accidentally on such material. With Cleanfeed, BT has become the first Internet Service Provider in the Western world to voluntarily censor its customer’s access in this way, and now offers the most censored web access in the West.
The IWF was created in 1996 to provide a hotline for the public to report any material that is ‘potentially illegal’. It caused some concern in 2002 by proposing to create a list of banned newsgroups that should not be carried at all by British ISPs. For the last eight years the ISP industry has been removing material at the request of the IWF without any hesitation or warning. The list of banned sites is secret and left to the judgement of a private organisation based in Cambridgshire and run by an ex-police officer. This all makes the IWF the most powerful and effective censor in British media history. It is completely unelected and unaccountable to the general public, so there are worries concerning the power the IWF yields. Removing child porn may be a legitimate aim, but will it end there?
In the West, technologies have so far sustained the ability of dissident groups to speak freely and access content privately. So far software writers can work much faster than politicians, but the battle is on. Governments have already criminalised the meaning of the word ‘hacker’ into something akin to terrorism. The regulation of Investigatory Powers says that police can request data about what sites a web user visits- and ISPs must collect this information- this is only the beginning.
In cyberspace, code is law, and we must understand how code regulates, if we are to maintain the libertarian ideals of the net. If the code of cyberspace is owned, it can be controlled. The lack of ownership, the presence of a commons, is key to limiting, or checking government or corporate control. Technological expertise and participation are essential to ensure that systems of freedom and minimal regimes of invasion are maintained.
Only 17% of the world’s population live in countries that enjoy a relatively free press, of which we are one. It is critically important that these countries remain vigilant in upholding this freedom at home and actively encouraging it abroad.
Staving off the internet power shift will be a difficult task, made even harder by the apathy on the part of a public who won’t know what they’ve got until it’s gone. Cyberspace, left to itself, will not fulfil the promise of freedom. Without our participation, it could become the perfect tool of control.
The race is on for the control of cyberspace.
By Julian Gibson
The internet has revolutionised life for many people, particularly political radicals. The mass anti-capitalist movements and demonstrations of Seattle, Quebec and Genoa that so shook the world’s elites prior to 9/11 would not have been possible were it not for global online networking. The internet has provided an invaluable tool of communication and information for political dissidents through online communities like Indymedia and libcom.org, free spaces for radicals who are otherwise denied a place in the mainstream media. All the research for this article was done online- hell, I’d never even heard about anarchism till I looked it up on the internet! But the freedom of the web we currently enjoy must not be taken for granted.
Cyberspace is not some separate domain; it is now an essential component of our legal, political, economic and social lives. ‘The internet’ is not a single entity, it is a giant collection of computer networks held together by cable, telephone and other connections. Born in a research project by the US Department of Defence, it was designed by the Rand Corporation to be a decentralized communications system that could withstand nuclear attack.
The decentralised nature of the internet has led to more horizontal and essentially anarchistic communication, but it is not necessarily the great liberator and source of freedom as previously presumed.
The nature of censorship on the Internet has taken some surprising turns over the years. No communications and information medium in history has endured such a varied and continued assault on its functioning and infrastructure, particularly since 11th September 2001. A study by Freedom House: “Freedom of the press 2005” revealed the overall level of press freedom worldwide is worsening, notable setbacks took place in Pakistan, Kenya, Mexico, Venezuela, and in the worlds most powerful ‘Democracy’, the United States.
The US National Strategy to Secure Cyberspace, an excruciatingly boring read, contains ominously vague plans for controlling the internet as a part of their National Strategy for Homeland Security, as “the healthy functioning of cyberspace is essential to the US economy and national security…We are facing increasing threats from hostile adversaries in the realm of cyberspace.” It claims organised cyber attack may endanger the Nations security, possibly even causing loss of life, though they neglect to explain exactly how.
It is arguable that at the beginning of the 21st century corporations will rival (and possibly collude with) governments in threatening internet freedoms. Some US cable companies- AOL for instance- seek to control the internet in the same way as TV and radio, and are putting in place the necessary technological changes to do this.
Censorship of the internet is commonplace in most regions. In countries such as Burma and China, the level of control is such that the internet has little value as a medium of free speech. In fact, such use often results in personal dangers to activists. Burma has come closest to trying to block the entire internet- out of the entire web it ‘whitelists’ about 900 sites in all. China- with the second largest population of internet users behind the United States, uses the vague term of ‘subversive’ speech as the object of censorship, limiting discussion about Falun Gong, the Dalai Lama and Tiananmen Square. Incidentally, China’s ‘Golden Shield’ blocking device is sustained by Western developed software. In Tunisia plainclothes ‘cyber-police’ monitor cybercafes for subversive activity, regularly collecting details of internet activity, blocking “subversive” websites and arresting “over-active” internet users- cyber-dissidents. Morocco bans criticism of Islam, or the monarch, or ‘offensive reporting’ by journalists. Cuba has made internet usage illegal without a permit. Iranian authorities have arrested 20 online journalists during a recent crackdown, Arash Sigarchi- an Iranian weblogger was jailed for 14 years on charges of spying and aiding counter-revolutionaries.
Though in the UK we enjoy greater freedom, it would be foolish to think the internet here is free. In October last year, two servers hosting the Indymedia’s websites were turned over to the FBI by Rackspace hosting, without notifying Indymedia- affecting over 20 Indymedia sites worldwide. In a statement regarding the incident, Rackspace claimed to be “acting in compliance with a court order pursuant to a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT), which establishes procedures for countries to assist each other in investigations such as international terrorism, kidnapping and money laundering…Rackspace is acting as a good corporate citizen and is cooperating with international law enforcement authorities, the court prohibits Rackspace from commenting further on this issue.”
The UK has proposed data retention rules under its Anti-Terrorism, crime and Security Act 2001, where this will lead remains to be seen.
British Telecom are working with the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) to prevent users from accessing child porn sites, the technology, called BT Cleanfeed, blocks access to ‘blacklisted sites’. But BT admits that the Cleanfeed system will not be effective against the determined paedophile, and will only stop surfers stumbling accidentally on such material. With Cleanfeed, BT has become the first Internet Service Provider in the Western world to voluntarily censor its customer’s access in this way, and now offers the most censored web access in the West.
The IWF was created in 1996 to provide a hotline for the public to report any material that is ‘potentially illegal’. It caused some concern in 2002 by proposing to create a list of banned newsgroups that should not be carried at all by British ISPs. For the last eight years the ISP industry has been removing material at the request of the IWF without any hesitation or warning. The list of banned sites is secret and left to the judgement of a private organisation based in Cambridgshire and run by an ex-police officer. This all makes the IWF the most powerful and effective censor in British media history. It is completely unelected and unaccountable to the general public, so there are worries concerning the power the IWF yields. Removing child porn may be a legitimate aim, but will it end there?
In the West, technologies have so far sustained the ability of dissident groups to speak freely and access content privately. So far software writers can work much faster than politicians, but the battle is on. Governments have already criminalised the meaning of the word ‘hacker’ into something akin to terrorism. The regulation of Investigatory Powers says that police can request data about what sites a web user visits- and ISPs must collect this information- this is only the beginning.
In cyberspace, code is law, and we must understand how code regulates, if we are to maintain the libertarian ideals of the net. If the code of cyberspace is owned, it can be controlled. The lack of ownership, the presence of a commons, is key to limiting, or checking government or corporate control. Technological expertise and participation are essential to ensure that systems of freedom and minimal regimes of invasion are maintained.
Only 17% of the world’s population live in countries that enjoy a relatively free press, of which we are one. It is critically important that these countries remain vigilant in upholding this freedom at home and actively encouraging it abroad.
Staving off the internet power shift will be a difficult task, made even harder by the apathy on the part of a public who won’t know what they’ve got until it’s gone. Cyberspace, left to itself, will not fulfil the promise of freedom. Without our participation, it could become the perfect tool of control.
Some Cafe Owners Pull the Plug on Lingering Wi-Fi Users - New York Times
Some Cafe Owners Pull the Plug on Lingering Wi-Fi Users - New York Times
SEATTLE, June 12 - The staff at Victrola Café & Art is sick of talking about Wi-Fi. Given the opportunity, as at a recent cupping in the back of the store to smell and taste the latest in-house roasts, the group prefers to talk about cafe culture, or how to create a nuanced light roasted coffee.
Skip to next paragraph
Enlarge This Image
Annie Marie Musselman for The New York Times
Jen Strongin and Chris Sharp, the owners of Victrola Cafe in Seattle, said profit rose after they stopped free wireless Internet service on weekends.
More Wi-Fi Coverage
NYTimes.com's Technology section has thousands of product reviews from CNET and other expanded features.
• Circuits | Product Reviews
• How To's | Products for Sale But lately, the subject of Wi-Fi - specifically, the cafe's move to cut back on the free Wi-Fi connection it provides for patrons' Internet use - has been impossible to avoid. "It's distracting," said Jen Strongin, a co-owner.
Victrola started providing free wireless access two years ago after customers asked for it. As in hundreds of other cafes, the owners hoped it would encourage regulars and infrequent patrons to buy more food and drinks. But there was also a disadvantage, staff members said: the cafe filled with laptop users each weekend, often one to a table meant for four. Some would sit for six to eight hours purchasing a single drink, or nothing at all.
Even worse, when lingerers were confronted, they were bellicose. "We get yelled at by people who feel it's their right" to use Victrola's Wi-Fi without making a purchase, Ms. Strongin said. Tony Konecny, the shop's head roaster, added, "It's rarely a pleasant interaction."
But Ms. Strongin and her staff said they were more concerned that the cafe, in the Capitol Hill neighborhood, had turned into a place devoid of sound except the light clack of keys, not the focus of lively interaction that she and her husband, Chris Sharp, had intended.
So last month the cafe discontinued the free service on Saturdays and Sundays - and so far it has proved to be a sound business move. Weekend revenue is up and more seats are filled.
Victrola is part of the emerging expectation that cafes will provide Wi-Fi, free or for a fee. In the United States, more than 8,500 cafes offer Wi-Fi, based on online listings of Wi-Fi locations; 3,500 provide it at no charge, according to MetroFreeFi.com, a site devoted to free wireless access. Those offering it free include chains like Panera Bread as well as independent stores; others, like Starbucks, provide the service for a fee through T-Mobile or other providers.
Some of Victrola's customers were in a slight state of disbelief when the Wi-Fi was disconnected. One regular customer repeated over and over, "That just doesn't work for me," Ms. Strongin said.
Where some see a curse, others see a blessing. A Victrola competitor, the Zoka Roasting Company, which has two branches that offer free Wi-Fi, is doubling its store near the University of Washington, adding 1,400 square feet to accommodate 45 more seats.
"Students and young people are the majority of people who hang out at coffee shops, and they all use Internet and computers as a major part of the day," said Jeff Babcock, Zoka's owner. "And I'm not going to exclude that. If it gets too busy and packed, I'll build another one."
Independent cafes have experienced mixed results with free Wi-Fi, however, according to many cafes and hotspot operators. A cafe's nature can be classified as "office," "social," or a hybrid, according to research by Sean Savage, who recently earned his master's degree from the University of California, Berkeley. His thesis focused on the intersection of technology and society in cafes.
In his work, Mr. Savage found that an office cafe discouraged conversation and was filled with people who came alone and were focused on their work. Social cafes have customers who arrive in groups. "If you come into a place like that and it's a particularly busy time, you get dirty looks if you open a laptop and start zoning out," Mr. Savage said. But the hybrid cafes were more complicated. Many of these hybrid cafes, like the Canvas Gallery in San Francisco, are a "different place at different times of day," he said.
Canvas Gallery is a bar, art gallery, music performance space and coffee shop that has tried several methods to throttle free Wi-Fi use in response to some awkward situations, like laptop users listening to music on headphones while sitting directly in front of a band that was performing.
"People are kind of tired of the laptops," said the manager, Jenny Hay. She said Canvas Gallery experimented with no-Wi-Fi weekends, then went back to full-time availability before deciding last week to set hours of use that end at 5 p.m. weekdays and 2 p.m on weekends.
Ms. Hay said Canvas also tried creating the equivalent of a smoking section for laptop users, but quit after finding that customers moved the signs designating those tables. Ms. Hay said she was still eager to have Wi-Fi users but at appropriate times of day.
Samovar Tea Lounge, also in San Francisco, tried several strategies to discourage lingerers; it was previously an Internet cafe, and some of the expectations from that time remained, said Jesse Jacobs, a co-owner. "When you show up here and there's row upon row of laptop users, it just kind of kills the mood," he said. The store disabled its electrical outlets at one point, but customers did not like it. Mr. Jacobs also tried turning off the free Wi-Fi at busy times, but that left some customers confused as to when the service was available.
Mr. Jacobs said the strategy most recently adopted for dealing with a lingering Wi-Fi user is to have staff members ask, extremely politely and with increasing frequency, whether the patron needs food or tea. "By connecting with them, it's a rare time that there's a problem," Mr. Jacobs said. Ms. Strongin, the Victrola owner, recognizes she cannot force patrons to be gregarious. "Not everybody wants to talk to someone else in the cafe," she said.
SEATTLE, June 12 - The staff at Victrola Café & Art is sick of talking about Wi-Fi. Given the opportunity, as at a recent cupping in the back of the store to smell and taste the latest in-house roasts, the group prefers to talk about cafe culture, or how to create a nuanced light roasted coffee.
Skip to next paragraph
Enlarge This Image
Annie Marie Musselman for The New York Times
Jen Strongin and Chris Sharp, the owners of Victrola Cafe in Seattle, said profit rose after they stopped free wireless Internet service on weekends.
More Wi-Fi Coverage
NYTimes.com's Technology section has thousands of product reviews from CNET and other expanded features.
• Circuits | Product Reviews
• How To's | Products for Sale But lately, the subject of Wi-Fi - specifically, the cafe's move to cut back on the free Wi-Fi connection it provides for patrons' Internet use - has been impossible to avoid. "It's distracting," said Jen Strongin, a co-owner.
Victrola started providing free wireless access two years ago after customers asked for it. As in hundreds of other cafes, the owners hoped it would encourage regulars and infrequent patrons to buy more food and drinks. But there was also a disadvantage, staff members said: the cafe filled with laptop users each weekend, often one to a table meant for four. Some would sit for six to eight hours purchasing a single drink, or nothing at all.
Even worse, when lingerers were confronted, they were bellicose. "We get yelled at by people who feel it's their right" to use Victrola's Wi-Fi without making a purchase, Ms. Strongin said. Tony Konecny, the shop's head roaster, added, "It's rarely a pleasant interaction."
But Ms. Strongin and her staff said they were more concerned that the cafe, in the Capitol Hill neighborhood, had turned into a place devoid of sound except the light clack of keys, not the focus of lively interaction that she and her husband, Chris Sharp, had intended.
So last month the cafe discontinued the free service on Saturdays and Sundays - and so far it has proved to be a sound business move. Weekend revenue is up and more seats are filled.
Victrola is part of the emerging expectation that cafes will provide Wi-Fi, free or for a fee. In the United States, more than 8,500 cafes offer Wi-Fi, based on online listings of Wi-Fi locations; 3,500 provide it at no charge, according to MetroFreeFi.com, a site devoted to free wireless access. Those offering it free include chains like Panera Bread as well as independent stores; others, like Starbucks, provide the service for a fee through T-Mobile or other providers.
Some of Victrola's customers were in a slight state of disbelief when the Wi-Fi was disconnected. One regular customer repeated over and over, "That just doesn't work for me," Ms. Strongin said.
Where some see a curse, others see a blessing. A Victrola competitor, the Zoka Roasting Company, which has two branches that offer free Wi-Fi, is doubling its store near the University of Washington, adding 1,400 square feet to accommodate 45 more seats.
"Students and young people are the majority of people who hang out at coffee shops, and they all use Internet and computers as a major part of the day," said Jeff Babcock, Zoka's owner. "And I'm not going to exclude that. If it gets too busy and packed, I'll build another one."
Independent cafes have experienced mixed results with free Wi-Fi, however, according to many cafes and hotspot operators. A cafe's nature can be classified as "office," "social," or a hybrid, according to research by Sean Savage, who recently earned his master's degree from the University of California, Berkeley. His thesis focused on the intersection of technology and society in cafes.
In his work, Mr. Savage found that an office cafe discouraged conversation and was filled with people who came alone and were focused on their work. Social cafes have customers who arrive in groups. "If you come into a place like that and it's a particularly busy time, you get dirty looks if you open a laptop and start zoning out," Mr. Savage said. But the hybrid cafes were more complicated. Many of these hybrid cafes, like the Canvas Gallery in San Francisco, are a "different place at different times of day," he said.
Canvas Gallery is a bar, art gallery, music performance space and coffee shop that has tried several methods to throttle free Wi-Fi use in response to some awkward situations, like laptop users listening to music on headphones while sitting directly in front of a band that was performing.
"People are kind of tired of the laptops," said the manager, Jenny Hay. She said Canvas Gallery experimented with no-Wi-Fi weekends, then went back to full-time availability before deciding last week to set hours of use that end at 5 p.m. weekdays and 2 p.m on weekends.
Ms. Hay said Canvas also tried creating the equivalent of a smoking section for laptop users, but quit after finding that customers moved the signs designating those tables. Ms. Hay said she was still eager to have Wi-Fi users but at appropriate times of day.
Samovar Tea Lounge, also in San Francisco, tried several strategies to discourage lingerers; it was previously an Internet cafe, and some of the expectations from that time remained, said Jesse Jacobs, a co-owner. "When you show up here and there's row upon row of laptop users, it just kind of kills the mood," he said. The store disabled its electrical outlets at one point, but customers did not like it. Mr. Jacobs also tried turning off the free Wi-Fi at busy times, but that left some customers confused as to when the service was available.
Mr. Jacobs said the strategy most recently adopted for dealing with a lingering Wi-Fi user is to have staff members ask, extremely politely and with increasing frequency, whether the patron needs food or tea. "By connecting with them, it's a rare time that there's a problem," Mr. Jacobs said. Ms. Strongin, the Victrola owner, recognizes she cannot force patrons to be gregarious. "Not everybody wants to talk to someone else in the cafe," she said.
Wednesday, July 20, 2005
Post Office to turn into Cyber cafes : India
Post offices to offer government securities, banking -->
Indo-Asian News Service
Chennai, July 18 (IANS) The local post office in India is due for a dramatic makeover that will make it an economic hub for bill payments and a cyber café.At the annual conference of heads of postal circles here Monday, Communications and IT Minister Dayanidhi Maran launched a scheme in which government securities will be available through post offices."The focus of the department will be on be quality-conscious, market-driven and customer-friendly schemes," said Secretary of Posts R. Ganesan.As many as 33 post offices in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, New Delhi and Mumbai will offer government securities through a scheme run by IDBI Capital Market Services.Any adult with a demat account with the National Securities Depository Limited or with the Central Depository Services Limited can buy securities with minimum face value of Rs.10,000 and multiples of Rs.1,000 thereafter. IDBI Capital Market Services is a leading financial services provider and a subsidiary of IDBI Bank."Government securities are an excellent option for individuals desiring regular interest income without compromising on the safety of their investment," said IDBI Capital chairman S. Muhnot, who signed an agreement with India Posts in the presence of Maran. "Plans are afoot to turn 100,000 post offices in the country to common service centres by the yearend," Maran said.Each post office serving as a cyber-cafe and collection centre for electricity and phone bills will be connected to six villages. Postmen will collect money for postal savings from the doorstep and deliver it to the customer on maturity. Maran said his department would push for more power for post offices to enable them to function as banks.
Indo-Asian News Service
Indo-Asian News Service
Chennai, July 18 (IANS) The local post office in India is due for a dramatic makeover that will make it an economic hub for bill payments and a cyber café.At the annual conference of heads of postal circles here Monday, Communications and IT Minister Dayanidhi Maran launched a scheme in which government securities will be available through post offices."The focus of the department will be on be quality-conscious, market-driven and customer-friendly schemes," said Secretary of Posts R. Ganesan.As many as 33 post offices in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, New Delhi and Mumbai will offer government securities through a scheme run by IDBI Capital Market Services.Any adult with a demat account with the National Securities Depository Limited or with the Central Depository Services Limited can buy securities with minimum face value of Rs.10,000 and multiples of Rs.1,000 thereafter. IDBI Capital Market Services is a leading financial services provider and a subsidiary of IDBI Bank."Government securities are an excellent option for individuals desiring regular interest income without compromising on the safety of their investment," said IDBI Capital chairman S. Muhnot, who signed an agreement with India Posts in the presence of Maran. "Plans are afoot to turn 100,000 post offices in the country to common service centres by the yearend," Maran said.Each post office serving as a cyber-cafe and collection centre for electricity and phone bills will be connected to six villages. Postmen will collect money for postal savings from the doorstep and deliver it to the customer on maturity. Maran said his department would push for more power for post offices to enable them to function as banks.
Indo-Asian News Service
Sunday, July 10, 2005
Slamming door on porn opens others: Malaysia
The Star Online : TechCentral - Malaysia Technology
Slamming door on porn opens others
BY EDWIN YAPP
PETALING JAYA: The Government's ruling last week that cybercafes nationwide install software for blocking access to online pornography has raised several questions.
There are some who argue that the move is tantamount to censoring the Internet, which goes against the guarantee given by the Government that it would not do such a thing.
Others contend that filtering out porn websites is not censorship.
Project coordinator Ain Ashura Aziz Zaman at Juken Consultancy Sdn Bhd, a local research consultancy, maintains there is a difference.
“Content filtering is an option for a computer owner or trustee to decide what type of content they (themselves) wish to allow or avoid. Censorship is a mandatory restriction imposed from above by the authorities,” she said.
Ganesh Kumar Bangah, chief executive officer of e-commerce services provider MOLAccess Bhd, agreed.
“Content filtering only involves installing relevant software on PCs to prevent access to undesirable websites,” he said. “It is censorship if the filtering mechanisms are implemented at the ISP (Internet service provider) end.”
While making the ruling last week, the Government also made it compulsory for ISPs and telecommunications companies to have optional filtering services for its users; announced that it would set up a bureau to handle complaints involving online smut; and encouraged the private and public sectors to hold awareness campaigns (see The Star, June 15).
However, Education Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein has expressed doubts that the use of special software to block out pornography on the Internet will stop students from surfing to such websites, reported local news agency Bernama.
There exists sophisticated technology that could render such software ineffective, he said.
According to Juken's Ashura, such software filters have their limitations. “The number of pornographic websites constantly change, with old ones becoming obsolete and new ones being added (seemingly) every second,” she said.
“(This makes) it very difficult to manage the filtering of all relevant sites. Those who host undesirable websites (also) know how to take full advantage of the borderless nature of the Internet to avoid detection,” she added.
She explained that most filters block porn sites by means of a “blacklist” which would need to be constantly updated to remain effective. “This is (in itself) difficult because no filtering service can possibly categorise every webpage (and new site),” she said.
Most cybercafe operators, contacted by In.Tech, said they support the Government's proposal.
Raphael Dias, who owns six cybercafes in Malacca, said he would have no qualms complying because pornography would distrupt his business.
“I have to format my PC hard disks weekly because that's the only way to get rid of these materials. This really inconveniences my business,” he said in a phone interview.
“If there is a more effective solution out there that's resonably priced, I would use it,” he added.
A cybercafe operator in Kuching, who asked not to be named, said online porn is not rampant in East Malaysia due to the lower PC literacy rate there.
“(However) I will support any moves to implement filtering software, but the solution must be reasonably priced,” he said.
Kenneth Wong, who operates the Virtual Arena cybercafe in Kuala Lumpur, hopes the move would help dispel the general impression that cybercafes are dark, seedy places where porn is freely viewed by patrons.
“People think that it's a place that children congregrate to surf for pornographic materials. But that's not true as most kids (who come in) just want to have good clean fun,” he said.
Slamming door on porn opens others
BY EDWIN YAPP
PETALING JAYA: The Government's ruling last week that cybercafes nationwide install software for blocking access to online pornography has raised several questions.
There are some who argue that the move is tantamount to censoring the Internet, which goes against the guarantee given by the Government that it would not do such a thing.
Others contend that filtering out porn websites is not censorship.
Project coordinator Ain Ashura Aziz Zaman at Juken Consultancy Sdn Bhd, a local research consultancy, maintains there is a difference.
“Content filtering is an option for a computer owner or trustee to decide what type of content they (themselves) wish to allow or avoid. Censorship is a mandatory restriction imposed from above by the authorities,” she said.
Ganesh Kumar Bangah, chief executive officer of e-commerce services provider MOLAccess Bhd, agreed.
“Content filtering only involves installing relevant software on PCs to prevent access to undesirable websites,” he said. “It is censorship if the filtering mechanisms are implemented at the ISP (Internet service provider) end.”
While making the ruling last week, the Government also made it compulsory for ISPs and telecommunications companies to have optional filtering services for its users; announced that it would set up a bureau to handle complaints involving online smut; and encouraged the private and public sectors to hold awareness campaigns (see The Star, June 15).
However, Education Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein has expressed doubts that the use of special software to block out pornography on the Internet will stop students from surfing to such websites, reported local news agency Bernama.
There exists sophisticated technology that could render such software ineffective, he said.
According to Juken's Ashura, such software filters have their limitations. “The number of pornographic websites constantly change, with old ones becoming obsolete and new ones being added (seemingly) every second,” she said.
“(This makes) it very difficult to manage the filtering of all relevant sites. Those who host undesirable websites (also) know how to take full advantage of the borderless nature of the Internet to avoid detection,” she added.
She explained that most filters block porn sites by means of a “blacklist” which would need to be constantly updated to remain effective. “This is (in itself) difficult because no filtering service can possibly categorise every webpage (and new site),” she said.
Most cybercafe operators, contacted by In.Tech, said they support the Government's proposal.
Raphael Dias, who owns six cybercafes in Malacca, said he would have no qualms complying because pornography would distrupt his business.
“I have to format my PC hard disks weekly because that's the only way to get rid of these materials. This really inconveniences my business,” he said in a phone interview.
“If there is a more effective solution out there that's resonably priced, I would use it,” he added.
A cybercafe operator in Kuching, who asked not to be named, said online porn is not rampant in East Malaysia due to the lower PC literacy rate there.
“(However) I will support any moves to implement filtering software, but the solution must be reasonably priced,” he said.
Kenneth Wong, who operates the Virtual Arena cybercafe in Kuala Lumpur, hopes the move would help dispel the general impression that cybercafes are dark, seedy places where porn is freely viewed by patrons.
“People think that it's a place that children congregrate to surf for pornographic materials. But that's not true as most kids (who come in) just want to have good clean fun,” he said.
Saturday, July 09, 2005
Post London blasts leave Gujaratis worried
London blasts leave Gujaratis worried
London blasts leave Gujaratis worried They make frantic calls to know if relatives, children studying there are safe.
Express News Service Ahmedabad/Vadodara July 7:
As news of the blasts in London were flashed by TV news channels, Gujaratis started making frantic calls to know if their friends and relatives there were safe. A large proportion of non-resident Indians (NRIs) is made up of Gujaratis, who have a strong presence in the U.K., particularly in London. By Thursday afternoon, cybercafes in Ahmedabad, Vadodara, and other cities and towns in the state were crowded with people wanting to shoot off e-mails or call up London using net-to-phone connections. ‘‘It took us more than an hour before we could contact my uncle and his family,’ said Krishna Brahmbhatt of Ahmedabad. ‘‘We heard of the blasts from a relative, who wanted to know if we’d contacted my uncle Samir in London. Thankfully, everyone is okay. They plan to spend the day at home today,’’ she said, adding that her family had been tense for a couple of hours before establishing contact. Harshad Patel, principal of Alembic School, Vadodara, was happy to know that his son was in office while the incident took place. ‘‘We got news that he is safe but we are not able to contact him now because the lines are jammed. He told us the explosions were quite severe and Indians are scared.’’ News of the blasts shocked Shaheena Limbada of Vadodara, whose sister lives in Finchley, London. ‘‘We were relieved to know they are all fine, except that her husband was stuck in an underground station for nearly 40 minutes,’’ she said. News of the blasts shocked Shaheena Limbada of Vadodara, whose sister lives in Finchley, London. ‘‘We were relieved to know they are all fine, except that her husband was stuck in an underground station for nearly 40 minutes,’’ she said. There were families who had sent children to study there. P.Y. Srivastava says she was in office when her husband called her up and told her of the blasts. ‘‘My son Satyendra is in central London, so I was worried. I had a tough time reaching him. I called up a relative in Mumbai, whose daughter is also studying there to see if they had any news of my son,’’ she said. ‘‘Meanwhile, my son who was online sent a message through a friend here that he was safe. Later, he called up and I was glad to hear his voice.’’ Ashok Patel and his wife sat by the phone waiting to get the news from their son. ‘‘Our son Maulik has been there for more than three years now and we were dying to hear from him. For some reason, he could not contact us and hence he called up one of our relatives, who told us that he was well,’’ said Patel, who lives in Vastrapur. Fazal and Rehana Vohra of Vadodara were worried about their son Aarif, who’s studying at the London School of Commerce. ‘‘We couldn’t get through despite several attempts,’’ said Rehana. ‘‘Relatives were calling up, and we didn’t have word from him. Then he called up to say he was safe and we were relieved.’’ There were those whose family members had gone on short trips. Deepak Panchal, a bank employee who lives in Sola, said he was worried for his wife Maya, a singer who is touring London and has shows planned till Diwali. ‘‘I was tense till I talked to her,’’ he said. ‘‘Fortunately, Maya had not ventured out today from our relatives’ where she’s put up. All are safe.’’ Said Saurabh Patel of Cyber Space, a cybercafe in the Satellite area of Ahmedabad, ‘‘About 4 p.m. people from nearby places started coming in to make calls to the UK. In the next two hours or so there were at least 20 people who made UK calls from my place.’’ Some families with relatives in London tried to stay together for comfort, since getting across by phone was difficult. Modi extends help to NRGsCHIEF Minister Narendra Modi has extended help to families of Non-Resident Gujaratis (NRGs) affected in Thursday’s London blasts. Modi has written to the British High Commission at New Delhi, in this connection seeking information about the probable casualties to people of Gujarati origin, said CMO sources. Modi has requested the Commission at New Delhi to inform him about the casualties to Non-Resident Gujaratis (NRGs) who probably might have got injured in the serial blasts which shook the captial of United Kingdom.
London blasts leave Gujaratis worried They make frantic calls to know if relatives, children studying there are safe.
Express News Service Ahmedabad/Vadodara July 7:
As news of the blasts in London were flashed by TV news channels, Gujaratis started making frantic calls to know if their friends and relatives there were safe. A large proportion of non-resident Indians (NRIs) is made up of Gujaratis, who have a strong presence in the U.K., particularly in London. By Thursday afternoon, cybercafes in Ahmedabad, Vadodara, and other cities and towns in the state were crowded with people wanting to shoot off e-mails or call up London using net-to-phone connections. ‘‘It took us more than an hour before we could contact my uncle and his family,’ said Krishna Brahmbhatt of Ahmedabad. ‘‘We heard of the blasts from a relative, who wanted to know if we’d contacted my uncle Samir in London. Thankfully, everyone is okay. They plan to spend the day at home today,’’ she said, adding that her family had been tense for a couple of hours before establishing contact. Harshad Patel, principal of Alembic School, Vadodara, was happy to know that his son was in office while the incident took place. ‘‘We got news that he is safe but we are not able to contact him now because the lines are jammed. He told us the explosions were quite severe and Indians are scared.’’ News of the blasts shocked Shaheena Limbada of Vadodara, whose sister lives in Finchley, London. ‘‘We were relieved to know they are all fine, except that her husband was stuck in an underground station for nearly 40 minutes,’’ she said. News of the blasts shocked Shaheena Limbada of Vadodara, whose sister lives in Finchley, London. ‘‘We were relieved to know they are all fine, except that her husband was stuck in an underground station for nearly 40 minutes,’’ she said. There were families who had sent children to study there. P.Y. Srivastava says she was in office when her husband called her up and told her of the blasts. ‘‘My son Satyendra is in central London, so I was worried. I had a tough time reaching him. I called up a relative in Mumbai, whose daughter is also studying there to see if they had any news of my son,’’ she said. ‘‘Meanwhile, my son who was online sent a message through a friend here that he was safe. Later, he called up and I was glad to hear his voice.’’ Ashok Patel and his wife sat by the phone waiting to get the news from their son. ‘‘Our son Maulik has been there for more than three years now and we were dying to hear from him. For some reason, he could not contact us and hence he called up one of our relatives, who told us that he was well,’’ said Patel, who lives in Vastrapur. Fazal and Rehana Vohra of Vadodara were worried about their son Aarif, who’s studying at the London School of Commerce. ‘‘We couldn’t get through despite several attempts,’’ said Rehana. ‘‘Relatives were calling up, and we didn’t have word from him. Then he called up to say he was safe and we were relieved.’’ There were those whose family members had gone on short trips. Deepak Panchal, a bank employee who lives in Sola, said he was worried for his wife Maya, a singer who is touring London and has shows planned till Diwali. ‘‘I was tense till I talked to her,’’ he said. ‘‘Fortunately, Maya had not ventured out today from our relatives’ where she’s put up. All are safe.’’ Said Saurabh Patel of Cyber Space, a cybercafe in the Satellite area of Ahmedabad, ‘‘About 4 p.m. people from nearby places started coming in to make calls to the UK. In the next two hours or so there were at least 20 people who made UK calls from my place.’’ Some families with relatives in London tried to stay together for comfort, since getting across by phone was difficult. Modi extends help to NRGsCHIEF Minister Narendra Modi has extended help to families of Non-Resident Gujaratis (NRGs) affected in Thursday’s London blasts. Modi has written to the British High Commission at New Delhi, in this connection seeking information about the probable casualties to people of Gujarati origin, said CMO sources. Modi has requested the Commission at New Delhi to inform him about the casualties to Non-Resident Gujaratis (NRGs) who probably might have got injured in the serial blasts which shook the captial of United Kingdom.
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