What a Crash!

This month's big story is that Internet costs have come crashing down. Today, it costs just Rs 750 or less for a hundred hours of Internet time. That's quite a lot of time, and you could easily stretch it for over a year if you use it wisely, have the right software for e-mailing (Eudora is a hot favourite) and don't waste hours browsing aimlessly.The Department of Telecom Services (formerly the Department of Telecom, or DoT) has come out with a monsoon package. This means for Rs 750 you can log onto cyberspace. To get an idea of how much prices have crashed, one needs to recall that the same amount of Internet time cost Rs 5000 some two years ago! To add to the competition, other operators like Satyam and Dishnet have entered the Goa market. Each offers their own attractive packages. If you're a woman or child -- one wonders why_ -- you can buy a five-year one-hour-a-day account from Dishnet for a pittance. Just Rs 250 is the advertised price. Given this situation, there's no reason why anyone owning a computer and a telephone line -- you don't need an extra one -- should not have an Internet account too. Modems, that piece of equipment you need to get your computer to 'talk' to other computers in cyberspace, are also falling in price. Firms based in Goa, like D-Link of Verna, have captured a large chunk of the national modem market with their competitively-priced products. For under Rs 3000, you can get both modem and Internet account.

PROBLEMS REMAIN

But this does not mean that all is fine for the Goan cyber-user. Even if I was employed by the DTS to do their PR, it would be difficult to make such a claim.Recently, at the same time they offered their ultra low-cost 'monsoon package', the DTS brought in a new server. This meant a whole lot of problems. First, the servers were changed apparently without enough notice. So some users found they simply couldn't log into their accounts. Secondly, the addresses of everyone renewing their accounts were changed. From the old it overnight became GoaOne-dot-dot-dot-net-dot-in might be quite a mouthful for an email address. But suddenly shifting gears throws a whole lot of things out of gear. As Cecil Pinto from Panjim put it: "Some time back, when my address was changed from BOM2 TO GOA1, I had to incur a lot of expense in printing new stationery. Also the expense and effort involved in informing people all over the world, about my change of address, is incalculable. Besides by now my e-mail address exists on so many mailing lists, web pages etc. Getting all of these updated would take a very long time." Incidentally, this columnist too was at the end of his tether after having his phone numbers abruptly changed, and the risk looming large over his Internet address too. He has since approached the Consumer Forum, pleading that such transitions be done in a way that does not cause dislocation of services.

THAT'S NOT ALL

There were other problems too. Getting a new account sanctioned took days, if not a couple of weeks. Dr Cleo Odzer, the author of the book 'Goa Freaks', was tearing out her hair in dismay as she waited and waited for the new account to be sanctioned. While the DTS officials are making efforts to extend their market, and attract customers, the bureaucratic approach with which the department still functions is blocking their own attempts. For instance, cash payments at the Municipality Building office are only accepted in the mornings. Then, if you live outside in Bardez or elsewhere, your payment is not accepted in Panjim!

GOAN TO THE GULF

One prominent Goan in cyberspace -- Ulysses "Uly" Menezes of Bastora/Kuwait -- was briefly in Goa in end-July. When we sat for a longish chat, he said that his site of videos, tiatrs and video songs was attracting a number of visitors. He said 1500 people had downloaded even huge files of 11MB, containing video. Uly mentioned some surprise that another prominent Goan in cyberspace, Tony Correa-Afonso, could download the 11MB files in half-an-hour. "It took me over an hour to upload the file," he added. Check things out at http://www.goa-world.net/video-songs/

EASIER IN GOA

Someone to agree in a sense was Tim D'Mello, one of the brains behind the GoaCom site. This, incidentally, is an expat Goan built site that now operates from its office in Miramar, and has been a leader among Goan sites since its launch almost five years back. Even if the Internet is not faster in Goa, it is definitely more easy to access here, Tim feels. He noted that there were so many cybercafes, even in coastal villages. It's easier to find a public Internet access point than even in Canada, Tim suggested. He too was in Goa in July and early August. Incidentally, Tim was the person who first introduced this columnist to GoaNet -- through a letter in a local newspaper -- and that non-profit network has become part of many Goans’ life worldwide. Bringing as it does news summaries, debates, and even fights among the Goan dihtmlora. For more details, write to

TICKET TO CANADA

The cyberworld is quick to pick up new trends. One Nusrat Fatima apparently knows that a number of people from this part of the globe would like to migrate to Canada. She works for the Canadian Immigration & Settlement Services in Scarborough, Ontario and sends in a mail to offer "trustworthy services" in Canadian immigration matters. Thanks, but no thanks, Ms Fatima.

NEW PORTAL

Our young friend from Aldona, Ashwin Fernandes <> announces a new portal for Goa. Check out Global Goa at http://www.globalgoa.com He promises "funfilled contests, activities, links database, email service, weather reports, a kiddies corner, family ties, free e-classifieds, debate section and lots more". Meanwhile, Constantino Xavier in Lisbon offers "all informations on Goa, news, images, a forum and much more" on the site http://www.supergoa.com/ Obrigado!

ART WORLD

Since we last noticed it, the goa-art.com site of German pianist based in Calangute Rudolf Kammermeier <> has undergone the "necessary changes and some new features" as this friendly foreigner puts it. Says Kammermeier: "The view of the paintings is better now due to a change in background colour, which brings out the colours of the paintings more naturalistic. The promised articles on art in Goa have been published. We started reviews and announcements on current art happenings. Poems from Silvia Braganca (in Portuguese and English) are on; more will be added."

CYBER-FLORIST

A Goan cyber-florist_ That's Cellie Gonsavles in Canada. Her service, says she, is "the easiest way to send professionally designed fresh floral arrangements and specialty gifts from the web to the world." Check it out yourself and decide, http://www.cyberflowers.com

UNREPLIED_

Why are your e-mails to Goa going unreplied_ Let's face it, people in Goa (and in India generally) are sometimes not prompt in replying to their incoming mail. But now there's another problem. In the shift-over to the new Goa Telecom server, the tricky new settings required meant that quite a few subscribers could send out their mail, but not receive incoming mail! Apparently, as an engineer from the Altinho Internet Exchange told us, one needs to enter one's username as (not ). Or, the username could be xyz@210.212.161.26 Once changed, presto, it worked! Don't ask what was wrong; one is not techie.This was a problem faced particularly by users of the excellent Eudora software. And there are quite a few! The problem is that the instructions for how to cope with the changes were sent by subscribers via email. But without access to email (because of wrong settings), how does one get access to the email in the first place_ A real catch-22. Anyway, at least Goa Telecom had the decency to send out this message: "We are in the process of upgrading our servers due to which there was a delay in the creation of new accounts as well as renewal of accounts.If due to the new server there are any problems we request to bear with us for a few days till the system is stabilised." We could do with more information about any problems faced or likely to occur! Goa Telecom also said that "there was a severe shortage of staff at helpdesk due to which the phones at helpdesk could not be attended to promptly. We deeply regret for the inconvenience caused to our esteemed customers.Please bear with us as things will become normal in another 10 days."

RIGHT ON! INFORMATION

For some more information on the Goa Right to Information Act, please visit http://www.goacom.com/rti My frank friend Vidhyadhar Gadgil points out that the information needs to be updated. He's right. Maybe we should issue a general call to web-page designers, seeking volunteers to help update non-profit Goa-related pages in cyberspace. Anyone out there_ Children's Rights in Goa (CRG), a Panjim-based NGO has Incidentally, also set up its own page. Check out http://www.goa-world.net/crg/ One other new site from the non-profit sector is Vally and Anna's at http://www.fortunecity.com/victorian/paintbrush/1275/ This couple, and their collagues, have been putting in a lot of efforts in the Marriage Encounter movement.