From the media

Cyberspace is where it's all at, discovers Parul Merchant after weeks of blissful surfing.

There was nothing unique about the IBM-type PC parked in the middle of the Nigam household, situated in the midst of cosmopolitian Bombay. But on the Bulletin Board Service (BBS), every PC weilds enormous power. Alok Nigam's PC is no different. One bleak night, Nigam's pregnant wife woke up with gut-wrenching labour pains. Complications had strewn her pregnancy path, and hound her even now. Panic-stricken, the duo tried to get in touch with her gynaecologist, but to no avail. Recalling suddenly, the doctor available on Live Wire! BBS, the bulletin board service which Nigam frequented, he was able to save the day, or rather, the night. The good doctor, one Dr. Bharucha, not only received Alok's call in the middle of the night, but went to the extent of escorting him to a haspital too - all this based on the goodwill on develops when one is familiar with the name of a person who is part of the same samall community - this time the Live Wire! BBS.

BBS, for those still fuzzy with the word, is an electronic notice board, introduced in India over five years ago. Access to this can be gained via a modem in your computer. With about 2,000 subscribers, Live Wire!, and other BBS usewrs interact electronically on a daily basis, exchanging messages, personal or otherwise, accessing information, leaving messages and downloading shareware files. Although there may be a number of BBS's in the same city, they are all independent of one another - unlike the Internet.

The Internet, on the other hand is the world's laregest computer network and the nearest thing to a working prototype of the information superhighway, connecting lakhs of universities, governments and corporate networks. Growing faster than Sanjay Dutt's lagal bills, the Internet reaches out to nearly 25 million people, the number doubling every year. The newest entrant to the Net is India, via Videsh Sanchar Nigam Ltd. (VSNL). Indians now get to be part of the bright, well- educated, upwardly moblie people covering almost all parts of the globe, and at the lowest price too! Offering connections to the Gateway Internet Access Service (GIAS), VSNL is granting access to remote data bases, news, bulletin boards, remote login to host computers and e-mail.

Now Indians too can haunt this infobahn, once a favourite for gradutae students, and computer hackers who loved nothing more than to stay up nights to explore the web-like connections and devise new and interesting things for people to do. They can also partake of elaborate fantasy worlds with Dungeons and Dragons themes, as well as tunnel through a dense mayhem of discussion topics (the number goes into thousands) having strange codes like alt.tasteless.jokes.rec.arts.erotica and alt.barney.dinosaur.die.die.die.

Most Internet users of GIAS so far, prefer to go on the Net for commercialpurposes entirely. Since getting access to the Net at this point is more a professional investment, than a necessity for a person with curiosity and the drive to learn, the primary reason for the a person with curiosity and the drive to learn, the primary reason for the evolution of Internet, i.e. to link universities, gavernmental facilities and corporate houses is totally lost. Moreover, whether the Internet is ready for commerce, is a question many still raise.

There are cheaper accoutns available, targeted at students primarily. These are menu-driven, have access to text files only, and according to Dr. Raj Mehta, an avid Internet user with over five years of access, is a pretty bad bargain because they give access to extremely limited information.

The TCP/IP account on the other hand, does give access to a lot more information and graphics. This account is painfully difficult for ordinary computer users though. Not only does the ordinary PC need a modem, but great familiarity with something called Unix as well. Another hitch here is that the VSNL uses an extremely slow protocol, the Kermit, which badly cramps access. "This protocol will soon be upgraded to a Z-modem", promises Amitav Kumar, chief general manager, VSNL. Others complain that Indian telephone lines are not geared for quick transfer of information.

Whatever the technical drawbacks, the fact remains that endless libraries of information are avaliable at the press of an enter switch. But what does one do with so much information? For Farish Vijayrangam, a 10-year-old awaiting his Internet account, the Internet will add to the expansive information base he already owns, the fallout of being an information-based BBS's account holder. Already more intelligent than most kids his age, Farish's IQ is that of a genius. Also he no longer needs to run around for an extinct issue of 'Natonal Geagraphic' for pictures or information for a particular schol project. It is mostly avaliable to him on his computer. The disappointing part for him is that he can't gather the information and pictures, compile and present his project to his teacher by simply printing it. The schol insists on handwritten submissions!

A relevant question at this point would be 'Is India ready for the Internet?' While access to information can never hurt anyone, right kind of information for the right age-group is important. Another large problem would be the Net culture. Rules, once made by computer hackers are now being brokken by them. Most computer buffs subscribe to an anarchist ethic, where no one runs the Internet, no one owns it and nobody, but nobody can ever shut it off. While the community was small, any outlaws on linegot shouted off or ignored. It was self-policing. These informal rules have long since broken down.

However the magic of rubbing virtual shoulders with characters we might never meet is too strong for us right now. After all we have just joined the global village. Now it is up to us to stand up to the challenge of the citizens of cyberspace, who are in danger of going into their reclusive cyber-walled world never to emerge in public again. Having been wanted by the trends of the world, it is up to us to carve out safe and pleasant cyber places to work and play. Most importantly it is up to us, to not loose touch with the soaring soul which, in the first place attracted us to the Internet.

Internet via the GIAS	Live Wire! BBS
Connects India to the largest community in the world. Realising the McLuhan dream of a global village.	India's largest BBS, with approximately 2,000 users.
GIAS tariffs differ from Rs.500 for a Shell account (only text accessble) for students and Rs.5,000 for professionals to Rs.25,000 for a commercial organisation using a leased line with 128K.	A yearly subscription fee of Rs.2,000.
An information seeking society, mostly for work only.	A more socially inclined community, though access to information is also possible.
Time limit of 250 hours or one year, whichever is earlier.	Time limmit is about 70 minutes, operators are not stringent with this parameter though.
No technical support from VSNL though they are tying up with Apect Computers, Hardcore and Zee Education for the proliferation and training services for Internet.	Twenty-four hour technical support by the operator.
Uses 100 lines nationally, a mere 50 in Bombay.	Fifteen lines used.
Access to unlimited information.	Limited information, though files constantly updated.
Users must have extensive knowledge of Unix.	Menu driven files, so relatively easy.
Local messaging not possible.	Local messaging possible.
Protocol used is the relatively slow Kermit, though VSNL promises to replace it with Z-modem in the very near future.	Protocol used includes Z-modem.
Hubs located in Bombay, New Delhi, Madras and Calcutta. Connects to different sites all over the world.	Bharatnet, pioneered by Live Wire! has hubs in Bombay, Pune, Ahemadabad, Madras, Baroda, Calcutta and more coming up. Also connected to the FIDO-net based in Singapore and GreenNet based in Britain.