Net Basics - one of the articles published by Lyndon Cerejo

Everyone knows what the Internet is, barabar na ? At least everyone has an opinion. Net gurus all over the world talk about the Internet being this "network of millions of computers from all around the world connected together that share information. Mahila mandals activists, on the other hand think that the Internet is a conspiracy to ruin our glorious Indian culture, by giving Indians free access to pornography. Ask my dad what the Internet is, and he'll tell you it's just a big connivance by VSNL and MTNL to inflate our telephone bills by 250%. My girlfriend used to think that the Internet is a surrogate that I was spending too much time with. She believed it to an extent where she went and got herself a prefix - she's now my ex-girlfriend ! But don't go by what they say - they're all wrong !

The Net is this fantastic new medium that overcomes all boundaries of distance time and space. It is all about communication, about people and about sharing of thoughts, ideas and information. Cutting through the poetic crap, the Internet is actually a whole lot of computers around the globe permanently connected through high speed links. On our home front, the computers permanently on the Net from India are the VSNL computers (or servers). And for you to be online (connected to the Internet), all you have to do is connect your computer to VSNL's server - anyone with a computer, modem, a telephone line, and money (to pay subscription charges), can subscribe to VSNL's services.

But how would you benefit by sacrificing anywhere between 1100 to 3300 bhel-puris (VSNL charges a monetary equivalent of that for an annual subscription) ? You will be able to send and receive mail almost instantaneously (email), get information from libraries around the world (ftp), use your keyboard to talk with junta from anywhere in the world (chat), and to do the four lettered thing everyone's talking about - "surf" the web ( and if you thought of anything else, go perform penance). That's what this column will talk about in the weeks to come.

Incidentally, there's some truth in my Dad's view of the Net as an easy way for MTNL to increase their revenues. This column is going to help me pay off those telephone bills !