Hello all ! I just joined in the mailing list. my keenness in understanding technology brought me into cyber cafe operations for a while. Currently I am offering my bit in representing the small independnet Cyber cafe operators. If members permit me I would like to present the cyber Cafe model . Its been a unique to all third world country where low income levle / low literacy but sharp entrepreneurial instinct blosomed the commercial telecentres in less thna 6 years made them as common sight as that of a barber shop or a cobbler. Our estimates put over 30% of netizens in less developed countries depend on cafes for net access as a shared / pay per usage model & for the many waiting to embarace the Internet, they act as cradle to digital society. I have read the numerous responses to vickram's post & felt like there is a a gap in understanding some of our friends carry here & what cyber cafe operators feel . Before I am permited to go in detail , I offer a few points / clarification in the hope it offers some insight to the FLOSS entrpreneurs

#> for many like me the reason to be in a cyber cafe business is because they are clueless to hat technology offer an opportunity & its the best way to acquaint the tricks, few maintain the status quo beyond 3 years at best & they hop to better allied business. like hardware/ data processing/ web development / training. We estimate there are less than 25% stand alone cyber Cafes. ie offer on net access. #> What interest a cafe operator or any business man is a solution , which ever technology gets them is fine. #> Most of us did not have a complete & visible choice - I can buy the license copy of OS & Office but then what about other add on softwares which has made it a must for operating a Public access computer ? The cost of logging & a content filter software avaialble costs equal to 3 months gross revenue above all the economics of operating a browsing centre would go for a toss. #> I did see some of the proxy servers and other black boxes from Linux and they actually frightened me - little support / little awareness. So given a choice if I am forced to be at mercy to some big daddy , why not the biggest or accesible one. & worst the different versions of os confused a hell out of me , where each one had to be compromised on. #> Contarary to the view a business man is ready to pay a decent amount and be within the ambit of law then nothing. here the choice has beet the devil & the deep sea. MS is too costly which make a mass civil disobedience widely acknowledged. & the Linux variants with The free tag actually puts a brake - What matter more is sales & support and add on developers network. Owning a unlicensed copy may let him operate his business profitably but deep within he is afraid to be haunted and hence most of them choose to stay annonymous . which has been detrimental in getting better work opportunities. we are talking of e-governance / digital network etc. & BTW most of the cafe operators are whacked by the moral police & content piracy watch dogs. tHe Cafe owner knows his guilt and silently pays off . or walks out of the business unfortunaltey need for ubiquity of commmuting do not make great headlines so who cares , maybe until its too late.

A fairly priced and a broadbase support will actually open new market vistas both for consumer & developers.

I think there are many issues which you have raised & I cannot answer them all in a single mail . If permitted , I would love to meet you and share our views. and have some real education too.

Warm wishes for a bright 2005 !!

Ashish Saboo President Association of Public Internet Access Provider (ApiAp) The voice of independent Cyber cafe operators URL: http://www.apiap.cybernook.net Blog: http://apiap.blogspot.com