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Net Gains (May 29, 96)
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My sweetheart is one in a million still waiting for VSNL to start their student connections, so that she can actually experience the much-hyped-much-talked-about-web for herself. But just the other day she discovered The Virtual Community - a Mumbai based, Web-based dial-in service - the first of it's kind in the country. What's so great about it is that it's almost like being on the web - while all it takes to connect to The Virtual Community is a local phone call to the server in Tardeo (you don't need a connection from VSNL to visit it) . Being one of the lucky few to have a leased line at my disposal, I had to visit a modem that was owned by a friend to see what The Virtual Community is all about.
The Virtual Community runs off a full featured Intranet Web server. As the prefix suggests, an Intranet is an internal network (built on Internet technology), while the Internet is actually an external connection of a network to the world. An Intranet services people locally, unlike the Internet which is a global service (and maybe an inter-universe service someday !)
The Virtual Community is just one project of QuantumLink who mainly dabble in Web Consultancy & Development, besides conducting awareness programmes, technical seminars and workshops. You could hook onto them if you have a basic computer and a 2.4KBps modem. What you will then see is the text only version of The Virtual Community, via the Lynx browser. But to really experience the Web technology used here, you'll have to start up your Windows (or Macintoshes for the luckier few) and use your graphical browsers like Netscape to help you during your stay in The Virtual Community. You now have at your disposal all the advantages of a regular web - surfing session. But the most visible effect is that your computer screen becomes more colourful, more lively, and a fun place to be in, compared to the other dial - up services currently available.
Using your modem, you can avail of this dial - up service for free using the "guest" login on any of the following numbers : 4970674 - 4940677. Assuming you're using a GUI (Graphical User Interface) browser, what you'll first see is a the home page of The Virtual Community shown alongside. The thrust of the VC is entertaiment, leisure, and information, in that order. As far as entertainment goes, there is a humour section, games to play, and a jukebox that currently offers lyrics, news & reviews of rock, pop, classic & jazz (with plans of soon having songs by your favourite singers online too). There is also a reading room with two books online (one being Count Dracula), and a magazine rack which currently holds the popular youth magazine - JAM, albeit 4 editions outdated.
What The VC offers you in the form of leisure is a mall where Microsoft India, and Novell have set up shop. There are onilne chat channels, for users to talk shop, techno, or do a lot of tp. If astrology or numerology is a hobby of yours, thank your lucky stars ! These guys have programmed Linda Goodmans method of foretelling stuff about yourself using your date of birth. They also have an online art gallery with two sections - one with 6 absolutely clear (great resolution, for the techhies) paintings, by Boris Vallejo. The other section is one that would definitely attract the attention of Mr. Pramod Navalkar - the Nudes.
The VC also boasts of a Health section, a education and career section (still in its infancy), a free buy n sell classifieds, a free business listing directory, and they soon plan to host a place where people can put up their bio-datas for employment. The VC also covers what's on in Mumbai as far as eateries, theatre, movies, and events go.
The Virtual Community was started by Sharad Popli (the technical half) and Ajit Menon (the MBA half) with the vision of building an Online Community in Mumbai, where people could be a part of the technology explosion we are currently experiencing. For more information, or your feedback you could get in touch with them at 4970681/82, or e-mail them at amenon@giasbm01. vsnl.net.in or [email protected]