 |
Net Gains (Jul 16, 97) |
I've got two great sites in store for you today - one brand new,
and the other recently revamped, but both essentially, and totally
Indian. These sites just go to show how far Indian web designers
have come in the last two years that the Net was made accessible
to junta here. From a "here-I-am" stand to one
that says "this-will-help-you", the focus is rightly
on what the surfer wants.
The first is a brand new site, that's built around you - what
you want, and how you want it too. QuantumLink Communications
(the company behind the Ms.World1996 site), has created and hosted Yo! (http://yo.qlcomm.com) as a service for people interested
in things Indian. The site currently has three features that web
surfers can avail of (two in the case of shell account holders).
The first is PINS - Personalized Indian News System, a convenient
electronic newspaper that only features Indian news that you're
interested in. Once you register, you can choose your interests
from 16 categories and have PINS scour Indian news sources on
the Web, and give you a list of links to your daily dose of India
news.
Next comes the Site Guide - a neatly organised directory listing,
the focus being all sites Indian. Over the last few months, quite
a few sites have created web directories exclusively listing Indian
sites. And the Site Guide is the latest entrant, boasting of a
search feature that allows you to take the kaam-chor way
out instead of browsing through the listings.
Last, but as usual, not the least, there's the Chatroom. Shell
account users will have to pass this one by for now because the
chatroom is java based. And TCP/IP users need to be warned that
the chat applet is over 75 Kb, which translates into some waiting.
But what makes the wait worth your while are the features offered
here. For one, you don't really have to know all those pesky IRC
commands. Surfers who prefer group activities can log onto any
one of the four channels currently offered and have a ball. If
someone's irritating you, you can even remove him out of your
sight ! A registered user (registration is free), can create private
chat rooms and carry on uninterrupted conversations.
Incidentally, Yo! is an acronym for Your Own - two words that
aptly capture the essence of the site. The developers have a lot
more lined up, but for now, sample the free goodies they have
to offer right away.
You have boring sites about different states of a country, and
you have not-so-boring sites on states. And then you have Goa
Interactive - a well designed, comprehensive, informative, and
useful site based on one of India's biggest tourist attractions
- the state of Goa.
Right from a history lesson, to contemporary government, Goa Interactive (www.goa-interactive.com) has it all. The site has been designed
by Netventures, keeping in mind three distinctive audiences :
The foreign tourist, the Goan NRI and the global business community.
The site was designed with the aim of promoting Goa as state with
opportunities for business, pleasure, and a pleasant mix of the
two.
For instance, if you're planning a trip to Goa (what with all
those monsoon discounts being offered left right and center),
log on to Goa Interactive. You'll find details about getting there,
climate conditions, clothing, regulations, and important contact
information. You can search for travel agents, or for accommodation
by specifying certain criteria. And if that's not enough, you
can even make your reservations online. The Find-a-Friend database
is specially for those who'd like to meet like minded people -
for business, fun, or maybe romance - that's the extent to which
you can tailor your search ! "What's Goaing on" is the
daily news section that now has an archives functionality added.
Though the site is broadly subdivided into 5 sections : People
& Culture, History & Heritage, Tourist Information, Government
and Business, there is a lot more to the site than just these
sections. The amount, and the utility value of the information
available on Goa Interactive is mind-blowing. If fact, the "something
for everyone" ad-line would be best used to describe what
Goa Interactive has to offer. And don't worry, the site is certified
"shell friendly", so rush for the lynx option in your
VSNL shell menu …