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Gas to liquid could be the answer for po... Web will be part of life for new genera... Window washers could be out of a jo... Lost in the deepening chasm of... |
Your service provider is not GodThe Internet service provider (ISP) business is intriguing, and everyone wants in. But the infrastructure costs will paralyse you, the hours will kill you, and if you still have some strength at the end of day, someone will blame you for something you never did. Personal computing is a lot like motoring. There are so many different models, with so many options. And there are so many suppliers. One person sells you the car, another installs the radio, a third fits the mag wheels, and a fourth puts in the car phone. Yet another group of companies sells you the petrol. And finally, a mysterious organisation provides us with the roads. Computing is even more fascinating. We buy a PC from a shop that is often not in business a year later. We buy a modem somewhere else. We buy software from . . . er . . . there is not much choice here, from Bill. And we get Internet access from different ISPs. The phone line is supplied by . . . er . . . Telkom, there is only one choice here. And that is where the similarity ends. When your car phone breaks you know where to complain. When the car backfires you know who to call. So why is it when your word processor locks up, or your PC reboots, or the modem hangs, you call your ISP and make it their problem?
I would like to tell you a story - an urban legend that is used around these parts to illustrate the position that awaits us each working day. This is a wonderful tale told by one of my partners, Derek Wilcocks. It goes something like this. As with most countries in the world, Zimbabwe is experiencing a resurgence of religious fundamentalism. One day the Harare central post office receives an envelope addressed only to "God" with no return address or other markings. As they have no way of delivering the mail they decide to open the envelope. On doing this they discover what must be the saddest letter you have ever seen from Mrs Mthembu, 101 West Street, Bulawayo. It reads: "Dear God, my children and I are starving, I have been unemployed for several months now and simply cannot get ahead. If only you could let me have $100 I could get back on my feet again. Sincerely, Mrs Mthembu."
The good people of the Post Office simply can't let this suffering continue so they hold a collection and, believe it or not, after taking everyone's change, they scrape together only $99. Nevertheless, they write a covering letter: "Dear Mrs Mthembu, I am deeply saddened to hear of your plight. Enclosed please find the money you requested. I hope you get back on your feet soon. Sincerely, God."
A few weeks later, another letter arrives at the Harare post office marked, as before, only with "God". Once again the post office workers open the letter and inside they find: "Dear God, thank you so much for the money you sent. It has just about enabled my children and I to get back on our feet again. Now if only those bastards at the post office hadn't stolen a dollar."
Why does everyone blame the post office? I guess it is the same way that everyone blames their ISP when an important document goes missing, or when their PC freezes up. Folks, let me tell you why the Internet is causing all these sudden acts of frustration. Well, there is only one real reason: THE NET HAS MADE COMPUTING HIP. Suddenly, everyone is buying PCs. Everyone is shopping for faster and faster modems. And our digital workhorses are starting to run at full gallop. People are using their computers more and more - there is so much going on in the virtual world.
When TV first made its debut there was not much to watch. Then, ten years ago M-Net was launched and suddenly the TV was being used more and more. This led to many more TVs being sold, and many more TVs breaking down and getting repaired. But when your TV goes on the blink you don't phone M-Net or the SABC. You call your friendly neighbourhood TV repair shop. You don't blame M-Net for your TV breaking down. But it has caused you to use it more. This is what the Internet has done to personal computers. So please, stop blaming your friendly neighbourhood ISP when you lose a file, or when the disk drive crashes.
It isn't as bad as it used to be. Internet literacy is on the up and people are beginning to understand the Internet at a grassroots level. But still, we do get blamed for those digital dilemmas that happen to you, me and all of us, each day. Please try and understand, we are here to help. Don't fight with us when your power supply catches fire.
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