This was an interesting special report on NDTV. For all the admiration for the it’s sheet anchors (Arnab Goswami and to some extent Rajeed Sardesai), I believe that it’s overtly marxist in it’s approach. These anchors have left NDTV leaving it floundering. For it’s babble rouser of Barkha Dutt who loves to hog the limelight and make Kashmir cause her motto, it leaves me sick in the stomach.Otherwise, as of now there is nothing about NDTV that it could commend itself.
Yet, coming to the crux of the matter. It was interesting to see the way it started off- with a village in some obscure place. How Internet access is spawning rural enterpreneurship and introducing the joys of information access literally at the finger tips. They highlighted the fact that housewives are increasingly trading on E Bay or mothers searching for prospective matches for their kids. The video conferencing which allows face to face interactions and saves on time, cost and money. And some obscure place where a person trades online and makes money in the bargain.
One of the most compulsive reasons that people get online is because of pornography. Indeed, it is one of the most lucrative professions online. Coupled with anonymity, they can easily satisify their perversions.
Well, the point is that instead of foucussing on the corporates perse, they could have highlighted the modes of access which remain crippled by Government apathy. I am sure that it must have been edited. With the entry of more news channels, the advertising revenue is important. Of course, that means if the Government has to look for options, it would favour those who remain least critical or don’t make much hue and cry. It’s a sweet deal faciliated. Freedom of press? My foot.
More than that I believe that Internet access can only be revolutionised by content created locally. However, it’s the hobson’s choice. Do we create content first and then provide connectivity? Or vice versa?I believe in the latter. Primarily because of natural law of demand and supply. As the internet would extend it’s reach, it would create a demand for the services as well as the content. That would give a range of employment benefits to a huge number of people.
This isn’t related to telecom but nonetheless important. The benfits of the so called IT revolution haven’t percolated down to the masses. Infosys or Wipro or even Tata Consultancy services are big names worldwide. What have they done for the nation’s disadvantaged? Opening up schools or speaking on corporate governance isn’t all that’s needed. It should have been a natural corollary that they lobby with the Government to speed up the reforms for E governance and then implement solutions for the same. After all, the state governments could well learn in efficiency by integrating it’s functions in one uniform whole.
Further, the computing platform needs to be open source. Not only the high cost of the closed source like Microsoft would cripple the fledgling computing initiatives but also be a body blow to Open Source from taking roots in this country. As an Open Source proponent I don’t have resources like Microsoft to advertise but whatever Windows can do, it can be done better in Linux. With every release it’s getting more and more refined. Windows needs to be stomped out lock stock and barrel because it increases the total cost of ownership. Coupled with the fact that as more and more computers get online on the DSL’s, computer security would be a big hassle. Not surprising that secuirty firms are making a beeline for India now sensing the oppurtunity. It isnt that Linux is 100% secure but infinitely better than Windows anyday.
This wasn’t highlighted in the NDTV’s Special Report. After all, why would they?
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