Some Information Sources

There are many other ways to learn a subject, but what about when you want to just find out information?

Search engines and directories - These are some of your best friends. Use search engines and directories, and learn how to use them to find what you want.

Ezines - Subscribe to a few ezines on subjects that you like. I would recommend that you get a free mail.com email address for each ezine. Forward mail to your primary email account. This way, you will find out which ezines are selling or giving away your email address. Those are ezines that you cancel.

Good ezines to start with? Check out zdnet.com, internet.com and cnet.com. Then expand to smaller ezines as you find them.

Newsgroups and message boards - These can be excellent sources of information, especially if you need to ask questions. Just be aware that you should never spam (advertisements, even to look at your web site), and you should expect an occasional idiot to flame you for whatever reasons suits their fancy. Ignore flames.

What do you need to learn about?

Tools - Learn about your tools. Start by learning about your browser (Internet Explorer, Netscape, AOL, Opera or whatever). Follow with your email client (Outlook Express, Outlook, Eudora, Netscape and so on), then your FTP client, newsgroup reader and whatever else you use.

Follow that with tools which help you do what you want to do. Interested in graphics? Learn about Adobe Photoshop, Paint Shop Pro and so on. Want to be a webmaster? Find out about web tools such as Frontpage, Dreamweaver and Notetab.

Now, learn more about how it all works. Internet tips and secrets is a great place to start, and there are dozens more web sites which can help. If you are interested in graphics, then learn all about graphics - how they are stored, created, displayed and optimized. Become an expert on graphics. Want to be a webmaster? Learn HTML, ASP, PHP or whatever else you need.

Start cheap

There is no need to spend a lot of money at this point in time. You will need a computer and a connection to internet, of course. Beyond that, a free web host will work fine while you are learning how to create a web site. There are demonstration copies available (30 to 90 day try outs) for just about everything - take advantage of those before you choose which tools you want.

Stay Ethical

Follow golden rules - don't violate copyrights, don't steal software, don't flame and, well, be good. Remember, what goes around comes around. If you tend to treat others as you would like to be treated, then you will generally get treated that way in return.

The Bottom Line

If you are new to internet, then don't be afraid to admit it. You will find many people willing and able to help. We've all been new at one time or another, and we've all needed an occasional bit of help. Just keep learning, continue communication and start creating.

To better serve poor it has

> A Touch Screen - Locally recognized symbols and pictures may be used to guide inputs by non-sophisticated people

> Text-to-Audio Synthesizer - No need for user to be able to read. The text is converted to sound and messages are spoken out loud

> Smart Card - Since $200 is too expensive for many, smart card has been added to enable several people to share one Simputer

Here are 2 examples of how Simputer can empower poor:

> Farmers - It enables them to check on current market prices for their produce, thus placing them in a better bargaining position

> Health Care Workers - Those at remote locations can easily look up medical information

The Simputer technology is available for licensing to individuals and organizations in other poor countries, in addition to India. For more information, see http://www.simputer.org.

Future Needs

The Simputer is a good beginning. However, there are 2 main problems with it:

1 - Requires Telephone Line - In many poor countries this is a big obstacle because of an unavailable, flawed, or expensive telephone system. We need a way to use wireless to connect to Internet

2 - Too Expensive - At $200 it is too expensive. The smart card helps. But we need a much cheaper device. I think a device as good as Simputer, but with wireless access could be sold for less than $50.

We need not confine ourselves to computers. Helping increase Internet access may be a good philosophy to follow for other products and services.

Let's use our imagination, not to build toys for rich, but to enable world's poor to live a better life. This will bring both political and economic dividends to us all.