Dears,
My transition from being computer-illiterate to being e-literate was assisted by three persons: Caliste de Souza[ brother of Dr.Teotonio de Souza Moir/Portugal], Marina Sequeira[ wife of Heston and sister of Melvyn Misquita of Aldona] and my daughter,Karla, then a student of Std.IX in St.Mary's High School. Marina taught me the UNIX format at NIC Panaji in 1995 when I helped get my colleagues and self into the training sessions with great reluctance from our "superiors" who remain computer illiterate to this day, while Caliste introduced me to Windows while creating an email ID for me and downloading emails for me at his cybercafe next door from 1996. My daughter taught me the commands to get my emails through on my own after I bought a computer for myself a few years later. If I have a net presence today, I have to thank these three great persons.
The credit for my joining Goanet goes to Floriano Lobo from Moira, who ran a campaign against my Headmistress -sister and a teacher in the St.Xavier School, Moira.[ We have to thank him for making a noise about the use of amplifiers for the school concert rehearsal on 17 Dec.2004. It was because of it that I went to the school on 18 Dec., saw the seedy VCD and started the noise that finally helped in bringing down a government that the ex-CM is now busy certifying as having so many corrupt ministers!] Fred has put me on the track of God knows how many Netgroups, that I have begun having more created for use by groups that I am associated with.
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"Frederick Noronha (FN)" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
................................................................................Rene's idea of having an email-address-for-every-Goan and for expats to bring down a football whenever they visit Goa (to be donated to local youth of their choice) has gained some support. Getting an email address isn't just an end in itself. We should also work to make sure that this address is effectively used, by people back home We need some innovative ideas to make emailing more ubiquitous in a place like Goa, which could use it effectively. If individuals lose access to their email address simply because they *do not* use it regularly, then can we think of having a common addresses -- maybe for an entire village or vaddo, which people use largely to *send out* mail, and not so much for receiving... and obviously not for personal messages?
The Expatriate Goans can link up with a Higher secondary School or college student in their native town or village who has a Cyberage computer[ you are getting the mail from one such computer right now, since my computer is still down with virus fever] to download and give emeild to their computer-illiterate family members. They could gift a printer[ about Rs.3500/- or US$ 75/-] to the student in exchange. It can be a WIN-WIN situation with the student being able to print some of his/her projects at home. A black-and-white printer is ideal and is cheaper to get a monochrome cartridge than the colour ones. The more frequent users of such a service could offer to pay part of the telephone bill or replace used ink cartridges from time to time. It is a sure way of keeping in touch...and knowing that your letter has reached.
The relatives can also become part of the village Netgroups[ Aldona, Mapusa, Saligao and Vasco have active netgroups.] These groups have spawned the "Mhapsa Fest" [ second edition coming up in April] " Those Were The Days" music event in Baina and funding for the Aldona Institute and Saligao libraries, etc.
These are just some possibilities. There will be plenty more. Explore them; explode the myth that old dogs canot learn new tricks.
Viva Goa. Miguel
