Part-1: Easy to
Connect
Today that will
be 24th Oct 2014 (when I am writing this not publishing). What I will like to
give my inputs about is “how it has become so easy to go online now”. And
consequently come to the topic, It will still hurt but may be you will know
where the pain is coming from.
Is it easy to
connect?
When I was
studying engineering way back in 2000 (BE 97-Batch), It was not easy to be
online, cybercafé were there and the operated on dial-up connections. Even
computer used to cost like 50 – 80 thousand INR for assembled computers. Not
everyone can afford these systems. And mind you the salaries were like 15 to
25 K INR for middle class families.
Nowadays you have
broadband connections (back then we had internet dial-up of limited MB’s at
speeds of 2 Kbps).Cheap affordable Computer and Cheap affordable Internet has
truly revolutionized the India. Gone are the days when you have to check
dictionary for the words you don’t know or knowledge you don’t have. “Google
it!” has now become a term in spoken English.
Ways to connect?
Do you have a cell-phone? If it is made in last couple of years, it will have an ability to
connect to Internet. What? no, you may want to go online to purchase one that
does connect.
You have a land-line phone – You may want to make it more useful, by subscribing to a
broadband connection. They really come very cheap nowadays.
What? You do not
have a land-line you may want to get one with bundled broadband connection.
Land-line phone
has its uses; it’s a reliable way to call when mobile networks are acting up.
They are useful for calling those toll free numbers and special services number
such as railway inquiry. It also a valid address document for KYC (know your
customer) documentation requirement.
Cable Internet,
Your friendly neighborhood Cable-TV-Wala also may have a local service of
Internet. That they provide via same cable they use for your TV.
Paid Wi-Fi
connections, many ISP’s offer subscriptions thorough Local Area Wi-Fi Hotspots,
you may want to try one of them.
Data-Card /
Dongle – You may want to get a new SIM card with a USB data dongle loaded to
some affordable Internet plan. Plug into your computer and you are ready to go
online.
Then almost all
offices/institutions have a facility for employees to go online via proxy servers, this includes notorious
government offices and schools too.
Free Public
Access Wi-Fi hot-spots: since they are free they do impose some restrictions and
are generally not considered safe for sensitive data. But who cares they are
free so woo-hoo!
Then you can
always beg/borrow/snatch (steal) internet time from friends, colleagues and
neighbors.
Try
Oh! No, my data
plan is busted.
Hey can you
create a portable Wi-Fi hot spot for me?
What? You don’t
know how to create one, here let me show you, go to settings>wireless and
networks>Tethering and portable hot spot…
Hey neighbor?
Have to book an important travel ticket.
Please share your
Wi-Fi password with me.
What? It’s not
working, why?
Oh! So typical of
you to forget to pay the bill and Wi-Fi got disconnected, and here I was
thinking that you have got smart and properly secure your home network.
Oh! Notification
for an open Wi-Fi network. Let try to connect and yeah! Free Internet baby, Let
find a place to sit and something to munch on while we take this connection for
a test ride…
So you may be
connected, but as stated by “No free lunch theory”, this is going to hurt. How?
We will try to explore in part-2 of this topic.
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