Internet cafe

From Free net encyclopedia

Image:E-Corner Internet cafe.JPG An Internet cafe or cybercafe is a place where one can use a computer with Internet access for a fee, usually per hour or minute; sometimes one can have unmetered access with a pass for a day or month, etc. It may or may not serve as a regular cafe as well, with food and drinks being served. In South Korea they are called PC bang. A similar concept, the LAN Gaming Center is a variation.

1 History
2 Characteristics
3 Internet cafés in the United Kingdom
4 See also
5 External links
6 References

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History

The concept and name, Cybercafe, was invented at the beginning of 1994 by Ivan Pope. Commissioned to develop an internet event for an arts weekend at the Institute of Contemporary Arts in London, Pope wrote a proposal outlining the concept of a cafe with internet access from the tables. The event was run over the weekend of March 12-13 1994 during the 'Towards the Aesthetics of the Future' event. Inspired partly by the ICA event, a commercial establishment of this type, called Cyberia, opened on September 1, 1994 in London, England. At around the same time, in a parallel developement an establishment called CompuCafe was opened in Helsinki, Finland, featuring both internet access and a robotic beer seller. Suba Internet Center, the first American Internet cafe, opened in April 1995 in Chicago, Illinois.

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Characteristics

Internet cafes are located world-wide, and many people use them when traveling to access webmail and instant messengers to keep in touch with family and friends. Apart from travelers, in many developing countries Internet cafes are the primary form of Internet access for citizens since a shared access model is more affordable than personal ownership of equipment. Some Internet cafes, especially LAN Gaming Centers, are also used for multiplayer gaming, having several computer stations connected on a LAN. In this case, the computers are specially assembled for gameplay, supporting popular multiplayer games. This is reducing the need of video arcades and arcade games, and many are being closed down or are being merged into Internet cafés. The use of Internet cafes for multiplayer gaming is particularly popular in certain areas of Asia, notably South Korea.

There are also Internet kiosks – Internet access points in public places like public libraries, airport halls, sometimes just for brief use while standing. Many hotels, resorts, and cruise ships offer Internet access for the convenience of their guests; this can take various forms, such as in-room wireless access, or a web browser that uses the in-room television set for its display (usually in this case the hotel provides a wireless keyboard on the assumption that the guest will use it from the bed), or computer(s) that guests can use, either in the lobby or in a business center. As with telephone service, in the US most mid-price hotels offer Internet access from a computer in the lobby to registered guests without charging an additional fee, while fancier hotels are more likely to charge for the use of a computer in their "business center."

For those traveling by road in North America, many truck stops have Internet kiosks, for which a typical charge is around 25 cents per minute.

The easyInternetcafe chain discontinued its CD burning services because it was held responsible for copyright violations by clients. [1]

Internet cafes are a natural evolution of the traditional cafe. Cafes started as places for information exchange, and have always been used as places to read the paper, send postcards home, play traditional or electronic games, chat to friends, find out local information. Cafés have also been in the forefront of promoting new technologies, for example, the car in 1950s California.

Internet cafes come in a wide range of styles, reflecting their location, main clientele, and sometimes, the social agenda of the proprietors. In the early days they were important in projecting the image of the Internet as a 'cool' phenomena.

As internet access is in increasing demand, many pubs, bars and cafes have terminals, so the distinction between the internet cafe and normal café is eroded.

In places with censoring regimes such as mainland China or Singapore, Internet cafes are closely controlled. In some places computers are in booths to allow private access to pornography. In some areas of Los Angeles they are controlled because they attract street gangs. While most internet cafes are private businesses many have been set up to help bridge the 'digital divide', providing computer access and training to those without home access. For example, the UK government has supported the setting up of 6000 telecentres.

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Internet cafés in the United Kingdom

On September 1, 2004 the press covered the 10th anniversary of the UK's Internet Cafés, citing Cyberia in London's West End as the first establishment to be so named. [2]

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