Columns: Arun Katiyar

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You don't need to sit under your personal tree to figure out this one: Satyam Infoway recently spent some mind-numbing crores in acquiring www.indiaworld.co.in, their share prices subsequently zoomed, AOL (America Online) reportedly moved in to acquire a stake in Satyam Infoway -- and someone is now going to have to pay for the entire value chain. Guess who that is going to be? Let's not kid ourselves -- that will be you, me and everyone else who is a mouse click away from the Satyam sites.

Actually, I was snared much faster than I would have imagined. And, truth be told, I've paid my fair share of the deal up front. My credit card statement for next month will confirm this. Meanwhile, let me explain.

The moment I recovered from the Rs 499 crore figure (which Satyam Infoway spent in acquiring www.indiaworld.co.in), I hit www.satyamonline.com on the browser to take a look. And the first thing to catch my attention were the online shopping links on the left. I clicked on "food" and found a bag of microwave popcorn from Act II. Besides, if you bought the popcorn, you could participate in a contest with a vacuum cleaner as the prize. I clicked on the combo pack (Rs 88), filled in my mailing address, credit card number and other details. Yum! Slurp! E-commerce was a breeze. The trouble began when I tried to enter the contest: the link produced an offer to advertise on Satyam! There wasn't a contest form in sight. When I filled in an online complaint form and tried to submit it, I got an error message. By now, feeling frustrated, I was ready to pick up the phone and complain to Satyam. I did manage to contact one of their executives, and he promised to look into the matter, but nothing happened.

Subsequently, while trying to explain my experience to two other people, I went back to the popcorn ordered online and used the site's ability to cancel the orders. A few days later, all three packets of popcorn arrived at my house. The orders had not been cancelled. I love popcorn, so that isn't a problem; but I can't say I have the same sentiments for online commerce.

A small commercial break before this column ends: don't miss the IT "Indian of the Millennium" poll underway at www.india-today.com -- besides casting your vote, you can win some great prizes as well.

The number of Indian radio stations on the Net now is incredible. Sometimes, it makes you wonder -- for a nation hesitant about fm, does Webradio make sense? Nevertheless, they are blaring all over the Net. There's www.navrangradio.com, a "click-to-play" site, something like www.indiafm.com; there's www.indiaradio.com or Anil Ki Awaaz, as it is popularly known, with a weekly live show; there's www.intelindia.com/bharatvani, which has hundreds of Hindi songs plus an online Hindi teacher; there's the much-improved All India Radio site at air.kode.net, and the colourful www.mayoo.com with its hot remix section. It's a lot of fun to hunt for Indian "radio" sites on the Net and discover how they are getting themselves heard. Tune in, and trip out.

Looking for a bus ticket? A hotel room? Flowers? Paintings? Try www.malamall.com. Though the site is mainly for people in Hyderabad, Aurangabad, Nashik and Nagpur, it also promises to make deliveries all over India. The site uses what it calls "Malamall" cards, which are basically meant to authenticate the buyer. It's worth looking up this ingenious site for a lesson in Indian e-commerce. The site also lets NRIs e-mail their relatives in India who don't have Net connections -- yes, the letters are delivered free. If you are reading this outside India, it's a good way to save on the time it takes for your letter to reach the interiors of India.

Rohin Saluja, a B.Tech student of IIT Delhi, has set up a site for those who are sitting for the IIT Joint Entrance Exam but who don't have a clue about where to start . His solution: begin with www.iit-jee.8m.com, where there are tips on how to take entrance exams (remember to regulate your food habits in the month of April, for example), how to choose a dependable coaching institute (look at the number of students from the institute who have made it into IITs), how JEE paper marking is usually done, temperamental balance (this is the best section), links to other IIT sites, and so on. This being a very helpful site, its guest book is full of praise for Saluja. Considering that IIT produces the most sought-after brains in the IT industry, both in India and abroad, this site, despite its somewhat amateurish looks, is bound to prove popular.

Are you tired of receiving junk mail? Can't stand the unsolicited e-mail which you are being snowed under? Try www.emailabuse.org. This site features a step-by-step guide about all the steps you can take to fight this growing menace. The site also fills you in on things like the latest anti-spam legislation, a glossary which explains common e-mail-related jargon, whom you can report spam to, and so on. If you have ever got more than a single unsolicited e-mail, this is a must-click site for you.

Arun Katiyar is Chief Operating Officer of India Today Group Online. His e-mail address is akatiyar@india-today.com

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