Into the Digital Light

  "I could have made money this way, and perhaps amused myself writing code. But I knew that at the end of my career, I would look back on years of building walls to divide people, and feel I had spent my life making the world a worse place." - Richard Stallman The other day I received an invitation from a friend who is also an advocate in the use of the Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) to be part of a team that would propose and implement a FOSS program for a private school in the province. He is in touch with the school's MIS head and they are trying to find alternatives on the use of their P4's and dual core computer systems that is running on a Window's XP operating system in their computer lab. This is every FOSS advocate's dream to be able to come up with a working FOSS program for implementation by a school and the challenge is how to make that dream into a reality.

I've been writing about Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) initiatives since 2006 when I was introduced to FOSS by my good friend Mr. Troy Lim who was also an internet cafe owner. At that time the initial crackdown on the use of pirated software in internet cafes led by the Pilipinas Anti-Piracy Team (PAPT) got under way. As a response, we in the Internet Cafe Association of Imus, Inc (ICAII), formed a technical team that studied the possib ility of the use of FOSS as a replacement to the proprietary software in internet cafes. My further development in understanding the philosphy of FOSS was through my participation in the various activities of the Computer's Professional Union, a computer professional group with a FOSS advocacy, and attending live-in training seminars in the Philippines conducted by the International Open Source Network (IOSN ASEAN+3) and InWent of Germany. My previous blog chronocaled the various activities in advocating for FOSS that I had pa...

Basically through the years there have been a lot of things that has been written on how to succeed in this industry.   Mostly it was very technical but failed to discuss the most important thing. Have a clear vision of your target market.   One of the factors why most internet cafés fails is that they are only catering to a particular target market which is gaming.   This is understandable since this is the traditional target market of internet cafes but if you are going to go to that market one must understand how to attract gamers who will pay extra for the services that you would offer.   One of the biggest mistakes of an internet café owner is thinking that there is only a Php10.00 market and they could not raise their prices on computer rental per hour.   Once your frame of mind is based on this then you would only attract the kind of market that you thought that only existed.   The challenge is how to attract those people who are willing t...

About Digital Batang Pinoy - was an initiative that I started in iCafe Pilipinas to teach internet safety and security to children way back in 2010.  The different blog post were written in Filipino in order to have a wider reach with the intention of having it translated into the various dialects in the Philippines.  When I left iCafe Pilipinas in September, 2010 these blog post were posted under a different name.  I believe that it is time for it to come home to where it is really supposed to be. Ako ay naging isang opisyal ng samahan ng mga may-ari ng internet cafe, marami-rami na rin akong mga magulang na napapakinggan na nagrereklamo sa pagkasira ng buhay ng kanilang mga anak dulot ng pagkagahaman sa paglalaro ng mga computer games sa internet cafes. Kahit saan akong magpuntang pagtitipon saan mang panig ng bansa ay pare-pareho na lang ang kanilang mga istorya sa aking tungkol sa mga nangyayari sa loob ng mga internet cafe sa kanilang mga lugar.

 About Digital Batang Pinoy - was an initiative that I started in iCafe Pilipinas to teach internet safety and security to children way back in 2010.  The different blog post were written in Filipino in order to have a wider reach with the intention of having it translated into the various dialects in the Philippines.  When I left iCafe Pilipinas in September, 2010 these blog post were posted under a different name.  I believe that it is time for it to come home to where it is really supposed to be. “ U y, Tess” nasambit ni Linda sa kanyang kaibigan “Kay tagal na ata nating di nagkikita ano ang iyong ginagawa ngayon?” “ P asensya na Linda” tugon ni Tess “ Medyo busy lang ako ngayon at hindi na ako nakakalabas ng bahay.” S i Linda at si Tess ay magka eskwela sa ika-apat na taon sa mataas na paaralan ngunit hindi na masyadong nagkakasama dahil si Tess ay lagi na lang nagmamadaling umuwi pagkatapos ng kanilang mga aralin. “ M ukhang may bagong boy...

Spend some time to learn about software licensing – this is one area in which internet café owners spends so little time with not unless they encounter a problem with the Pilipinas Anti Piracy Team for the use of pirated software. Most internet café operators have very little interest in software licensing since it is additional cost and it is something that they could not associate since software is an intangible product.   They are very much interested in the computer hardware specifications since this is something that they could see and touch.

                Every now and then I surf the web trying to find articles or blog post about the internet café industry in the Philippines.   Sadly postings that I came across mostly wrote about the bad experiences of operating an internet café.   With all of these bad things written about internet café industry, one might wonder is it still a viable business venture that once could invest in.   My usual answer is “Yes but you have to do it the right way from the very start in order for you to succeed.”