The Avatar, Internet Cafe, Sarajevo

[Vuk Cosic <vuk@kud-fp.si> (by way of abroeck@v2.nl (Andreas Broeckmann))]

------- Forwarded Message Follows -------
Date:          Wed, 17 Jul 1996 15:40:32 +0200
To:            vuk@kud-fp.si
From:          sowden@ms.mff.cuni.cz (Morgan Sowden)
Subject:       The Avatar, Internet Cafe, Sarajevo


The Avatar, Internet Cafe, opened its doors on July 5th 1996 in Sarajevo,
Bosnia Herzegovina.

We are open 8am thru curfew (Currently 11 pm), serve cold Czech Budweiser
on tap, sandwiches and coffee. We Currently have one PowerMac 7100 with a
21" monitor, a 14.4 Kb link to the Electrotechnical faculty and a UPS to
protect us from nasty Bosnian power surges.

So far we have had a mixed bag of customers including the man off the
street, Bosnian NetHeads, computerphobes, the American Embassy staff, IFOR
troops and drunkards. The American Ambassador has promised to come if we
agree to play the Pulp Fiction soundtrack, the Minister for Education
visited the other night, editors from Slobodna Bosna, Studio 99, BH
television and others have shown up from time to time.

We have sponsored a local film festival and will continue to support the
Arts here in Bosnia.

Opening this place was a tough nine months (We began paperwork in October).
I would like to thank a lot of people, mostly Bosnians, I would also like
hang the carpenter and drive a wooden stake through his heart.

All info:

Morgan Sowden
The Avatar
Pruscakova 3
Sarajevo
Bosnia Herzegovina
Tel: +387.71.668447

Temporary email: sowden@ms.mff.cuni.cz


----------------------

Vuk,

Internet Politics here has gone crazy with everybody playing a "My Dick is
Bigger" game with each other. Sorors is threatening to withdraw all the
equipment from the University to set up its own node, The University wants
to keep control and give Interenet only to accademic institutions, The
dutch want some sort of better organization, nobody is working at UTIS (The
Intrenet Center at the faculty) making it very difficoult for users to
access the computer room or get an Internet account. Its a mess, its chaos,
and everybody is fluttering their feathers like peacocks on acid.

I have been trying to negotiate a leased line with the university for 8
months but because nobody is in control there is nobody that can give me a
definite answer. The biggest lesson I have learned in Sarajevo is that Aid
angencies and Humanitarian organiztions are only after their own self
interests.

I have a a fairly succesful cafe, provide Internet for free and am helping
about 10 or 15 people a day understand what Internet is and how to use it
as a useful tool.

This, sort of, is an answer to your recent email asking about my interet
connection. Hope all is well in Ljublijana, K4, Kud, etc....

regards


morgan