(Información publicada en el Diario de Yucatán el viernes 2 de febrero de 1996)
Once more, El Diario had the opportunity to confirm the utility of the Internet as a means of promoting tourism. Yesterday, Vally D'Souza and his wife Phyllis Stein visited this newspaper after finding our information on the international computer network.
Dr. D'Souza, originally from India, has a doctorate in Chemistry and is an associate professor at the University of Missouri, St. Louis. Dr. Stein is an investigator in the department of cardiology at Washington University, also in St. Louis. They frequently use computers at their respective workplaces, 5 miles apart, and often use them, instead of the telephone, to communicate with each other and ask things as trivial as "What are we having for dinner tonight?"
The D'Souzas, who are interested in visiting the archeological ruins in this state, made contact with the Internet pages of this paper, became acquainted with our information on Mayan culture (there is a version in English), decided to visit Merida and sent an electronic message (e-mail) to ask for information about the possibility of connecting their portable computer to the internet in this city.
They explained that they have many friends with whom they converse across the net and that every day they receive and send numerous messages, even when they travel to other countries. They remembered, for example, the past year when they were in Chile, that as a result of bringing portable computer to connect to the Internet, they were able to send information about their trip to their friends almost every day.
All of our friends felt like they were travelling with us and I think they enjoyed our trip almost as much as we did- commented Dr. Stein.
Personnel at Dyred, El diario de Yucatan's internet connection told them there would be no problem in connecting their computers in this city and explained to them that from Merida they would be able continue to be in contact with their friends across the net. They were told that even when someone doesn't bring a computer, the consulting center here always has computers available for people who need information or who want to use electronic mail.
The D'Souza couple arrived the day before yesterday at Cancun and yesterday visited the offices of this paper where they used one of our computers to put themselves in contact with their friends, exactly as they wanted.
Checking his "mailbox," Dr. D'Souza found that he had 5 messages, one of them from a student in China who wanted to enroll in a post-graduate program at the University of Missouri, St. Louis, where he teaches classes.
Dr. Stein also checked her mail and found 10 messages.
A delightful couple, our visitors were grateful for the facilities that were offered to them and commented on the benefits of a medium of communication that is so rapid and economical.
Likewise, they commented that they even got to know each other after making contact across the net. Dr. D'Souza saw the electronic mail address of the person who would be his wife in a publication, sent her a message, they became friends and the marriage followed.
Nevertheless, they pointed out that there are still many people who don't understand the advantages of communication across the Internet. That was confirmed yesterday in this city by the following experience:
They were staying in a guesthouse which doesn't have telephones in the guestroom and decided to ask the receptionist for help in getting one and to ask permission to connect their computer to Dyred. But they were not permitted to do it, because the manager thought that the connection would involve a long-distance call. This isn't so, as users of the Internet in Merida already know. In reality, each time a person connects his computer to the Net all he does is make a simple, local telephone call. That is to say he only calls from his home or office to the Dyred office in the same city.