Cybercafe At Mt. Everest

Makarand writes "A Nepalese entrepreneur, Tsering Gyalzen, is making plans to set up a cybercafe at Mt Everest basecamp and open it by March. Proceeds from the venture will be used to support solid waste management in the area. VSAT digital satellite equipment installed a 2-hour trek-distance away from base camp will be used to send signals to the internet cafe using radio links."

Again-

[Omkar]

This is cooler and much more improtant for people who live there.

Is no place sacred?

[Anonymous Coward]

Must we bring our instant communication, our invasive culture, to *every* place in the world?

Re:What a *good* idea.

[macaddict]

I am happy to hear there is now a cybercafe in the central himalayas. I certainly hope that soon there will be a mcdonalds at the bottom of the Indian Ocean, a Starbucks in the middle of St. Pauls' Cathedral, and a frozen yogurt bar on fucking Mars. In fact, why not just tarmac over the entire planet all in one go? It's kinder than doing it bit by bit like this.

Oh, I see. To preserve the planet in ways that you like, people in the Himalayas can have no choice as to what businesses they open. Ignorant savages. Don't they know they're supposed to preserve their culture intact (preferably at a quaint, primitive level) so that Western tourists can leave behind their Starbucks and McDonalds and go to their backward little country to gawk at them and feel like they've "left civilization behind"? Next thing you know, they'll be using the internet access to provide news and education opportunities to their community. How are the tourists supposed to feel superior if the natives already know about things like the "magic box that paints your picture" and "carts that move by themselves"?

Why are First World civilizations allowed to advance technologically, but anyone else has to preserve their cultures at whatever level the anthropologists find most interesting to study. Why are the Japanese allowed to introduce new technology and gadgets into their culture (and evenutally everyone else's) every day, but a Sherpa wants to open a cybercafe in his community and he's accused of somehow ruining the planet?

Maybe what is best for the Himalayas should be decided by the people who actually live there?

Re:Is no place sacred?

[macaddict]

Must we bring our instant communication, our invasive culture, to *every* place in the world?

Must we push our ideas of how a culture is supposed to behave on every community that's trying to benefit from technological advances?

This is a Sherpa building a cybercafe in a Sherpa community. What gives you the right to judge them?

Maybe you should notify the Sherpas that they live in a sacred place that must be preserved, because they seem to think they can do whatever they want with their homes and community.