< Vol.11 >
Cafe(1)
Waitresses
Familiarity There is a virtual coffee shop called Cafe COARA in the COARA. It is in the only computer network. As there is a coffee shop, off course there are nice waitresses. One is Ms.Sawako Yamasaki who is an office worker now. As she has grown among a family which manages a technical enterprise, she had joined the COARA with personal computer since her school days. In fact, it was at the dawn of the Internet, we were struggling to be understood the interest of the Internet by the public. Then we persuaded her to try designing a Web page as a model case. And she, as a young woman, took the pictures of a sweaters and a muffler which she was knitting designed a Web page with them. At that time, it was about only two years ago, most of the user of the Internet consisted mainly of man or technician. So the Internet sounded difficult. But her try gave us a chance to make us be familiar with the Internet. Everyone yearns much after the waitresses. The other one is Ms.Misako Hoasi who is an dental technician. She also has been a member of the COARA since her school days. She is very positive and active, and when she probably was 19 years old, she was asked to the Personal Computer Communication Forum of Korea and Japan in Seoul by her Korean friends who she became acquainted with in the Korea meeting room of the COARA, she attended it with other three men with her parent's consent. As a result of her activity, she got a shield of thanks from the president of the Korea information industry association. There is nothing to fear with these two lively waitresses. They regarded the electric meeting room of the personal computer communication as a coffee shop, and they listened to customer's talk or took no notice of it. Everyone yearns much after them. Union As we trusted the two women, we asked them to appear on the radio program from the Autumn of the year before last till next spring, for half an year. Off course the name is "Cafe COARA", and I also appeared on the program as a regular customer. Any way, it was before the spread of the Internet. I told not only interest of the personal computer communication but also interest of the Internet. "We can do many things with the Internet" ,"We can use the pictures or the music. It is so fun." I said. I was persuading the two waitresses in the program. Apart from my intention, many members of the COARA visited the radio studio of our live broadcast, and made the program lively. Both personal computer communication and radio program united by this radio program. We enjoyed this union very much. An half year after the end of the program, new technology of the Internet came out. We got to be able to put on the air the whole long radio program on the Internet. E-mail from abroad Then Sawako began to put the past program on the Web page one by one as an radio on demand every week. In this way we can access from all the world. In fact we got an E-mail of Japanese in foreign country. It said " I take delight in this program every week." In an word, on the Internet she broadcasted the program which we had already broadcasted one year ago, every week. As the Internet got to be recognized in the world, it was easy for the people to listen to the program. Well, we broadcasted live on the day of the Big Earth Quick of Hanshin area. Though we had been upset by the news, the people in Kobe listened to it after one year, and gave us an impression," I was profoundly moved with your broadcast." Half a year later, technology progressed anew. A simple TV studio were completed in the COARA secretariat. So we opened Cafe COARA on the Internet from 19:30 every Monday at this studio. At first, both of the women were waitresses character. Sooner they became waitresses whose form were voice. And at last, they began to came out on the video as a virtual waitress.

written by Tooru Ono, the chief of the NEW COARA secretariat


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