WHILE the proliferation of Internet Cafés in Guyana continues, the business has become very competitive, and many established Internet providers have been lowering their prices in order to attract new customers. They, in turn, have been closing their eyes to the behaviour of some of their customers in order to keep them coming to their business places. There is, however, some common etiquette that should be observed by all users of these facilities, and they are as follows: Dos' and Don'ts.

* Make an appointment to use a computer before showing up at the café. However if you do arrive at an unscheduled time, and there isn't a computer available, keep quiet and do not look at the monitors of the other users while you are waiting.

* When it is your turn to use the computer, do not play your music for the whole building to hear, remember you only paid for the use of the computer, and not to be the café's Disk Jockey.

* Different people come to the Internet Café for different reasons, some come to surf the World Wide Web, while others come to learn to use the computer or other specialised subjects, and therefore require silence in order to concentrate on their subject matter.

* Your meat is another person's poison; so if you like pornography, then please erase all of your porno stuff off the computer before your time is up.

* The computer and its cubicle are designed for one individual user, since space is at a premium. A user may be accompanied by another person with the permission of the manager, but it is wrong to expect the user of the adjacent computer to share his or her space with a third person in your group.

* Please refrain from kissing your teeth; it is equivalent to using curse words. Talking and laughing to others or yourself is also offensive.

* Children are welcome to the Internet Cafés, but only to use the computer, therefore you should not bring a child with you who is unsupervised while you are occupied. The child is a nuisance to others and your constant calling out to him or her.

* Please do not open any kind of drink in front of the computer, eating and drinking over the computer keyboard is a NO-NO.

* No littering of the work area, no exception.
PREPARED BY DAVID JENKINS
(Diploma in Micro Computer Studies)