Cyber cafe advantages & disadvantages

The concept of a cyber cafe has been around for a little more than a decade. They were created to provide Internet access to everyone. The cafes have grown to cater to the Internet gamers and others in search of social interaction, coffee and possibly a pastry or two. There is a charge for the service, but it is cheap. Pricing does vary from one city to another. Cyber cafes have been a benefit to American society in several ways. They have also created some problems for local governments.

Cyber cafes offer that computer, software, hardware and Internet connection that you will need. They also have tech support onsite to handle any problem that you may have. The staff is also capable of guiding Internet novices through the steps needed to check e-mail or surf the web for information. This means no equipment to lug around and maintenance. For some people, regular visits to the Internet cafe are cheaper than maintaining a home computer.

There are no restrictions on the people who can get online at the cyber cafe You simply pay the fee to gain access. The fees are inexpensive enough to accommodate low-income families who need access for things like unemployment registration in state where the system is completely online. There are no age limits in most cafes. Themed cafes (for gamers and dating) may have a few restrictions on younger children, however.

Cyber cafes geared toward the gamer tend to have the latest in gaming software. Some will even carry a few hardware items that are new in the gaming world. The computers have enough memory and a high processor speed to allow for a gaming experience that is free of long buffering lags, frozen screens and crashing.

The biggest concern for any cyber cafe user is the security of any information typed into the computer. Customers who use the cyber cafe computer for banking, updating their unemployment accounts and other personal tasks must take the precautions given by the cyber cafe for protecting you information after leaving the computer. Oftentimes, this is as simple as completely closing the browser after use. Doing so will erase your information before the next user bellies up to the keyboard.

Some illegal cyber gambling establishments have become a problem for the local governments by masquerading as cyber cafes. Internet gambling is illegal in many states, but operators get around the laws by posing as an Internet cafe Local law enforcement cracks down on the rings, but often can't identify them until they are already up and scamming money from customers.

The email scams that everyone has seen often originate at Internet cafes, where it is nearly impossible to track the culprit after their session is over. Cyber cafes are ground zero for Nigerian money-wiring scams and other foreign fraud, but many crooks are taking up residence in the United States, using the cyber cafe for anonymity.