Ever since its inception, the Development Alternatives Information Network (DAINET) has been responsible for bridging the information gap existing in India. Presently, there have been growing efforts by the government, independent sector organisations (ISOs), corporations and research institutions aimed at advancing sustainable development objectives. Nonetheless, in India, as in the case of other developing countries, these efforts have been hindered by the unavailability of reliable and useful information. Consequently, the principal objectives of DAINET are twofold: 1) to provide connectivity to ISOs (e.g., other NGOs and non-profit organisations) involved in sustainable development issues as well as facilitating their access to sustainable development information, and 2) to deliver sustainable development information according to the requirements of those who need it.

According to the United Nations Development Programme (Choices, September 1997, pp. 11-15), increased access to information has been a source of empowerment to NGOs, some of which have moved from being provi-ders of goods and services to providers of information and networking. DAINET is in the process of taking such a role in collaboration with other NGOs in India. Through a system of NGOs, DAINET is setting up a comprehensive information network in India. The resulting system will operate with the DAINET hub in New Delhi and several other regional information centres in other parts of the country. The DAINET hub acts as the central database of information. Each regional information centre, in turn, functions as the point through which information is exchanged and delivered among the grassroots organisations.
 

With the onset of new Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), and particularly the Internet, information is now exchanged and transferred in a manner never before imagined. The Internet has become a growing global network of people that can converse, teach, argue, learn, hold meetings, buy and sell things, and send and receive information of virtually all types. Among the industrial nations, the Internet has fuelled a new era of information revolution wherein information is disseminated in an enormous quantity and quality at a very efficient rate. This situation, unfortunately, creates the paradox of the information age. That is, the issue of ICTs becomes a double-edged sword in which both dangers and opportunities exist. While part of humanity is cruising on the information superhighway, many remain isolated, equipped only with outdated technology and limited means of access. On the one side of the coin, there is a widening gap between the "information haves" in the North, and especially the "have nots" in the South. On the other side of the coin, ICTs have a tremendous potential for helping make "knowledge connections" within and among developing countries – a potential DAINET is willing to exploit.

Given the circumstances, DAINET is committed to the use of the Internet and other latest information and communication technologies as the tools for disseminating sustainable development information in the Indian subcontinent. Without forgetting other avenues for delivering information (faxing, snail mails, courier, etc.), DAINET believes that the Internet provides the most effective system for the storage, retrieval and dissemination of information vital to sustainable development efforts. It is for this reason that the DAINET World Wide Web pages are constructed.
 

In the past, DAINET has provided electronic access in the form of e-mail service to about 50 other ISOs. In the near future, DAINET will expand its services which will enable current e-mail users to upgrade it to a full Internet access.

Apart from providing access, DAINET intends using the Internet as a tool for storing and disseminating sustainable development information for other ISOs in India. The particular feature of the Internet which has a great potential for accomplishing such a task is the World Wide Web, known simply as the Web. The World Wide Web employs a user-friendly navigational method known as "hypertexts" or "hyperlinks." Furthermore, the World Wide Web has the versatility of allowing more than merely the text to be displayed. In addition to information displayed in a text format, the World Wide Web allows information to be stored in the form of graphics, animated graphics, audio, as well as video files. Thus, in conjunction with the Geographic Information System (GIS), it is possible to use the Web to provide information such as topographic maps showing soil conditions, a registry of all known tree species, rules and regulations on silviculture, and instructions on building logging roads that are minimally intrusive.

Since DAINET’s objective is to deliver sustainable development information on the Internet, rather than showcasing the latest technology, the newly constructed DAINET Web site is content-driven rather than technology-driven. In other words, the Web pages have been created with the intention of getting the information contained within it in the most user-friendly and efficient manner. Of particular importance is the construction of a functional "Web interface" for accessing the information contained within the DAINET Web site. The Web interface serves as the structure for the overall content of the Web site. As a consequence, a well-designed interface can facilitate a much efficient and effective information transfer.

After a five-month effort by the DAINET team, the first version of DAINET Web interface has been successfully completed. This marks a new beginning for DAINET; the first step towards achieving a more equal footing with the "information haves" of the North.

The concept of the DAINET Web site takes an analogy of an "information shopping mall" whereby kiosks of information can be set up by different partner organisations. Along with the kiosks, DAINET Web site contains a repository of sustainable development information database accessible through a multi-platform approach (The main entrance page is given on Page 1).

Upon entering DAINET Web site, a user has the choice of entering a discussion forum, accessing the database of information through a general (simple) access or through enhanced access, visiting partners’ web pages, seek help, or send an e-mail to the DAINET team.

Visiting the partners’ Web pages lead to the kiosks established by the different DAINET partners. Each partner will be responsible for putting up the contents of their Web pages. The partner’s site is basically divided into two frames (shown on Page 3). The left frame provides navigational buttons that can take users anywhere within the DAINET Web site, whereas the right frame contains a clickable image map showing all the partners.

Accessing the database can be accomplished through the general access page or through the enhanced access page. By going through the enhanced access page, a user can search for information faster due to the categorisation of information themes. Currently, there are six themes that allow access to the database in a multi-platform approach. The six different themes and their descriptions are explained in the Web pages. This time Web pages are divided into two horizontal frames. The top frame functions as a navigational banner, while the bottom frame contains the theme categories by which one can gain access to the database.

Finally, for novice World Wide Web users, there are context-sensitive help menus created within the DAINET Web pages. Simply click on the help button on the top frame and a help menu will pop up giving a specific help on the particular page.