At the first glance an easy, but after closer investigation a quite tricky question, which on the one hand asks for a self-definition of the generation @ itself and on the other analyzes the goals, aims, dreams and self determined future plans of the indogerman (in this sense defined as indian-german) society. Whether the so called indogerman "society" can really be called a society in the sense of "community" is another question, which answer would have to be discussed seperately.

Regarding the generation @ - meaning us, who are (only after a few years of usage) considering a life without internet and e-mail hell - one question becomes quickly apparent: What use, what benefit do one individual or the society really make or get out the internet page theinder.net ?

Is it just a communication platform bundleling the nearly endless information, which otherwise would be either intensively searched for and then quickly comsumed, or - due to the complicateness of the searching process - simply ignored and forgotten ? Doesn't this page in fact just copy the concept and content of other sites and publishes it brushed up and newly layoutet in "new clothes" ? Doesn't it (and basically most of all the other websites) relieve the user of all his work and presents the information "ready-to-eat" in a very superficial and casual way instead of enabling him to get an deeper insight view of certain topics by offering an intensive, detailled and professionally investgated report or essay. "As much as possible - and all that even quicker." seems to be the credo of the internet world. More and faster. What's breaks down and is being ignored are the details, the real view of things with all the backgrounds and precedences and therefore the real "understanding" of incidents, events, stories, people and complex situations. The devil of superficiality is disguising in a cloak of knowledge and understanding.

An experiment: Try to read a newspaper page. Once in five minutes and then the second time in fiveteen minutes, although there is no doubt that the pages of certain tabloids can be read without missing a single word in five minutes. The result will demonstrate that - as anticipated - the depth of reading and hence the understanding of the text is proportionally reducing to the time given to read the text. In order to optimize time (because as we all know: "time is money") information is being summarized so immensely that facts and stories of major importance can be published in four sentences without any difficulties.

Keyword communication: the typical "I have already got to know so many interesting people over the Internet" can heared everywhere. What does "got to know" actually mean in this sense ? What do we really know about that person ? Isn't it true that real knowledge of a person is only possible through time and experiences spent and lived together ? Although sharing and talking about experiences as well as exchanging viewpoints and opinions is also a way of getting to know someone, solely sharing and communicating about incidents and events experienced alone or with others is not the key to intimate relationship - no matter whether of romantic or platonic nature.

In this era of of "faster, higher and farer" it isn't the profound, true and honest relationship which counts but rather the pleasant and least complicated one. As soon as a "together" becomes more difficult or in case that major problems arise it's always the relationship itself which is being questioned first and only then (if the doubts haven't already called the relatonship to an end) the problem itself is being discussed about or tried 2 be solved.

However the reasonable way of coping with these kind of situations would rather be to target the problem first and to try and work on a problem solving alternative - even if there are very complicated and sometimes even existencial situations are to be mastered. But very often the "easier" way is being taken which terminates the relationship instead of saving it by confronting the problem directly.

The common superficiality of the so called generation @ presents itself best in the online conversation, the "chat". The name itself - Thesaurus gives synonyms like chitchat, gossip, and natter - is the best example for the typical conversation held online. Almost every interpersonal communication in the Internet follows this stereotype patterm: exchange of age, gender and residence (in order to analyze the possible compatibility), hobbies, photos etc. . Wouldn't it be easier to fill out a questionannaire, continue the perversion of those single magazines online and start looking for life partners according to outward appearance and seemingly charsimatic answers.

Time. A very precious factor these days. Too precious to waste. How many of us really take the time to write a letter - nowadays called "snail mail" , when we can express so much in two lines of a mail: "hey, how are you doing ? just wanted to say hi". And the best thing is: no need to sit down and think so many thoughts anymore in order to fill those empty white pages. Taking time for something or someone is not really "in" in the virtual world. You might miss something which is happening at the same time sowmwhere else. Jokes, funny stuff and junk is being mailed around while deep and personal communication persihes slowly.

Back to the original question. Are the pages of theinder.net of any use ? Or generalizing: is the Internet of any use ? What does it bring to us ? It has supplied os with an inflationary rise of contentless communication. A lot of talk, but nothing is said. Nowhere else reigns superficiality so unchallengable like in the Internet. Non-obligatory, unknown and incomprehensible.

No wonder - no time.

But enough of all those talk about the spirit of the age (zeitgeist), which lacks the spirit. Let's get back to those Indogermans, who use these pages more or less wisely. What are the goals and aims of both - the users and the authors of the theinder.net ?

"Our goal is to bring people via internet together, encourage communication among each other, promote and support projects and to provide you with information on India. We want to be a portal that networks scores of Indian websites to provide you with high-level information contents."

So far the original quote of the authors. Isn't the creation of a homogenous indian community by supporting the communication between the individuals also a goal of this project ? If so, why do we need such a community ? If not, is the only purpose of this website the communication between people ? What of the indogerman population has covered her need of inter-communication ? No need to say that you can't keep on meetng new people.

The questions wich are worth being asked and answered are whether it's reason enough to be of the same origin in order to get in touch with each other and what object am i pursuing by active participation at a portal like theinder.net: Just gettng to know people and/or looking for certain information. 
It seems that theinder.net is also nothing more than a virual playing ground, where we can romp, hang around and try to catch a glimpse of the fascination of the internet. As long as this fascination is not focussed on the the simple, easy going and superficial charachteristics of the web, but the impressive information, the content (always aware of the superficiality of most of the content) and the vast possibilities of exchange of this information we are on our right way to the future.