4 - 10 January 2001
Issue No.515
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Al-Ahram Weekly On-line 4 - 10 January 2001 Issue No.515 |
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Speaking the language of IT
The first Egyptian IT magazine, Loghat Al-Asr (The Language of the Age), hits the newsstands today, offering a free CD loaded with a number of valuable applications aimed at "eradicating computer illiteracy".
Ali Ghoneim
Loghat Al-Asr, a monthly, is the 13th publication put out by the Al-Ahram organisation.
The content was written with the average reader in mind, "so you don't have to be an IT specialist or a computer whiz to be able to read and understand the stories," Ali Ghoneim, the magazine's technical consultant and deputy chairman and general manager of Al-Ahram, explained. Indeed, the hi-tech language which may scare people away has carefully been avoided. Not only are the stories largely free of computer jargon, but most of the scientific terminology is simplified.
One interesting article on online shopping for women's wear, which reviews haute couture designer Web sites such as Gucci, Dior and Escada, is simple and enjoyable enough for the average shopper. And in a rare appearance in the local press, the writer made an effort to list the Web sites that accept online transactions and those that do not.
Encouraged by the new IT-friendly environment following the establishment of the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology more than a year ago, Al-Ahram, said Ghoneim, decided to "fill the market gap" and publish the magazine.
There are, however, questions surrounding the timing of the publication's launch, since other publications were ahead of Al-Ahram in the venture. Al-Alam Al-Youm began publishing its weekly IT supplement Ittisalat Al-Youm last March. Ghoneim explained: "When the public becomes more IT conscious, this will push decision-makers to work on creating the environment we need and fulfilling the promises made when the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology was established. Our magazine hopes to contribute to creating this environment by becoming a catalyst. Although Ittisalat Al-Youm is eight months older than Loghat Al-Asr, Al-Ahram has been publishing an IT page for the past three years, so we've been there ahead of the others."
In fact, Al-Ahram has been there since 1968 when it established Al-Ahram's Management and Computer Centre (AMAC), the largest computer training centre in the country. According to Ghoneim, approximately 60,000 people have completed AMAC courses since its inception. The centre also offers computer services to over 150 governmental, public and private companies.
The 112-page magazine offers a wide array of IT sections. Ghoneim singled out the "private lesson" section, designed to explain the rudiments of computers and the Internet, as one of the most significant additions the magazine has to offer its readers. He also pointed to the fact that IT experts will be publishing specialised articles for the more experienced readers.
Other sections contain trouble-shooting guides, reviews of the various Web sites, best buys (which serves as a guide for people who need professional advice before buying IT products by offering comparisons in performance and prices of different gadgets), in-depth research and the latest technological news and products.
With the magazine reasonably priced at LE7, Ghoneim hopes to distribute approximately 200,000 copies. Overly optimistic? "Not at all," he replied, "we believe that the magazine will gain popularity within the IT community and with those who are interested in reading about this sector. For one thing, estimates place the number of Internet users in Egypt at 300,000, so one may expect two-thirds of these users to buy Loghat Al-Asr."
The magazine has a website, but Ghoneim says it will only be offering a sample of its contents online, since most of the magazine's buyers will be those who have access to the Internet and will probably end up reading it online."
Loghat Al-Asr's editor is Gamal Ghitas, who is also the editor of the IT page in the daily Al-Ahram.
Loghat Al-Asr's Web site can be accessed at: www.ahram.org.eg/ait
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