Actually, there
has been quite an increase of Lao websites, in Lao or English, from
those in Laos itself. It's a wonderful thing to see. Because as
we speak you're witnessing the country become more online. Or at
the very least is advertising more of itself to tourists and
buyers for its products/services.
As mentioned
in the past on the LCW Advice Column, the IT industry continues
to grow. For example, more IT courses are being offered in Laos,
more businesses (both private and government owned) and government
agencies have created websites (ex. Laopdr.com,
click on government links).
There has also
been an influx of entertainment websites aimed at high school and
university students. The sites feature Lao musicians, artists and
entertainers, "what's happening" in the city
as well as scholarship information for Lao nationals. The participants
on these websites are mostly young Lao people who are increasingly
becoming more online savvy. Many of whom can also read/speak English
as well. Examples: inlao.net,
Mahasan.com, www.geocities.com/laopys.
There are also
some websites that are quasi-Laos based with some of its producers
based in Laos or abroad. Many websites are on servers that aren't
in Laos anyway but its producers may be in Laos. Some websites may
be based abroad but all their information is directed towards those
living in Laos and what's going on there. The measure of how much
Lao-ness is on a website typically depends on its content and what
language its produced in. The links provided in this piece are websites
that apply to the general population (in Laos or abroad) and some
strictly for those in Laos, as the information is more applicable
to them.
On the issue
of language, there is also a growing trend to produce Lao language
websites - in particular a sort of by Lao people for Lao people
in the Lao language type of sentiment. And understandably so. There
are many Lao people who feel there is not enough on the internet
for those who want to be able to read in Lao online. Those websites
that do offer info. in Lao aim to fill in the gap and offer wider
choices to Lao internet users. (Take a look at the websites mentioned
in the previous paragraphs).
[Editor's Note: Admittedly, our website, LCW, has a lot of English. And for very good reason as most of our visitors, shown in survey results, have admitted they can not read/write Lao. In spite of this, we still aim to make our website truly Lao. If not in writing, then at least in content and spirit.]
Even newspapers
and now magazines produced in Laos have their own websites (Sayo
Laos, Update
Magazine, Vientiane
Times Newspaper, KPL). And
now there is also the online Lao
Yellow Pages and of course there's Laopdr.com,
which is also sort of like a yellow pages directory. There's also
the Directory
of NGOs operating in Laos which was originally produced on paper
only. They have now put their directory online.
According to
a report written in March 2002, entitled Internet on the Mekong:
Lao PDR Case Study
There are
about 50 sites for Lao companies and organizations using PlaNet's
laopdr.com, laopdr.net and laopdr.org third level domain level
service (ie., www.beerlao.laopdr.com). Most other local sites
use second level .com or .net domain names.
[Editor's Note: You can also look at search engines and you'll see the list of Lao websites continue to grow, including ones created by those in Laos.]
