Tangled up in the Net

For quite some time, my family has enjoyed the pleasure of the Internet. That is, being able to surf the World Wide Web, find information, communicate with friends and relatives abroad, etc. First, as a subscriber to IBM Net, and later, and only because of the easier payment terms, as a subscriber to IndoSat Net.

During the first period we subscribed to the e-mail news service of Radio Nederland Wereldomroep, the Netherlands World Broadcasting Radio. As daily listeners of these radio broadcasts, we were very fond of reviewing the latest news from our motherland by computer if for some reason we did not hear the radio reports.

For as long as IBM was our Internet service provider, we had no special problems in receiving our e-mail from Radio Holland, and at first there were no problems receiving this e-mail news through IndoSat, either.

However, this changed when IndoSat made some modifications on its mail server on Oct. 14. After that day, we received only two pieces of subscription mail in almost four weeks, instead of two news bulletins daily. It appears other e-mail was not affected, but who knows for sure?

We sent a letter by e-mail to Radio Nederland which was answered promptly. The radio told us that e-mail was (and is) still dispatched every day. They also informed us that other subscribers at IndoSat were also experiencing problems with receiving their regular e-mail from Radio Nederland.

Our friends at IBM Net do in fact still receive their e-mail everyday. As advised by the customer service desk of IndoSat net, we canceled our subscription, and after one day we renewed it. Both the cancellation as well as the renewed subscription were accepted by the Radio Nederland computer, but we still do not receive their mailings.

Of course, we contacted the customer service in Medan, and the people there were very friendly. But all efforts were fruitless and we did not receive any further e-mail from the radio. After 10 days, I was advised to contact the postmaster, and later the help desk in Jakarta via support@indosat.net.id. I sent five e- mails, but none of these mails have been answered as of this date of writing.

Because of this behavior, we are starting to get suspicious. Why is it that IndoSat has not answered our letter? I remember a newspaper article which proudly acknowledged that Indonesians were able to stop pornography from entering Indonesia through the Internet. The step from prohibiting pornography entering Indonesia to stopping news from abroad is a very small one.

Which has me wondering if IndoSat is censoring the mail from its subscribers? If they are not, then why are they not correcting the situation and answering my letters?

If IndoSat is censoring mail, then it all makes sense. There is a Dutch saying Wie zwijgt stemt toe, or "He who keeps quiet, confesses".

I hope for an explanation from IndoSat.

H.B. BREVOORT

Medan, North Sumatra