The Hindu : Karnataka / Belgaum News : An extra `a' leads surfer astray

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Aug 20, 2004

Karnataka

Karnataka - Belgaum

An extra `a' leads surfer astray

By Our Staff Correspondent

BELGAUM, AUG. 19. A name similar to that of the State is being mischievously used on a website carrying vulgar and terrorism-related messages. The messages also refer to racial issues across the world.

The matter came to light here when Murgesh Shivapuji, member of the Karnataka Press Academy and president of the District Working Journalists' Association, logged on to the website accidentally recently. He wanted to browse www.karnatakainformation.org, the website of the Information Department. But by mistake, he typed the website address as www.karanatakainformation.org [`a' added mistakenly after kar]. With that, he saw a different home page appearing on the screen. As he browsed through the page, he came across vulgar messages and those related to terrorism, racial discrimination and vengeance.

As he realised the error, he typed the right web address of the Information Department. A shocked Mr. Shivapuji immediately informed an official of the Information Department in Bangalore about the existence of the other website. He has also written to the Karnataka Press Academy President in this regard. K.S. Bevinmarad, Joint Director, Information Department, Bangalore, confirmed the existence of the website. Asked if the department was contemplating action against it, he said there were technical and legal hurdles in doing so. The matter was discussed with those concerned, and under the circumstances, a decision was taken to ignore it.

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