NfCG now on the NET at http://www.ncf.info

The Internet is becoming an essential tool of communication and information. Government Departments and most important organisations have Web Sites which can be visited and information viewed or even copies made. It follows that NfCG should be up there with them providing information about itself, the Groups and helpful information about consumer affairs.

A presence has now been established. Not knowing anything about the Internet I imagined it would be 'a page' just showing our logo and some contact names and numbers with general information about the Federation. Not a bit of it. It is huge! There are lists of contacts, a "Welcome Page" with a picture of Bob Gale who invites viewers to read our online magazine, and much more.

There are pages dealing with contacts, inquiries and NfCG history, though how exactly we are going to deal with all the enquiries which we may receive remains to be seen. This thought brings one, or me anyway, up short. By having an Internet presence NfCG is exposing itself to a potentially huge audience. One hopes they do not all want information about the display of prices in shop windows at the same time.

This brings me to another point. Consumer News is part of the NfCG's Internet Web Site. There are condensed versions (i.e. no pictures) of issues 187, 188 and 189, while issue 190 is dealt with, page by page, in a very easily accessed form. Issues 191 and 192 will be added soon and new issues as they come along. The requirement for an index of subjects dealt with in each issue becomes apparent and urgent. This will enable viewers to search for answers themselves. Now the scary stuff - Consumer News can be read by anyone with access to the Internet, not just in Britain but anywhere! Will this exposure bring untold rewards in exchange of information and many new members? Will it inspire the start up of Consumer Groups in the Russian Federation or India? To paraphrase the mobile phone slogan - the future is Internet - perhaps.

John Brown.

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