A Nifty Source of Online Information
An introduction to the resources of Nifty-Serve
Last year, in an interview with Computing Japan (October 1994, page 32), Tomoo Okada, president of Nifty Corporation, spoke about some of Nifty-Serve's general features and services and discussed the rising interest in online services among Japanese PC users. This month, we take a look at what is actually involved in subscribing to Nifty-Serve and using some of the forums and services (such as shareware and access to CompuServe in the US) of special interest to foreign users.by Steven Myers
First opened to the public in 1987, Nifty-Serve has grown into one of Japan's largest and most active online services, with some 180 nationwide access points and connections to overseas databases and other large domestic and foreign networks (such as PC-VAN, MediNet, and CompuServe). The number of Nifty-Serve subscribers has increased by over 50% in the past year and now tops 1 million, reflecting the emerging widespread interest in online communications.
There exists a relatively inactive English-language side of the service, called Nifty-Serve ES, but this can be considered a totally separate (and less interesting) service. While accessible via the same phone numbers, the initial connect sequence is different for the Japanese and English sides, and many of the services available on the Japanese side are inaccessible from the English side. This article focuses on the Japanese side, where the bulk of information and services are to be found.
Nifty-services
Regardless of the type of information you are seeking (especially if it is Japan-related), you can probably find it somewhere on Nifty-Serve. With numerous active forums offering technical support on a wide range of PC hardware and software products, as well as a large selection of online databases, Nifty offers a wealth of information -- if you know how to get to it (which is not always obvious or intuitive).There is also a tremendous amount of Japanese freeware and shareware available for downloading from Nifty's "software libraries" (although here, too, a fair amount of searching can be required). Additional services such as online shopping and classified ads are also contributing to Nifty's rising popularity.
Forums
Nifty-Serve currently hosts 411 forums (online discussion groups) covering a wide variety of topics. Among the more useful of these are the "vendor/user" forums (which focus on a particular product or group of products) of companies such as Dell, Gateway, and Microsoft. Most of these forums have several "meeting rooms," or subtopics âÔãcé. Requests for help, responses, and other information can be accessed by all members of the forum, and software vendors often upload product upgrades and beta versions.Online shopping/stations
Nifty-Serve subscribers can order merchandise online from over 70 stores, which will send catalogs free of charge. Since your credit card and address information is registered when you join Nifty, catalog orders can be placed and filled quickly. The "station" service combines the features of online shopping with technical forums that provide additional assistance in the form of technical support.Databases
Nifty offers access to databases all over the country, simplifying the task of keeping up with new developments in business and technology. In addition, the Infocue gateway service provides access to over 850 genre-specific databases around the world, covering a huge array of topics. Information on hotels and travel arrangements also can be accessed, as well as articles from newspapers and news services (such as Newsbytes).Translation service
TRANSL, Nifty's online translation service, provides several options for translating to and from various languages, including English, Japanese, Korean, Chinese, French, and German. In addition to machine-translation options, which produce quick and inexpensive (but usually rough and inaccurate) translations, companies such as Babel and Intergroup provide online access to rewriting and editing services. The document to be translated is sent by e-mail, with confidentiality guaranteed. For machine translations into Japanese, for example, the charge is ¥2 per character (kana or kanji).Want ads
If you are looking for Japanese personnel, especially technicians or engineers, or if you're thinking of changing jobs yourself, the Nifty want ads (type "GO WANT") could be useful. In addition to individual ads, special information is provided about the current employment situation and outlook for many professions in Japan. There is also a "consultation corner" where prospective employers/applicants can discuss their objectives.CompuServe and others
Nifty's "CompuServe Corner" gives users the capability to connect immediately to the world's largest online service. The charge is a flat $8.95 per month plus a time-based surcharge that varies depending on how you access CompuServe (e.g., CompuPass or Fenics 2 at ¥50 per minute, or Nifty Lease Line at ¥25 per minute). You can obtain a CompuServe ID and password when you sign up for your Nifty account. In addition, Nifty users can access services such as JALNet and PC-VAN.Interesting spots on Nifty-Serve
Listed here are a few of the spots on Nifty-Serve that are likely to be of special interest to foreign residents of Japan. All of the services, forums, and "meeting rooms" listed here are extremely active, and are monitored by many of the influential people, both foreign and Japanese, involved in Japan's computer industry.CF Computing meeting room
SWINVA (Windows Vendor Station A) is a popular user support forum. For users of Win/V and other CF Computing products, this meeting room provides valuable information on trouble- shooting, development, upgrades, and beta versions from one of the leading developers of bilingual software. (Type "GO SWINVA"' and select denshi kaigi /CF Computing.)Windows meeting rooms
The Windows meeting rooms focus on development and help-desk-type questions related to the various Windows products. Not surprisingly, the most active meeting room here focuses on the Japanese version of Windows 3.1. Other rooms cover English Windows 3.1 and Windows NT. Want to hear about all of the problems people are finding with the Japanese beta version of Windows 95? The meeting room devoted to Windows 95 was established in January and has seen a hefty amount of activity in recent months, as the anticipated shipping date for this product nears. (Type " GO FPCUWIN" and select denshi kaigi.)Software gallery
In a recent survey by Nifty Corporation, the number one reason current members gave for subscribing to the service was to gain access to all of the "free" software available on Nifty. The FGAL forums attempt, with limited success, to centralize and provide some degree of indexing and organization for the vast amount of software scattered across the Nifty forums and data libraries. FGALM is a general forum that provides an overview of the different types of software that can be downloaded. Other FGAL forums deal with specific categories of software, such as tools, communications, games, or images. (Type "GO FGALM".)Translation forum
The Honyaku forum is extremely useful for professional translators as well as anyone whose job entails reading or writing in both English and Japanese. It offers information on all of the latest developments in machine translation software tools as well as information on translation and rewriting services. (Type "GO FHONYAKU".)The drawbacks
The biggest complaint that most people seem to have with Nifty-Serve is its lack of "logical" organization. This can be an especially tough problem for non-native speakers of Japanese who don't have the time to go burrowing through the maze of Nifty forums and services. Names and commands are by no means intuitive, and search utilities are not extremely reliable. Further, many of the forums post a large amount of inappropriate or redundant information. Even for those who have a strong command of written Japanese, a fair amount of time can be required to learn how to navigate Nifty-Serve efficiently.Also, although Nifty-Serve advertisements emphasize ability to access the Internet, this access is actually limited to e-mail and telnet services. At present, Nifty-Serve does not offer ftp service nor access to the World Wide Web.ç
Nifty jargon
The members of Nifty-Serve form an online community and, like their online counterparts elsewhere in the world, have developed their own language, with terms that may be incomprehensible to the uninitiated and emoticons, or "smileys" (ASCII characters used to form small "pictures" representing various emotions), that have cultural connotations. A few of the terms and emoticons that appear frequently on Nifty are:
ÉåÉX RES -- An abbreviation of either "resolution" or "lesson"; it refers to the solution of a particular question or problem.
âªêÉåÉX kaseki resu -- A solution to a problem that was posted long ago. (Kaseki means "fossil.")
m(_ _)m -- A representation of a person on his/her knees. bowing with eyes down and hands out in front on the floor. Used when introducing oneself, posting for the first time, or expressing deep gratitude or remorse.
(^ ^ ;) -- An embarrassed face; the semicolon represents drops of nervous perspiration.
<(- -)><(_ _)><(- -)><(_ _)> -- A sequence of two bows, usually preceded by sumimasen ("please excuse me"). Used when apologizing or expressing thanks to someone who has helped with a problem. Three- and four-bow sequences are also common.
\(^ô^)/ yatta! -- Indicates that the speaker has finally succeeded in solving a problem, and expresses his/her elation.
Connecting and navigating
To access the Japanese side of Nifty-Serve, you must be using a Japanese-capable computer. (Software that provides a Japanese environment, such as Win/V for AT-compatibles or Japanese Language Kit for the Mac, is sufficient.) You'll also need Japanese communications software.
Nifty-Serve offers both individual and business accounts. The easiest way to subscribe as an individual user is to buy the Nifty-Serve Member's Pack (which sells for ¥5,150 in most PC shops and large bookstores throughout Japan). At the back of the NIFTY-Serve Access Guide included in the pack is a list of access points -- including which phone numbers are still 1200/2400 bps and which provide 9600/14400 bps connections. The member's pack can also be ordered by calling 0120-50-2210. (Or, you can sign up online via a friend or colleague's account.)
Connecting to Nifty-Serve for the first time can be troublesome -- especially if you have become used to graphical Web browsers and the like. The instructions are in the members pack, and you'll need them because onscreen prompts are terse and non-informative. After completing the procedure, you receive a temporary ID and password that can be used for access to most (but not all) of the Nifty services. Your official ID and password will be mailed to you within a few days.
Nifty-Serve charges ¥10 per minute for 1200/2400-bps connections and ¥25 per minute for 9600/14400-bps connections. (In the early morning hours, these rates fall to ¥8 and ¥20 per minute, respectively.) Although there is no flat monthly fee, there is also no upper limit on the bill you can rack up each month, which will be automatically charged to your credit card.
When logging on to Nifty, you first receive a listing of new announcements and such. At the main menu (type "T") you will find a general breakdown of into 18 basic categories. To see an entire listing of all services offered, including the 411 forums, enter "1." To go directly to any service at any time, you can use the "GO" command plus the service name. This bypasses the menus and saves online time. Forums names have an "F" prefix. To access the COMICS forum, for example, you would simply type "GO FCOMICS" at the command prompt.
For those who are new to online services, the "Beginner's corner" gives an overview of each major service along with a FAQ (frequently asked questions) list and other useful tips. For those who don't know the commands, Nifty-Serve is completely text-menu driven. Typing "E" at any time allows you to exit from the current menu, while "N" lets you jump ahead to the next menu.
When reading messages in the forum meeting rooms, you will frequently want to skip ahead to a particular message. The RC command will set the number of the message to be read. For example, typing "RC 200" sets the current pointer to message #200.
Nifty goes GUI
In June, Nifty Corporation announced that the company is developing a PC communications software package that will allow users to perform all operations graphically, by pointing and clicking. Nifty says the software is being developed to assist the growing number of beginning computer users who find command-based interfaces difficult. A beta Windows version of the new software will reportedly be distributed sometime in July. A commercial version will eventually be released, at an as-yet undisclosed price.