One Jerry Machalek, owner of the domain name Czech.com, has been sending urgent letters to The Prague Post and to the American Chamber of Commerce making an impressively creative argument along these lines.

Machalek, who says he has been offered $50,000 (1.2 million Kč) for the Web address, plus "escrow" and other cash inducements, is making the plea that, as a matter of patriotism, the domain name should belong to the Czech Republic or someone in it. Troublingly, he writes, someone in China is trying to buy the name from him for piles of loot.

The implication seems clear: Someone in this country (possibly the Information Technology Ministry? Or why not even Parliament?) should pay Machalek. And fast!

It's a moving display of national pride, The Lowdown believes. Just what kind of movement it inspires is another story.

A more encouraging tale of Czech IT prowess and the spirit of Slavia fans — no small national treasure in themselves, of course — is that of the Web site www.slaviaforever.cz

Although it looks and functions as well as any official, professional team Web site and is festooned with the soccer team's logos, images and news and gets thousands of hits from loyal fans ... it's all really a work of love.

And one created by a young Czech fan who has never tried to cash in on much of anything. He just wanted to create an online shrine to the home team.

Now there's an example of transcending the crass commercialism of the information superhighway.

Others looking to get away from the world of big biz in the West are rock musicians these days. And, The Lowdown hears, the tiny village of Nouzov has been offering folks from David Bowie to Limp Bizkit just that chance at the internationally respected studio Sono Records.