I think the Venezuelan diplomat is half right. As more and more political debate is conducted online those with limitedor no access to the Internet are not represented fairly. From my experience most poor people accessing the Internet from cafes are too busy emailing relatives for money or some form of help. Political discussions are least of their worries. Another thing, most poor people acces the net via mobile phones, mainly for text messaging transactions like mobile money transfers.
Where the diplomat is wrong is that politicians in developing countries take advantage of this digital gap and are weary of an effort to bridge this digital divide. I think the diplomat is just being sanctimonious. Venezuela can use some of their oil money to educate the poor masses and provide meaning Internet access. The language difference arguement is lame because there lots of auto translation tools available. On Mon, Dec 8, 2008 at 12:44 PM, Andy Halsall <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > Of course you've also limited the debate to those who have the > > capability and the inclination to participate in such a debate on a > > foreign broadcaster's website, whatever language(s) it's hosted in. > > Very good point, although I don't know how prevalent internet access is in > Venezuela and how common internet cafe type establishments are. > -- > > Andy Halsall > Director > ICTSC LTD, "The ICT and Security Company". > Direct: +44 (0)114 335 0392 > Mobile: +44 (0)750 511 1705 > Non-Geo: +44 (0)845 224 2591 > Sales: +44 (0)845 224 2305 > Web: www.ictsc.com > > --- > This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and > intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are > addressed. If you have received this email in error please notify > [EMAIL PROTECTED] and the sender. Please note that any views or > opinions presented in this email are solely those of the author. The > recipient should check this email and any attachments for the presence > of viruses. The sender accepts no liability for any damage caused by any > virus transmitted by this email. > > This email should be digitally signed, if it is not, it is probably not > from > who it claims to be from. Please report any abusive or unwanted > email content to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Registered office: 26 Cleveland > Street, Upperthorpe, Sheffield, S6 3JB. Registration Number: 5667864 > > This email and any attachments were created and sent using Open Source > software, > > ICTSC Ltd believes in open standards and the freedom to innovate. > > - > Sent via the backstage.bbc.co.uk discussion group. To unsubscribe, please > visit http://backstage.bbc.co.uk/archives/2005/01/mailing_list.html. > Unofficial list archive: > http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ > -- Sam Mbale Mpelembe Network http://www.mpelembe.net Follow me on http://twitter.com/mpelembe
