I'm also very interested in the software you are using. LearningTimes has been a big fan of voice e-mail tools for many applications. We provided free access to voice e-mail for two years, provided by a sponsor of LearningTimes.org. We sent about 4000 new member welcome messages using voice email - the response was amazing, establishing immediate conversational rapport with colleagues. In addition to adding voice to daily communications, these tools provide an excellent "low-threshold" means to collect conversations, and add a layer of excitement that can only be provided by the human voice.
One of our first projects was to send voice e-mail based questions to "experts" and then we rolled these clips into a live webcast - a great blend of synch/asynch tools. LearningTimes.org recently used "Instant Audio" to capture award winner acceptance speeches; create audio blogs by correspondents at venue based education events; and record testimonials for an online conference. Examples: http://www.learningtimes.org/aam2004blog.html http://www.learningtimes.net/ioc2004awards.shtml Inside Learningtimes.org current discussions include reports from the 16th Annual Instructional Technology Institute at Utah University. http://home.learningtimes.net/learningtimes?go=521659 If you'd like to check out this tool, try: http://members.instantaudio.com/specialinfo.asp?x=89968 But please share any alternatives you have seen out there - we'd like to try'm all! Thanks: jw John Walber CEO LearningTimes [EMAIL PROTECTED] 215-884-7321 office 917-287-6061 cell 215-525-0262 fax http://www.learningtimes.net -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Behalf Of Donald Z. Osborn Sent: Friday, September 03, 2004 3:20 AM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [DDN] Voice e-mail & ICT4D? Thanks, David. It would be interesting to know about what software you are using, or if the users are simply recoding .wav or .mp3 files to attach to e-mail. Beyond that I wonder if there's not a need for more clarity about the field and how its changing. There is also voice mail - since a long time - and interfaces with messaging. Perhaps the notion of audio file e-mail is being passed by the technology, or perhaps more accurately it's being limited to the special (but definitely not unimportant) needs of people far from each other who are not comfortable with the typed word (or where systems aren't configured to support their languages) and who can't afford long distance international. How computers and phones, audio and text, interface may be important in different ways to people in different circumstances. And I'm thinking (and looking for evidence that) a little more attention to the audio dimensions may make a huge difference for a lot of people on the other side of the divides from the main consumers of ICT. Don Osborn Bisharat.net Quoting David Keyes <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>: > I know of one community telecentre in a public housing community here in > Seattle where immigrant residents were sending voice mail files to > family members and friends. > > >>> [EMAIL PROTECTED] 09/01/04 03:48PM >>> > Does anyone have examples of use of voice/audio e-mail software by > ICT4D / > digital divide projects (e.g., in community telecenters)? Voice e-mail > is not > so popular in Northern countries but would seem to have potential in > parts of > the global South where literacy rates are not so high and/or oral > cultural > traditions are still important. > > On the other hand, the spread of cellphones might undercut demand for > such a > feature. Then again, messaging technology linking phones and voice mail > from > computers might open up new possibilities. > > Any experience, info, or thoughts on this would be welcome. > > Don Osborn > Bisharat.net > > _______________________________________________ > DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > http://mailman.edc.org/mailman/listinfo/digitaldivide > To unsubscribe, send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] > with the word UNSUBSCRIBE in the body of the message. > _______________________________________________ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://mailman.edc.org/mailman/listinfo/digitaldivide To unsubscribe, send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the word UNSUBSCRIBE in the body of the message. _______________________________________________ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://mailman.edc.org/mailman/listinfo/digitaldivide To unsubscribe, send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the word UNSUBSCRIBE in the body of the message.