Subbiah Arunachalam wrote: > Steve Eskow suggests that governments buy very large numbers of > computers (simputers, Mobilis or the Negroponte equivalent) and give > them away to telecentres nation wide. But a telecentre is not just the > computing equipment. It is much more, very much more. It involves a > great deal of content development, skill building, and becoming the > cetre of all activities of the village/locality/ region. And a lot of > partnership building and networking. The governments will soon find > that paying the dollars for buying these gadgets is the easiest part, > and running a suuccessful telecentre is a far more difficult job.
Well, that would be a good idea. Now if someone can convince the governments to do what they have failed to do in the past - even Brazil has had a failed initiative - perhaps I would give the concept that Steve presents more room to breathe. The Simputer was to be one such initiative as the timeshare concept Steve puts forth describes. It was sabotaged in 2003 by politics in India. The UN ICT Policy list post that I sent to this list shows the level at which it happened as well. Perhaps I do not share the idealistic belief in paternalistic governments. I admit, I am somewhat jaded. I do, however, believe in people.... and if the people learn enough to make something a political issue, then you can expect the democratically elected dictators and dictatorial administrations (to be accurate) who are made up of politicians to take notice. I don't know politics, and I do not care to. -- Taran Rampersad Presently in: Panama City, Panama [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.knowprose.com http://www.easylum.net http://www.digitaldivide.net/profile/Taran "Criticize by creating." — Michelangelo _______________________________________________ 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.
