Cliff, this is a very interesting line of argument -- if this way of using the internet through an intermediary is a general practice in Africa because of the lack of connectivity, it might mean amending some of the theories of Internet communication from the idea of the Internet as a many-to-one or individualised, customised form of communication to one that is similar to the two-step flow of communication, where information is mediated by leaders or representatives in society.
Can you perhaps point me to some case studies of this type of mediation, or to specific examples? Thanks Herman Cliff Missen wrote: > Today, villager's messages are being delivered on paper to a Internet > Cafe and then transcribed into email for delivery worldwide by someone > who holds an email account. There may someday be a SERVICE that enhances > this informal relationship to the point where a single "griot" can > manage email accounts for hundreds of clients through a simple handheld > device. It'll take a little tweaking of the current email and client > software, but it's very possible. ------------ This DOT-COM Discussion is funded by the dot-ORG USAID Cooperative Agreement, and hosted by GKD. http://www.dot-com-alliance.org provides more information. To post a message, send it to: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To subscribe or unsubscribe, send a message to: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>. In the 1st line of the message type: subscribe gkd OR type: unsubscribe gkd For the GKD database, with past messages: http://www.GKDknowledge.org
