Re: [GKD-DOTCOM] Using Intermediaries to Facilitate Communication
Apart from the "voices in their hands" program, there may be other ways to conceivably tackle the problems of ensuring the process empowers the end user and not create a class between them and the intermediaries. Take the example of Njideka's Oweri Digital Village model where youth are employed as "runners" delivering messages to and from the center. This makes sense economically, because if there is one thing in over-abundance in Africa, it is youthful unskilled labour. The rural farmer labouring in the fields all day also hardly has time to venture out to the Telecenter. Intermediaries as knowledge agents may help facilitate more use of such centers. Innovative use of encryption could help ensure privacy and ensure the "runners" remain just that, as "griots" and not transform into translators or priests. Take the case of a handwritten letter. This in fact may be the best technique to use, then the letter can be scanned right away in plain sight with simultaneous encryption occurring and the letter sent as an encrypted image attachment. All that the end users need to know are the public keys of their loved ones and a Version of PGP or interface to some encryption algorithm that presents a simple interface for them to authorize the encryption process, perhaps a Numeric keypad? or Photos on a touch screen - The simputer comes to mind. i.e. villager touches photo of daughter which means (I want to use my daughter's public key) and encryption proceeds. The letter is then sent and only her daughter in the city can read it after that with her private key. Although crptography is complicated, we should not under-estimate the intelligence of people to quickly grasp the basic concepts and then trust the system. After all, Julius Ceaser was using ciphers as far back as 100 BC! It would be great fun and very empowering to teach villagers about ciphers and the art of cryptography as part of the marketing of such a service and let them try it. Even issue challenges with prize money for anyone cracking them (let them crack some and move on to more difficult ones). For example, we could start with the simple one of wrapping a strip of cloth or paper around a certain sized stick, then writing a message across, then removing the stick, then showing the message can only be read by winding it around a similar sized stick. etc. I think there is something to be gained from not only bringing the IT technologies to people but also teaching some of the supposedly difficult concepts of computer science that underpin the technologies. Kind regards, Raphael Kaume Marambii Microsoft Fellow Reuters Digital Vision fellowship Program Stanford University Cordura Hall 210 Panama Street Stanford, CA 94305-4115 +1 650 724 9258 or 9259 (tel) + 1 650 861 0241 (mobile) +1 650 724 4076 (fax) [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://reuters.stanford.edu 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
Re: [GKD-DOTCOM] What Can and Should be Brought to Scale?
Dear GKD Members, I agree with much of what Stella Hughes has said with regard to scaling up. However, we must not forget that communication for development is a social process, and the technology is only a tool, a means to reach the objective of increasing participation, sharing information, knowledge and skills and improving the quality of life of people in developing countries. What is important is the process... Discussions on the potential of ICTs for development often concentrate only on the technology. Also, the past decades of experience in communication for development, making use of many different media, have provided much experience and lessons learned, as well as guiding principles and knowledge of critical factors for success. All this experience should not be forgotten when planning for the future of ICTs in development. I agree with Stella that one has to strive for support and committment at different levels, from communities as well as policy makers. However, I believe that one of the essentials for sustainability and scaling up will also be capacity building and the training of a sufficient critical mass of communication specialists as brokers/mediators and facilitators to assist with the use of ICTs, especially with illiterate rural audiences. Silvia Balit 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
Re: [GKD-DOTCOM] What's on the Horizon?
I'd just like to emphasize again the assumption "Connectivity for All" would infer that there's something worthwhile to be connected to. Too often I think we focus on the technologies. Too often we are distracted by the lure of how much easier, or faster, or cheaper, "things" can be done by PDAs, broadband, handhelds... But what rigorous analyses and debates do we witness about the actual products that should be "facilitated" by these technologies? I believe that we can easily be misled by the sex-appeal of new technologies. I believe computers are still hard to use for most people because they were first a technology and secondly a solution -- built by technologists. We need to reverse the thinking here. Get plain people to speak out for what they do, or want to do, and then let us focus on throwing some suggestions and prototypes around to see if, frankly, there's a reason to chase after connectivity at all. In Ghana, where we run the largest private technology center in Africa, with over 1,500 visitors daily, the demand for connectivity is clear. But two hours outside of Accra, a digital village lays fallow -- the internet connection has been dropped from lack of, what? interest, affordability, applicability? What's the need for connectivity when most of the content and services are not customized, or developed by the communities that they seek to serve? In Ghana, there's a crisis in telecenters, or at least most of them, because no one is really thinking to actually craft services online for Ghanaians. Yesterday I took a poll at the Ghana cybercafe association meeting, and most cybercafes have their home page set to Yahoo! Yet in Ghana, we suffer to pay our bills, we suffer to find up-to-date telephone directories, we suffer to get notices about upcoming events, we suffer to find inventory for car parts and more...There's a huge opportunity to massage and facilitate the flow of information here -- I just don't see the debate focussed on what the information needs to be. We all talk about rural connectivity, but how many of us have actually sat around and had a couple of conversations with villagers about what that is, or what it means to them? In perfunctory discussions with farmers, "what information do you use or need" they clearly want price information. Not world cocoa prices. No, they want to know what a bowl of tomatoes sold for yesterday in the neighboring market. It's a no-brainer -- a pure information exercise. They just want some extra knowledge so that they can keep a few more cedis in their pocket when bartering with the traders. There are a few projects I've found in Africa trying this, but I'm amazed that the development community, the technology community, all of us, haven't got thirty of these services up and running across similar markets and sharing ideas about how best they apply. Too often well-intentioned people travel around communities to "showcase" ICT projects and services on health and agriculture. But when challenged, what's really out there that's simple to use and truly meaningful to the intended stakeholders? I fear it's little. And who's out there learning from communities, rather than showcasing things to them? I've seen this "enthusiasm" before with the dotcom boom in the states. What's possible technologically gets us all excited, a few ideas follow to exploit the technology, then after a year or two we dump the silly bits and get down to listening to what people want. It's the same with websites, digital cameras, phones and more. So here are my areas of focus for the future: KEY QUESTIONS: > 1. What new "high impact" technologies are on the 3-year horizon? Who > (exactly) needs to do what (concretely) to make those technologies > widely available? Forget technology, think services. We'll build the tools to meet the challenge. We've already got loads of great technology that's under-utilized. I bet you cybercafes in Ghana would be able to afford the new cheap VSATs coming if people actually found more "useful stuff to do" than only email. Occupancy and prices would increase and the telecenter model would become sustainable. I think the web and SMS could be "high impact" if only they were used appropriately. DSL in urban areas will reduce cost and transform connectivity in major cities. Biased, but a necessary development for corporations seeking affordable access (because the phone companies own the only cheap access (SAT-3)). > 2. What's the most valuable area for technology development? Voice > recognition? Cheap broadband delivery? Cheap hand-helds (under $50)? Technology focuses on 1) the interface to information (computer/pda/phone/paper/pen) and 2) the method (satellite, WI-FI, fiber-optic, twisted copper). Rather than focussing on whether it's held in a hand, up to an ear, or in front of you on a desk -- focus on what people actually want to see/use. Let WAP be a lesson to all of us for now, that all new technology doesn't drive usage -- only a few truly
Re: [GKD-DOTCOM] What's on the Horizon?
It's hard to predict or foresee technology. Mainly, it becomes an exercise in wishful thinking. So here are my wishes ... On Mon, 2003-11-17 at 20:28, Global Knowledge Dev. Moderator wrote: > 1. What new "high impact" technologies are on the 3-year horizon? Who > (exactly) needs to do what (concretely) to make those technologies > widely available? Hardware: Cheap handhelds (approx $100) that are Wi-Fi (or GSM 3G) capable. Either as a telephone or a handheld tablet. Processing power won't matter too much, battery life will be more important. Linux is an ideal choice for these devices. No keyboard. - Manufacturers of hardware should standardize on a common, modular platform. The size of a common global market for baseline computing and communication should be well worth it and result in truly low cost computing. Such a system could be modular and enable manufacturers to place their own high value components, e.g. CPU in place of standard components. - Manufacturers should specifically target a low cost, mass market device that can suit the needs of the less developed (and poorer) countries. - Bandwidth industry needs to make sure that Wi-Fi succeeds. The network, the computing device and the person attached have a value much greater than the sum of its parts. Software: Social software - helps people keep organized and use computers based more on their interpersonal relationships than on their file structures. Networking moves from linking computers and programs to linking humans and their data. - Software developers need to create applications focussed on ease of use and the end user experience. They need to work on software that does groupware but breaks out of the business information mentality. It's not about the documents, it about the people, so to speak. Right now, that's the address book and obviously, there's a lot of room for improvement, mostly in the need for new ideas. - User interfaces should be keyed to voice and video. Crucial in getting it to the largest number of people. It's all happening already and three years will definitely see lots of new and exciting technology. Change is about the only thing that is certain. > 2. What's the most valuable area for technology development? Voice > recognition? Cheap broadband delivery? Cheap hand-helds (under $50)? Cheap broadband delivery and cheap handhelds. Entirely new types of mass market applications are possible with this. The combination of mobility, low cost and connectivity makes it possible to extend information services to previously unreachable areas. Software designed not to assume a literate user is using the device. Obviously, this changes a lot of common assumptions. Error messages? How many spoken languages are there? Voice synthesis and recognition research is going to be important. There's probably a lot of research on that already, someone just needs to put it all together and make that into a cross-platform software library that other projects can easily reuse. > 3. Where should we focus our efforts during the coming 3 years? On ICT > policy? Creating ICT projects with revenue-generation models that are > quickly self-supporting? Demonstrating the value of ICT to developing > country communities? 3 x Yes. > 4. What levels of access should we be able to achieve by 2007 in each of > the major under-served regions? Who (exactly) must do what (concretely) > to attain them? The level of internet access must increase by an order of magnitude in each of the major under-served regions. Could be foreign direct investment - trade. If one underserved region has 1 in 1 users, target 1 in 1000 users by 2007. Numbers like this can be adjusted for population density. The aim is to grow the global market as much as possible. Investing industries already have such a huge lead over the developing countries that it poses no real threat to them but instead offers a means to increase in size. - Suitably high targets have to be set, otherwise its easier to just do business as usual than to take a good look at it and fix it properly. - The G7 should muster the collective will to pull this off. Political will to use their collective financial and technological lead to pay serious attention to human development in a profitable manner. - People all over the world have to be educated to understand that it is in everyone's best interest to make the world a more equitable and peaceful place. Political will of world government leaders to push this message for a sea change required. Sharing the workload globally will make it much easier and what better monument to build in this new century than one demonstrating civilized, peaceful behaviour - a world that is simply a better place for everybody in it. > 5. What funding models should we develop over the next 3 years? Projects > with business plans that provide self-sustainability? Support from > multilateral corporations? Venture capital funds for ICT and > development? Funds get to
Re: [GKD-DOTCOM] How Much Bandwidth is Necessary?
Don et al: Given the low cost and availability of new wireless access
devices, plus the steady expansion (and underutilization) of the
national backbone (often fiber) in many developing nations, is the real
cost of extending voice and data telecom service to rural villages any
higher for broadband than for narrow band? If as I suspect the cost
differential is not all that much, wouldn't then broadband imply a
higher return on investment. [I am assuming, of course an ideal
regulatory environment described earlier ("market liberalization, open
investment climate, good regulation (that supports universal access)."]
Ed Malloy
Don Richardson wrote:
> Voice connections are still absent in far too many parts of rural Africa
> - and other LDCs. Fola Odufuwa's email hits the nail on the head -
> market liberalization, open investment climate, good regulation (that
> supports universal access).
>
> On a related note, while GSM may not currently be as Internet compatible
> as we might wish, the very existence of TOWERS and backhaul from towers
> provides the opportunity to use GSM towers for Wi-Fi and other non-voice
> applications, provided the local market has a willingness and ability to
> pay for such services. Incentives or mandates for tower sharing may also
> be a vehicle to increase competitive telecom service in underserved
> markets.
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Agreement, and hosted by GKD. http://www.dot-com-alliance.org provides
more information.
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Re: [GKD-DOTCOM] Improving Access Via Mobile Telephony
I think William Lester and Fola Odufuwa are pointing out something important--the potential of cellular networks to provide data connectivity inexpensively, if imperfectly. As converged devices proliferate and newer network technologies spread to developing countries, these problems will ease--and in the meantime, the installed user base is more than twice that of the Internet and growing more rapidly. Phones already have the potential to provide secure ID (combining voice and face recognition at the server level), and can serve as powerful transaction platforms (see the current micro-entrepreneur reseller activity with Smart Buddy in the Phillipines.) Whether WiFi-like or cellular solutions are most feasible may depend as much on the regulatory environment (what's legal) and on the openness to innovation in cellular providers. Allen L. Hammond Vice President for Innovation & Special Projects World Resources Institute 10 G Street NE Washington, DC 20002 USA V (202) 729- F (202) 729-7775 [EMAIL PROTECTED] www.wri.org www.digitaldividend.org 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
