Re: [GKD] Linux Aid Server Project

[tom poe]

On Monday 18 February 2002 05:43, Dr. Perry Morrison wrote:

- - -snip - - -
So, Perry, what's your point?  When you have a moment, read this example of 
what happens in other parts of the world:

Source: The Zimbabwe Mirror at: 
http://www.africaonline.co.zw/mirror/stage/archive/990716/national19753.html

The Rural Libraries and Resources Development Programme (RLRDP) will 
this Saturday launch the country's first ever donkey-drawn mobile 
electro communication library cart in the Nkayi district of 
Matabeleland North. 

RLRDP official Obidiah Moyo said apart from being a donkey-drawn library
cart, the invention will work as a centre for electro- communication,
enabling users to access radio, television, telephone, fax, e-mail and
internet services.

This would enable rural and isolated communities who were deprived of
communication to access such services, he said.

The invention, a brain-child of Moyo, would use solar power supplied by
a unit installed at the roof of the cart.

This cart could also be provided with an aerial or satellite dish for a
wider and clearer electro-communication system.

The cart would be used in all sorts of terrain and could also be
attached to a network system linking several villages.

In the past the RLRDP has come up with various innovations that make
information and communication accessible to disadvantaged communities.
In 1995, it launched the first ever donkey drawn mobile library.

- - - - - - - - - - -

Now, Perry.  Aren't you a little inspired to start down the road of
creative  thinking, and productive participation, or do you feel that
nonproductive "devil's advocacy" is the desired posture?
thanks, and your friend, I remain,
tom




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[GKD] Integrating Western and Traditional Information Systems

[Stuart Hawthorne]

I am a new subscriber to the GKD list. My name is Stuart Hawthorne. I
live in Brisbane, Australia where I am an information systems
consultant, though I previously spent 28 years in Papua New Guinea. I am
in collaboration with Dr John Evans of Wewak in PNG on a project
described as follows:

The literature covering the implemention of Western designed information
systems in developing countries frequently attests to the difficulty of
matching the world view of the local community with the way knowledge is
represented in the system. This difficulty arises because the local
perspective is, or is historically derived from, a community-centered
approach to information sharing. It is holistic and essentially
deductive. This contrasts with the inductive, segmented nature of
Western information systems. While there is much descriptive comment on
the problems this mismatch causes, little attention has been given to
identifying the operational differences at the analytical level. Our
view is that if we can identify the actual processes that occur in the
community-based information processing system, we may be able to develop
information systems better suited to the user in the traditional
community. This will provide the means for the traditional user to
access indexed information under his own familiar perspective and
facilitate access by the traditional user to Western datastores. Given
our backgrounds, our interest lies largely with the traditional
Melanesian community but have a strong suspicion that there are general
principles that apply to all community-based (historically oral)
information systems employing distributed storage. For example, given
system requirements, it seems determination of relevance has to occur at
a different, probably later, time in the retrieval process than it does
in Western systems. The anecdotal evidence points in this direction at
least.  We would very much like to make contact with anyone working in
this area or to learn of any related research we may consult.

Regards,

Stuart Hawthorne
[EMAIL PROTECTED]




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Re: [GKD] Linux Aid Server Project

[Edmond Gaible]

I couldn't agree more with Mr. Morrison that context is the key to
understanding any proposed assistance or development -- technologically
based and otherwise. I've in no way suggested that Mr. Grant's proposed
design is suitable for _all_ applications in all contexts, any more than
I would dismiss Mr. Morrison's DOS / laptop-based solution because it
doesn't provide enough functionality for schools or telecenters.

Mr. Grant's design has the potential to provide value for networked
computer installations in low-infrastructure environments. I encourage
him to develop it on that basis and for those contexts -- I suggest as
well that as a first step he work closely with organizations and
individuals in his prospective user base to be sure that he's addressing
their needs in terms of ease-of-use and functionality.

With regard to Linux implementations and free software, again it's a
question of context, as well as capacity, and also a question of future
contexts and capacities. Linux may well not be an effective solution in
all development contexts, or even in many of them, at present. But we
are, I hope, building a future in which infrastructure is enhanced
through sustainable means, and local technical capacities are enhanced
as well.

(And I'm aware of situations in which new, donated desktop computers
have lain in the warehouse for months simply because the manufacturer's
donation didn't include a license for Windows. Why not evaluate
solutions to this problem, including Linux and alternatives such as New
Deal software?)

If I can offer a final suggestion: Mr. Grant has made it clear that he's
interested in developing software that will support socio-economic
development, and that will be freely available. If his initial design
query _isn't_ valuable, perhaps Mr. Morrison or others offer guidance
toward a project that will return greater benefits.

Yes?

Edmond Gaible





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