Comments on: Notes from the web4dev conference http://www.crisscrossed.net/2007/12/03/notes-from-the-web4dev-conference/ Exploring the web for change. Connecting people and ideas. Sun, 29 Jan 2012 11:55:13 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3-aortic-dissection By: ckreutz http://www.crisscrossed.net/2007/12/03/notes-from-the-web4dev-conference/comment-page-1/#comment-174 ckreutz Sat, 08 Dec 2007 22:21:21 +0000 http://www.crisscrossed.net/2007/12/03/notes-from-the-web4dev-conference/#comment-174 Thanks Andi and Bijan for your interesting remarks. I agree that the price is a big problem, however the connectivity challenge has many layers. There has been an interesting discussions on the web2fordev dgroup. (http://www.dgroups.org/groups/web2fordev/index.cfm) A summary is here: http://blog.web2fordev.net/2007/08/30/the-limiting-factors-of-web20-for-development/ Thanks Andi and Bijan for your interesting remarks. I agree that the price is a big problem, however the connectivity challenge has many layers. There has been an interesting discussions on the web2fordev dgroup. (http://www.dgroups.org/groups/web2fordev/index.cfm) A summary is here: http://blog.web2fordev.net/2007/08/30/the-limiting-factors-of-web20-for-development/

]]> By: Andi Petzoldt http://www.crisscrossed.net/2007/12/03/notes-from-the-web4dev-conference/comment-page-1/#comment-173 Andi Petzoldt Thu, 06 Dec 2007 15:03:41 +0000 http://www.crisscrossed.net/2007/12/03/notes-from-the-web4dev-conference/#comment-173 Yes, this would be a good solution for Uganda too. A mesh network would be very interesting (maybe together with a backbone of satellite and optical connections and proxy servers). I think, the OLPC is using it. Anyway it would help to have a fast and affordable Internet connection, but it would be a very big project ... Yes, this would be a good solution for Uganda too. A mesh network would be very interesting (maybe together with a backbone of satellite and optical connections and proxy servers). I think, the OLPC is using it. Anyway it would help to have a fast and affordable Internet connection, but it would be a very big project …

]]> By: Bijan Kafi http://www.crisscrossed.net/2007/12/03/notes-from-the-web4dev-conference/comment-page-1/#comment-172 Bijan Kafi Thu, 06 Dec 2007 07:43:23 +0000 http://www.crisscrossed.net/2007/12/03/notes-from-the-web4dev-conference/#comment-172 One of the things that worked well where I/my firm is active (ie. Congo) is internet cafés via satellite connections. A dish for a few thousand Euro installation costs and a few hundred per month can deliver decent low-band DSL speeds to even the remotest places of this earth. If you hook it up to 10-20 PC's - voila, there is your cybercafé. Granted, it doesn't cover all the costs yet and installation costs are steep so this can only be done by an NGO with solid funding. But there definitely are workable solutions to spread high-bandwith to the masses even in the Congolese bush. One of the things that worked well where I/my firm is active (ie. Congo) is internet cafés via satellite connections. A dish for a few thousand Euro installation costs and a few hundred per month can deliver decent low-band DSL speeds to even the remotest places of this earth. If you hook it up to 10-20 PC’s – voila, there is your cybercafé.

Granted, it doesn’t cover all the costs yet and installation costs are steep so this can only be done by an NGO with solid funding. But there definitely are workable solutions to spread high-bandwith to the masses even in the Congolese bush.

]]> By: Andi Petzoldt http://www.crisscrossed.net/2007/12/03/notes-from-the-web4dev-conference/comment-page-1/#comment-171 Andi Petzoldt Wed, 05 Dec 2007 08:22:57 +0000 http://www.crisscrossed.net/2007/12/03/notes-from-the-web4dev-conference/#comment-171 The problem in Uganda and other developing countries is not the availability of Internet access. Most parts of Uganda are connected to the Internet since a long time. The problem is that people can not afford the high costs for an Internet access. Around 150€ installation costs and 40€ monthly costs for the slowest Internet access is not affordable for them. Many people earn 1€ and less a day. And even if they could afford, most people have no knowledge about using a computer or they speak no word of English. Also the Internet access is very very slow, much more slower than a modem connection in Europe. Imagine how exhausting it is to check your mails in an Internet cafe, where 5 or more computers have to share such a connection. First we have to solve the problems on the ground, before we can think about Web 2.0 in developing countries. The problem in Uganda and other developing countries is not the availability of Internet access. Most parts of Uganda are connected to the Internet since a long time. The problem is that people can not afford the high costs for an Internet access. Around 150€ installation costs and 40€ monthly costs for the slowest Internet access is not affordable for them. Many people earn 1€ and less a day. And even if they could afford, most people have no knowledge about using a computer or they speak no word of English. Also the Internet access is very very slow, much more slower than a modem connection in Europe. Imagine how exhausting it is to check your mails in an Internet cafe, where 5 or more computers have to share such a connection. First we have to solve the problems on the ground, before we can think about Web 2.0 in developing countries.

]]> By: Christian Kreutz http://www.crisscrossed.net/2007/12/03/notes-from-the-web4dev-conference/comment-page-1/#comment-3508 Christian Kreutz Mon, 03 Dec 2007 23:12:31 +0000 http://www.crisscrossed.net/2007/12/03/notes-from-the-web4dev-conference/#comment-3508 <span class="topsy_trackback_comment"><span class="topsy_twitter_username"><span class="topsy_trackback_content">New blog post: Notes from the web4dev conference http://tinyurl.com/22jqhj</span></span> New blog post: Notes from the web4dev conference http://tinyurl.com/22jqhj

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