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Providing Access to Info in Developing Countries

Posted by michael on from the bandwidth-of-a-747-full-of-dvds dept.

matt writes "Widernet is a program run at the University of Iowa to provide developing countries access to information. Most of the universities they work with (mainly in Nigeria) have no internet access or have a very expensive, limited one. So Widernet ships hard drives with a data dump of about 100G to place on the local network. Students have access through the eGranery. Some the of the problems they are dealing with are how to provide updates to the already distributed libraries, how to provide the eGranery such that it can be setup with little or no IT knowledge, and how to stretch a limited budget and donations. I sadly had to turn down an internship with them, but would still like to contribute. Surely we can help with time, resources, and/or knowledge." And you thought sneakernet was dead.

6 of 102 comments (clear)

  1. Nigeria has a lot of money by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    This article is lying. I know several people in Nigeria that have Internet access, they send me messages every day. They also seem to have a lot of money to send me, so Nigeria is not really developing country.

    1. Re:Nigeria has a lot of money by Brie+and+gherkins · · Score: 2, Funny

      I'll send $18m to The University of Nigeria, but I must trust you my godfearing friend, please send $2000 as an escrow fee to my barrister BarristerJohn@yahoo.com and a picture of yourself holding up a sign with the password "Iblow Hossis". Oh and put a fish on your head too. Your esteemed friend Arthur Teetwanq

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    2. Re:Nigeria has a lot of money by Hatta · · Score: 3, Funny

      We're too busy with our own corrupt leaders.

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  2. This is a good thing for developing areas. by big+tex · · Score: 5, Funny

    Now that they have the granary, they won't loose all of their food every time the city goes up a level.

    Either that, or I've been playing too much civ.

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  3. nigeria by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Judging from my mailbox, it strikes me that Nigeria's problem is that they have too much internet access.

  4. Re:Security by 1u3hr · · Score: 2, Funny
    But could the sender booby-trap the BIOS to load a different image

    If they want to booby trap it, they could pack one of the "drives" with C4. That would be a REAL Trojan Horse.