Providing Access to Info in Developing Countries

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.

Comments

Only Nigeria ?

[Anonymous Coward]

or thats what it seems, what about other developing countries that dont have access at all, surely they would be better served with project like this ?, dont get me wrong im all for charity (if you can call 120$ for a 120gig hard drive and $112 p&p charity) but Nigeria already has quite good network access, (judging by the amount of internet cafes and budding enterprise) perhaps we should let them develop with what they already have and concentrate on bringing computing and networks to those who are even less fortunate

120$ for a 120gig hard drive seems rather steep (and 75$ for a demo USB box) as this is more than a complete computer in the local classifieds, (not to mention a shitload of cash in developing countries) is this a charity or a commercial profit making venture ?
i always am suspicious when i see the face of a charity/good cause but then they charge for the service at above-cost especially when other companies are supplying their services for free)

cough*scam*cough ?

Give them info, and teach them to USE it

[Anonymous Coward]

Give them info, and teach them to USE it. Having one without the other will just lead to a duplication of the situation we have here. Wired 100% of the time, unprecedented access to so much information... but still lead down a path of war by a bible bashing president and allowing our own government to turn over and beg for the RIAA, MPAA, ignoring our own rights at home AND those of prisoners of war overseas.

Information is one thing. Using it is something else entirely.

Re:Give them info, and teach them to USE it

[flimnap]

I know someone who went to Nigeria (and other nearby countries) as part of setup for an Africa-wide online learning university (computer science components). It was a miserable failure because none of the Nigerian universities were able to meet the requirements for computing, most notably steady electricity supply.

Rather then shipping developing countries information, it is much more important to get them set up with infrastructure so that they will eventually have the access required to retrieve the information themselves.

Information is one thing. Using it is something else entirely.

Part of using information effectively is learning how to get it properly, and extract effective information from it. That's what we do every time we use Google: filter the wheat from the chaff, if you will.

Re:Give them info, and teach them to USE it

[pangian]

How exactly do you get a national power grid to a country of 130 million people with extremely overcrowded cities and a rainy season that wipes out most of the roads and above ground power lines every year?

I can tell you one thing, the University of Iowa and the U.S. government and the World Bank aren't going to give it to them. Perhaps the best way to move toward and infrastructure in Nigeria is to educate Nigerians the best you can so that you can create demand for these services and find creative solutions.

Yes, there are problems with electricity provision. Power goes out several times a day. But Nigerians are very creative people (as all the forms of 419 attest), and they find ways around it. Most businesses and universities run off generators much of the day. A UPS is part of any computer purchase.

Without knowing anything about your friend's project, I'd say that he/she wasn't trying hard enough. There are Internet cafes all over the major cities. There are some extremely talented computer technicians in the major universities. Setting up and maintaining a computer network is more *interesting* than in the developed world, but certainly not impossible.

"developing countries"

[Anonymous Coward]

I hate that phrase. We are ALL in "developing countries", I hope - or we are screwed. The phrase sounds like the West has "finished developing" - which may be not be inaccurate as it drowns itself in a sea of intellectual "property" litigation, but I know I would like to see a guarantee of MY free access to information, as my fellow countrymen are doing their best to lock down that access and turn the country into a fascist police state that would have given Stalin wet dreams of joy.

Re:Don't these

[Wudbaer]

Everytime something comes up about technology in developing countries someone or other posts something like this.

Guess what ? The Western world and lots of Asian countries didn't get those necessities by some nice person donating them a 100 gallon container of fresh water, some cheap pills and some old school books. They got there by educating their people to a point where they become able to take their fate into their own hands. To do this, you need more than just basic schooling, you need something a project like this might provide.

Re:Nigeria has a lot of money

[pangian]

Why does it have to be the western world that stands up to corrupt Nigerian leaders? Not that western leaders shouldn't stand up to them, but aren't the best people for this the Nigerian people? Maybe the best way to change the situation is to get Nigerian citiznes information about which of their leaders are screwing them over and what they can do about it.