In 1997, I went to Vietnam and saw only about 3 computers in the whole country (5-6 large cities) in 3 weeks.
I returned in 1998 to Hanoi (about city number 3 by population, about 3 million), with a plan to set up the Internet at my favourite restaurant. On the way there, I saw a cafe called Cybernet cafe. They had 3 PCs, and were thriving on tourists and foreign workers, and they had a better scanner than in my 1000-person research facility in Australia. While I was there, they expanded to 4 PCs.
I thought this was just in the better off part of town. So I picked a really poor part, and on my way to a down-and-out hotel, I saw yet another Internet hotel.
So I gave up my plan. There were just Internet cafes and hotels etc. all over the place. I suggested the idea at my local favourite restaurant in the medieval quarter of the city. He said: no problem, I have heaps of money, but I just need to "arrange it" with the Cong An (the local police). Next day, I saw him discussing it with his local police officer.
Conclusion: Vietnam is a US$1 per person per day country, and they increased internet usage very noticeably from 1997 to 1998. I have my own list of VN ISPs, and one of them is now expanding into the USA.
The third world is _not_ missing out on the Internet. It's happening.
About 8 months ago, I changed to the PGP method because I was worried about the security of the mail method. The Network Solutions system accepted my request to change to PGP method, but refused to accept a single signed message of any sort. After a couple of weeks of completely losing control over all of my domains, I ahd to phone them from Australia for an hour to get everything donw correctly, and reversed to the MAIL system.
In making a system secure against bad guys, you also have tomake sure you don't stop the good guys getting in.
If anyone has found that they _can_ make the PGP system work, please let me know. I don't know if I have the courage to try it again though. maybe next time they won't accept my phone call as authority to change things. I wonder how they know if a phone call is from a good guy or a bad guy.....
Slashdot Mirror
I returned in 1998 to Hanoi (about city number 3 by population, about 3 million), with a plan to set up the Internet at my favourite restaurant. On the way there, I saw a cafe called Cybernet cafe. They had 3 PCs, and were thriving on tourists and foreign workers, and they had a better scanner than in my 1000-person research facility in Australia. While I was there, they expanded to 4 PCs.
I thought this was just in the better off part of town. So I picked a really poor part, and on my way to a down-and-out hotel, I saw yet another Internet hotel.
So I gave up my plan. There were just Internet cafes and hotels etc. all over the place. I suggested the idea at my local favourite restaurant in the medieval quarter of the city. He said: no problem, I have heaps of money, but I just need to "arrange it" with the Cong An (the local police). Next day, I saw him discussing it with his local police officer.
Conclusion:
Vietnam is a US$1 per person per day country, and they increased internet usage very noticeably from 1997 to 1998. I have my own list of VN ISPs, and one of them is now expanding into the USA.
The third world is _not_ missing out on the Internet. It's happening.
In making a system secure against bad guys, you also have tomake sure you don't stop the good guys getting in.
If anyone has found that they _can_ make the PGP system work, please let me know. I don't know if I have the courage to try it again though. maybe next time they won't accept my phone call as authority to change things. I wonder how they know if a phone call is from a good guy or a bad guy.....