[Telecentres] Re: Basic Telecentre Items/ICT Definition

[Joel Galgana]

>Date: Sun, 03 Oct 2004 20:18:55 -0400
>From: "Elizabeth Carll, PhD" <ecarll at optonline.net>
>Subject: [Telecentres]  Basic Telecentre Items/ICT 
> Definition
>To: telecentres at wsis-cs.org
> David,
> Excellent point, as ICTs are certainly only a means
> to the end product of learning and participating.
> To what other appropriate tools are you
> referring, in addition to ICTs?
> Elizabeth
...
>  -----Original Message-----
>  From: telecentres-bounces at wsis-cs.org
>[mailto:telecentres-bounces at wsis-cs.org]On Behalf Of 
> David Leeming PFnet
> Sent: Sunday, October 03, 2004 7:04 PM
> To: telecentres at wsis-cs.org
>  Subject: Re: [Telecentres] Basic Telecentre Items/
>  ICT Definition
>  Hi,
>  If we're talking about the Information Society 
>  then we should concentrate on the information
>  activities and not the techology. A telecentre 
>  may be simply described as a place where people
>  can participate (and learn to participate) in 
>  the wider emerging information society, using 
>  appropriate tools including ICTs.
>  David

IMHO, I believe that David "hit it on the head". Most
of the discussions so far have mostly been focused on
ICT and telecenter definitions, on the tools, the
hardware and software, the sustainability models and
so on. But as mentioned (and I assume we can all agree
on) , the aforementioned are but tools, or mechanics,
or means to an end... (Just consider the very title of
this thread - "Basic Telecentre Items/ICT Definition".
) 

I humbly propose that we identify first WHAT the
telecenters would be used for, maybe coming up with
matrix of categories of telecenters, and based on the
various applications / objectives, THEN focus on the
details.


If I may relate the (mostly sad) experiences we have
gone through in our country, Philippines (in the hope
that we can constructively critique it and thereby
learn and move forward)...

The initial government attemps towards a "connected
community" or "telecenter" was the establishment of
"barangay Tawag Centers", or just basically putting a
telephone in every major community. This failed,
mostly due to the lack of infrastructure and a
management mechanism :(  
(there was a known technology, an identified need, but
focus was on the mechanics)

Another approach, used by the CBCP, was the
establishment of internet cafes with a social purpose.
Again, this failed due to the lack of parameters and
control systems 
(in short, the top manager ran away with the money and
the Bishops did not even know what he was doing).

There have also been a lot of individual/corporate
efforts to harness the internet to build "telecenters"
in the country, but most of these for-profits
eventually became gaming centers (which were
eventually banned or restricted by most city
governments) as there was no other viable/perceived
application/business justification.

A more pragmatic approach, and one that is currently
being recognized as workable, is the use of mobile
communications technologies. We now have a term - 
"M-government" (mobile) for the use of SMS
technologies for interaction between the citizenry and
government.

This approach was demonstrated at People Power II,
when SMS (text) technology was used to urge the
citizenry to meet at EDSA (again, sigh).

Note the differences. The initial examples focused on
technologies and relied on "experts" who know what the
technologies are. They failed due to what can be
attributed as social/economic/moral issues (whatever).

The use of SMS, on the other hand, relied on a
technology that was already available, and which did
not even have a central planning unit. There was an
identified need, and a concerned citizenry volunteered
for the (minimal) effort required to inform others.
The results speak for themselves.

Just my $0.02,
-Joel



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