[Telecentres] Re: Basic Telecentre Items/ICT Definition

[ashish Saboo]

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Joel, 
   Given the Telecentres models are consumer centric, the concept means different things to different people. 
  IMO our group is divided into two sections, one offered by the those organizers at grassroots level who can offer ground realities & the other tools developers and related opportunities whose definition may sound too theoretical but may offer to visualize an alternative scenarios Thus both the sets are mutually complementing.
  IMHO, the best way to reduce the chaos is offer liberty to each member who is at the grassroots level to share their war stories & express his or her hopes fears, disillusionments unhindered. I am sure down the line we shall find a recurring pattern. 
   BTW India too has its own share of similar experiences as you have opined. 

Sincerely 

Ashish




On Mon, 04 Oct 2004 Joel Galgana wrote :
>
> >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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