SOUNDING BOARD is an outlet for opinions on good and crazy things going on at home (wherever I may be). All are welcome. You are not expected to bring anything except your common sense & sense of humor.
'If the automobile had followed the same development cycle as the computer, a Rolls-Royce would today cost $100, get one million miles to the gallon, and explode once a year, killing everyone inside.'
-Robert X. Cringely (from geek wisdom)
Here's a recent feature on gameen phone. Not only does the technology brings income to Bangladesh women (target of microcredit schemes due to women's high repayment rates), it also gives them respect and independence. This was also in my 30 September 2002 post where I talked about some of my lingering questions about the robustness of the grameen phone technology.
Digital maps are being used also by Bangladesh to improve development planning and reduce corruption. And this one is truly amazing - famers use mobile phones to find the best prices for their produce, reducing dependence on agents (ok it's "middlemen", just trying to be politically correct). Technology is also paving the way for telemedicine and even internet-based medical education.
Indeed, if poor nations are to catch up - bridging the gap between poor and rich nations - they will have to leapfrog through the proper use of new technologies. Bridging the digital divde within nations is the first step to bring about this leapfrogging process. There is no other way.
posted by Allan at 6:09 PM (GMT+8)
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