[wsfii-discuss] Re: [india-gii] Need an example of a democratic , decentralized community based ICT in rural India

Wed Jan 10 11:21:55 UTC 2007

Hi Ashish,

Can gather from your mail that your saying cyber dhaba's aka internet
cafes meet the requirements of a successful "community based" ict project.

Guess Its is your job to promote cyber cafe enterprises

Am assuming that your analysis is based on a real rural area

Sure Cyber cafes do perform some functions - but they are not
"communnity centres" - and it should clarified I am talking of community
based centres - if that got missed

>> ramnarayan.k at gmail.com wrote:
>> a. Have an active involvement of the community

> Ashish Saboo wrote:
> Yes,  most of the folks get their earliest lesson on  computers basics
> in here .

Tea Shops , Daru ke dookans, misc eat places etc are all also community
centres !!! (such a list is endless) - but they focus on a select
audience - a. people who can pay b. people who have the time to hang out
there - aka unemployed youth and hardworking men who need to drink up
all their earnings. These community centres that you refer to by their
nature exclude women (young and old) children - who can't pay, old folks
who want to hang out with their grandchildren, government agencies etc.

I have the greatest respect for these individual entreprenuers - who are
breaking  new ground - but have you visited a sampling of such centres -
small, dingy, unventilated with isolation techniques (to allow various
shady activities to be done in peace). Not the definition of a
"community centre".

There seems to be this taking over of what "community based" means - one
entrepreneur providing a host of servics to a community which has no
easy alternative is *not a community centre*. There is no community
there is only profit.

>> ramnarayan.k at gmail.com wrote:
>> d. Are part of a larger network

> Ashish Saboo wrote:
> Network ? why do you need one ?  except for the convenience of  'head
> counting ' what great benefit can the network offer .
>

Why does anyone need a network ?? let everything be stand alone
oh for our island republics.

So Why would there be a need for "Association of Public ICT Tools Access
Provider"

Are networks just the preserve of the well connected urban being ??
Communities are about interaction, exchange , learning,  about networks
and networking. We need to realize that rural communities have a need to
communicate among themselves as well - without urban and commercial
filters.

> Ashish Saboo wrote:
>
> Oh I forgot to tell you they are called ' Cyber Dhaba  or cyber Cafe' in
> India , Warnet in Indonesia ,  Internet cabinas  in  Latin America .
> They all are the finest example of  the spirit of  entrepreneurship
> dabbling on cutting edge technology.

Yeah cutting edge technology surely - running pirated versions of all
the latest proprietory software. ( I have no problems with pirated
software per-se, its just the insidious promotion of a monopolistic and
non free world). And does this cutting edge technology figure in the
economics ever.

regards
ram

Ashish Saboo wrote:
> ramnarayan.k at gmail.com wrote:
> 
>> Hi
>>
>> Need a example (and links too) of any ICT based rural community centre
>> (In India (or South Asia) - that is functional and operational that
>>  
>>
> Well yes Wherever BSNL dataone broadband / or simple POTs line have reached
> 
>> a. Have an active involvement of the community
>>  
>>
> Yes,  most of the folks get their earliest lesson on  computers basics
> in here .
> 
>> b. Have an active and positive invovlement of the local government and
>> provide government services (ha ha !!)
>>  
>>
> yes  Ha Ha Ha
> 
>> c. Are sustainable
>>  
>>
> dragging themselves  but still more sustainable than anything else
> 
>> d. Are part of a larger network
>>  
>>
> Network ? why do you need one ?  except for the convenience of  'head
> counting ' what great benefit can the network offer .
> 
>> e. Provide a multitude of services - DTP, communications, information
>> services ...  
>>
> yes , just internet access does not brings in revenue .. you will find
> them in training / hardware seller / DTP etc.. just whatever the market
> offers & the operator's passion leads to.
> 
>> If this is being utopian, will make do with any example that meets any
>> of the criteria and others that you may want to add.  
>>
> NOT  AT ALL , they are the new age  Khadi  Village industry  ...  the
> same Gandhian philosophy -- empowerment , sustenance
> 
>>
>> will much appreciate any links and pointers
>>  
>>
> very little , they prefer staying annonymous , cause these places are
> considered the mother of  all that is happening wrong in the cyberspace.
> talk about bad press :(
> but  this link could be of some interest  
> http://www.internetcafenews.blogspot.com/
> 
> Oh I forgot to tell you they are called ' Cyber Dhaba  or cyber Cafe' in
> India , Warnet in Indonesia ,  Internet cabinas  in  Latin America .
> They all are the finest example of  the spirit of  entrepreneurship 
> dabbling on cutting edge technology . Mexico  has finally come close to
> recognise  these independent initiatives & soon under a scheme like our
> Telecom's" Universal service obligation USO " scheme  they will be
> getting  connectivity at a preffered rate. I hear Indonesia Govt is
> supporting with Open source software &  wireless connectivity.  & Indian
> Govt is .... I really don't know .
> 
> Regards
> 
> Ashish
> http://www.apiap.org
> 
> 