[governance] Fwd: The US factor in the WSIS needs highlightingas much as the Tunisian factor

[McTim]

On 11/2/05, Gurstein, Michael <gurstein at adm.njit.edu> wrote:
> Sorry McTim,

don't apologise, but pls. do bottom trim.

>
> I must disagree.  The tragedy of WSIS is not an absence of "concrete
> action on bridging the digital divide" but rather it is in not
> developing concrete actions for the "effective use" of ICTs in support
> of the range of local processes for development in such areas as health,
> learning, local economic development.

I was just using DD as shorthand. I think we are in substantial agreement.


> The experience has been, in Africa as elsewhere, that those local
> implementations that focus on "access" (i.e. "bridging the Digital
> Divide") are almost universally (economically and socially)
> unsustainable in the longer term.

Probably becasue of the inordiantely high cost of connectivity here.

Having said that, it's interesting to note that demand for "access" is
higher than ever.  Many Inet cafes here run 24/7 and are almost always
full. It's these PS "implementations" that seem to succeed
(economically, at least).

--
Cheers,

McTim
nic-hdl:      TMCG
"In theory there is no difference between theory and practice. In
practice there is"
Yogi Berra

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