[governance] ITU Broadband Commission

[Roland Perry]

In message <0627320DE1884CA483C73C20EBB18FF2 at UserVAIO>, at 09:18:53 on 
Mon, 9 Apr 2012, michael gurstein <gurstein at gmail.com> writes
>Hi Roland,
>
>I don't think the issue is that doing something is better than doing nothing
>but rather about doing the the right thing (or the better thing) from the
>beginning and not having to undo or correct mistakes down the road.

That sounds like the "European scenario" in my commentary.

>In the development sphere pretty anyone who has any experience on the ground
>will tell you more or less the same thing--unless you engage/enable the
>folks at the grassroots not a whole lot of "development" (for them) will
>occur.

The "USA scenario" is to engage the grassroots by exposing them to the 
flawed v1 and by implication inviting them to complain about it. (And 
perhaps not by co-incidence, USA-ians are more comfortable complaining 
than Europeans).

>-----Original Message-----
>From: governance-request at lists.igcaucus.org
>[mailto:governance-request at lists.igcaucus.org] On Behalf Of Roland Perry
>Sent: Monday, April 09, 2012 8:32 AM
>To: governance at lists.igcaucus.org
>Subject: Re: [governance] ITU Broadband Commission
>
>
>In message <33BAC3EB6BA04617ABA4FC2899427A93 at UserVAIO>, at 06:58:46 on
>Mon, 9 Apr 2012, michael gurstein <gurstein at gmail.com> writes
>>FWIW, Lee I should point out that I'm quite critical of the
>>conventional ICT4D approach(es) for precisely the same reasons as I'm
>>critical of the BBC... while perhaps having an effect in realizing some
>>degree of "development" overall they do little if anything to actually
>>achieve a greater degree of social and economic equality within a
>>society and in many if not most instances actually have the effect of
>>increasing inequalities in developing countries i.e. accelerating the
>>advantages of those who already possess certain social and economic
>>advantages while having some sort of "a raise all the boats" effect on the
>rest
>
>It's a fact of life that many organisations spend a lot of their effort
>in situations best described as: "Something must be done - this is
>something - we must do it".
>
>Conversely, it can be hard to justify sitting around doing nothing, just
>because the perfect plan has yet to emerge.
>
>Indeed, students are taught that one of the reasons the USA prospers at
>the expense of Europe is because they are more willing to "have a go"
>and produce an inevitably flawed v1 product, ahead of a slightly better
>v2 and a vaguely acceptable v3 (which is the first one any sensible
>person buys). Compared to the Europeans who by that stage are still
>trying to perfect the v1, and are running out of money because they
>haven't sold a single one.

-- 
Roland Perry

-------------- next part --------------
____________________________________________________________
You received this message as a subscriber on the list:
     governance at lists.igcaucus.org
To be removed from the list, visit:
     http://www.igcaucus.org/unsubscribing

For all other list information and functions, see:
     http://lists.igcaucus.org/info/governance
To edit your profile and to find the IGC's charter, see:
     http://www.igcaucus.org/

Translate this email: http://translate.google.com/translate_t