Re:Digital Divide, and priorities (Score 1)

Actually, you are presenting a classic development arguement. Unfortunately, it would seem that infrastructure, the basis of the developed world is what is needed to organize a developing country so that what resources they have and are given can be put in the right places to do the right things. To do so requires good means of communications, wireless is for many places the only reasonable way to provide that means to communicate. Mali, where we are working (http://geekcorps.org/default.asp?l1i=113&l2i=422# 422) is one of these countries on the loosing side of the digital divide, though with the creative use of technology like wireless Bamako (the capital) now has cyber cafes all over the city, and businesses and government can now communicate via email. A small step, but really this is a huge bridge over this enourmous gulf in communications in this region of the world. Thus, wireless for development is not a concept it is reality in the developing world. We are going to this conference to share ways that we are already using this technology effectively and to learn from each other. It is a great initiative and I applaud the efforts of Sebastian and others from wire.less.dk and freifunk, as well as the support of the open society institute who are sponsoring people like me to go.