Message-ID: <Pine.OSF.3.91.960106211206.31156A-100000@hubcap.clemson.edu> Date: Sat, 6 Jan 1996 23:17:00 -0500 From: Joel Vignon <mailto:jvignon@HUBCAP.CLEMSON.EDU> Subject: Re: Computers for Africa To: Multiple recipients of list DEVEL-L <mailto:DEVEL-L@AMERICAN.EDU>
I think that what we need the most in this discussion is some more technical information about the connectivity and compatibility of the TRS-80 with the most available computer equipment in Africa. From my experience in french-speaking West-Africa (Mali is part of it), the most available platform is the 80x86, running DOS and various brands and versions of word processing software. The modem is almost unknown, internal email also. If things have not changed since 18 months (and I doubt they have much), even regional offices of international organizations such as the UNDP or the World Bank use email only to communicate with their main offices in New York. I participated personaly to the (costly) implementation of some LANs, for the benefit of some of those offices. The greater number of those LANs is still not operating effectively today (in my opinion, mainly because of internal politics).To come back to the current thread, how is it possible to connect the TRS 80 (a terminal, basically), to inexistant DOS email and server software? Are local software technicians in Mali used to this (or similar) software. This is the most important question to answer, in order to make sure that this equipment will still benefit people after one budgeting period :=).
Back home, we've had some very harsh discussion with so-called development people. Too often, we had the feeling that they were not really interested in effective development, but in budget spending and position maintenance. I concede that this is not always the case. However, it is crucial that knowledgeable local people be effectively involved in decision taking at all the phases of projects like this one. Nonetheless, as many people mentionned it, this is almost never the case.
Joel.