Message-ID: <199701101553.KAA08655@dartvax.dartmouth.edu> Date: Fri, 10 Jan 1997 10:53:51 -0500 From: "Susan.Almy." <mailto:Susan_Almy@VALLEY.NET> Subject: cost of receiving DEVEL-L in Africa To: Multiple recipients of list DEVEL-L <mailto:DEVEL-L@AMERICAN.EDU>
For the benefit of those who have not lived in Africa (and I understand at least the poorer parts of Asia are the same): range around 200-400 dollars a month for the middle-class (including professors and researchers). Group servers that bring these messages down share the cost among a number of people but still severely restrict what can come because of these cost factors - and it often costs individuals considerable money to download from the local servers by telephone in addition to their contributions to the group costs. I have had in the last few weeks some 40-50 messages a day, most from this group. I rejoice that I myself have a local connection in a low-cost country, but many do not! The point is to find a way to provide a service for the people who most need access to development information, and particularly that not available from official IBRD/UN/donor-government sources, including method, and, if you will, discussion of ideology, but in a way they can afford to receive.. if that means another group, so be it, but I was under the impression that VITA meant this group to serve that function.I hope this clarifies Dr. Lisse's "broadside".
At 20:53 9/1/97 +0000, Reinaldo Vicini wrote: >Dear friends:
>
>i wonder how expensive is expensive? To load ten long messages at
>14.4 Kb does not take more than 30 sec. Is that going to really a
>penalty that expensive?