Message-ID: <Pine.HPP.3.90.970303201405.20230B-100000@scs.howard.edu> Date: Mon, 3 Mar 1997 20:33:30 -0800 From: Ahmed Jendoubi <mailto:ahmed@SCS.HOWARD.EDU> Subject: Re: Internet in Africa 2 To: mailto:DEVEL-L@AMERICAN.EDU
On Mon, 3 Mar 1997, kerry miller wrote:> MArtin,
>
> > Several of these nations hav e opposition groups within and outside the
> > country, yet they have allowed the Internet to flourish. This begs the
> > question: what is so dangerous about the Internet that would elicit this
> > blocking from the Abacha administration?
>
>
> Not to detract from the value of the analysis itself, but this isn't the
> way 'begging the question' is usually construed. What the writer means
> here is that it _raises_ the question, and I entirely agree. When a q is
> begged (beggared), it is left outside the pale, omitted from consideration;
> thus one might (in a little different context) say that asking what is
> so dangerous about the Internet begs the question, "Why should it be
> _danger_ (rather than resource allocation, say) that is the imputed motive?"
>
> kerry, didactically
>
This is might be far from a reply. I was looking at it from an other angle.
1. How is the status of the internet in Africa : which countries have internet connections, are different Internet Service Providers (ISP) in the same country. Can any user, pay, an get an account (say shell and/or a PPP account) and how much does it cost. Are there local web sites, web servers (locally), can users get web space or home pages, how are the costs.
2. How did the internet help or hurt individuals, companies, organizations, goverment agencies, universities and schools
3. How can the internet benefits be shown so that African countries can think or rethink about the advantages/disadvantages of allowing internet access to users in general.
How can African nations benefit from using the internet ? How can nations advertise their products and goods and programs using the internet, to attract inverstors, buyers, etc.
4. The developed nations have a lot to gain when the dveloping nations tell their own story, and expose their expertise in the emerging technologies (and internet based technologies is a good candidate where developing nation can be on equal technical level.
5. A good and aggressive use of internet and related technologies may be the best medium for technology transfer.
Bye-bye
_/_/_/ Ahmed Jendoubi, Ph.D. E-mail : mailto:ahmed@scs.howard.edu _/_/_/