"From cybercafes to businesses, from middle class houses to squatters settlements, from the political economy of Internet provision to the development of ecommerce, the authors have gathered a wealth of material based on fieldwork in Trinidad. Looking at the full range of Internet media -- including
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websites, email and chat -- the book brings out unforeseen consequences and contradictions in areas as varied as personal relations, commerce, nationalism, sex and religion. This is the first book-length treatment of the impact of the Internet on a particular region. By focusing on one place, it demonstrates the potential for a comprehensive approach to new media. It points to the future direction of Internet research, proposing a detailed agenda for comparative ethnographic study of the cultural significance and effects of the Internet in modern society. Clearly written for the non-specialist reader, it offers a detailed account of the complex integration between on-line and off-line worlds. An innovative tie-in with the book's own website provides copious illustrations amounting to over 2,000 web-pages that bring the material right to your computer." (Publisher description)
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"In this book, Cees J Hamelink proposes an answer to - how should democratic societies organize cyberspace? - that puts human-rights, rather than profit, at the top of the agenda. He argues that conventional ethical approaches are all seriously flawed. There is a growing volume of moral rules, netiq
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uettes and codes of conduct, but they are of little help in solving the moral dilemmas raised by the new technologies. In this book the author analyzes the inadeqacies of current global governance policies and structures that underpin them, and argues for standards which put justice, human security and freedom first." (Publisher description)
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"The information in this guide is organized according to the stages a facilitator goes through in preparing to use a mailing list to work productively with a group of people. We've divided it into three parts: Getting Set Up (Provides an overview of mailing lists and how to prepare your group to use
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them; Finishes with a checklist to be used as a quick reference guide to keep you on track throughout); Working Together (Introduces the concepts of online facilitation and how to apply them to your group's work; Outlines how lists can be used for specific group activities); Resources (Answers typical real-life questions that arise when facilitating mailing lists; Provides references to further reading and online resources)." (Pages vii-viii)
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"The guidelines, written on behalf of the Association of Church Development Services (AG KED) and Misereor, provide basic knowledge about the most important communication technologies, from mail to radio, television, telephone, and fax to networking computers on the Internet." (commbox)
"Revolutionary information and communication technologies are contributing to dramatic changes in the competitiveness of global and local markets and in the way people conduct their business and everyday lives. The potential benefits and risks these changes present for developing countries and trans
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itional economies are enormous. This comprehensive, authoritative reference book examines the ways in which these powerful technologies are being harnessed to development goals, thus helping to reduce the risk of exclusion and create new opportunities for developing countries. The report emphasizes the urgency of developing new social and technological infrastructures so as to ensure that new technologies are used effectively. It also offers outlines and practical steps intended to guide stake-holders interested in shaping their future innovative knowledge societies." (Publisher description)
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"Challenging the popular myth of a present-day 'information revolution', Media Technology and Society is essential reading for anyone interested in the social impact of technological change. Winston argues that the development of new media forms, from the telegraph and the telephone to computers, sa
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tellite and virtual reality, is the product of a constant play-off between social necessity and suppression: the unwritten law by which new technologies are introduced into society only insofar as their disruptive potential is limited." (Publisher description)
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"This evaluation examines the role of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in development by extracting lessons from previous IDRC project experiences, in order to provide input for the design and implementation of the Acacia program. Acacia explores the investment in, and application o
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f, ICTs by African communities to build local resources to solve development problems. The evaluation also tested the usefulness of the Lanfranco Framework for studying the value of ICTs in development research. ICTs were found to be valuable tools that can help people to gather and analyze information, store and manipulate data, and improve communication. ICTs improved the capability of individuals and institutions to tackle and solve development problems. National ICT policies and legislation, as well as the policies of donor agencies with respect to ICTs, were influenced by project activities, and consultations and lobbying efforts by Centre staff, efforts which were facilitated by email and internet access. Geographic information systems (GIS) projects demonstrated the potential of this technology to encourage planners and communities to take a more holistic view of development problems. Projects emphasized regional training and relied on local capabilities to establish and manage ICT systems. Programme support helped create an information culture and an environment in which people with similar interests could share ideas and were encouraged to form professional associations and informal networks. ICTs were most effective in overcoming barriers of distance and time, with electronic mail and associated list servers being used most often. GIS technologies helped overcome language barriers by presenting complex spatial relationships as more easily understandable maps. Several projects provided access to hardware and software that offered capabilities that were previously inaccessible. By providing improved access, enhanced sharing, and timely delivery of information, ICTs empowered people to take action. Projects were able to create a culture of communication and were most effective in this role when information was tailored to the needs of users. When jobs and economic activity were created, they were in most cases in the information and communication sector. Use of ICT is expanding in Africa. It is important that government policies and regulations with regard to telecommunications anticipate this coming tide and that development activities take advantage of opportunities presented by ICTs. These technologies can alter the perception of development problems, provide opportunities for improved communications, deliver information quickly and inexpensively over great distance, and offer the potential to enhance regional collaboration to address common problems. To realize these potentials, close collaboration with communities and appropriate packaging of information products will be crucial." (Review by IDRC Evaluation team, evaluation@idrc.ca; www.idrc.ca/evaluation, cited from the "Annotated Bibliography of Evaluations in Africa": http://www.geocities.com/afreval/documents/education.htm, 10.04.2007)
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