Considering Pigeons for Carrying Delay Tolerant Networking based Internet traffic in Developing Countries

There are many regions in the developing world that suffer from poor infrastructure and lack of connection to the Internet and Public Switched Telephone Networks (PSTN). Delay Tolerant Networking (DTN) is a technology that has been advocated for providing store-and-forward network connectivity in these regions over the past few years. DTN often relies on human mobility in one form or another to support transportation of DTN data. This presents a socio-technical problem related to organizing how the data should be transported. In some situations the demand for DTN traffic can exceed that which is possible to support with human mobility, so alternative mechanisms are needed. In this paper we propose using live carrier pigeons (columba livia) to transport DTN data. Carrier pigeons have been used for transporting packets of information for a long time, but have not yet been seriously considered for transporting DTN traffic. We provide arguements that this mode of DTN data transport provides promise, and should receive attention from research and development projects. We provide an overview of pigeon characteristics to analyze the feasibility of using them for data transport, and present simulations of a DTN network that utilizes pigeon transport in order to provide an initial investigation into expected performance characteristics

Human computer interaction for international development: past present and future

Recent years have seen a burgeoning interest in research into the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in the context of developing regions, particularly into how such ICTs might be appropriately designed to meet the unique user and infrastructural requirements that we encounter in these cross-cultural environments. This emerging field, known to some as HCI4D, is the product of a diverse set of origins. As such, it can often be difficult to navigate prior work, and/or to piece together a broad picture of what the field looks like as a whole. In this paper, we aim to contextualize HCI4D—to give it some historical background, to review its existing literature spanning a number of research traditions, to discuss some of its key issues arising from the work done so far, and to suggest some major research objectives for the future

New media practices in India: bridging past and future, markets and development

This article provides a review of the academic and popular literature on new media practices in India, focusing on the country’s youth's use of mobile phones and the Internet, as well as new media prosumption. One particular feature of the Indian case is the confluence of commercial exploitation of new media technologies and their application for development purposes in initiatives that aim to bring these technologies to marginalized segments of the Indian population. Technology usage in turn is shaped by the socioeconomic location of the user, especially in regards to gender and caste. The potential of new media technologies to subvert such social stratifications and associated norms has inspired much public debate, which is often carried out on the Internet, giving rise to an online public sphere. In all of the writings reviewed here, the tension surrounding new media technologies as a meeting place of the old and the new in India is paramount

Managing the “backend” of LIS research projects: A project management perspective

There is very little guidance in library and information science (LIS) literature about how researchers should manage the scope, time, costs, quality, human resources, communications, and risks associated with LIS research projects. To fill this gap, researchers tested the utility of project management principles (PMP) for planning and managing a project designed to enhance the information, digital, and financial literacy of the people earning less than $2 per day in India. The customization of PMP through 29 mechanisms and 60 action items was used to conduct focus groups and in-person surveys with over 150 participants, in their native language, at 10 public libraries. PMP were most helpful for managing risks (13 solutions), communications (11 solutions), and human resources (10 solutions) of the project and treating participants ethically. PMP developed in the West were helpful before, during, and after data collection in the LIS research project in a developing country

E-Commerce Advertisement and Usage Experience: The Case of Nigeria

This study presents, at a glance, the level of awareness of some respondents about e-commerce platforms in Nigeria. It explores their preferences and provides some information on how they are responding to e-commerce commercials. The theoretical anchor is the Technology Acceptance Model. Some 97.5 per cent of the 200 respondents surveyed returned their completed questionnaire. The impressive number was as a result of the large number and efficiency of research assistants whoadministered the instrument in the Ado-Odo Local Government Area of Ogun State, a political subdivision of Nigeria. Results show low awareness, though respondents had opined that the e-commercials were helpful and factual. The results further indicate that the productivity expected by respondents as a result of e-commerce patronage is unimpressive owing to infrastructural deficit, insecurity, illiteracy and a weak legal system. Findings indicate that reading manuals in local languages can lead to a better user experience. The deployment of biometric applications for more security, extensive media campaign as well as better machine-customer interaction can also help.Keywords: Nigeria, E-commerce, Advertisement, Usage experience Digital wallet, Technology, ATM, POS

E-Commerce Advertisement and Usage Experience: The Case of Nigeria

This study presents, at a glance, the level of awareness of some respondents about e-commerce platforms in Nigeria. It explores their preferences and provides some information on how they are responding to e-commerce commercials. The theoretical anchor is the Technology Acceptance Model. Some 97.5 per cent of the 200 respondents surveyed returned their completed questionnaire. The impressive number was as a result of the large number and efficiency of research assistants whoadministered the instrument in the Ado-Odo Local Government Area of Ogun State, a political subdivision of Nigeria. Results show low awareness, though respondents had opined that the e-commercials were helpful and factual. The results further indicate that the productivity expected by respondents as a result of e-commerce patronage is unimpressive owing to infrastructural deficit, insecurity, illiteracy and a weak legal system. Findings indicate that reading manuals in local languages can lead to a better user experience. The deployment of biometric applications for more security, extensive media campaign as well as better machine-customer interaction can also help.Keywords: Nigeria, E-commerce, Advertisement, Usage experience Digital wallet, Technology, ATM, POS

Infraestructura, capacidad humana y grandes esperanzas: una década de desarrollo de e-learning en una institución de enseñanza superior de Tanzania

L'Escola Universitària Iringa, de la Universitat de Tanzània, va començar a desenvolupar l'aprenentatge millorat gràcies a la tecnologia el 1999. Al principi del procés, l'escola universitària no disposava de laboratoris informàtics públics. La capacitat d'aprenentatge electrònic (e-learning) es va desenvolupar gradualment durant els 11 anys següents: laboratoris informàtics, una xarxa d'àrea local, una col·lecció de biblioteca electrònica, un departament de suport TI dedicat, connexions a Internet, presentacions electròniques, un programa de llicenciatura en TI, conferències de vídeo i aprenentatge en línia. En aquest article, analitzarem la complexa xarxa de desafiaments a què ens hem enfrontat durant la fase de desenvolupament. Tractem temes tècnics amb equips TIC, administració de sistemes i xarxes, i analitzem temes socioculturals mitjançant formació, finançament i pedagogia.Tumaini University, Iringa University College in Tanzania began to develop technology-enhanced learning in 1999.  At the beginning of the process, the college had no public computer laboratories. The e-learning capacity was gradually developed over the following 11 years: computer laboratories, a local area network, an electronic library collection, a dedicated IT support department, Internet connections, electronic presentations, a B.Sc. program in IT, video lectures, and online learning.  In this article, we analyse the complex network of challenges that we faced during the development process.  We discuss technical issues with ICT equipment, system administration, and networks, and we analyse socio-cultural issues with training, funding, and pedagogy.La Escuela Universitaria Iringa, de la Universidad de Tanzania, empezó a desarrollar el aprendizaje mejorado gracias a la tecnología en 1999. Al principio del proceso, la escuela universitaria no disponía de laboratorios informáticos públicos. La capacidad de e-learning se desarrolló gradualmente durante los 11 años siguientes: laboratorios informáticos, una red de área local, una colección de biblioteca electrónica, un departamento de soporte TI dedicado, conexiones a Internet, presentaciones electrónicas, un programa de licenciatura en TI, conferencias de vídeo y aprendizaje en línea.  En este artículo, analizaremos la compleja red de desafíos a los que nos hemos enfrentado durante la fase de desarrollo. Tratamos temas técnicos con equipos TIC, administración de sistemas y redes, y analizamos temas socioculturales mediante formación, financiación y pedagogía

Addressing data collection challenges in ICT for development projects

This paper equips researchers for addressing a wide range of data collection challenges experienced when interacting with marginalized communities as part of ICT4D projects in developing countries. This secondary research categorizes data collection challenges reported in multiple disciplines, and summarizes the guidance from the past literature to deal with the challenges. The open, axial, and selective coding of data collection challenges reported by the past literature suggests that it is necessary to manage scope, time, cost, quality, human resources, communication, and risks for addressing the data collection challenges. This paper illustrates the ways to manage these seven dimensions using (a) the success stories of data collection in the past, (b) the lessons learned by researchers during data collection as documented by the past literature, and (c) the advice they offer for collection data from marginalized communities in developing countries

Re-implement incentive mechanisms the global wireless village

Wireless Community Network (WCN) can be viewed as a modern mechanical development. Community networks can possibly offer high data rate wireless Internet access for mobile users, one of the central point that added to their development was the low penetration of broadband access technologies in few nations .Currently the larger part of ISPs do not permit connection sharing for their subscribers, which is the most critical problem in the way of establishing a global wireless community. Furthermore, motivating mechanisms for both users and ISPs are not duly designed in global wireless community networks. However, key ingredients of creating a global wireless village, both user collaboration and Internet Service Providers (ISP) support. In this paper we re-implement the economic interactions in global wireless community networks based on users, ISPs and community providers (Biczoket al, 2011). We found that in addition to the roaming cost, revenue share and the method of distribution of income, the cost of entry have a significant impact on stimulating the user to participate in the community. The analytical result of this work, which carried out in MATLAB2013a tool, show that in fact a really global wireless community network emergence is possible