"the problem is choice" - i love that statement. it really hits the nail on the head. When the bandwidth was expensive you chose to take what little u had save it in order to gain information whereas there were those who had the same amount of money(maybe even alot more), opportunity to use the internet and all they did was email and look at porn. The internet, slow or fast is equivalent to a certain kind of power to do what u need to do. Choice of isp and internet package also depends on what someone wants to do with it. for example if i want to use voip i will need a reliable "quality" link rather than an unpredictable "quantity" link. I personally have used the internet for learning purposes and business purposes whereas there are many who the internet is a way to be entertained(both in proper and unproper ways). This means that even with fiber people will do what they have been doing only faster and cheaper. So thus the general buzz and excitement about fiber being the thing that will lift up the lives of many people(which it will) may actually just be an illusion to most since if they were unable to make any gains with the little expensive internet will not do any more with the cheaper faster internet. Many corporate organizations spend good money(in terms of amount) on internet links, networks, computers give them to employees many who then take the opportunity to entertain themselves with facebook and emailing relatives. Very similar to the problems many organizations had with the landline telephone where the bills would be astronomical not because of the great business deals being made with the phone but because of employees "accepting reverse calls", making trunk calls to relatives in ocha, etc. So to quote again from an earlier post by dennis kioko, most of the problems really come from layer 8 of the OSI network model, the user. is it a case of ignorance or choice? maybe some people just don't know what to do with the internet while some know better but just choose to do the wrong thing? my thought and opinions. On 21/07/2009, Timothy Kyalo <this.gizmo@gmail.com> wrote:
IMHO, "Cheaper" and faster bandwidth will enable spread and innovation. It also avails a platform for growth in the said sector; take your case for instance, Having tons of softwares at your disposal on an MS based system simply makes you an end user; it doesn't foster the right mix for development( after all all problems are a right click away). Also considering the penetration in the mobile telephony. This was made accessible after SIM cards and handsets' prices became 'friendlier'. Cheaper, Reliable and Accessible bandwidth will simply portray, WHAT IF meets WHY NOT.
In my earlier surfing days: The charge was KShs. 10.00 a minute( in my village). I'd save tons of money when coming to Nairobi where the prices were at KShs. 1.00( Still expensive IMHO).
Remember what the internet contains is Information, all kinds from ABCs to the Large Hadron Collider. I believe that 'cheaper' reliable bandwidth would help everyone access this. And YES we are ready for fiber; my villagers and I alike.
After this. The problem is choice( Morpheus,The Matrix)
//My 17 cents
2009/7/19 benson orina <benson.orina@gmail.com>
In my personal experience in life the times i've realized that progress does not come just by havin more but from what is done with what one has. For example back in the days of "software from diamond plaza" i had all the "latest" pirated software for design, 3d, music, video and long story short i actually had virtually no progress. Since i formated my computer slapped on linux on it i can actually say i am now making loads more progress in learning, work and business. So copy paste concept to the fiber debate, will i really do anything more with a "faster link" if all i used to do on the "slower" satellite link was email, facebook and download series and movies for sale on dvd? I remember back when i was on campus the student body made alot of noise about poor internet facilities, alot of noise later a vsat link under some education program is implemented and for the fast two weeks the pages are loading "chua chuaa!!" (description copied from earlier post) two weeks later the speeds were back to "normal" as some "enterprising" students had discovered torrents for movies and series thus hogging all the bandwidth. So to the point, how much will we gain as compared to increase in bandwidth brought about by cheaper faster bandwidth? I do realize there are those who really made great strides with existing resources as many skunks can testify but what about the general masses? _______________________________________________ Skunkworks mailing list Skunkworks@lists.my.co.ke http://lists.my.co.ke/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/skunkworks Other services @ http://my.co.ke Other lists ------------- Skunkworks announce: http://lists.my.co.ke/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/skunkworks-announce Science - http://lists.my.co.ke/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/science kazi - http://lists.my.co.ke/cgi-bin/mailman/admin/kazi/general