Costs of transition to digital broadcasting will have a disproportionate impact on rural consumers and systems. Author offers ideas on how to deal with this.
Online by open access., Reports on increasing push by the agriculture industry in various states to restrict free speech and access to information in terms of farm protection laws (also known as "ag-gag" laws).
Report of the Online Farm Trials Project developed to "bring national grains research data and information directly to the grower, agronomist, researcher, the grains industry, and the community through through innovative online technology."
Reports on a study of library access in rural areas. Results showed 47,054,168 rural people without library service in a U.S. population of 64,029,517. "Hence, it follows that the library falls somewhat short as an extension medium to influence masses of farm people."
This article originally was a paper presented at the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions' (IFLA) General Conference, Aug. 18-24, 2002, in Glasgow, Scotland., 10 p., Often funding agencies and donor governments face the question should they support information and communication technology (ICT) activities in their development projects. Should the money be invested in computers and communication devices or will it be better spent on food, shelter, health and education? The choice need not be "either/or." If used intelligently and innovatively, ICTs can form an integral component of developmental projects, as is shown by the award-winning Information Village project of the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation. The important point to remember is that one does not have to use technology because it is there, but one uses it if there is a genuine advantage. In any developmental program, people and their contexts should decide how one goes about implementing developmental interventions. The needs of the people and the best means to satisfy them should determine the whole program. Often ICT-based development projects do not bring in the expected results because of undue emphasis on technology. Against this background, the factors that led to the success of the Pondicherry experience are analyzed.
