The IT Fix

Abstract

The advent of information technologies, social networking technologies, advances in hardware and software and the increased accent on the provision of public information have led to major advancements and possibilities for the delivery of access to information on a scale that was not possible in earlier years. CSC, like other areas, has been impacted by the advent of the digital and great hopes that have been placed on ICTs as a panacea in the provisioning of information for development, strengthening communication flows and leap-frogging development. Great emphasis has been placed on service delivery nodes by corporations, foundations and governments and on the efficacy of information-based solutions. While manifold solutions have been explored, there have been, in essence, three broad solutions — the public provisioning of information access points such as tele-kiosks and telecentres, inexpensive hardware solutions, e-governance and connectivity and access to information channelled through private means such as mobile phones. In fact the mobile phone has become a key focus for the delivery of development information for a variety of communities — fisher folk, agricultural workers and the like. These include the provisioning of information for everyday use such as information on market prices for vegetables and fish to crisis information such as information related to environmental events such as cyclones and storms.