The document summarizes research on internet cafes in developing areas of South Africa. It finds that internet cafes have become important hubs that provide affordable access to computers and the internet for many people who do not have access at home or work. They fill important gaps by supplementing limited access elsewhere and providing informal training. The cafes also serve as important community spaces, with many patrons using them for communication, information gathering, and other activities that facilitate education and career development.
Policy Brief : Responsive e-inclusion of Europe’s older adults as a pre-condi...Mobile Age Project
Mobile Age project: https://www.mobile-age.eu/
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 693319.
This material reflects only the author's view and the Research Executive Agency (REA) is not responsible for any use that may be made of the information it contains.
Damásio et al, 'Mobile Devices as drivers of Social Capital' at Communities i...Agnes Gulyas
Manuel José Damásio, Patrícia Dias, Sara Henriques and Inês Teixeira-Botelho, CICANT and Universidade Lusófona de Humanidades e Tecnologias, Portugal, ‘Mobile Devices as drivers of Social Capital: How can apps’ change communication dynamics within a community’ presented at 'Communities in the Digital Age' International Symposium, Canterbury Christ Church University, UK, 12 June 2013
How will killing Net Neutrality impact education?Jacklin Berry
Last month, the FCC voted on a plan to throw out rules against blocking or discriminating against lawful content. Republicans outnumber Democrats 3 to 2 on the commission, so barring a last-minute change of heart, the plan will likely pass. Learn how killing net neutrality will impact the education system.
Working Online Effectively and Securely - CIN workshop 2015Marco Campana
Online tools have an incredible impact on society and how we get and use information. But what do they really do? How can we use them? Should we be using them? Our clients, volunteers and leaders are often among the most sophisticated users of technology. They have expectations about being able to communicate with us quickly and easily. How do we reach out to them with information in ways they can use? Your use of the internet should be connected to the work you do every day. What does this actually look like?
This interactive session looked at emerging trends and demonstrating best practices for online information & service provision. Marco will demystify online communication and e-service delivery and help you take the next steps in making practical, daily use of the web in your community engagement, client service and public campaigns.
Policy Brief : Responsive e-inclusion of Europe’s older adults as a pre-condi...Mobile Age Project
Mobile Age project: https://www.mobile-age.eu/
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 693319.
This material reflects only the author's view and the Research Executive Agency (REA) is not responsible for any use that may be made of the information it contains.
Damásio et al, 'Mobile Devices as drivers of Social Capital' at Communities i...Agnes Gulyas
Manuel José Damásio, Patrícia Dias, Sara Henriques and Inês Teixeira-Botelho, CICANT and Universidade Lusófona de Humanidades e Tecnologias, Portugal, ‘Mobile Devices as drivers of Social Capital: How can apps’ change communication dynamics within a community’ presented at 'Communities in the Digital Age' International Symposium, Canterbury Christ Church University, UK, 12 June 2013
How will killing Net Neutrality impact education?Jacklin Berry
Last month, the FCC voted on a plan to throw out rules against blocking or discriminating against lawful content. Republicans outnumber Democrats 3 to 2 on the commission, so barring a last-minute change of heart, the plan will likely pass. Learn how killing net neutrality will impact the education system.
Working Online Effectively and Securely - CIN workshop 2015Marco Campana
Online tools have an incredible impact on society and how we get and use information. But what do they really do? How can we use them? Should we be using them? Our clients, volunteers and leaders are often among the most sophisticated users of technology. They have expectations about being able to communicate with us quickly and easily. How do we reach out to them with information in ways they can use? Your use of the internet should be connected to the work you do every day. What does this actually look like?
This interactive session looked at emerging trends and demonstrating best practices for online information & service provision. Marco will demystify online communication and e-service delivery and help you take the next steps in making practical, daily use of the web in your community engagement, client service and public campaigns.
Libraries, telecenters, and cybercafés play a critical role in extending the benefits of information and communication technologies (ICTs) to a diverse range of people worldwide. However, their ability to contribute to development agendas has come into question in recent times. The Global Impact Study was designed to address this debate by generating evidence about the scale, character, and impacts of public access ICTs in eight countries: Bangladesh, Botswana, Brazil, Chile, Ghana, Lithuania, the Philippines, and South Africa. This PowerPoint slidedeck provides an overview of the Global Impact Study, research design and methodology, and the study's key findings. The results show that a central impact of public access is the promotion of digital inclusion through technology access, information access, and development of ICT skills. Both users and non-users report positive impacts in various social and economic areas of their lives. This PowerPoint is available for others to use, adapt, and remix through a Creative Commons Attribution Share-Alike license.
Susannah Fox's presentation to the Health 2.0 Conference on 4/23/09. Participatory medicine is taking hold with both citizens and health professionals. But there are still pockets of people who lack access to the basic technology, lack the skills required to participate, or who may lack the sense that they are welcome.
Student Data and Its Discontents: How FUD undermined an education reform agendaPatrick McCormick
In 2012 New York launched one of the most ambitious education reform policy agendas in the country fueled by $700M in Race to the Top funding. New technology, online collaboration, and data driven instruction were at the center of one the largest NY RTTT projects. But within a year student data had shifted from being part of the solution to being part of the problem as public and political opposition grew across the state. The story of what happened in New York between 2012 and 2015 mirrored much of what unfolded across the U.S. raising the question of where we go from here with education reform, emerging technologies, and student data.
OCASI - social media and technology use in settlement servicesMarco Campana
Our clients, volunteers and leaders are often among the most sophisticated users of technology. They have expectations about being able to communicate with us quickly and easily. How do we reach out to them with information in ways they can use? Your use of the internet should be connected to the work you do every day. What does this actually look like?
This interactive session will look at emerging trends and demonstrating best practices for online information & service provision.
Mobile Search: A Force to be Reckoned With!Karen Church
This invited talk was given at ECIR 2013 Industry Day in Moscow on the 27th March 2013. The talk was on the topic of mobile search, a research area I've devoted the past 10 years to.
Recently the world has witnessed a revolution in terms of mobile web and mobile search usage. Mobile phones, once deemed as simple communications devices, now provide mobile users with access to a wealth of online content, anytime and anywhere. In 2012, the increasing presence of mobile devices caused desktop search to decline for the first time ever; a level of growth that simply cannot be ignored.
My aim is to take a nostalgic look back at the simple beginnings of mobile search and discuss how, why and in what ways mobile search has evolved over the past 8-10 years. I highlight patterns of mobile search usage and show how they not only differ from desktop search, but they are continually evolving. And instead of taking a single, data-centric viewpoint of mobile search, I also discuss user-centric studies, highlighting the unique needs, intents and motivations of mobile searchers. Finally, I share some thoughts about where mobile search is heading, the challenges that lie ahead and discuss some of the factors that I think are important when it comes to enriching the future search experiences of mobile users.
Karen Church
Research Scientist
Telefonica Research
www.karenchurch.com
@karenchurch
Study of Perception of College Going Young Adults towards Online Streaming Se...Dr. Amarjeet Singh
The research conducted focuses upon the perception of college going young adults towards online video streaming services. Researcher has worked upon responses gathered from young adults, their perceptions and various options available to them. Researchers collected responses from 120 college going young adults from Pune. The respondents were from the age category of 15 to 25 years of age. The data was collected using google forms and it was analysed using Google’s analytical tools. It was found that most of the student services and these services proved to be one of the biggest sources of entertainment for these students. Traditional media is losing its lustre because of various advantages of streaming services. Students admitted that their schedule is affected because of time spent on video streaming services. Today the top three video streaming platforms are YouTube, Netflix and Hotstar.
Presentation includes information on the Scottish Information Literacy Project based at Glasgow Caledonian University. Part of the Digital literacy in an e-world 2008: the 8th Annual E-Books Conference which took place on Thu 30 Oct 2008 organised by the Scottish Library & Information Council [SLIC]
Designing and deploying mobile user studies in the wild: a practical guideKaren Church
This tutorial was presented as part of Mobile HCI 2012 in San Francisco on the 19th September 2012. The tutorial aims to provide a practical guide to conduct mobile field studies based on the learning outcomes of the research I've been involved in while working as a Research Scientist in Telefonica Research, Barcelona. I cover how to design effective mobile field studies, the importance of mobile prototyping, the impact of various design choices on the study setup and deployment, how to engage participants and how to avoid ethical and legal issues. I've also tried to include listings of useful resources for those who are interested in conducting mobile field studies of their own.
More details: http://mm2.tid.es/mhcitutorial/
Karen Church
Research Scientist
Telefonica Research
www.karenchurch.com
@karenchurch
Libraries, telecenters, and cybercafés play a critical role in extending the benefits of information and communication technologies (ICTs) to a diverse range of people worldwide. However, their ability to contribute to development agendas has come into question in recent times. The Global Impact Study was designed to address this debate by generating evidence about the scale, character, and impacts of public access ICTs in eight countries: Bangladesh, Botswana, Brazil, Chile, Ghana, Lithuania, the Philippines, and South Africa. This PowerPoint slidedeck provides an overview of the Global Impact Study, research design and methodology, and the study's key findings. The results show that a central impact of public access is the promotion of digital inclusion through technology access, information access, and development of ICT skills. Both users and non-users report positive impacts in various social and economic areas of their lives. This PowerPoint is available for others to use, adapt, and remix through a Creative Commons Attribution Share-Alike license.
Susannah Fox's presentation to the Health 2.0 Conference on 4/23/09. Participatory medicine is taking hold with both citizens and health professionals. But there are still pockets of people who lack access to the basic technology, lack the skills required to participate, or who may lack the sense that they are welcome.
Student Data and Its Discontents: How FUD undermined an education reform agendaPatrick McCormick
In 2012 New York launched one of the most ambitious education reform policy agendas in the country fueled by $700M in Race to the Top funding. New technology, online collaboration, and data driven instruction were at the center of one the largest NY RTTT projects. But within a year student data had shifted from being part of the solution to being part of the problem as public and political opposition grew across the state. The story of what happened in New York between 2012 and 2015 mirrored much of what unfolded across the U.S. raising the question of where we go from here with education reform, emerging technologies, and student data.
OCASI - social media and technology use in settlement servicesMarco Campana
Our clients, volunteers and leaders are often among the most sophisticated users of technology. They have expectations about being able to communicate with us quickly and easily. How do we reach out to them with information in ways they can use? Your use of the internet should be connected to the work you do every day. What does this actually look like?
This interactive session will look at emerging trends and demonstrating best practices for online information & service provision.
Mobile Search: A Force to be Reckoned With!Karen Church
This invited talk was given at ECIR 2013 Industry Day in Moscow on the 27th March 2013. The talk was on the topic of mobile search, a research area I've devoted the past 10 years to.
Recently the world has witnessed a revolution in terms of mobile web and mobile search usage. Mobile phones, once deemed as simple communications devices, now provide mobile users with access to a wealth of online content, anytime and anywhere. In 2012, the increasing presence of mobile devices caused desktop search to decline for the first time ever; a level of growth that simply cannot be ignored.
My aim is to take a nostalgic look back at the simple beginnings of mobile search and discuss how, why and in what ways mobile search has evolved over the past 8-10 years. I highlight patterns of mobile search usage and show how they not only differ from desktop search, but they are continually evolving. And instead of taking a single, data-centric viewpoint of mobile search, I also discuss user-centric studies, highlighting the unique needs, intents and motivations of mobile searchers. Finally, I share some thoughts about where mobile search is heading, the challenges that lie ahead and discuss some of the factors that I think are important when it comes to enriching the future search experiences of mobile users.
Karen Church
Research Scientist
Telefonica Research
www.karenchurch.com
@karenchurch
Study of Perception of College Going Young Adults towards Online Streaming Se...Dr. Amarjeet Singh
The research conducted focuses upon the perception of college going young adults towards online video streaming services. Researcher has worked upon responses gathered from young adults, their perceptions and various options available to them. Researchers collected responses from 120 college going young adults from Pune. The respondents were from the age category of 15 to 25 years of age. The data was collected using google forms and it was analysed using Google’s analytical tools. It was found that most of the student services and these services proved to be one of the biggest sources of entertainment for these students. Traditional media is losing its lustre because of various advantages of streaming services. Students admitted that their schedule is affected because of time spent on video streaming services. Today the top three video streaming platforms are YouTube, Netflix and Hotstar.
Presentation includes information on the Scottish Information Literacy Project based at Glasgow Caledonian University. Part of the Digital literacy in an e-world 2008: the 8th Annual E-Books Conference which took place on Thu 30 Oct 2008 organised by the Scottish Library & Information Council [SLIC]
Designing and deploying mobile user studies in the wild: a practical guideKaren Church
This tutorial was presented as part of Mobile HCI 2012 in San Francisco on the 19th September 2012. The tutorial aims to provide a practical guide to conduct mobile field studies based on the learning outcomes of the research I've been involved in while working as a Research Scientist in Telefonica Research, Barcelona. I cover how to design effective mobile field studies, the importance of mobile prototyping, the impact of various design choices on the study setup and deployment, how to engage participants and how to avoid ethical and legal issues. I've also tried to include listings of useful resources for those who are interested in conducting mobile field studies of their own.
More details: http://mm2.tid.es/mhcitutorial/
Karen Church
Research Scientist
Telefonica Research
www.karenchurch.com
@karenchurch
With the internet becoming essential for education, communication, livelihoods and government services and entitlements, access to the internet is no longer a privilege or luxury. Those who do not have access to the internet (or have rudimentary or limited access) will fall further and further behind in the digital age. The CCDS study examines the extent of digital inequality in a rapidly-expanding Indian metropolis and explores the barriers to internet access for the poor and marginalised.
In this talk to medical librarians (conference website: https://3bythesea.pbworks.com/Program), Lee Rainie covered how e-patients and their caregivers have become a force in the medical world. In addition, he looked at the many ways that e-patients are using the internet to research and respond to their health needs and to share their stories using social networking sites, blogs, Twitter, and other social media.
Lee also discussed how medical librarians can exploit Pew Internet’s tech-user typology to find new ways for engaging e-patients and their families.
Presentation during the 2nd Eskwela conference of the Commission on Information and Communication Technology (CICT) April 1, 2009 Matabunkay Beach and Country Club
The Wrocław University of Economics as part of the ActGo-Gate project analyzed the needs of potential users of the platform for the exchange of services mainly through cooperation and study on seniors associated in Universities of the Third Age and senior clubs. Within the Polish research the potential of the national market of ICT solutions for people aged 50+ was analyzed in detail. The research work in particular included identifying the seniors’ needs, expectations and readiness for the practical application of the ICT platform for the exchange of services. For this purpose an analysis and description of economic, social and technological conditions were made, a model for implementation of ICT solutions in this area was proposed and implementation aspects were presented in the context of non-functional and functional requirements defined after the target group analysis in the partner countries. Morover, very extensive qualitative and quantitative studies of seniors in Poland have been carried out, the effects of which have been presented in the following presentation.
Trends in internet use - how public radio fits inLee Rainie
This combines a speech given to the Public Radio Program Directors in Cleveland and a webinar to public broadcasters arranged by the National Center for Media Engagement.
IAB Always On – A Global Perspective of Mobile Consumer ExperienceNuno Acosta
Today’s consumers around the globe are living in an “always-on” world due to the ubiquity of mobile devices and mobile internet access. IAB (US) and its Mobile Marketing Center of Excellence, in conjunction with 17 IABs from around the globe, aims to uncover the latest trends of mobile behaviors and perceptions, particularly among global smartphone owners and mobile internet users. This study examines how consumers access and use the mobile internet and how they perceive and react to mobile advertising.
Specifically, the key interests lie in understanding and comparing the usage pattern of mobile web and mobile apps to access the internet among smartphone users across the participating countries.
The main objectives for this research project are to:
o Understand consumers’ mobile internet usage and perceptions toward the experience on mobile web and mobile apps.
o Examine whether there are differences in consumer reaction and perceptions to advertising on these two mobile platforms.
Similar to Communal Computing and shared spaces of use: a study of Internet cafes in developing contexts (20)
A presentation for the DEFA 2015 conference regarding ethics and accountability in design. In particular we (Jason Hobbs and Terence Fenn) look at ethical challenges in human centered design.
This presentation contains the argument for the need of a framework (the Firma Model developed with Terence Fenn) to assist the human centered design process when dealing with problems of great complexity and situated in society. This is a theoretical piece and explains the model in some detail. This presentation was delivered at the Spring UXSF in Tokyo, Japan 2015 hosted by Sociomedia
Discover how the Firma Model by Jason Hobbs and Terence Fenn has been applied to social design challenges, it's use in education, for the self reflection of the designer and as a basis for a taxonomy of design tools and techniques. Presented at the Spring UXSF in Tokyo, Japan 2015 hosted by Sociomedia.
Presentation at UX Joburg. It's a discussion about the big picture of 'experience' - looking beyond features to the human condition, the designers consciousness and the nuances of how this emerges in the iterative design process.
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A visual essay based on my presentation at the IA Summit 2014 in San Diego, California. I finally got round to saying what I really think information architecture (IA) is.
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SAP Sapphire 2024 - ASUG301 building better apps with SAP Fiori.pdfPeter Spielvogel
Building better applications for business users with SAP Fiori.
• What is SAP Fiori and why it matters to you
• How a better user experience drives measurable business benefits
• How to get started with SAP Fiori today
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Generative AI Deep Dive: Advancing from Proof of Concept to ProductionAggregage
Join Maher Hanafi, VP of Engineering at Betterworks, in this new session where he'll share a practical framework to transform Gen AI prototypes into impactful products! He'll delve into the complexities of data collection and management, model selection and optimization, and ensuring security, scalability, and responsible use.
UiPath Test Automation using UiPath Test Suite series, part 3DianaGray10
Welcome to UiPath Test Automation using UiPath Test Suite series part 3. In this session, we will cover desktop automation along with UI automation.
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Essentials of Automations: Optimizing FME Workflows with ParametersSafe Software
Are you looking to streamline your workflows and boost your projects’ efficiency? Do you find yourself searching for ways to add flexibility and control over your FME workflows? If so, you’re in the right place.
Join us for an insightful dive into the world of FME parameters, a critical element in optimizing workflow efficiency. This webinar marks the beginning of our three-part “Essentials of Automation” series. This first webinar is designed to equip you with the knowledge and skills to utilize parameters effectively: enhancing the flexibility, maintainability, and user control of your FME projects.
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Don’t miss this opportunity to elevate your FME expertise and drive your projects to new heights of efficiency.
GDG Cloud Southlake #33: Boule & Rebala: Effective AppSec in SDLC using Deplo...James Anderson
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The software team must secure its software delivery process to avoid vulnerability and security breaches. This needs to be achieved with existing tool chains and without extensive rework of the delivery processes. This talk will present strategies and techniques for providing visibility into the true risk of the existing vulnerabilities, preventing the introduction of security issues in the software, resolving vulnerabilities in production environments quickly, and capturing the deployment bill of materials (DBOM).
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The Art of the Pitch: WordPress Relationships and SalesLaura Byrne
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Static QR Codes: Create free static QR codes. These QR codes are able to store significant information such as URLs, vCards, plain text, emails and SMS, Wi-Fi credentials, and Bitcoin addresses.
Dynamic QR codes: These also have all the advanced features but are subscription-based. They can directly link to PDF files, images, micro-landing pages, social accounts, review forms, business pages, and applications. In addition, they can be branded with CTAs, frames, patterns, colors, and logos to enhance your branding.
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Additionally, there is a 14-day free offer to ViralQR, which is an exceptional opportunity for new users to take a feel of this platform. One can easily subscribe from there and experience the full dynamic of using QR codes. The subscription plans are not only meant for business; they are priced very flexibly so that literally every business could afford to benefit from our service.
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Subscribers of ViralQR receive detailed analytics and tracking tools in light of having a view of the core values of QR code performance. Our analytics dashboard shows aggregate views and unique views, as well as detailed information about each impression, including time, device, browser, and estimated location by city and country.
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DevOps and Testing slides at DASA ConnectKari Kakkonen
My and Rik Marselis slides at 30.5.2024 DASA Connect conference. We discuss about what is testing, then what is agile testing and finally what is Testing in DevOps. Finally we had lovely workshop with the participants trying to find out different ways to think about quality and testing in different parts of the DevOps infinity loop.
When stars align: studies in data quality, knowledge graphs, and machine lear...
Communal Computing and shared spaces of use: a study of Internet cafes in developing contexts
1. Communal computing and shared spaces of usage: a study of Internet cafés in developing contexts Jason Hobbs JH-01. Johannesburg, South Africa. info@jh-01.com Tegan Bristow Lecturer in Interactive Digital Media, School of the Arts, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa. teganbristow@gmail.com
9. Notes: we don't find hubs; PostNets mostly; cafe's not as busy; not the same kind of entrepreneur-owned cafe culture; LAN gaming (leisure use); Randburg Mall exception
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19. Notes: not exhaustive or comprehensive; based on observation; 3 new cafes in braamfontein already - shifting landscape; the Randburg mall exception; Soweto access from home - unobservable; Braamfontein as thoroughfare / business district / study area; Yeoville immigrant population, Hillbrow & Berea & Rocky street density
20. A flourishing internet and PC provision industry has emerged R5 per hour in Braamfontein vs R35 an hour in Rosebank - approximately US$0.67 and US$4.75, respectively). Competition > cost > travel (Braamfontein) High costs of PC’s & connecting & lack of phone lines Result: informally sophisticated self regulating gap filler
21. Ancillary services 89% of Internet cafés report that their customers use a combination of the Internet and other business services. All the cafés offer printing, faxing, photocopying and scanning . Other services offered include: computer repairs, computer accessory sales, typing services, binding, laminating, company and VAT registration, web site design, web site hosting, stationery, clothes, hairdressing, laundry, and DVD sales and rental. Holistic business services ‘ Unrelated’ services: hairdressing, laundry, clothing or DVD sales and rentals . Subsidising low internet usage costs with other services (50% of the cafés do this).
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23. A nodal user with the need for ubiquitous Internet and personal data access Nodes : 64% of users interviewed use more than one Internet café. Most subjects used Internet cafes in two types of areas, with the most common response being that they use two to three different Internet cafés, and these were most often at least one in their area of residence, and one in the area in which they work or study. Portable data: 68% of respondents use portable storage devices to transport files to and from Internet cafes. The devices are mostly used to transport documents, CVs, files to be emailed and files received via email. Frequency: all subjects use Internet cafes a few times a month or more, with the most common (modal) response being a few times a week. All users use the café for half an hour or more, with the modal time being 1-2 hours . Of this time the average percentage spent on the Internet is 94%. These findings start to paint a picture of high use across multiple cafés in multiple locations around the city. There seems to be an interesting roaming user who is accessing the Internet across the city with their data always at hand.
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26. Internet cafes supplementing access Needing access beyond work, place of study and home 70% of those interviewed have Internet access at work and/or home and/or at their place of study and supplement this use at Internet cafés because off a lack of time to do so elsewhere, restricted access to web sites at work, or because it is cheaper than accessing it at home. PC and Internet access provided at places of study (as is the case with 70% of the sample) is unable to sufficiently meet the amount of Internet access that students need for research or other study purposes. Internet cafés are filling this gap.
27. African foreign nationals: owners and users The majority of Internet cafés are foreign-owned and where we find Internet café hubs we also find large numbers of immigrants living in those areas (Yeoville and Braamfontein). It may be that these owners are responding to the needs of immigrant communities from elsewhere in Africa (business, remaining in touch in family, etc) and that this may be stimulating interest, uptake and use by South Africans. Interviews with café owners revealed that these foreign users are often more Internet literate than South African users . Theory: foreign nationals are sparking local interest and use.
29. It’s faster and cheaper to connect at a Cafe than from home. Of those who have a PC at home (41%), only 11% have an Internet connection. However a full 100% use the Internet at Internet cafes. Internet cafés appear to be serving a critical role in expanding the possibility for many people to use the Internet in and around Johannesburg. Cafés seem to be buffering against the high charges and lack of rollout, which are clearly hampering access (which in turn hampers personal development to be gained from the Internet and Web access). Our Telcos are not providing the means for personal private Internet access for the majority of people in South Africa. Is this demographic targeted by advertising for new Internet access product packages from our Telcos. There is high repeat usage (65% mean repeat usage). There is demand. Although personal space and privacy is cited as a concern by some Internet café users, we expected it to be more of a concern. At only 14% this was surprisingly low. The lack of PC ownership and Internet access is being overcome by the use of communal PC and Internet usage spaces.
30. Informal education and training on PC-based software, the Web and Internet at cafés This appears to be area specific - people in Soweto & Yeoville tended to require greater assistance. 36% have used Internet cafés to improve their overall computer skills . 100% of this learning has been informal – either from Internet café assistants or other users. There is a high demand for training at cafes, Nonetheless, 77% of those interviewees learned to use the Internet at school or in a work setting (school 50%, work 27%, home 9%, friend 9%, Internet cafe 5%). Café owners report that 59% of their users are self-sufficient Teaching skills at schools is inconsistent (not all schools offer skills in computer and Internet use) and there’s a generational gap. This finding ties into the trend in SA of the commercial sector increasingly shouldering Government burden - in this case Internet cafés - without specific intent on the matter from Government.
31. Portable data storage It is worth noting that although many users may have a PC at work or home there are limitations to the use of the Internet (or no access at all) in these locations and, as stated above, Internet cafés offer important supplementary access. But because of these geographically fragmented patterns of use the institution of the ‘personal desktop’ or personal data storage on a personal computer either does not exist or does not suffice . In the case of users who do not have PC access at home or work the case above is obviously exacerbated further. Long-term hard drive storage space is not provided in general (only one café surveyed provides this), while 78% provide CD writing services. The majority of users state that they do not desire hard drive data storage at cafés because of privacy concerns. It can also be surmised that because many use more than one Internet café, they would rather have portable data than data that is stored at one particular Internet café. Again, this points to the ubiquitous nature of people’s computer and Internet usage needs. There is clearly a very different behaviour when no secure, personal desktop is available and the PC and Internet relationship does not exist at home in any affordable sense.
32. The hidden user 41% of the subjects use Internet cafés on behalf of other people. There is a substantial group of people who are also using the Internet, but not personally - thus there are even more users than appear on the surface. The most common tasks being performed for others are information gathering (66%) – which is heavily weighted towards research for study purposes, but other examples include getting information on cars for sale and on wedding arrangements . Mention was also regularly made of sending email for others, including CVs specifically. This in itself points to a perception of the Internet as a tool to use in everyday life – even among those who do not use it first-hand.
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34. Actual stated usage bears this out, with 86% for research or study purposes , 36% to work or run a business , and 82% to look for jobs . In terms of ‘the hidden user’ people are submitting CVs on behalf of others too. All those interviewed use email (100%), with 86% using the Internet to keep in touch with friends and family in South Africa, and a further 68% using it to keep in touch with friends and family abroad . This is a strong indication of the use of the Internet primarily as an information gathering and communications tool. There are indications that Internet cafes are functioning as stepping stones for people moving through progressive life phases. The most obvious being the move from student (research and study support at cafés) to careerism (job finding). There are likely to be many services that could be targeted at these users to support related activities.
35. The relationship between the PC and Internet Connection Having and using a PC is not enough – the Internet appears to be an essential adjunct. It seems that a symbiotic connection has developed between computer use and the Internet – that one without the other leaves the user lacking. There also appears to be a strong connection between document creation and Internet use. Of those who have a PC at home (41%), only 11% have an Internet connection. This speaks to a lack of home connectivity amongst this sample. However a full 100% use the Internet at Internet cafes. This shows that having a PC at home is not enough for the users – the Internet has become necessary to make the home PC “functional”.
38. A perception problem (things we’ve heard) > A front for drug dealing > Scams and fraudsters > Unsophisticated
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40. The Internet café, its user, the distribution of cafés across Johannesburg, the nodal pattern of use, data portability, supplementary use and ad hoc skills development fall into what we are calling, a “developing world paradigm of survivalism”. This style of use is in line with other modes of survivalism that we see in regards to technology in the developing world - for instance one mobile phone shared among multiple SIM card holders. “ Into(context) Appropriate Technology for East Africa” research conducted in East Africa (Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania) > the need for shared access due to the high cost of hardware > the need for ubiquitous solutions, > user’s eagerness facilitating informal self-education > decentralized solutions > Free is the best price (Thompson, J & Rodriguez, J. 2006)
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42. It affects ‘what we see’ and how we interpret what we see. We recommend shifting our perceived notion of where value lies in the Web in South Africa. The ROI argument required for business should not overshadow the value that the Internet and Web holds for users that do not sit within the mainstream of our understanding of where and how the web is perceived to be used in South Africa. Where currently we use e-commerce or online banking self-servicing as measures to determine the success and value of the Web, perhaps we should be broadening the net to other kinds of online transactions like those facilitated by job web sites, government web sites, email and even more broadly informational websites that assist in empowering users in making important life decisions.
46. Current global themes that relate to our users include: Web-based applications (server-side software) for instance, Google Spreadsheets; developments in ubiquitous computing via accessible hardware (in this context even RSS via an Internet café PC starts to move towards a kind of ubiquitous computing); convergence (especially around the use of mobile phones – mobile phones are the digital ‘success story’ of Africa and 100% of our users own a mobile phone); personal data storage , portability and access on-the-go. It is worth noting that many of the recommendations include suggestions that we take for granted as best practice (although these are often not employed by web sites), but that in the Internet café environment best practice often becomes a mandatory requirement. For instance, a lengthy form process that does not inform the user of what information will be required and that does not allow a user to save progress will be unusable because it will require multiple visits to the Internet café.
47. Be empathetic: this user is not just visiting the web site; they are traveling some distance to visit an Internet café, to visit the web site. This should form part of the way we conceptualise the user interacting over time. The Internet café user should become a standard persona and scenario which we add to the existing ‘home’ and ‘business place’ users. Maximise use of Web-based software without the reliance on a persistent desktop (with the ability to save and store data server-side for repeat access across visits). Assume the user does not have immediate access to a personal private desktop or information ‘in the room next door’. It may be safe to expect use of memory sticks, but this again should not be automatically assumed. - If multiple visits are anticipated in order to complete tasks, stages or progressive phases, make it easy for users to pick up from where they left off. - Attempt to reduce the amount of personal information required to complete tasks . When this is unavoidable, explain why it is required, be explicit about what information is required up-front (offer a printable list) and allow users to easily drop out, return and pick up from where they left off.
48. A reliance on persistent cookies that recognise a user will cause privacy concerns, disorientation and cannot be counted on (in most cases cookies are deleted from Internet café terminals daily). Allow users to save information and behaviour choices (preferences) server-side. The user does not own or have control rights over the PC at the Internet café, so executable files and plug-ins cannot be chosen to be installed. Use lowest common denominator technology. The site should make an effort to communicate that a relationship can be built via the web site. The information architecture should support use across multiple visits . The organisation of information around user needs through lifecycle phases will help to grow the online relationship.
49. Do not use complex interfaces; rather make an interface learnable across tasks and emphasise process driven interfaces. Employ simple navigation and use explicit labeling. Be mindful of addressing privacy concerns . Time is money at the café and although ADSL is used, low-bandwidth web sites still score highest for satisfying users.
50. Lastly, we would recommend giving thought to opportunities that could exist at the intersection between: > sharing computers > storing and managing data without the use of a personal, persistent desktop (a PC) > access via multiple Internet access points (or nodes) > portable storage devices For instance, a ‘ remote desktop ’: interface driven, with server-side information storage, Internet linked, password-protected, where a user can both upload and download information (from a local source or server-to-server) with permissions-based sharing.