Simple locally based network for everyone – who wants

that? TeleBalt Conference

Vilnius 21.-22. Oct

Ilpo Koskikallioilpo.koskikallio@glocal.fi

Glocal Ltd.www.glocal.fi

Three (gradually fading) hypes of present IT technology

• Web -hype

• Mobile enthusiasm

• Cry for broad band connections as a self-evident solution to solve the “networking for everyone” question

Background• Wide area (4500km2) with few

inhabitants (20.000)• High unemployment rate (over 25%)• Rapidly declining population

(~1.8%/year)• Threat of apathy

Combined with• Good telecommunication

infrastructure. • Sitra (the Finnish Foundation of

Research and Development) gave us an opportunity

Basic assumptions

• Email is a basic application in the local sphere of our “virtual civil society” –(Web browser – global sphere)

• Local virtuality => non-anonymity • Global virtuality => anonymity• Easy to use and administer system• Usable with all kind of connection speeds

(and types)• Stable, safe and high usability

Solution

• Local intranet system (based on FirstClass® software)

• System of “layman trainers”

• Dense network of free of charge intranet/internet kiosks

Results• More that 1/3 of population are registered users (aged

10-75)

• About 5000 users (total population about 19000)

• ~2000 different users per day (over 3000/week and ~4000 logins/day)

• Local communication is an essential part of email communication (75/25)

• Increased self-confidence of formerly unemployed persons

• Possibility for democratic participation

• Increased toleration

Simple solutions are considered dangerous

• User-friendliness and easy-to-use solutions are OK as long as we are talking about end-user perspective

• Simplicity in system administration is another thing – that will endanger the status quo– The resistance of the local “experts”– “Too easy” applications are automatically

considered (by the “experts”) as not suitable for “serious work”

The curse of the technological determinism

• The vicious circle of upgrades.

• Nerds create new releases for other nerds.

• But what do the great majority (so called ”ordinary users”) needs/wants?

Lessons

• If we want to create ”everyman´s” Information Society (other than games, porn and gambling via Internet) and narrow off the “digital gap”: – Return to the simple solutions– Concentrate on local level (from local to global)– Learning is more important than bandwith– Great majority of users are technologically

conservative– We need “mid-tech” people as mediators between

high tech people and ordinary people