Title: Does Public Access Computing Really Contribute to Community Development? Lessons from Libraries, Telecenters and Cybercafés in Colombia
Authors: Ricardo Gomez, Luis Fernando Baron-Porras
Pages: 11 pp.
ISSN: 1681-4835
Source: The Electronic Journal of Information Systems in Developing Countries, (2011) 49, 2, 1-11
Publisher: City University of Hong Kong
Date (published): 02/11/2011
Date (accessed): 20/11/2011
Type of information: peer reviewed article
Language: English
On-line access: yes (pdf)
Abstract:
"The use of information and communication technologies (ICT) can contribute to local community development and help connect local communities to global issues. Public access computing (PAC) venues such as telecenters, public libraries and cybercafés make ICT more broadly available and extend the benefits of ICT to underserved populations. This paper discusses findings from a study of the contribution of PAC to community development in Colombia, with particular attention to the town of Carmen de Bolívar. This town has a strong tradition of community organization for social development, and a long history of violence that has shaped its social fabric. While the introduction of PAC may not have contributed significantly to community development, use of ICT gives the local population a sense of belonging to a larger, global community, which in turn may help local activities in support of community development. We conclude that personal friendships and entertainment are perceived as stronger benefits of PAC, not community development or social transformation. Future research can explore if personal friendships and entertainment can be indirect contributors to community development."

Title: Are Mobile Phones Pushing Cyber Cafes Out of Business?
Author: Oluniyi Ajao
Source: ICTWorks
Date (published): 10/05/2010
Date (accessed): 10/05/2010
Type of information: blog post
Language: English
On-line access: yes (HTML)
Abstract:
When last did you visit a cyber cafe?
Eight years ago, my answer would have been “right now”. I would have been writing/reading this on a computer in a cyber cafe. Right now however, I am lying somewhere comfortable in my home, whilst punching the soft keys on my laptop.

A few years ago in Accra, one could count more than ten Internet cafes between Vodafone (then Ghana Telecom)’s Head Office around Kwame Nkrumah Circle and BusyInternet on Ring Road Central. There were: True Internet, WWWPlus Mega Cafe, Krofa Internet Cafe, Java Internet Cafe, and several others, whose names I do not remember at this time.

Sadly, most of them have closed shop. Whilst several reasons could be offered for the failure of these enterprises, one cannot overlook the solid impact of mobile phones and mobile internet technologies

Title: Public Internet Access Points: impact vs. sustainability
Author: Ismael Peña-López
Source: ICTlogy
Date (published): 25/10/2009
Date (accessed): 28/10/2009
Type of information: blog post
Language: English
On-line access: yes (HTML)
Abstract:
"Let’s imagine there are only two kinds of Public Internet Access Points, that is, a place, different to your house or your work where you can connect to the Internet:

* A library, a civic centre, or an ad hoc place equipped with computers and connection to the Internet; access and usage is free...Let’s call them telecentre.
* The other kind is similar to the previous one but it is not free... Let’s call them cybercafé.
...
If things were that binary, telecentres would be having an impact on people’s lives while cybercafés wouldn’t; on the other hand, cybercafés would be economically sustainable (self-sustainable) while telecentres would not."