Connecting bridges across the digital divide

ABSTRACT

Connecting people across the Digital Divide is as much a social effort as a technological one. We are developing a community-centered approach to learn how interaction techniques can compensate for poor communication across the Digital Divide. Preliminary trials have yielded interfaces that deal with poor quality by adapting Instant Messaging techniques for multiple modalities, providing improved semi-synchronous communication. Lessons learned suggest new ways to design user interfaces specifically for the developing world.

REFERENCES

• 1: Benjamin, A.E. and Tucker W.D. Floor Control Arbitration for a Hybrid Voice/Text Web-board. Proc. South African Telecommunications Networks & Applications Conference (SATNAC) 2003.
• 2: Chetty, M., Tucker, W. and Blake, E. Using Voice over IP to Bridge the Digital Divide: A Critical Action Research Approach. Proc. South African Telecommunications Networks & Applications Conference (SATNAC) 2003.
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• 4: Thomas Erickson , Wendy A. Kellogg, Social translucence: using minimalist visualisations of social activity to support collective interaction, Designing information spaces: the social navigation approach, Springer-Verlag, London, 2003
• 5: Lewis, J., Tucker, W. and Blake, E. SoftBridge: A Multi-modal Instant Messaging Bridging System. Proc. South African Telecommunications Networks & Applications Conference (SATNAC) 2003.
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• 7: Tucker, W.D., Glaser, M. and Lewis, J. SoftBridge in Action: The First Deaf Telephony Pilot, Proc. South African Telecommunications Networks & Applications Conference (SATNAC) 2003.
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INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  H. Information Systems
  H.5 INFORMATION INTERFACES AND PRESENTATION (I.7)
      H.5.2 User Interfaces (D.2.2, H.1.2, I.3.6)
          Subjects: User-centered design

Keywords:
community-centered, digital divide, instant messaging, multi-modal, semi-synchronous, user interface