The study of increased internet activity that occurs when the general
public switch from a dial-up connection to Broadband is
startling.  There is a massive increase in usage.  Also, in
less developed countries such as the Phillipines, the younger
generation are seen to suddenly forget that all they have had to eat
that day is biscuits and milk and pay for internet time in the handfull
of establishments that they have provided for them.  Such
provision is a direct plan for the WSIS to implement the proposed
infrastructure, and is being taken up by countries.  (The
phillipines example is a true one I have experienced).  This
younger generation seem to be drawn to these places by chat rooms but
are now interested and exposed to anything thrown down the internet at
them.

My main thought is the  full driving force behind the whole
thing.  Why did anyone ever imagine to take this idea to the
lesser developed countries in the first place.

Reading the WSIS declaration they do seem to have all the points
covered, even the good old 'Protect Children' one-liner.  Although
protecting children is paramount in society is paramount it seems to be
thrown in just because it should be.  The declaration then
continues to discuss security at length.

Fact is this global information exchange, while trying to create
echonimic growth for all countries and maybe a United States of Europe,
will give rise to much more internet fraud, pornography, and problems
then they have thought about.  They already cannot police the
internet as it is.

The different laws in the countries involved already keep the
british embasseys busy throughout the year.  I think they are
being naive to thing that the boundaries will just fall down with
technology.  The entries in this forum already suggest poor
international money transfer facilities.

Who is to say that a few computers and a bit of carefully targetted
advertising will 'accelerate the social and economic progress of
countries'?  Are we saying that we will lose the culture of that
country, the culture we would hope to see should we holiday in that
country.  You only have to look at the idea behind the EU,
something that the ICT idea is trying to keep alive.  Even with
the EU, when something global actually happens is it really a
'union'?  The democratic processes we hold so dear in the UK are
hardly recognised.  The main players in the union go it alone and
then force home the 'fact' that they were right.  Even if they
were not.

If what developing countries need is knowledge to turn thier economy
around then ICT will work for them.  I do find when i search for
college study material that it does tend to be swamped by advertising
which you must wade through to get what you really want.  This has
improved but when all countries are laying down their source material I
can see the knowlege bases again crushed.

Under 'Capacity Building' (para 24 or the declaration) I am confused as
to what they mean by the 'special needs of girls and women' with regard
to 'Literacy' and 'universal primary education'.  Women these days
are more independant than men.  The law is on their side and they
themselves are more and more becoming prodominant in the work place in
general.  Could this be just another 'token' gesture in the
declaration as was the children?  Women are totally exploited on
the internet at the moment and child abuse is available to anyone who
has the internet.  One of my collegues even gets spam mail about
such things!  This sort of thing happens in some countries and ICT
implementation will bring more of it to the net.

One good thing is the knowledge that will be gained.  Somewhere
there are people who know things.  Good things.  Things like
cures from plants for example.  Those that know that nature is a
wheel, as is space, where each action has an equal and oposite
reaction.  There may be a latent mathematical genius lurking in
the middle of the Ukraine somewhere, totally un recognised.  This
knowledge will hopefully be harnessed but the speed of the
implementation will be a factor here.  Some of these people will
be old, holding this knowledge close as they use it to look after their
own family or comunity.  Or maybe they themselves cannot get the
recognition they deserve.  This generation will not be the people
who take to ICT so it may still get lost forever.  I know poeple
that should really write a book as what they don't know about
particular subjects is not worth knowing.

I think the study has covered the main moral issues but to my mind does
not go deep enough.  This is a very bold way of gaining a new
client base for selling things.  The environmental issues will be
massive even with new technologies to minimise effects.