Comments on: Bamako’s Digital Multimedia Bookshop http://www.afrigadget.com/2008/07/31/bamakos-digital-multimedia-bookshop/ Gadgets in Africa: Solving everyday problems with African ingenuity Thu, 11 Mar 2010 17:58:08 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Eiriks forfatterblogg :: Alternativer til DRM i forlagsbransjen http://www.afrigadget.com/2008/07/31/bamakos-digital-multimedia-bookshop/comment-page-1/#comment-14297 Eiriks forfatterblogg :: Alternativer til DRM i forlagsbransjen Thu, 18 Dec 2008 17:33:51 +0000 http://www.afrigadget.com/?p=275#comment-14297 [...] er bokhandleren i Bamako i Mali et godt eksempel på. Mamadou Coulibaly har utviklet en boks kalt “La Source”, en ombygd datamaskin som lar kundene overføre musikk, [...] [...] er bokhandleren i Bamako i Mali et godt eksempel på. Mamadou Coulibaly har utviklet en boks kalt “La Source”, en ombygd datamaskin som lar kundene overføre musikk, [...]

]]> By: jra’s thoughts › SneakerNet Kiosk http://www.afrigadget.com/2008/07/31/bamakos-digital-multimedia-bookshop/comment-page-1/#comment-13997 jra’s thoughts › SneakerNet Kiosk Thu, 09 Oct 2008 13:59:00 +0000 http://www.afrigadget.com/?p=275#comment-13997 [...] I found a blog posting on AfriGadget about it, and it includes a nice video from France24. This was written by jra. Posted on [...] [...] I found a blog posting on AfriGadget about it, and it includes a nice video from France24. This was written by jra. Posted on [...]

]]> By: Israel Ag Nouh Yattara http://www.afrigadget.com/2008/07/31/bamakos-digital-multimedia-bookshop/comment-page-1/#comment-13856 Israel Ag Nouh Yattara Mon, 11 Aug 2008 19:12:31 +0000 http://www.afrigadget.com/?p=275#comment-13856 I would have to agree with Erik; it's a pay-for-service business, and not exactly a pay-for-content oriented business model. Information should be free regardless. The "Free Flow of Information Act" promotion by UNESCO protects business-men like Coulibaly, pursuing such ventures. Sharing of knowledge should never be paid for. Need you be reminded that Wikipedia is a consortium of contributed articles and publications by the people and for the people? Mamadou Coulibaly is only trying to keep the "SOURCE" alive, by charging small fees for using his portal to access this information. Pursuing an IT business in a 3rd world country can be challenging for start-up gurus, and is usually (somewhat) pricey for local customers. It is an unfortunate dilemma that can only be resolved by the national economy and time. I would have to agree with Erik; it’s a pay-for-service business, and not exactly a pay-for-content oriented business model. Information should be free regardless.

The “Free Flow of Information Act” promotion by UNESCO protects business-men like Coulibaly, pursuing such ventures. Sharing of knowledge should never be paid for. Need you be reminded that Wikipedia is a consortium of contributed articles and publications by the people and for the people?

Mamadou Coulibaly is only trying to keep the “SOURCE” alive, by charging small fees for using his portal to access this information. Pursuing an IT business in a 3rd world country can be challenging for start-up gurus, and is usually (somewhat) pricey for local customers.

It is an unfortunate dilemma that can only be resolved by the national economy and time.

]]> By: Erik http://www.afrigadget.com/2008/07/31/bamakos-digital-multimedia-bookshop/comment-page-1/#comment-13846 Erik Mon, 04 Aug 2008 11:38:12 +0000 http://www.afrigadget.com/?p=275#comment-13846 Dave, good conversation point. I can't say as I know exactly how their business model works, though I had assumed they were selling the service, not the actual downloads. Dave, good conversation point. I can’t say as I know exactly how their business model works, though I had assumed they were selling the service, not the actual downloads.

]]> By: Dave Donelson http://www.afrigadget.com/2008/07/31/bamakos-digital-multimedia-bookshop/comment-page-1/#comment-13843 Dave Donelson Sat, 02 Aug 2008 15:02:55 +0000 http://www.afrigadget.com/?p=275#comment-13843 Having an interest in libraries (as a trustee), I like this model very much. Distribution through such a node to a USB stick and/or other device is an elegant solution to expensive and/or slow internet connections. Selling the service, however, raises some issues. Is the book shop owner selling otherwise-free content such as Wikipedia pages or copyright-challenged illegal music (and video?) downloads? If he is charging by the item, it would seem so. If, on the other hand, he charges by the amount of time spent on the computer, he is simply serving as a different type of internet cafe. I pose the question as a conversation starter. <a href="http://www.heartofdiamonds.com" rel="nofollow">Dave Donelson, author of Heart of Diamonds</a> Having an interest in libraries (as a trustee), I like this model very much. Distribution through such a node to a USB stick and/or other device is an elegant solution to expensive and/or slow internet connections.
Selling the service, however, raises some issues. Is the book shop owner selling otherwise-free content such as Wikipedia pages or copyright-challenged illegal music (and video?) downloads? If he is charging by the item, it would seem so. If, on the other hand, he charges by the amount of time spent on the computer, he is simply serving as a different type of internet cafe. I pose the question as a conversation starter.
Dave Donelson, author of Heart of Diamonds

]]> By: Jan Groenewald http://www.afrigadget.com/2008/07/31/bamakos-digital-multimedia-bookshop/comment-page-1/#comment-13841 Jan Groenewald Sat, 02 Aug 2008 07:10:25 +0000 http://www.afrigadget.com/?p=275#comment-13841 Something similar in South Africa http://www.freedomtoaster.org.za/ Something similar in South Africa
http://www.freedomtoaster.org.za/

]]> By: 2050 » Blog Archive » Bokhandleren i Bamako - en digital pioner http://www.afrigadget.com/2008/07/31/bamakos-digital-multimedia-bookshop/comment-page-1/#comment-13837 2050 » Blog Archive » Bokhandleren i Bamako - en digital pioner Fri, 01 Aug 2008 07:00:31 +0000 http://www.afrigadget.com/?p=275#comment-13837 [...] AfriGadget forteller om en innovativ løsning på et vanlig problem i Afrika: selv om nettilgang finnes i prinsippet, er det i praksis ofte dyrt og vanskelig å laste ned. Selv ganske små filer blir dermed utilgjengelige for folk flest. Bokhandleren Mamadou Coulibaly i Bamako i det vestafrikanske landet Mali har laget sitt eget system, en hjemmesnekret boks kalt “La Source”, der kundene kan overføre musikk, wikipedia-artikler, tekster, programvare og spill til USB-minnepinner via tre enkle knapper. [...] [...] AfriGadget forteller om en innovativ løsning på et vanlig problem i Afrika: selv om nettilgang finnes i prinsippet, er det i praksis ofte dyrt og vanskelig å laste ned. Selv ganske små filer blir dermed utilgjengelige for folk flest. Bokhandleren Mamadou Coulibaly i Bamako i det vestafrikanske landet Mali har laget sitt eget system, en hjemmesnekret boks kalt “La Source”, der kundene kan overføre musikk, wikipedia-artikler, tekster, programvare og spill til USB-minnepinner via tre enkle knapper. [...]

]]> By: John Powers http://www.afrigadget.com/2008/07/31/bamakos-digital-multimedia-bookshop/comment-page-1/#comment-13836 John Powers Thu, 31 Jul 2008 19:52:05 +0000 http://www.afrigadget.com/?p=275#comment-13836 This sort of interface is a really good idea. It provides ways for people in the West who are collaborating with people in Africa online to be of service. A wide range of useful information could be downloaded onto discs and sent via the mail to such operators. In the video I like they say "devices." There are a range of "devices" and Mp3 players are one such device which could become more useful. There is a simple computer which has been used in schools in the West for a long time for word processing called the Alphasmart. With a simple back lit LED display the device get hundreds of hours of use with simple AA batteries. Such simple computers could allow students at schools with no electricity--there are lots of them--to create content. This would allow partnerships with schools in the West. The innovation is in ways to share digital content. This sort of interface is a really good idea. It provides ways for people in the West who are collaborating with people in Africa online to be of service. A wide range of useful information could be downloaded onto discs and sent via the mail to such operators. In the video I like they say “devices.” There are a range of “devices” and Mp3 players are one such device which could become more useful. There is a simple computer which has been used in schools in the West for a long time for word processing called the Alphasmart. With a simple back lit LED display the device get hundreds of hours of use with simple AA batteries. Such simple computers could allow students at schools with no electricity–there are lots of them–to create content. This would allow partnerships with schools in the West. The innovation is in ways to share digital content.

]]> By: Nate Berkopec http://www.afrigadget.com/2008/07/31/bamakos-digital-multimedia-bookshop/comment-page-1/#comment-13835 Nate Berkopec Thu, 31 Jul 2008 19:48:27 +0000 http://www.afrigadget.com/?p=275#comment-13835 This guy really should prototype/patent and start selling this thing throughout Africa. Great idea. Love that he's running Ubuntu...can anyone tell what the GUI is? Looks custom. This guy really should prototype/patent and start selling this thing throughout Africa. Great idea. Love that he’s running Ubuntu…can anyone tell what the GUI is? Looks custom.

]]> By: k http://www.afrigadget.com/2008/07/31/bamakos-digital-multimedia-bookshop/comment-page-1/#comment-13834 k Thu, 31 Jul 2008 18:51:02 +0000 http://www.afrigadget.com/?p=275#comment-13834 I don't know... Sounds pretty patronizing to me. I don’t know… Sounds pretty patronizing to me.

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