Claude Almansi wrote: > Hi Don, > > Thank you for your answer. Re: > > Donald Z. Osborn wrote: > >> >> In Niger and several years ago in cybercafes in Mali I did not >> usually have too >> much problem with loading simple images, though my tactic was always >> to run >> more than one browser window concurrently so I could work on one >> thing while >> another was loading. Much appreciated were pages that use JPEG or GIF >> images >> but also have a text only option. Including the latter should be a >> general rule >> for any international development site. (Re audio, I know of a couple >> of people >> in Bamako who received audio file attachments to e-mail, and >> downloaded and >> listened to them in cybercafes.) > > The alternative option is great, and should be used more often. The > WSIS sites didn't have it though. As to audio files in attachments, > though, would it not be better to have them for download on a web > page, saying how big they are and indicating approximate download time > on dial-up, then sending the URL for the page? Same for PDFs and other > heavy formats.
This is supposed to be in the informal style handbook for webmasters. I think that what may be happening is that as more people get involved online using content management systems and weblogs, they come in not aware of this. And on top of that, there are handicap access issues. Trust me, I'm beating up PDFs right now on a project, and we simply have to be able to do better than this format when it comes to placement and readability through machine. >> >> My impression is that bandwidth issues are improving in a lot of >> places in the >> global South (certainly did in Niamey) to where loading a less flashy >> set of >> simple images is not as much a problem as it used to be. However many >> such >> places will likely remain behind the curve for a while so that >> mobilizing the >> latest tech for the maximum multimedia effect will always be >> inappropriate for >> them. > > > That's where the prospect of Microsoft launching the Longhorn OS in > 2006 (?) is worrying. Will the new programs running on it still be > compatible with the old ones? From what I read, no way my 15Gb HD, > 128kb ram, 800 MHz laptop bought in 2001 will be able to run Longhorn > and its programs. How many access points in the South will be able to > afford the needed hardware? This is one of the reasons why Linux is so popular in the developing world. But I bet you that you have 128 megabytes of RAM instead of Kilobytes, and that's a good thing. :) >> At the same time, development of text content in diverse languages where >> appropriate, and machine translation for text that won't get otherwise >> translated, should definitely be on the agenda. > > > Machine translation is certainly a vital area - and one that, as a > (still) human translator, I'm very interested in. But again, the > above-mentioned divide between educators and tech people must be > bridged too. Too many European educators tend to poo-poo at the > gobbledygook produced by translation programs, without deigning to try > and understand why programs do that, and even less try and write in a > manner that can be more accurately machine-translated. Their attitude > to machine translation - and spell-checking btw - suggests an > assumption that a little man is crouching in their computer and that > they can insult him into greater cleverness... There are cultural translations as well, and little nuances. Highly recommend the book: 'The Language Instinct' (Steven Pinker). -- Taran Rampersad [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.linuxgazette.com http://www.a42.com http://www.worldchanging.com http://www.knowprose.com http://www.easylum.net "An idea that is developed and put into action is more important than an idea that exists only as an idea." — Buddha _______________________________________________ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://mailman.edc.org/mailman/listinfo/digitaldivide To unsubscribe, send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the word UNSUBSCRIBE in the body of the message.
