IBM, India
Developing knowledge sharing applications or portals for rural communities is a complex task, particularly since meaningful content for rural populace has to be multi dimensional, covering various forms of agricultural practices, weather and soil information, non farming livelihood options, finance and marketing. The design challenge for such applications is to provide better access to content, preferably through a common yet simple user interface.
Integration of multiple technologies and standards, multi media content, two way information exchange, localisation, access through multiple devices, IP and security issues are key design considerations for developing applications in the Indian context. Constraints on internet access and bandwidth, availability of trained resources, cost of development and maintenance are other factors that influence design.
The intent of this paper is to discuss how, the emergence of Web 2.0 technologies can be leveraged to address these design considerations more effectively than before. Practical examples of how, use of Web 2.0. methods of tagging, syndication, mashups etc. can provide a richer user experience and enhance the value and functionality of such applications will be shared.
It is inconceivable to visualise that applications of such nature can be built and made popular, without close collaboration between experts, government agencies, research institutions, NGOs, private companies and rural communities. Management issues on managing technology, harnessing collective intelligence and building ecosystems for ensuring sustainability of these applications will also be discussed.
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