Social Networks for less privileged

Arup Chakraborty brought to my attention a great story from NYT some time ago. This story talks about social networking for people who don’t have computers:

Babajob seeks to bring the social-networking revolution popularized by Facebook and MySpace to people who do not even have computers — the world’s poor. And the start-up is just one example of an unanticipated byproduct of the outsourcing boom: many of the hundreds of multinationals and hundreds of thousands of technology workers who are working here are turning their talents to fighting the grinding poverty that surrounds them.

This idea of creating computer-based social networks for less privileged people is a great one and may become one of the most powerful applications in emerging countries.

20 thoughts on “Social Networks for less privileged

  1. Arup

    Thanks for posting this in your blog. Its great to see such efforts from India. I hope many more start ups come for markets in emerging countries.

    Here’s the link to a presentation that the founder gave at Bangalore Barcamp
    [http://babalife.com/presentations/IntroducingBabalifeAndBabajob.ppt]

    BTW, I did not know there is something like BarCamp hapenning in Bangalore for last 2 years!

  2. Mike

    With an NGO project that would sell laptops at $100 to third-world countries, more and more people will get connected to the rest of the world.

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    Yes that’s still the fact that too many people are deprived of being connected to online social networks but efforts are on and favorable results are pouring in. However I believe that it will take hell amount of time for the less educated people to come into this stream. What we have seen that more highly educated people have more people to talk to about things that are important to them. In fact, the impact of education on the number of family confidants has actually increased and subsequently increased the figures appearing in this kind of networks. However things are moving at a snail’s pace as far as less privileged people are concerned. I would say that taking this type of initiative to bring people with less resources into social network’s mainstream are good signs of connecting people, thus making this world small enough to communicate.

  4. Lewis

    The $100 laptop project will do an incredible amount for the computer-less in poorer countries, giving access to huge amounts of data, social networking sites, etc.

    The NYT article was an interesting read.

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    It seems as though social networking has carried over to the internet. Internet marketing through social websites like Myspace and Facebook has grown over 200% in the past 4 years. More and more people are using these sites as a backdoor for advertisement for their own sites and services. It s a quick easy and affordable way to be heard seen and reviewed by peers who have an influence or common ground with what youre trying to sell.

  6. racing seats

    That is how most of these huge social networks started. Great article, they all started out as an idea and only with a few members. These ideas will catch on with some advertising and a concept that is easy to use and people can relate to. I think these network sites are helping the non computer user become a little more computer friendly!

  7. sparring gear

    These lots of companies are looking to cash in on these social networking sites. At the end of 2008 there will be an estimated 2,000 of these sites up and functional. Internet marketing and networking is on a climb and who knows when its going to stop?

  8. Susan Warlington

    This looks to be a great project, I hope they manage it all the way. Social networking is definately here to stay.

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  9. Jeff Wayne

    It turns out that $100 laptop is not as popular as I expected. The good news is that it increase competition. I think it is the main reason we have netbook today. After google launch chrome operating system for netbook, more people will enjoy computing facility.

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    I do agree that creating computer-based social networks for less privileged people is a great idea. I believe many people from emerging countries are talented. Technology could be the answer to make things great for emerging countries.

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    To help make emerging countries better would be to use computer based social networks which I do agree. Having friends and travelled to many of these countries I realized that there are so many talented people in these countries it is too bad so many do not realize this. It will be great to see more people connected this way.

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    With so many companies, hospitals and schools replenishing old computer systems for new. There are plenty of computers that could be giving to less fortunate people or countries. The problem in some cases would be the lack of power and above all the lack of access to the internet.

    Social networks or any other internet median would be a lost cause in this case BUT with access to the internet. This would be most definately something worth persueing.

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    I was raised in a small village, where lots of kids ended up badly, wiothout a job or any hope for them for better life and think of people who are in even worse situation living in slums or africa. I think everyone should have a right for the information and information technology with social networking techniques should be possible for anyone.

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