Comments on: Lessons on Community From The African Blogosphere

By: Community and the African Blogosphere « Web 2.0 in the Context of Development

Wed, 21 Mar 2007 02:54:06 +0000

[…] March 11th, 2007 Â· 11 Comments […]

By: Folabi

Folabi — Sun, 18 Mar 2007 21:26:58 +0000

Interesting article and very true, but to note muti’s .co.za domain name has far reaching implications.
Even Americans find it hard using UK .co.uk domain names. Even in nigeria the .co.ng is only slowing to become accepted.

By: Josh

Josh — Thu, 15 Mar 2007 05:21:09 +0000

I agree with Nino. I think Muti’s problem is marketing. I think an African vehicle is a marketing vehicle too. Yahoo! or the ugly Myspace for example is successful not because it works for the US but because it serves a specific function within a user’s life.

Any “African” site first has to be more than African to work. If Muti or any other site such as African Path is marketed as an African site/business, then it has to stand for more on the user’s mind.

You recognize CNN or BBC as world leaders in news not because they presented news but because they marketed it, they taught their employees to act like it and then sold you that product. Soon enough, the image is built in you and you see it that way. Any successful African platform has to be more than just an African platform. The brand has to extend to the intricacies of our cultures, languages and unique backgrounds.

When Coke sold in new countries that spoke different languages, they tailored their offerings to serve these markets. But Coke is an American product. I grew up drinking it and never thought of it as American. We need to do that. I think the big issue here really is marketing and the funds necessary to get the idea to sell to all groups quickly instead of it being an issue of demographics and culture.

By: Nino

Nino — Wed, 14 Mar 2007 20:10:34 +0000

I seems that eventhough Europe is not homogeinous, you can talk about an european blogosphere.
That doesn’t meant that every body speak the same language, or talk about the same things.

The African sphere doesn’t exist because it hasn’t be created now, or because it can’t exist ? The difference makes sense..One asnwer or another doesn’t imply the same thing.

For Muti, a problem can be marketing..You cannot form Cameroon (for example) discover Muti, just like that. There should be something triggering this (mailing, advertising, etc..). If not, you won’t know about it.
And, the Internet is not widely distributed through Africa to allow easy surf, and discover social platform like Muti.

Muti is young, it will grow; and Zangu is a good idea…

Nino

PS: Sorry for my english if unreadable

By: Benin Mwangi

Benin Mwangi — Wed, 14 Mar 2007 18:31:39 +0000

Hash:

I like….good read here. The concept of “Africa” , to me, only seems to exists in the minds of a small group of folks: those not born on the continent and a smaller group comprised of folks born on the continent who adhere to the precepts of past leaders like Nkrumah and Kenyatta of a Pan-African unit. When it comes to how people socialize you are right, it is very much along the lines of common experiences, languages, and etc. However, when it comes to purely business oriented pursuits, recently I have been bumping into larger numbers of people from one African country doing business in other African countries, like Kenyans doing business in West Africa or Nigerians in South Africa, and etc.

How does this apply to online social platforms…I think that one guess is as good as another. But I lean towards your idea that some larger platform supporting various smaller ones organized around similiar regions makes sense..

Great job!

By: imnakoya

imnakoya — Tue, 13 Mar 2007 22:32:50 +0000

I believe as heterogeneous as the constituent African groups are that they can still interact via technology. A web platform will work for some of the media contents, but not all, and it’s most appropriate for those within the continent, not in the Diaspora.

As versatile as this platform is very few service providers have enabled the use of the mobile technology as an efficient and effective tool in this regard. So getting them to buy the idea or facilitate the process and open their airwaves to this concept is very crucial.

In the meantime, Africans in the Diaspora and those in places like S. African are ready audience for anyone with sound and innovative ideas.

By: HASH

HASH — Tue, 13 Mar 2007 14:20:24 +0000

JKE/Imnakoya/Omodudu – That’s the crux of the issue, that Africa is not a community, but subsets within Africa are.

So, is there a magic bullet to allow these communities to interact through technology? I don’t know, but I think that many of them can be served with the right type of mobile/web platform. It’s something that others are working on now too. Quite frankly, I don’t really care who develops it, as long as it’s done right.

By: JKE

JKE — Tue, 13 Mar 2007 01:23:42 +0000

Yes, I feel you on this one, bro.

Maybe it’s about time you start renaming this site to whitekenyan.com? 😀

Seriously, feeding the local community instead of some “African” sphere – which apparently doesn’t exist, or at least only in the heads of those who talk about “Africa” – should be the way to go.

What I am hoping for is a regional level. Like in our example the East African Community. Maybe through technology ppl will find each other in future – just as the European Commission in Europe “forces” us to cooperate with other european neighbours on a common constitution and similar local law.

Let’s take Celtel for example, who introduced a single tariff in all EA countries (yes?). Giving the technology incentive for people to come together.

Also, I agree with the mobile phone networks being the best technological plattform, and that they work as “PCs” for those who cannot afford their own. Expanding those communication channels is the way to go, I think.

By: Frederic Tape

Frederic Tape — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 20:39:32 +0000

bonsoir Africain blanc, comment allez vous ? I have been an avid reader of your blog and I am constantly amazed at the unfoldings in Africa’s nations.
Could you cover a little bite more countries such as Senegal,Rwanda,Ivory Coast so that we see what is going on in the francophone countries.

Merci ,tres cordialement

F.Tape
http://africaincorp.blogspot.com
http://maitreangelekouassi.blogspot.com
http://ivorycoastprivatesector.blogspot.com

By: omodudu

omodudu — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 19:46:58 +0000

The resulting cliques are a by product of our psychological make-up, I feel technology adoption exposes the underlying fact that ‘Africa’ does not really exist in the mind of the African. Kenya, Ethiopa and Ghana does exist but the concept of Africa is way to divers with no apparent ties for people to wrap their minds around.
I read a stories about Kenya, India or Ireland with the same level of intrest, this should not be so if there is indeed an Africa. Its more apparent to me because I grew up in 3 African countries and I still don’t feel Ivorien or Tunisian.