The Real Internet Revolution (It ain’t happened yet)
[Another fantastic guest post today. This time by Reynold D'Silva of SnakeCoffee. He clues us in on the real internet revolution. Really.]
Don't you know
They're talkin' about a revolution
It sounds like whisper
Don't you know
They're talkin' about a revolution
It sounds like whisper…
Web 2.0? Amazon.com? E-bay and e-commerce?
68.2% of the population uses the Internet!
Does that sound like your home country?
Do you carry a Blackberry in your pocket?
Is your biggest problem how to avoid spam and pop-up advertisements?
…While they're standing in the welfare lines
Crying at the doorsteps of those armies of salvation
Wasting time in the unemployment lines
Sitting around waiting for a promotion…
What about the other 31.8%?
What’s the Net doing for them?
Is there really a fortune at the bottom of the pyramid
Or is it just a nice title for a book?
Has anybody tried to figure it out?
…Poor people gonna rise up
And get their share…
…Poor people gonna rise up
And take what's theirs…
This sounds like my home country.
1 billion people.
409 million people aren’t interested in Web 2.0, they need Electricity 1.0!
Not e-commerce, but e-choupal.
Yup, there is a fortune to be made out there.
And there.
And there.
…Don't you know
You better run…
Oh I said you better
Runrunrun…
chartreuse 
June 8, 2006 at 10:17 am
I like the thinking sir snake
June 8, 2006 at 10:36 am
I assume he’s talking about China, but he may mean India.
In China 400 million people have the Internet, but they call it a cell phone. (Actually, the Mandarin word is shou ji – “hand machine”). Bokee.com is a giant blog host and have you noticed that more and more trackbacks are in Mandarin? Scroll down to about the 10th comment on this post by Seth Godin for an example.
Marketing and media in China are rather backward compared to the West, but new media may allow them leapfrog us. Who cares about direct mail when you have a top 100 blog?
June 8, 2006 at 1:30 pm
There are lots of money to be made dealing with the poor. Ask WalMart.
June 8, 2006 at 1:40 pm
Jeez, I don’t know….follow the links and read about tech people creating a internet solution for farmers.
“the single-largest information technology-based intervention by a corporate entity in rural India. Transforming the Indian farmer into a progressive knowledge-seeking netizen. Enriching the farmer with knowledge; elevating him to a new order of empowerment.”
Hasn’t any told this corporation that farmers are a very conservative lot who don’t do something until their neighbors are doing it? The problem with changing many third world problems is changing behaviors, not bringing technology
Yes, it makes sense and yes it will happen, but it will happen over generations not like a Tracy Chapman song. It will happen slower than masses of people not wearing watches anymore.
A significant difference to Indian and African farmers would be if the US Government let food commodity prices float Quid Pro Quo like we want the Yuan to float. It’s not technology if you want to have farmers around the world make a living, it’s politics and their own behavior.
Things don’t change, until they do. A better lyrics would be, “Meet the new boss. Same as the old boss” – The Who
June 8, 2006 at 3:12 pm
China still has a while to go before it’s a premier place for entrepreneurs to play. The astronomical economic growth rate will (has) increased its friendliness to business, but it doesn’t happen overnight… and oh yeah… they don’t have credit cards yet!!
June 8, 2006 at 3:28 pm
interesting points Lloyd. I think technology is important too though. Cellphones have completely changed parts of Africa. it has spurred entreprenuerism and social changes. Derek is right about the leapfrog effect. All the old infrustructure we have built (i.e., landlines, etc.) don’t even have to be thought about.
But they will need credit cards. You can’t play if you can’t pay! 🙂
June 8, 2006 at 5:52 pm
Credit cards can be leapfrogged too.
June 8, 2006 at 6:05 pm
Now that I would like to see! 🙂