[AfrICANN-discuss] Declaration of the joint meeting of African community (Beijing)

[SM]

At 09:38 03-04-2013, Ben Fuller wrote:
>country"? The state of development, economic integration, education, 
>language culture and commerce is vastly different across the fifty 
>odd countries that make up Africa. This diversity needs to be 
>reflected in our planning.

Note that these comments are not about the declaration.

The requirements are different when over fifty countries, each of 
them specific in their own ways.

>As a follow on, in the second part of the first sentence, the notion 
>that the development fund will somehow allow the continent to "enter 
>the Internet domain industry" is written by someone who missed the 
>boat a long time ago. The Internet domain industry in different 
>parts of Africa goes back 20 or so years. Again there is a lot of 
>diversity in terms of local and national Internet development. There 
>are a lot of skilled and talented people on the continent who can 
>serve as partners, teachers, and role models for places where 
>Internet penetration is not widespread. Identification of these 
>local resources should take place. The we can plan on how Africa to 
>Africa skills can be used to create appropriate interventions.

There is no such thing as "Internet domain industry".  BTW, it's not 
like nothing has been done in the past about domain names.  As 
mentioned above there are skilled and talented people on the 
continent.  Those local resources are left untapped.

>started with easy capital and failed once that first injection of 
>funds ran out. Instead, there needs to be an effort to identify and 
>assist existing Internet/web hosting/domain name entrepreneurs in 
>different countries to better understand and maximise their markets. 
>As one or a few in any given economy begin to grow, then the "fund" 
>can step in

Yes.

>with higher levels of assistance and limited financial help. A key 
>component of sustainability is sweat equity. You want to identify 
>people willing to work until 10 or 11 at night and come back to work 
>at 7 the next morning. These people build businesses. These people 
>will build the Internet in Africa. Bring in a lot of up front money 
>and the CEO will drive home at 4:15 in the afternoon to get his or 
>her Mercedes washed.

Money won't do much of a difference if it is not accompanied by 
sweat.  The Internet does not go to sleep at 4:15 p.m.  If people are 
not willing to work beyond that time it's unlikely that they will be 
able to compete on the Internet.

Regards,
-sm