MobileActive.org

Mobile Operators, Price Gouging, Innovation, and Txteagle -- A Critique by Steve Song

Steve Song has done it again. A fellow at the Shuttleworth Foundation, he critiques Nathan Eagle's new txteagle venture to tap into the 'cognitive resources' of millions of mobile-phone users in developing countries.  Nathan recently gave a talk at eTech, presenting texteagle. Here is the video of Nathan's presentation.

In short, txteagle, in the words of the BBC, is "a new scheme that distributes simple tasks via text messages is being used to target a potential untapped work force in developing countries. Txteagle is making it possible for many people in countries like Kenya to earn small amounts of money by completing simple tasks like translations or transcriptions."

The Mobile Web is NOT helping the Developing World... and what we can do about it. By Nathan Eagle

I attend an increasing number of keynotes where CEOs and EVPs of both major mobile handset manufacturers and mobile operators trumpet their role in bringing the internet to the bottom of the pyramid in the developing world. It's a total fallacy.