Francois - I am glad you raise these issues On the one hand we face the push towards digital literacy (or Africa and other regions of the world cannot participate in Modern Globalization - that we see is clearly being defined in Urban and westernized geographical places of the world- ) so that there is a created "need" for computers and related technologies and literacies whether they are contextually empowering or not in specific instances. But on the other hand there is the issue of dumping older technologies in third-world locations - which in part serves to keep "developed" locations - places - free of environmentally hazardous problems associated with the disposal of old computers (and this may not be a well thought out conscious organized strategy on the part of well-meaning charity donators meaning only to "empower" Others through digital technologies... ). Computers are NOT environmentally friendly creatures..... so how do we work through this contradiction? The solution cannot be for a few people to decide that underprivileged populations dont get to use computers or participate in the status quo - while those that decide this continue to benefit from being situated in the status quo... just some thoughts. r Radhika Gajjala Associate Professor and Graduate Coordinator School of Communication Studies 302 West Hall Bowling Green State University Bowling Green, OH 43402 http://personal.bgsu.edu/~radhik http://www.cyberdiva.org/blog