Hi Like Robert Tynes I wonder what is primary in Lachlan's note :-) [Yes I hear you Lachlan you like provocation; me too] Early introduction of networked ICT in Africa dates back the 70's with the linking of academic research units through the EARN network. Later on APc, Rio, Cabeca all offered store and forward messaging capabilites to academic, research, NGO and other groups. For more on email use in Africa see for instance http://www.bellanet.org/partners/aisi/proj/conn.htm & ~findings.htm I am not sure what is more shameful use of ICT: these ridiculous spams or the systematic routing of US based porn sites through all sorts of external relays. One may further wonder if the attention of a group like AoIR about ICT use in Africa could not be focused on more substantive aspects than spam. Michel Wednesday, February 27, 2002, 6:01:02 PM, you wrote: alrao> Message: 2 alrao> From: "Lachlan Brown" <lachlan@london.com> alrao> To: air-l@aoir.org alrao> Date: Tue, 26 Feb 2002 13:50:24 -0500 alrao> Subject: [Air-l] re: The West African Scam alrao> Reply-To: air-l@aoir.org alrao> The experience of western technology in alrao> West Africa seems to be mediated by multinational mining corporations, alrao> personal and corruption, killings, and desperate pleas. It is little wonder that alrao> one of the primary uses of email from alrao> West Africa is variation on this dreadful alrao> tale.