History of ICT

Abstract

To understand the processes and impacts of a globalizing technology like the Internet, one must account for the historical development of that technology, the process of technology transfer in general, and the local cultural dynamics in unique regions. The Internet will diffuse differently in different regions and among different sectors within those regions. Chile, for historical and cultural factors, should demonstrate a different diffusion and use pattern than India or Kenya. This leads to different definitions of how Internet technologies are constructed within distinct regions and poses challenges for the development of a symmetrical global scientific community fueled by new ICTs. This last statement often weaves itself into the taken for granted rhetoric found in multi-lateral conferences like the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS). It is simplistic to assume that the Internet will resolve inequities in social, political, economic and even scientific terms. It is a noble perspective, but the last 50 years of development failures based on other western technologies and protocols does not provide much optimism. The following session review highlights the complex factors involved in Internet diffusion, post war history, technological culture, case studies in the developing world, and innovations in technology research and development. © 2007 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.