Talk:Task force/Recommendations/Offline 2

I have some suggestions how to revise this recommendation:

1) Substitute problem by a goal that is within this TFs mandate, e.g.:

Goal: Give 3 billion people with no internet connection access to the Wikimedia project material.

2) We have not done enough research to suggest any strategy other than "use this opportunity". "Make it easy to get content onto cellphones" is no viable strategy IMHO as it might not be enough to reach the goal. I'd not give any detailed operational suggestions. My proposal:

Strategy: Take whatever steps are necessary to utilize the 3 billion mobile phones in developing countries as a delivery mechanism for WMF project content.

Main Assertion: This is the most cost efficient and far reaching delivery mechanism. E.i. even if it takes an investment of 30 million USD to implement this goal, this would still be no more than one cent per person.

I agree with this approach - I find your way of thinking much easier to follow than the way it was written before. I have edited the recommendation along those lines, and made some minor changes. See what you think. Thanks a lot, Walkerma 17:53, 5 January 2010 (UTC)

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My proposal how to rewrite the strategy:

Outline of offline recommendation #2: Use of cellphones

Third world has remarkable cellphone penetration, compared to internet. How can we leverage this ?

Goal

Give 3 billion people with no internet connection access to the Wikimedia content via cellphones.

Strategy

1. Convince network providers and/or manufacturers to have WP content pre-installed on new cellphones
2. Support third party developers/providers of open offline storage standards (such as OpenZim), readers which use them (such as Linterweb), and proprietary offline solutions (such as WikiPock).
3. Encourage development of non-internet distribution systems, eg. SMS article requests.

He!ko 11:36, 13 January 2010 (UTC)

I generally agree with this. I'm not sure, in writing the recommendation, if the strategy should be ordered chronologically or end-goal first. In other words, I don't know if we should convince network providers / cellphone OEM to pre-install content before we have something to install. I'm okay with the recommendation either way. - Amgine 14:15, 13 January 2010 (UTC)

If a larger manufacturer was convinced to preload WP on its phones, the necessary resources to develop the required software will be provided (e.g. funds by the manufacturer for above projects). He!ko 14:49, 13 January 2010 (UTC)

Would you accept a house I have which is not yet built on land I do not own? Yes, I can build the house if you give me the money to buy the land, but you would be more likely to accept that house if I already have the land. I think this is a good recommendation; I am okay with it however you wish to word it. I believe it would be a better recommendation if it were stated chronologically, because that seems more logical to me. - Amgine 17:21, 13 January 2010 (UTC)

Mobile Expert from Brazil

I got the following encouraging message from a contact in Brazil: "I am in touch with the marketing team of a big device manufacturer in order to obtain accurate data about brazilian market. They digital marketing team is very interested in think together with us how to spread wikipedia to brazilian mass market targeting low cost phones."

Further these resources were recommended to me:

• http://www.teleco.com.br/en/
• http://www.forum.nokia.com/

--He!ko 08:28, 25 January 2010 (UTC)