Perhaps surprisingly to some, Vanuatu has an active and enthusiastic IT community. More than simply a bunch of avid gamers, Vanuatu has representatives in many of the latest fads and fashions.
Consider the music band from Ambae who recorded and produced their own album, using a computer, some software, and a microphone or two. No need to hire or buy expensive music-recording equipment any more, a modern computer and some readily-available software, and you have a complete mixing studio of your own, limited only by your abilities and imagination. The album is now on sale in Vila, with all proceeds going to the band.
There are also ni-Vanuatu contributions on YouTube, the massive online video website that has been stunningly successful (and earnt billions for its founders). The prior sensation, blogging, is also well represented - albeit mostly by travellers, visitors and expats. TVL even have a blogging service if you care to register with them, see their home page.
This past week saw an experimental 'streaming' of the new radio station, FM107, by which the radio channel could be listened to, live and in real-time, anywhere in the world. An impressive and well-received feat that alas is unlikely to continue due to the prohibitive TVL data-transfer costs that would rack up very quickly.
Vanuatu news is readily available via the Daily Post's website (soon to be revamped to much improved technology) and the Vanuatu News Online (although an apparent change in ownership seems to have stalled the site lately) – these provide essential contact for the many ni-Vanuatu travelling, living or studying overseas as well as ex-expats still interested in this country's goings on.
Plus of course, with tourism being a major industry, there are many many websites promoting Vanuatu in general and its resorts and tours specifically, together with all the review websites where visitors post their impressions and experiences.
VIGNET, the Vanuatu Internet User Group, is an active email discussion list backed up by a “wiki” ie. website where anyone can create and edit its pages (a community effort, in other words). Topics range from the eternal Windows versus Linux versus Apple Mac operating system, to technical difficulties, to pros and cons of particular solutions, to requests for recommended solutions for a given situation.
And most importantly, in the background there are a number of people, ni-Vanuatu and foreign, working hard to make IT more available, more effective, more cheap, and more popular. IT has the potential to address some of Vanuatu's biggest challenges (eg. geographic dispersal). So while the political roadblocks and entrenched self-interests make progress slow, nonetheless Vanuatu has a growing and increasingly influential IT community. Something that everyone should encourage wherever possible, especially with their votes.
WANTED – topic suggestions for future columns. Send your ideas to - Merlin Pacific IT provide effective & efficient business IT. Also, join VIGNET (Vanuatu IT Users) for emailed discussions, register at tinyurl.com/zcusl
