[Chapter-delegates] Google verification - now excluded an entire country

[David Leeming]

Precisely. Google is a trend setter, so where will it end? I am taking this
very seriously. Also, I would say the problem of spam, which is the argument
used in favour of this new draconian approach, lies mostly or entirely in
those countries especially the US. 

Thanks Bill, but we don't want to jump over the barriers, we want to remove
them. People who are the most disadvantaged in the world in terms of access
to the "information society" and "knowledge economy" don't need to be told
"never mind, here's a work around for you". 


David Leeming
Honiara, Solomon Islands


-----Original Message-----
From: Rami Khater [mailto:rk299 at georgetown.edu] 
Sent: Friday, 16 April 2010 7:14 a.m.
To: slater at billslater.com
Cc: David Leeming; chapter-delegates at elists.isoc.org
Subject: Re: [Chapter-delegates] Google verification - now excluded an
entire country

This is a very interesting issue, in the ISOC-DC  chapter we are talking
about the next "billion" users.  Can we reach them if they need a unique
cell phone just to get an email account in the near future?  This does not
bode well for the already underserved around the globe!

On Apr 15, 2010, at 4:09 PM, William F. Slater, III wrote:

> David,
> 
> Sorry to hear it.
> 
> SUGGESTION:  Use BING.com instead.  You will also get 25 GB of Free
> SkyDrive space.
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> Best regards,
> 
> Bill
> William F. Slater, III, PMP
> President, ISOC-Chicago
> Chicago, IL
> United States of America
> slater at billslater.com
> http://billslater.com
> http://billslater.com/career
> 773 - 235 - 3080 - Home
> 312 - 758 - 0307 - Mobile
> 
> 
> On Thu, April 15, 2010 1:53 pm, David Leeming wrote:
>> Hi,
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> Google / Gmail accounts now use SMS or Voice call verification. In our
>> region, the Pacific Islands, this effectively is excluding everyone from
>> creating a new account.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> For example, I just tried again, to create a Gmail account. It just says
>> "this country (Solomon Islands) is not supported" and gives no other
>> option.
>> Looks like a whole country has been excluded!!! Others in the region have
>> told me the same experience - Vanuatu for instance.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> This is a blow because we have been building an online community for a
>> Youth
>> project here (http://isabel-youth.ning.com), using a Google group as an
>> online  "community of practice". Even if SMS verification worked, few of
>> these people have mobile phones, even fewer of them live in a location
>> with
>> mobile coverage. Most access a shared/community Internet facility. Voice
>> call verification would not be an option either, for same reason and also
>> lack of fixed lines in 85% of the country (75% of the country with no
>> mobile
>> coverage). As calls into the Solomons are amongst the highest in the
world
>> (it costs over EUR 1 / min to call using a TOIP service) I can't imagine
>> voice call verification would be supported anyway. Google would not be
>> that
>> generous.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> I think this is something ISOC might take up with Google. It is a very
>> backward step, creating barriers to access for the most disadvantaged.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> David Leeming
>> 
>> Leeming Consulting, P.O. Box 652, Honiara, Solomon Islands
>> 
>> Tel: +677 747-6396 (m) 24419 (h)
>> 
>> www.leeming-consulting.com
>> 
>> _______________________________________________
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>> 
> 
> 
> -- 
> Best regards,
> 
> Bill
> William F. Slater, III, PMP
> Chicago, IL
> United States of America
> slater at billslater.com
> http://billslater.com
> http://billslater.com/career
> 773 - 235 - 3080 - Home
> 312 - 758 - 0307 - Mobile
> 312 - 275 - 5757 - FAX & Voicemail
> 
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