Bridging the Digital Divide by Open Source
In this article the authors show how open source software can be used as an instrument to tackle certain issues of the digital divide. This article elaborates the relationship between the digital divide, appropriate technology and open source. The authors present some aspects and possible building blocks that are to be taken into account for the successful and sustainable development and implementation of open source systems in institutions of higher learning in developing countries.The study is motivated by the context encountered in a development aid project with the aim to develop and implement an academic registration and information system (ARIS) for Mozambican universities. The ideas and findings presented here are based on a theoretical literature review in order to build a theoretical model of best practice in the context of North-South collaborations.