#114: Migrants are early adopters
Did you know that migrants, rather than geeks, are the most advanced users of new communication tools? This is the finding of research conducted by Stefana Broadbent, an anthropologist who leads the User Adoption Lab at Swisscom, Switzerland's largest telecoms operator.
The reason is that dispersed families with strong ties and limited resources need communication tools which are cheap or free, such as voice-over- internet, instant messaging and webcams.
Here are two examples. A Spanish family living in Switzerland has a daughter who often does her homework with her aunt. The catch is that her aunt lives in Spain and so they use a free Skype video-link. And a family of immigrant workers from Kosovo living in Switzerland has installed a big computer screen in their living room. Almost every morning they have breakfast with their grandmother back home, via a webcam.
Are you ready for a video breakfast with your boss?
I’m james@nonsenseatwork.com
Copyright: 2007 James Henry McIntosh
James can be heard on Public Radio, 88.9 FM WCVE, Richmond VA.
Monday - 7:19am and Saturday - 8:19am
The reason is that dispersed families with strong ties and limited resources need communication tools which are cheap or free, such as voice-over- internet, instant messaging and webcams.
Here are two examples. A Spanish family living in Switzerland has a daughter who often does her homework with her aunt. The catch is that her aunt lives in Spain and so they use a free Skype video-link. And a family of immigrant workers from Kosovo living in Switzerland has installed a big computer screen in their living room. Almost every morning they have breakfast with their grandmother back home, via a webcam.
Are you ready for a video breakfast with your boss?
I’m james@nonsenseatwork.com
Copyright: 2007 James Henry McIntosh
James can be heard on Public Radio, 88.9 FM WCVE, Richmond VA.
Monday - 7:19am and Saturday - 8:19am
posted by James Henry McIntosh at
8:19 AM
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