Where does Africa begin on the web

As africans we have failed. We have sat down and watched the internet bloosom and make fruit. When the first wave of internet business began where were we. When google and yahoo were in the making where were we. At the clubs partying maybe? At weddings enjoying ? Working those 12 hour shifts?

WHen the rest of the world saw oppurtunity we saw nothing. And rightly so, given that internet usage is not pervasive in Africa we may be right to think any business model tuned for the african audience will not work. But then again does it have to be for the african audience. Surely English is a univeral language (apologies to french and portugese speaking african countries) and the whole world listens in.

I am tired of watching the news on Africa where nothing good comes up. I am tired of browsing to the CNN Africa news page to see the same old stories of hostages, war, poverty, AIDS, elections, oil, dictators and corruption. I am tired of Africa being everyone elses constant reminder that things are good in their own country. I am tired of Africa being used as a way to make others feel better about their situation. I am tired of those OXFAM ads asking for money to save Africa. I am tired.

I am tired not because those things are bad, but because I hear NOTHING good about Africa

Not just Africa, people of the caribbeans as well. Who stands for them, who speaks for them. The internet is the new media for speech. To be heard you need to shout and this means traffic traffic traffic.

Blogging is where Africa begins on the web. And I'd like to take this oppurunity to praise the Blogs I have read some time or the other over the last year or so, for taking Africa where the African man never dreamt of venturing.


PS I'll list the Blogs soon the list might be exhaustive