It’s often said that pornography is every technology’s first adopter. It’s also said that the Internet wouldn’t exist without porn to make the download speeds faster, the video players easier to use and the browsers quicker. The same logic applies to full-color magazines, VHS, cable TV and so many others (I don’t think I need to explain why these technologies were advantageous to the seedier side of the media).
Now there’s a new tech frontier emerging, and for once, newspapers and other news media are actually in a better position than smut dealers to take full advantage of it.
Indian weekly Tehelka features Knight Fellow Shubhranshu Choudhary's mobile news service, CGNet Swara, which offers a platform for tribal Indians to report on local issues. The article explains the project's mission and its successes - a liquor store near a school was closed because of citizens' reports after the government was trying to relocate the school instead.
