Across the Great Divide

Yesterday I talked about mobile phones and their use in distributing information. While top down approaches will add fuel to the fire of the digital revolution there still needs to be a way to empower those at the furthest corners of the networked earth to fend for themselves.

What if we put the power directly in their hands. By reaching out to young people who are early adopters of new technology, the closing of gaps in access to information can be accelerated. 

Mapping must also meet this challenge, and many more options are becoming available to do so. If the tools are there, what's to stop people everywhere from taking the bull by the horns and determining their own destiny? Sometimes the well must be primed. And yes there is a place for maps to help illuminate the problems and solutions when the water starts flowing.