whythawk ratings: measuring effective development

1. Apple, the destroyer of comfort-zones
(Analysis/Analysis)

The music industry has been an unhappy one for almost a decade. Music sales are worth some $ 17.6 billion, but that is 10% down in just the last four years. For every song sold, 20 are estimated to

2. The Miracle of Investment
(Analysis/Analysis)

...t being built because the ministry has decided to issue a moratorium on new construction. The same things are true of telecommunications, energy and mining. Job creation does not come about through t...

3. Killing the Golden Goose, a lesson in Economic Freedom
(Analysis/Analysis)

...needs prioritised. This can lead to unexpected outcomes and inefficient economies. In South Africa the minister of telecommunications gets to decide whether or not there is a market need for a new ...

4. Africa, China and Investment
(Analysis/Analysis)

...or any private company. In addition property law in Africa is not a very definite thing. Whole industries, such as telecommunications or electricity production, may be protected. Land ownership by...

5. Black Economic Empowerment, like charity, is not investment
(Analysis/Analysis)

...own South.  Every sector of South African business is represented in this new scramble to invest; from mining to telecommunications to retail. What makes this investment more remarkable is the ta...

6. Islam, Shari'ah Law, and Cultural Capitalism
(Analysis/Analysis)

...it), no property (who buy on credit) and so on.  That leaves industrials (like mines and industrial processing), telecommunications, oil and gas, health care and consumer goods.  Still a liv...

7. Internet Bubble 2.0: the future of dotcom depends on the mobile phone
(Analysis/Analysis)

... the other two important Internet markets, local governments have given protections to their historically state-owned telecommunications companies; the companies that offer fixed-line communications.&...

8. Making money, doing good
(Analysis/Analysis)

... a disease outbreak or drug shortage.” Operating through servers in Kigali that are owned by the South African telecommunications operator MTN, the Rwanda system gets field clinic reports via t...

9. Joost minds the baby: what happens to state control when technology passes them by?
(Analysis/Analysis)

.... Many South Africans are already users of Skype and significantly reduce their cost of Telkom, the exorbitant state telecommunications monopoly, calls.  Joost threatens to bypass the South Afri...

10. We're from Mars and we want to help: four lessons in development
(Analysis/Analysis)

...o build the necessary infrastructure so that they can move their manufactures to market - this would also include the telecommunications infrastructure necessary to move intangible products (such as s...

11. The Martians Really Care: four points to govern development
(Analysis/Ideas and Challenges)

...structure so that we can physically move our manufactures from our world to yours – this would also include the telecommunications infrastructure necessary to move intangible products (such as s...

12. What do toilet paper and state monopolies have in common?
(Analysis/Analysis)

...u consider that important?   The South African government has quite a list:  fuel, electricity, education, telecommunications, transport, and information (amongst others). Sure, there are ...

13. Does the new Apple iPhone cause poverty?
(Analysis/Analysis)

...re are lots of buyers." It is consumerism which has resulted in the technological revolution that created cheap telecommunications.  And it is this rising standard of living that is improvi...

14. Is the $ 100 laptop no more than a really expensive light-bulb?
(Analysis/Analysis)

...e Freeplay Wind-up Radio, then in early release.  It was being pitched as a low-cost way to bring the wonders of telecommunications and information to the poor masses of the developing world;&nbs...

15. Interpreting the Emerging Market Risk Curve
(Static Content)

...equality (GINI coefficient). General economic policy is still poor and much of the essential infrastructure (energy, telecommunications, physical infrastructure) is likely to be in state hands. Some ...