Inverting the Relationship between Development and Public Access Computing (PAC): A Comparative Study of PAC Ecosystems

Abstract

A robust body of research has examined how public access computing (PAC) may support or lead to development in international contexts. This study explores an inverse relationship: how the policy and activity of development shapes PAC. It utilizes the metaphor of the ecosystem to study the ensemble of organizations, resources, venues, and infrastructures that construct and comprise PAC. This study examines PAC ecosystems in two large South American cities, utilizing a case study strategy. Comparison of the PAC ecosystems yields sharp contrasts. The findings indicate that convergences with and divergences from development policy and activity influence the PAC ecosystem, and that studying PAC ecosystems offers a sociotechnical approach to illuminate ICT4D phenomena.