Are online communities delivering? The case of C3NET

Resumen

Knowledge management and sharing is an important input to development processes; however, in most developing countries access to knowledge resources is limited. The ubiquity of ICTs has opened the possibilities for better management and sharing of knowledge at institutional, community or individual level, while horizontally it has led to increased affinity between, and higher rate of diffusion amongst institutions, communities or individuals. On the other hand, there is a wide gap between rich and poor countries and between urban and rural settings, which calls for concerted efforts to improve access to ICTs for the disadvantaged rural communities.

Internet-based (online) forums are one of many forms of knowledge exchange that have been greatly enhanced by accessibility to ICTs. Built on the spirit of South-South knowledge exchange workshops, Community Content Creation Network (C3NET) is one of such forum; it focuses on using ICTs to positively influence the development of rural livelihoods.

This paper takes inventory of the successes and challenges of C3NET as a means to exchange knowledge among its members. To a limited extent reference is made to research findings elsewhere and other forums.