internetvadisi-English

I wrote the following text in 2000.  I have made 2 presentations at the Internet Conference in Istanbul on the subject in 2000 and 2001.  

It is both about change and also about changing Turkey bottom-up.

I was not heeding Rumi's famous words: “Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself." 

Am I wiser today?

I have only corrected some spelling errors.  The rest is the same as it was 20 years ago with the pros and cons.  The text had 7 parts.  Internetvadisi means internet valley.

How can we make the World a better place? Step-by-step. Together.

internetvadisi.net is a path to change the World for the better starting in Turkey. Some patterns of initiating and maintaining positive change have been recognized. The methodology is based on these patterns. I believe that these patterns are worth sharing.

So how can we start? The methodology is bottom-up, organic, transparent, and open to all. It focuses on cultivating the computer literate human resources in Turkey. Talent can be developed by a network of learning institutions throughout the country. This network of learning institutions can initiate a positive change. Change can start with the youth learning the tools of expression on the internet. With these tools the speed of exchange and of learning will increase. Learning, in return, will advance the earning potential. These developments would make Turkey even more attractive to foreign investors in a short period of time. The methodology can lead to a virtuous spiral.

Is it too good to be true? Does the technology exist? How about the will? Are the people ready? How about financing? How can it be initiated? How can it be maintained? What is the methodology? Some answers are being offered in the following pages.

Embrace change!

“Come, whoever you are!” the internet - 21.century

>             Philosophy of the internet is: "Come, whoever you are!"

It brings everyone together without hierarchy or prejudice.

>             Internet is not only about technology, it is about life.

As loose alliances, many organizations come together to create value on the internet belonging to different business categories: infrastructure, access devices, content providers, banks, retailers, fulfillment companies, and providers of different services. On the internet when they are together, they create value.  Among these categories not all are related to technology.

>             Web sites are alive.

Web sites are visited loyally if and only if they are updated and they allow interaction with visitors every day. This implies that they require daily maintenance.

>             Value creation on the internet requires initiating and maintaining loyal communities.

Internet service providers and e-businesses are valued at multiples of their loyal subscribers.

>             Building loyal communities requires a bottom-up approach.

Internet companies build loyal communities by interacting with visitors. These companies learn with the feedback they get from web surfers and adapt to build loyalty around their brands.

>             Computer literate talent is the scarcest resource.

Germany is currently importing computer professionals from India. The US is importing from all over the World. Indian businesses complain about attrition of talent from India. The unfulfilled demand for computer professionals worldwide is estimated to reach 5 million by 2003. It seems that it may no longer be oil, water, or capital that is scarce, but computer literate human resources.

>             Increasing speed of change may be imposing a new set of commandments on all organizations. “Be open, be transparent, be flexible, take quick decisions: create loyal communities” they imply.

So how does an organization form a loyal community with its clients, vendors, and employees? If we look carefully at the term «loyal community», and consider the process backwards here is what we get. Create a loyal community = be loyal; form a community; why would anyone form a community: they must be learning together; so how does learning take place: listen and speak; so how about it: first exist; how about the intention: OK, be sincere. This circle of values imitates life: it is the sincerity of parents that begets life; the child speaks, listens, and learns; the child gets stronger through his/her interactions with the family (community), he/she benefits from their commitment (loyalty.) These universal values may show the ways of creating value to the individual, any organization, or any web site.

Why Turkey?

“Come, come, whoever you are, and yet again come!” Mevlana Celaleddin Rumi - 13. century

A youth that knows Mevlana, coming from a content rich society, at ease with living with chaos is a friend of the internet.

>             A pluralistic society: groups of different ethnicity and creed have traditionally co-existed peacefully in Turkey for centuries as a mosaic.

This is a reflection of Rumi’s philosophy. Rumi lived and wrote in Konya about 750 years ago.

>             A young population: approximately 65 million with 30 million people under the age of 30.

With the right approach the youth can be educated inexpensively, rapidly, and effectively.

>             A networked society.

The telephone directory, the Yellow Pages, was never successful as a business in Turkey. Instead the search for contacts typically goes through parents, relatives, neighbors, or local businessmen. This implies that most people living in Turkey are highly interconnected each with a loose network of experts around them.

>             People disposed to deal well with a multiplicity and complexity of content.

The richness of content manifests itself in the different foods, rhythms, motifs, and folk-dances coming from different cultures.

>             Ability to deal well with chaotic situations.

Residents of Turkey are creative in hacking systems: may it be keeping the sense of humor under most arduous traffic conditions, hacking vending machines, or surviving different political winds. They can cook many complex dishes and chant to complex rhythms. These skills are important characteristics of people who can create in the internet era. Being creative facing chaos, an unrelenting nature, being unafraid of change are characteristics of people who can create value in the internet economy.

>             Strong sense of faith in self and in life.

Nasreddin Hodja’s (a witty figure in the 13th century Anatolia) famous story of putting yogurt into a lake is representative of such a belief set. Hodja, when questioned by those watching in incredulity answers «what if it works (i.e. what if the lake ferments and turns into yogurt)? This is the idea of faith (and that of incubation) ingrained in the very culture. This is the very philosophy of internet incubation companies.

>             Holistic approach to problem solving: cultural crossroads of the East and the West.

Dealing with complexity requires holistic approaches. Traditionally, Eastern cultures are more familiar with holistic approaches to problem solving than Western cultures. Turkey is at the crossroads of these schools of thought and endowed with communities at ease with both.

Do-it-yourself language of internet creativity

Tools of internet “graffiti” will be with us shortly. The youth may adopt these tools fast.

>             E-mail and chat are internet's most widely used applications. They are forms of self-expression.

The importance of self-expression implies that we are on our way no longer to an industrial society or information society, but to an idea society.

>             People from all over the World are trying express themselves through their web sites.

There exist web sites practically on every imaginable topic in many languages.

>             It takes a few hours to master the use of e-mail and chat but a few months/years to master the tools of web design.

The true promise of the internet is elusive to most: the medium of internet graffiti, or internet «rap» is so far non-existent.

>             With more user-friendly web design tools, self-expression and creativity could proliferate.

If easier web tools arrive, cross-pollination of ideas could increase. It is ideas that initiate and maintain positive change. These could be the tools of creating value faster.

>             A low bandwidth requirement by these new tools will assure inexpensive infrastructure, therefore, a larger user base.

With the right approach, large and young populations of the developing countries, (even with barely adequate infrastructures such as China, India, African nations, Turkey) can be online.

>             These tools would increase the influence of the masses.

This will give confidence to individuals in themselves and in their future.

>             If authors’ rights are adequately protected, then these tools will respond to the needs of creative individuals, and therefore, will be faster adopted.

Archiving, protection of intellectual property, and freedom of expression, and freedom of learning will be tools of survival for organizations as well as regions. These principles could ensure a timely remedy to the human resource scarcity.

Inexpensive internet access gadgets

Affordable access devices are on their way. These devices can be financed and be distributed to the youth.

>             Approximately 5.8 billion people has no internet access devices.

The 5.8 billion people not yet on the internet have the biggest stake in taking initiatives to be connected.

>             The average price of an internet access device is currently beyond the reach of the third world youth.

Ways of manufacturing inexpensive devices and ways of new marketing methods eventually reducing the price to end-users practically to nil exist.

>             Today’s frequent upgrades of access devices and software further increase the cost of access for the masses.

It is possible that a new generation of access device will operate adequately with minimal or no upgrades for a long period.

>             Affordable internet access devices can be delivered to the youth. These devices will allow timely education of the masses, foster creativity, learning, and content development.

This may transform the way the developing world communicates, learns, and works.

>             If these devices have community specific local content, then they will be adopted faster.

Local content can be in the form of dictionaries, encyclopedias, and other reference books.

>             An independent, loose alliance formed by the marketing budgets of various companies can finance these devices.

This could be a more effective advertising tool than the one-way commercials as they would have staying power. It could lead to inexpensive methods of getting feedback from potential clients. Socially conscious projects can be financed by these alliances. The future of brand loyalty may very well depend on such visions.

>             The importance of cooperation will be proven by these new marketing strategies. Cooperation may increase respect for one another. It could also help companies adapt faster.

Internet content production centers

This youth+tools+device+studio=human resource that become productive after only 3-6 months of hands-on experience

>             Internet technologies change every day.

A continuous education and learning is needed by the industry.

>             i-studios will focus on internet technologies.

On each topic i-studios will bring together experts, intermediates, and novices and will match the best individuals to the projects at hand.

>             An i-studio is a cross between venture capital, vocational school, and corporation. i-studios will provide talent, ideas, and funds to different assignments.

Teachers and students will be able to teach and learn on actual projects. The i-studio, teachers, and students will be able to own a percentage of each project depending on their input.

In addition, i-studios will be able to provide venture capital to students or teachers with ideas. These changes would allow more projects to be realized. This approach is already being used by successful high tech companies.

>             The skills required to deal with internet projects constitute a skills-pyramid.

The levels of the pyramid range from the knowledge of advanced mathematics, databases, 3D animation, web designers, and the skills of call-center operators.

>             The urgent need for human resources indicate that a parallel processing in learning is required.

Skills at all levels of the pyramid can be learned in i-studios. A different learning period will be used for each skill based on complexity and aptitude of students.

>             i-studios can be subsidized by corporations. This will be a method of building brand loyalty locally.

With the right incentives by the governments, all institutions could be spending a percentage of their marketing budgets on subsidizing i-studios.

>             i-studios can prove more efficient in increasing the earning potential of certain individuals at potentially earlier ages.

Instead of attending four-year universities, willing and capable students can be assured relatively well-paying jobs after only 3 to 6 months of learning.

Gatherings of talent, ideas, and funds

Learning units. Learning through i-events may bring the most positive ideas, talent, and capital.

>             International events can be organized to bring together people from all over the World.

Fast pace of change motivates people to share ideas and experiences in high technology industries. Relatively little in this arena is being produced in Europe-Middle East-Africa region. Turkey can be a platform of exchange. Proximity to the relevant markets and a deeper understanding of their cultures will benefit all.

>             i-events could focus on internet related topics.

Events on infrastructure, access devices, content creation, financial technologies, electronic retail, fulfillment, services, venture capital, i-studios, privacy, security, intellectual property protection, content development contests, and on human resources could bring the best minds together.

>             i-events could foster unique synergies.

This may increase the speed of change. It could promote learning in all institutions.

>             Promotion of i-events can take place during other internet related events, magazines, portals.

These events would positively influence tourism, international public opinion, as well as international relations.

>             Feedback from i-event participants could be used to improve the internetvadisi vision. Those who participate in this project can lead change.

Participants can enjoy the excitement of changing the World for the better.

>             The results from i-events could be posted in public web sites hinting at the methods of replication for other countries and regions.

Increased interaction of all related institutions will help a very specialized event organization industry to flourish. These companies may eventually undertake similar projects in other regions.

>             During i-events success stories can be shared by all. These will further inspire the youth.

Organizations, individuals coming from the most active technology markets can initiate the project. Others, including the neighbors of Turkey, can help maintain these ideals.

Content creation centers to host talent, ideas, and funds

“If you build it, they will come!” This youth can change the World for the better. Just watch!

>             Top talent can be attracted thanks to i-villages.

These villages can provide a one-stop-solution to the needs of the content creation industry.

>             All bureaucracy will be minimized in i-villages.

All potential concerns of institutions and individuals will be addressed in these centers. Fast, inexpensive telecom infrastructure, proximity to talent, proximity to i-studios, efficient local and international transportation, proper tax incentives, good living standards, proximity to exhibition grounds and hotels, appropriate medical and municipality services, freedom of expression, ecologically sound attitudes, cultural interactions, intellectual property protection, ample leisure activity opportunities will assure the maximum number of participants.

>             The i-villages can be replicated in different population hubs around the region.

They can be interconnected among each other and with their distant counterparts.

>             Companies can specialize in initiating and maintaining i-villages. They will analyze and report what is being done in different parts of the World to attract talent.

Comparative incentives regarding the movement of capital, movement of human resources, taxation, infrastructure, education, intellectual property protection, copyrights, living conditions, medical attention can be posted in public web sites. News and statistics on completed projects, generated revenues, prepared human resources can be used to attract others.

>             A bottom-up commitment to these ideals in i-villages will assure that the numbers of creative people will increase rapidly.

Content creation industry exists in regions that encourage and nourish creativity in a bottom-up fashion.

>             i-villages can start with a portal summarizing these ideas. This portal can be used to bring interested people together.

internetvadisi.net aspires to be such a portal.

>             Alliances between i-villages will further strengthen ties and assure loyalty.

internetvadisi.net invites all interested parties to work together for the sake of a better World.