FUTURE WORK 135

A tutorial document on the Softbridge framework should be forthcoming. Such a document will enable the framework's adoption and use by other practitioners and researchers. External usage of the framework will also encourage its refinement.

This thesis reports on the results of fieldwork conducted until 2008. Both field studies are still evolving. Section 9.4.1 presents some ideas for future work with the Deaf telephony project and Section 9.4.2 considers future directions for the rural telehealth project.

9.4.1 Deaf telephony

The next generation of SIMBA prototypes must provide a video sign language interface for Deaf users. Video relay can utilise a SASL relay operator in both directions until automated tools become feasible. All Deaf telephony prototypes should also be ported to mobile handsets. The handset should have a high resolution and high frame rate camera on the same side as the display or use an external display. We should also continue to explore the gesture-based interaction. More English and ICT literacy is recommended for DCCT members. Deaf users with poor text literacy skills should get the opportunity to improve text literacy with ICT that will in turn open them up to more ICT literacy.

9.4.2 Rural telehealth

The name of the project should be changed from rural telehealth to rural telephony to emphasize wider use of the network beyond healthcare. Recent developments with the Lwandile village headman's son and a new NGO in the area indicate that locals will leverage the rural WiFi network to pursue community goals. We should expand the network to get the key players in that NGO online. Hopefully, they will take matters into their own hands and expand the WiFi network on their own. The most efficient way to expand the network would be to deploy long point-to-point links with 5GHz WiFi or WiMAX and then distribute locally with 2.4GHz wireless mesh technologies. With WiFi mesh, Push-to-talk (like old CB radio systems) VoIP systems could provide a cheaper alternative to cellular voice services.

EPILOGUE

I walk down another street. Portia Nelson

The quotes from Portia Nelson represent what I have learnt as a human being by iterating my understanding of ICT4D 'holes'. I have learnt to recognise a few holes and chose to view them not as obstacles, but rather as challenges in a positive way. Aspects of this research endeavour fell into the same holes again and again until we began to recognise them as such – as holes. Then in refining the Softbridge framework, its abstractions and its method, we became aware. Over time, that awareness enabled our colleagues, our research beneficiaries and us to learn various mechanisms to avoid some holes and seek alternate streets to stroll.

I now call this 'slaggate' theory. 'Slaggate' is the Afrikaans plural for 'potholes', pronounced 'slag-it' in South Afrikaans (sic) English.  Slaggate theory is my personalised view of what I think Portia Nelson was trying to say. If you go back and look at the beginning of each chapter again, you may now notice that each verse from Portia Nelson matches the theme of the chapter.

Slaggate theory applies well to the ongoing development of the Softbridge framework. Slaggate theory now also guides the way I view almost everything in life: challenges disguised as obstacles that can be dealt with over time in an iterative fashion informed by awareness. When slaggates are viewed as challenges, we can open our minds to alternative ways of solving problems. To me, this is also the essence of computer science and can serve as a metaphor for life in general. Computer scientists often start with an abstraction and iterate through a series of small innovative changes to reach a goal. So do human beings. We just use ourselves as the computer and our thoughts as software. We choose to fall into slaggates, we choose to avoid them, and we choose to walk down another street if need be. We base our own abstractions and methods on the abstractions and methods of others and walk on down the road.

I'm not saying Softbridge is the only way to do ICT4D. I'm also not saying slaggate theory is the model for everyone. However, Portia Nelson nailed it all on the head with these five short verses. At least she nailed it on the head for me!

Autobiography in Five Short Chapters By Portia Nelson

I

I walk down the street.

There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I fall in.

I am lost…I am helpless. It isn't my fault.

It takes forever to find a way out. II

I walk down the same street.

There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I pretend I don't see it.

I fall in again.

I can't believe I'm in the same place. But, it isn't my fault.

I still takes a long time to get out. III

I walk down the same street.

There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I see it is there.

I still fall in – it's a habit. My eyes are open. I know where I am. It is my fault.

I get out immediately. IV

I walk down the same street.

There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I walk around it.

V

I walk down another street.

Black, Claudia, Repeat after me, Denver, M.A.C. Printing and Publications, 1985.

Appendix A Deaf telephony action research cycles

This appendix chronicles the action research cycles of the Deaf telephony field study analysed in Chapter 6. The action research cycles were linked to a series of prototypes developed for DCCT from 2002 to 2008 and can be grouped as shown in Figure A-1. This appendix has a section for each cycle. Each cycle is reported in standard action research stages: diagnosis, plan action, implement action, evaluate action and reflection. Within the prototype groups, the reflection and diagnosis stages of successive cycles are combined. An overview table precedes each cycle, showing the timeframe, location, local champion, intermediary, prototype name, coder(s), supervisor(s), and references to technical details.

Figure A-1 Deaf telephony prototypes

The Deaf telephony prototypes are grouped along several architectural themes. The Telgo prototypes were uni-directional bridges from a Deaf user with a Teldem text terminal to a hearing user on the PSTN with TTS. The Softbridge prototypes provided fully automated Deaf-to-hearing bridges between text and speech using Instant Messaging, TTS and ASR. The SIMBA prototypes used SIP-based Instant Messaging and a human relay operator instead of ASR. The Deaf-to-Deaf prototypes provided synchronous text messaging on PCs similar to the Teldem and semi-synchronous video messaging to support sign language communication.