Comments for Torchwolf

Comment on The Future of Microfinance by Espen

Espen — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 13:05:27 +0000

Thanks for this! However, some of the links did not work.

Comment on Microfinance Funds Universe! by Espen

Espen — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 13:03:09 +0000

An interesting discussion within the microfinance community now is also how you move from funding “micro-businesses” towards developing “micro enterprises”. I think in that context a “skill swap” idea would be more useful.

Comment on Mobile Phones – Impact in Africa by david

david — Sat, 22 Sep 2007 13:29:01 +0000

I concur that the mobile phone has had a huge impact on the lives of many in both the developed and developing world. For the promptness with which communication can be made, the impacts and benefits are obvious no matter what part of the globe you are on. In the development sector, however, i would have to say that this is mostly hype in my opinion with the exception of big orgs like the Grameen Bank and their own mobile service. Like many savings and credit programmes i have seen across south asia, the savings generated is more often than not not actually spent on improving livelihoods per se–nor invested in education, etc.–a lion’s share seems to end up going to festivals, weddings (often perpetuating discriminating dowry systems) alchohol and cigarettes. For a burgeoning middle class in south asia there is a confusion of want and need–a bewildering array of packages for mobiles having young people forking out quite a bit on ringtones and other eye and ear candy for mobile phones. They also disturb meetings and i find that people with mobiles are a lot more keen on taking their calls than they are on listening to their colleagues…. It is a business after all, and a big one at that…

Comment on Wonderful Things by joefootball

joefootball — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 16:24:42 +0000

nice stuff

Comment on Patient Energy by Persistence and Flexibility « Torchwolf

Persistence and Flexibility « Torchwolf — Wed, 28 Mar 2007 18:18:37 +0000

[...] I described another pair of seeming opposites in my post on Patient Energy. [...]

Comment on Life’s Ironies: Prizes, Success, Points-of-View by torchwolf

torchwolf — Fri, 02 Feb 2007 03:18:16 +0000

I think you may have misunderstood my point. I wasn’t saying *I* thought they had “sold out”. On the contrary, I was making a point more about the self-righteousness judgements that people make. And the irony of what, for example, the younger Bill Nighy would have thought about a person like the older Bill Nighy.

At the same time, I’m not saying they haven’t sold out either.

Actually, when you get down and dirty into people’s lives, most everyone has in some way, by their own lights.

I’m not in the business of judging that either. I’m in the business of pointing out that that’s pretty much the human condition.

Comment on Life’s Ironies: Prizes, Success, Points-of-View by Belladonna

Belladonna — Sun, 21 Jan 2007 04:15:29 +0000

You make a valid point. Our perceptions and values do shift over time as circumstances change. However, I don’t know that moving from young radical words to having a mansion is selling out. It is my opinion that there are MANY ways to sell out…and some of them happen without the acquisition of fancy abode or piles of shiny things. Abundance is not the enemy. Disrespecting / exploiting / shaming other people for some sort of personal advantage is. That can be done from high on a mountain top or from the next spot on the sidewalk on skid row.

Comment on Mobile Phones – Impact in Africa by torchwolf

torchwolf — Sat, 13 Jan 2007 15:49:47 +0000

I had a quick look at Living for Disco’s blog, but I couldn’t see anything about phones. Though I didn’t have time to do a thorough search just now.

There’s probably a place you can comment on the BBC Newsnight site, and I’d certainly be interested to hear a lot more about what you meant.

Without knowing what these perpetual complaints actually are, my reaction is this: Life is full of people with perpetual complaints, that’s just the way people are. Often they’re so busy complaining abou what isn’t perfect they’re missing the bigger picture.

Like people in London have a lot of complaints about the overcrowded public transport. Which misses the fact that it’s pretty darn amazing how so many people can move so quickly, so reliably and so safely around this enormous city.

As far I can tell the basic point in the BBC film is very valid, and very well worth making to a broad audience. i.e…

There is enormously fast mobile phone uptake in Africa, and it makes a big difference to the quality of people’s lives. Probably far more than it does for people here.

And that success is even more striking in comparison to so much else that works so badly.

Comment on Mobile Phones – Impact in Africa by Elizabeth

Elizabeth — Fri, 12 Jan 2007 05:47:46 +0000

I wish they'd do some posts on how people actually use the phones- it's so different to how we use them. A la Living for Disco's perpetual complaints.

Comment on Doctor Who Music Videos by torchwolf

torchwolf — Fri, 29 Dec 2006 14:58:03 +0000

Thanks, I hope you enjoyed them.

I know from my blogs stats that a lot of people visited this page, but you’re the only one that I know found it to be of some value.

Hope the others did too, but I don’t really know one way or the other.