I failure good. Real good. and I'm ok with that. Bill Tucker Computer Science University of the Western Cape BANG: Bridging Africa's Networking Gaps

What we do well make promises get funding graduate postgrads get publications

What we are getting better at engage community – being there and not – learn how the community works its own solutions – let community drive the agenda with us provide community something in their hands empowering everyone involved to do their own thing. This is Action Research. becoming more mutual

As Computer Science academics... we had to try things out and fail we had to geek out we had to consider quitting on a regular basis we had to get help, esp. outside help

So, ja-nee, we fail a lot... although we stay in the game we build trusting relationships and friends we become more aware of social realities we balance between low and high tech we continue to get better at getting better

Slaggate theory (aka potholes)

Portia Nelson, Autobiography in Five Short Chapters 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.

Suggested reading bridges.org (2004) Real Access / Real Impact criteria & 12 Habits of Highly Effective ICT-Enabled Development Initiatives. ( me for pdfs – the website is defunct). Dearden, A., & Rizvi, H. (2008). Participatory IT design and participatory development: a comparative review. In Tenth Conference on Participatory Design 2008 (PDC ’08) (pp. 81–91). Bloomington, Indiana: New York: ACM Press. Hayes, G. R. (2012). Taking action in your research. Interactions, 19(4), 50–53. Kaplan, A. (1996). The Development Practitioners’ Handbook. London: Pluto Press. Law, J. (2004). After method: Mess in social science research. Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge. Steinberg, J. (2008). Three Letter Plague. Johannesburg & Cape Town: Jonathan Ball Publishers.