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What happened to the African players?
I've been looking at the leader board the past few days - watching new names climb and other names fall. This is a game, right? The points tell us when people have read our thoughts and seen our videos and pictures. At the same time, this isn't a game. This is a social networking platform in cyberspace. A place where global distances and time zones cease to exist, but people and relationships and the knowledge we share could really matter - if we choose to make it matter.
And this is why I am disturbed. I am disturbed because with the exception of Ssozi Javie of Uganda and 2-3 South African players there are no other African players on the leader board. Furthermore, the South Africans on the leader board are not the folks I saw early on in the game from Soweto or Limpopo Province or even some of the featured agents. And Mr. Javie is on the leader board for the exceptional vision he shared in a single blog post about imagining the future that was read by one of the game mentors (I think) and awarded 100 points.
Throughout this first week I sought out folks from Southern Africa, particularly Mozambique where I have worked, that were playing the game. Interested in their views and making connections for future collaboration, I sent some messages but in general have heard back very little. Now all of us have families, jobs, school, emergencies, etc. that come up and keep us from playing the game and/or sitting online all the time. This is understandable. I don't think it would be physically possible to play 24-7 for 10 weeks anyway. But given my experiences living and working in Mozambique, particularly working with people in their early 20s, I think that there are some other things going on that are preventing our African counterparts from participating as fully as the rest of us.
1. Internet access is not ubiquitous throughout the African continent. There are hotspots in South Africa, Nigeria, and the big cities. Some folks have it at home and internet cafes can even be found in the Okavango Delta. However, internet cafes cost money and cable isn't cheap. Use at work or school might be blocked or slow. The folks that are most likely to play an online game are young people. The college students I worked with didn't have a lot of extra money to spend at internet cafes, the computer labs at the university were constantly crowded with students working on term papers or data, and most everyone lacked a connection at home. The ready cash they had to purchase time at an internet cafe was usually spent on food, books, and transport. Any extra time they had was working a job to help pay bills.
2. Mobile phone access. I haven't used the mobile phone app to access this game so I cannot judge how it works. One thing I do know is that phone use costs - mobile services are pay as you go in Southern Africa where I worked. I love this set up and you can buy credits pretty much anywhere. However, my friends were always on the look out to buy phone credits to keep in touch with friends and family via texts and calls - the primary use for phones - not surf the internet. You can access the internet via cell phones but this really isn't all that big in most places... yet.
3. Lastly, time and energy. While we are networking good connections to share knowledge and skills, this is still a game. This isn't real for most of us. This is good practice and we are building adaptive capacity to problem solve in a low risk environment. When we turn off the computer, the game is suspended until we log on to Urgent EVOKE again. Not so for many of the players who live in Africa. They might not have to deal with food insecurity, conflict, poor water quality, disease, and a lack of sanitation directly, but I bet they could find it very quickly within a short distance from their front door. (Actually, even in the US we can find this).
Alright, so big deal. African EVOKERS aren't playing. Why care? Because the problems we are working on, or will be soon enough, are their problems. In the game, they are our collaborators, as well as the eyes and ears on the ground in the places we are looking to work. From everything that I can tell, the best way to win this game (and to win at life according to my parents and my Mozambican friends) is to help each other out.
As I read through the posts of fellow agents I see earnest folks who really seem to want to really do something that has meaning and makes a difference in the real world, not just in this game. In this case, we non-Africans cannot just go in and solve problems. Again, we must listen, support, teach skills/knowledge where we are asked, and collaborate - remember what we learned in our first mission? In this case, EVOKE is more than just a game, it is an opportunity to build teams with Africans who we can collaborate with in the future. So while I certainly appreciate my fellow agents in Europe, South America, North America, Asia, and Australia/Oceania - we NEED our fellow agent in Africa to participate for this to take off and make a difference.
So now what? We can't force people to play and we can't really pay for them to play. This is still a game, but we have access to a social networking platform. Do a search, drop an African colleague a line and ask how they are, how their family is doing - even if they haven't yet posted anything. If you have African colleagues in your network, check out the evidence that they have posted (and give them some points) - you will likely learn something new. Email an organization that works in Africa (something someone has posted here or that you find online) to find out more about who they are, what they do, and where they work. Tell them about EVOKE and see if you can get a member to participate.
I apologize if I've stepped on any toes with my post. It was just something that was bothering me and I needed to share.
And this is why I am disturbed. I am disturbed because with the exception of Ssozi Javie of Uganda and 2-3 South African players there are no other African players on the leader board. Furthermore, the South Africans on the leader board are not the folks I saw early on in the game from Soweto or Limpopo Province or even some of the featured agents. And Mr. Javie is on the leader board for the exceptional vision he shared in a single blog post about imagining the future that was read by one of the game mentors (I think) and awarded 100 points.
Throughout this first week I sought out folks from Southern Africa, particularly Mozambique where I have worked, that were playing the game. Interested in their views and making connections for future collaboration, I sent some messages but in general have heard back very little. Now all of us have families, jobs, school, emergencies, etc. that come up and keep us from playing the game and/or sitting online all the time. This is understandable. I don't think it would be physically possible to play 24-7 for 10 weeks anyway. But given my experiences living and working in Mozambique, particularly working with people in their early 20s, I think that there are some other things going on that are preventing our African counterparts from participating as fully as the rest of us.
1. Internet access is not ubiquitous throughout the African continent. There are hotspots in South Africa, Nigeria, and the big cities. Some folks have it at home and internet cafes can even be found in the Okavango Delta. However, internet cafes cost money and cable isn't cheap. Use at work or school might be blocked or slow. The folks that are most likely to play an online game are young people. The college students I worked with didn't have a lot of extra money to spend at internet cafes, the computer labs at the university were constantly crowded with students working on term papers or data, and most everyone lacked a connection at home. The ready cash they had to purchase time at an internet cafe was usually spent on food, books, and transport. Any extra time they had was working a job to help pay bills.
2. Mobile phone access. I haven't used the mobile phone app to access this game so I cannot judge how it works. One thing I do know is that phone use costs - mobile services are pay as you go in Southern Africa where I worked. I love this set up and you can buy credits pretty much anywhere. However, my friends were always on the look out to buy phone credits to keep in touch with friends and family via texts and calls - the primary use for phones - not surf the internet. You can access the internet via cell phones but this really isn't all that big in most places... yet.
3. Lastly, time and energy. While we are networking good connections to share knowledge and skills, this is still a game. This isn't real for most of us. This is good practice and we are building adaptive capacity to problem solve in a low risk environment. When we turn off the computer, the game is suspended until we log on to Urgent EVOKE again. Not so for many of the players who live in Africa. They might not have to deal with food insecurity, conflict, poor water quality, disease, and a lack of sanitation directly, but I bet they could find it very quickly within a short distance from their front door. (Actually, even in the US we can find this).
Alright, so big deal. African EVOKERS aren't playing. Why care? Because the problems we are working on, or will be soon enough, are their problems. In the game, they are our collaborators, as well as the eyes and ears on the ground in the places we are looking to work. From everything that I can tell, the best way to win this game (and to win at life according to my parents and my Mozambican friends) is to help each other out.
As I read through the posts of fellow agents I see earnest folks who really seem to want to really do something that has meaning and makes a difference in the real world, not just in this game. In this case, we non-Africans cannot just go in and solve problems. Again, we must listen, support, teach skills/knowledge where we are asked, and collaborate - remember what we learned in our first mission? In this case, EVOKE is more than just a game, it is an opportunity to build teams with Africans who we can collaborate with in the future. So while I certainly appreciate my fellow agents in Europe, South America, North America, Asia, and Australia/Oceania - we NEED our fellow agent in Africa to participate for this to take off and make a difference.
So now what? We can't force people to play and we can't really pay for them to play. This is still a game, but we have access to a social networking platform. Do a search, drop an African colleague a line and ask how they are, how their family is doing - even if they haven't yet posted anything. If you have African colleagues in your network, check out the evidence that they have posted (and give them some points) - you will likely learn something new. Email an organization that works in Africa (something someone has posted here or that you find online) to find out more about who they are, what they do, and where they work. Tell them about EVOKE and see if you can get a member to participate.
I apologize if I've stepped on any toes with my post. It was just something that was bothering me and I needed to share.
Views: 64
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Comment by Raymond M. Kristiansen on March 11, 2010 at 1:25am
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Thanks for writing this! I had the exact same thought a few days ago, and I looked at the leader board. I have tried to befriend some of the african players and encourage them, but I havent done enough in proper outreach to them.
You touch upon several important factors here. I give you +1 Courage for writing it even if you might have been worried that someone got it the wrong way. I certainly hope nobody reacts negatively to your comment, or becomes defensive about it. The challenge is real.
Thanks again!
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Comment by Jen Shaffer on March 11, 2010 at 1:40am
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Thanks for the encouragement Raymond. I really don't mean to hurt anyone, I just felt that this needed to be said.
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Comment by Jake Baird on March 11, 2010 at 1:49am
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Yea I was not particularly happy with the large sum of points just being handed out. I figured the viewers and readers would decide what got selected as good reading material. It also has to do with when some of these people joined. It's even harder now than ever to stand out if you just joined. +1 Courage.
☆Agent Baird☆ ツ
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Let's put the issue of whether someone should feel hurt behind us Right now :)
Let's discuss some of the systematic issues here. What could have gone wrong here? I would really like if some site admin also chimed in. Again, not feeling that they need to 'defend themselves' - we all know that Alchemy and others want to reach the African players! - but in a discussion.
I would also urge any players from Africa with comments on this to please speak up. Are there things with this site which makes you feel that 'this might be a reason why Africans are not so interested'?
I find this topic extremely important
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Comment by James Michael Rule on March 11, 2010 at 5:16am
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It's a problem hey. The only four South Africans on the leaderboard are myself, Peter Beare, Jordan Hickman and Reid Falconer.
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@James: Isn't there a way you and a few of the other SA players can get together and inspire other South Africans?
Me, I would LOVE to get some players from Zimbabwe here.
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Comment by Bongani on March 11, 2010 at 10:11am
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A lot needs to be said and a lot will be said! at times i think questioning motives behind any activity, why, where and when may not be that much of a question after all. i somehow think choice is of importants even participating here.
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Comment by Yemisi Ajumobi on March 11, 2010 at 10:13am
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Thanks alot Jen for writing this. You are right that it needed to be said and I commend you alot for pointing out clearly all the facts. Being a Nigerian myself (who just happens to live in California atm) with alot of firsthand experience of every single point you've made, I know for certain these are very valid points, which I really hope that every single agent of EVOKE would have an opportunity to read. I assure you however that Alchemy's team is currently exploring different ways for the game to be made better accessible to African players and to encourage active participation. It is also very important like you stated for us to work together and encourage agents in these parts of the world because this is what the EVOKE experience is about; to connect young people in Africa to their counterparts in developed world so everyone can learn from each other and be empowered and I am sure none of us would want to lose sight of the overall objective of the game.
@James yes glad you are one of the South Africans being represented on the leader board. Please use this advantage to reach out to your fellow classmates and those around you to and inspire them so they can get the very best of the EVOKE experience. please plan a meet-up where you can swap ideas on alot of the things you hope to soon share on the network.
I would also love to hear from these players in Africa and other developing nations who don't find it as easy to be involved in the game so we can address a lot of these concerns.
Thanks once again for a great post Jen!
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i am using a mobile phone, meaning limits to the number of words i can write in a post, so the only time i will add blogs is when i go to an internet cafe or atleast if i install xp, vista ultimate is not that much vistimistic... lol, thank u though.
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'Innovating the innovators' is the title of an article I am preparing along with a few other AWAKE members. In this case, the issue is how we innovate in terms of this game in itself, so that it can work better for people who for instance use a mobile phone for this experience.
@Bongani: What do you think can be done to improve the usability of the site for you? Also, please can you inform us what mobile phone model you use, and what your operating software/browser is?
@Yemisi: I guess you are not using a mobile phone - right? If you are, kudos to you for typing that long message :)
We need to do more to connect the dots. Sometimes, we need to think drastically different, and really question our own assumptions, and the things we might take for granted.
Mental blocks, the user interface of a site and how that connects with our brain.
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