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That’s a shame. I mean I’d assume — admittedly, as an English-speaking American white dude who never had the slightest difficulty accessing “local” content — th

That’s a shame. I mean I’d assume — admittedly, as an English-speaking American white dude who never had the slightest difficulty accessing “local” content — that having a presenter you can directly identify with using locally relevant examples (simple things like local currency, pricing, products and names) and adapted to local norms (maybe steering discussions of probability away from gambling or usury in Muslim communities, for example) would really help convert kids at the fringes of confidence / motivation to successful learners, if only by removing the need to translate already unfamiliar material into local / personal relevance. If it were possible to get the small number of Nigerians who can do it to actually do it (maybe by providing a production suite in a box, if physical means of production is the issue), then gaming / overwhelming the algorithms probably isn’t that hard, just by actively encouraging local users to engage with the content actively (driving up the ads watched, and hopefully ignored). With my background I could easily put together the suite in a box, I just haven’t the slightest clue who needs to get that box… that takes local expertise I just don’t have.

justsomehnguy 3y ago
You get it. Evrrything can be done, but you need a talent 'on the ground' and someone who would guide them. There are tons of missions in Africa with the best intent in their hearts, but the reality is a harsh mistress. Just pouring money there doesn't do nothing, just like everywhere else.
- yawpitch 3y ago
  You’d honestly think, in this day and age, when we’ve got all these matchmaking algorithms for helping rich folk hook up and get celebrity-endorsed food from ghost kitchen to door on an electric bike while still hot, that we’d maybe have some means of bringing the right people on the ground at the edges into contact with the means and the skills and the best intent nearer the root. Clearly it can’t be something originated by a tech bro out of (until a few years ago) California - the literal last thing the world needs is another white guy with ideas about how to “fix” Africa - but there’s gotta be someone who can originate it demand-side, and articulate what they need rather than the other way around. For one, I’m absolutely certain I could teach any motivated human on this planet the basics of how to make technically-adept content for YouTube inside six months, modulo someone to help with language barriers… but I haven’t the slightest clue how to identify someone in Nigeria (to keep running with this example) with the charisma and cadence and delivery chops and other local knowledge necessary to appeal to a Nigerian audience… hell, I barely know what language(s) that person should speak, never mind what music genre and tracks and cultural references they should use to get the attention of the age group they’d want to target. I mean I know how to choose a Nigerian presenter that would appeal to (and, perversely, not threaten) me and mine, but that’s not exactly the same thing, even when we’re talking about something as “universal” as CS instructional content. But, hey, anyone in Africa (or anywhere with similar issues, really) with solid and serious ideas on how to fix that, hit me up.
deleted 3y ago
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justsomehnguy 3y ago

You get it. Evrrything can be done, but you need a talent 'on the ground' and someone who would guide them. There are tons of missions in Africa with the best intent in their hearts, but the reality is a harsh mistress. Just pouring money there doesn't do nothing, just like everywhere else.

yawpitch 3y ago
You’d honestly think, in this day and age, when we’ve got all these matchmaking algorithms for helping rich folk hook up and get celebrity-endorsed food from ghost kitchen to door on an electric bike while still hot, that we’d maybe have some means of bringing the right people on the ground at the edges into contact with the means and the skills and the best intent nearer the root. Clearly it can’t be something originated by a tech bro out of (until a few years ago) California - the literal last thing the world needs is another white guy with ideas about how to “fix” Africa - but there’s gotta be someone who can originate it demand-side, and articulate what they need rather than the other way around. For one, I’m absolutely certain I could teach any motivated human on this planet the basics of how to make technically-adept content for YouTube inside six months, modulo someone to help with language barriers… but I haven’t the slightest clue how to identify someone in Nigeria (to keep running with this example) with the charisma and cadence and delivery chops and other local knowledge necessary to appeal to a Nigerian audience… hell, I barely know what language(s) that person should speak, never mind what music genre and tracks and cultural references they should use to get the attention of the age group they’d want to target. I mean I know how to choose a Nigerian presenter that would appeal to (and, perversely, not threaten) me and mine, but that’s not exactly the same thing, even when we’re talking about something as “universal” as CS instructional content. But, hey, anyone in Africa (or anywhere with similar issues, really) with solid and serious ideas on how to fix that, hit me up.

deleted 3y ago

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