Pragmatic fragility: Do information technologies lessen or adapt to the structural deficiencies of developing countries?

Modern information technologies (it) can increase the digital divide between countries. Using information theory this article distinguishes between semantic and pragmatic information showing how it can increase or decrease the digital divide. Semantic information (like email) interacts primarily with information while pragmatic information (like e-business) interacts with material-energetic processes –production, transport, customs, etc. However, these processes require solid infrastructure and superstructure –already developed during the industrialization stage– which are still very fragile in most developing countries. This fragility in the pragmatic dimension of information (pragmatic fragility) directly affects how much developing countries can leverage these technologies in comparison with developed ones.

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Year of publication:	2008
Authors:	Ferrán, Carlos ; Salim, Ricardo
Published in:	Economía. - Instituto de Investigaciones Económicas y Sociales, ISSN 1315-2467. - Vol. 33.2008, 25, p. 13-45
Publisher:	Instituto de Investigaciones Económicas y Sociales
Subject:	Information technologies \| digital divide \| information theory \| infrastructure \| underdevelopment

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Extent:	application/pdf
Type of publication:	Article
Language:	Spanish
Classification:	O33 - Technological Change: Choices and Consequences; Diffusion Processes ; O14 - Industrialization; Manufacturing and Service Industries; Choice of Technology ; L86 - Information and Internet Services; Computer Software ; M15 - IT Management ; N70 - Transport, International and Domestic Trade, Energy and Other Services. General, International, or Comparative
Source:	RePEc - Research Papers in Economics