Digital Talanoa : Unwelcome Changes

In this column two weeks ago, I made a passing reference to some of the changes and challenges Fiji will probably be facing as the Internet gains ground into our personal and business lives. That comment now seems extremely timely as the country has just fallen victim to one of the most common Internet problems out there; the spreading of false information.

Although details are still emerging, it appears that an infamous con-man fabricated some pretty negative information about a Yasawa resort development project. Fake emails were written and shared with the media and false chat conversations were published online. The very nature of these rumours was meant to touch a nerve in the country and it couldn't have been more spot on. The entire story was blown way out of proportion, seemingly overnight. Within just a couple days, a host of large organisations, politicians and business leaders were commenting on it.

Digital Talanoa : Making the Web Work in Fiji

The past few years have seen some growth of Fiji-based companies putting themselves on the Internet. The rate still isn't as significant as other, more developed, Internet economies but it obviously needs to start somewhere. For many local businesses and organisations in Fiji, websites still tend to be purely online brochures. Information about who they are, what business they're in, some general contact information and possibly a list of clients or partners seems to be the norm. Only a handful of companies (mostly larger ones) are putting any real effort into keeping their websites updated. Additionally, publishing online is almost exclusively a role that an I.T. department is responsible for. This doesn't follow web publishing trends elsewhere. After all, would you have your I.T. department sign off on newspaper advertising? Why then are websites considered technology projects? First and foremost, online publishing is a communications initiative, not a technology one.