When IDC and BSA (South Africa) start making up statistics to sway policy, http://techdirt.com/articles/20100719/00264510262.shtml , I begin to wonder what exactly is sparking off this trend in research houses considering that access to their reports (beyond the enticing table of contents) costs several thousands of dollars. Has the recession bitten research houses too?
There are many ironies in this skewed picture:
1. Emerging markets (where a lot of the research is being done in recognition of the fact that developed countries are getting saturated) have millions of idle people who would willingly collect data for a dollar a day to feed the research agencies. Why don't they put these idle people to good use?
2. Why are the reports so damn expensive when the usually quoted (and now suspect) statistic (Africans live on less than a dollar a day) suggests they cannot afford these reports that are targeting their countries?
3. Whatever happened to using simple logic to debate and persuade rather than statistics that no one can prove or disprove.
I've always wondered why whenever there are surveys in Kampala I never get interviewed- neither does my social or professional circle. Where do these statistics (especially the ones about ICT usage) come from? Now I know...
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