Describes a low-cost method to trace information-diffusion paths and technology access in poor communities. Employs Video-CDs and missed calls to gain social, technological, and developmental data. Can help HCI4D researchers.

1. ViralVCD
Tracing Information-Diffusion Paths with Low
Cost Media in Developing Communities
Nithya Sambasivan, UC , Irvine
Ed Cutrell, Microsoft Research India
Kentaro Toyama, UC, Berkeley

2. The problem
• ICT4D projects assess need, relevance, and scope for
development
– Often community-centered
• Study technology penetration /use in a community
• Understand key players and dynamics of diffusion
• Surveys and interviews limited by lack of in-situ
monitoring
• Experience sampling and probes fail to scale in
communities

3. Enter ViralVCD
• A low-cost, rapid data elicitation technique for low-
income contexts
• Employs physical media and mobile phone
questionnaires
• Gathers data that is:
– Social: networks underpinning diffusion
– Technological: ownership, access, and usage
– Developmental: assessment of baseline
• Combines probes and snowball sampling
– Contextualized in technology use
– Caters to local practices

4. The site
• Preliminary ethnographic study in 2 slums in
Bangalore, India (female domestic workers)
• Total: 7 slums in deployment
• In collaboration with NGOs
• Topics for conversation: healthcare and education
• 30 / 64 households owned a DVD player

5. The process
Participatory Screenings Mobile call-in Diffusion
videos + VCDs contest

6. Participatory videos
• Useful and interesting content
– 13 minutes at most
– Showcase local practices to other communities
– But a lens into its own diffusion
• Observation of a subset of social networks
– Interested in “development”

7. Nutritive cooking
Conducted a cooking contest
•Openly competitive

8. Nutritive cooking
•Local knowledge
•Taste and nutrition as criteria

9. Childhood education
•Role play between two non-literate women

10. Dissemination
•Screenings, 2-3 VCDs per person

11. Call-in contest
•Missed calls, researcher calls back
ப ோன்
ண்ணுங்க!
ಫೋನ್ ಮಾಡಿ!
98411 21111

12. Call-in contest
•Entertainment idiom

13. Call-in contest
•Entertainment idiom

14. Call-in contest
• We determined
– Unique identifier / photo
– Socio-economic profile and baseline
– Source of VCD (person received from)
– Unique content-related question
• Correct answers
– Utilitarian incentive (bed sheets or utensils)
– Varied experimental conditions to test effects
• They then pass the VCD to someone else
– Contest ended in a week

15. Results
• Gave 131 VCDs to 64 attendees
• Call response: 31.25% (50 unique callers)

16. Social insights
Micro-level
• Two forms of diffusion
– Peer-to-peer (A→B→C)
– Actor-driven (A→ (B and C)).
Macro-level
• Diffusion reflected social
solidarity
• Helped understand
relationships in an ecology

17. Technological insights
• Understand in-situ usage
• 50% of callers had proximate access (neighborhood
access)
• All mobile, except for 4 pay phones
• Strong correlation between owing mobiles and DVD
players

18. Developmental insights
• Development extensions
• Contest at the end necessitated viewing of videos
• No difference in diffusion across income levels

19. Opportunities
• Provided a direct interview opportunity
• Identify key players in communities
• Assess the socio-technical makeup of the setting.
• Across income levels, with appropriate incentive
• Medium technological penetration may be sufficient
• Identify and recruit peers of the same stratum,
possibly across communities.

20. Conclusion
• Avoided additional infrastructure
• Helped us understand
– Social networks
– Technological access and ownership
– Developmental baseline
• Could use other pervasive technologies
– Cassettes or notebooks
• More broadly applicable to CHI

21. OK ta-ta bye-bye!
Please refer to the
paper for a lengthier
discussion of method
and results.