Ruralroads.org is now almost eight years old. I had the idea in 1999 in Vietnam (incidentally, a Vietnamese translation of the important corruption page is now available) while mulling over a possible publication. But why publish a document which will never be seen by those who could usefully read it? Not long afterwards, in Uganda, I asked a local consultant to sketch out the basic site model. This was further refined in early 2000, more pages were added and it was eventually launched.
More were added over the years as speed and size possibilities grew. Images were included, usually to lighten the tone, as were some sound effects within the history section. It put on weight, from barely a meg or so to around seventy at last count. Given its original objective, to reach people in countries with uncertain web access, it still remains simple to view and will not overtax a slow dial-up connection. Texts are ruthlessly pruned. In fact, any page could be easily expanded to a one-hour talk or a book chapter. The site has been quite popular, as witnessed by its top listing on search engines.
It shows signs of age. The narrow focus on rural roads was normal then but today I would widen it to stress that road transport networks are just one of many ways of making people more mobile and thus improving accessibility of rural services. Rather than completely rewriting I have attempted to integrate this by time-honoured cutting and pasting. Not ideal, but a step in the right direction.
The web environment has totally changed. Eight years ago there were only a handful of useful sites on the subject. Now there are many. Documents then available, if at all, only in hard copy and at enormous expense for photocopying and posting, can now be downloaded for nothing. Links have therefore become very important and I have greatly increased them. However, new or upgraded sites spring up daily and there can be no substitute for frequent browsing. I can only point to a tiny fraction, to serve as base camps for wider searches.
The look (from the French: le look) has also been improved to give at least the illusion of modernity The history section is expanding and includes some videoclips, of uneven pertinence, for those with eclectic tastes. This is a purely personal whim, but I do hope it will interest or amuse even those who still really cannot see the point of it.
Finally, the new Wiki site, which will allow others to easily contribute their knowledge and experience, is a genuine innovation. For the moment I will retain editorial control of access and content. However, I would like eventually to throw it completely open and allow it to evolve with minimal or no editorial interference.
