We count down the top five most widely read articles published by ICT Pulse in 2018.
To date, and for 2018, we have published around 150 articles on ICT Pulse. Through those articles, we continue to try to foster greater awareness and interest in ICT/tech in the Caribbean. This year, we also took a gamble and launched the ICT Pulse Podcast in April, which thankfully, has been well received and continues to gain traction.
However, as we wind down 2018, and start prepping for 2019, below are the five most widely read articles of the year on ICT Pulse.
5. Digital literacy and how it affects the digital divide in the Caribbean
Over the years, much has been made about individuals becoming computer literate. Today, although computer literacy is expected, the truth is that the knowledge and skills people ought to possess has evolved from just being comfortable using a computer and a few software applications, to now having a deeper appreciation of, along with more developed skills that better correspond to the digital environment in which we now live.
This article thus sought to highlight the fact that we can no longer be focussing solely on computer literacy. More importantly, there continues to be a growing concern about digital inclusion and the growing digital divide, which was also discussed , along with what can be done improve inclusion and narrow the divide.
4. On-demand streaming versus traditional TV: pros and cons
We may not even have realised it, but over the past few years, many of us across the region have been moving away from traditional TV, and even cable TV, and instead to sourcing our entertainment online. As a result, and in many countries, particularly among the younger demographic, cable TV subscriptions have been declining, whilst individual broadband consumption, both for fixed and mobile, have increased drastically. In essence, we are viewing more online content, and more on-demand streaming/video on-demand content in particular, than we had in the past.
However, as much as on-demand streaming has grown in popularity over the years, traditional TV still has considerable benefits – evidenced by the fact that live ball-by-ball coverage of the 2018 FIFA Football World Cup could be viewed on TV, but was not so readily available online. We thus collated a few of the pros and cons of on-demand streaming versus traditional TV, cognisant of the change in behaviour that has been occurring.
3. Snapshot: 2018 update of actual internet download speeds from across the Caribbean
Our Snapshot series has been a perennial favourite ever since we launched ICT Pulse in 2011. Moreover, as the Internet continues to become the most integral medium through which electronic communications is occurring, one of the longstanding concerns among consumers is with respect to the download speed they experience, and how it compares to what other experience in the same country and across the region.
In this 2018 update, Internet download speed data was only available for 10 Caribbean countries. Nevertheless, consumers were still able to get a general sense on the extent to which Internet download speeds had improved – or not – since the previous exercise in 2017.
2. Snapshot: 2018 update of internet speeds and pricing across the Caribbean
Continuing with the heightened interest in Internet service in the Caribbean, and over the years, consumers have been eager to have a better understanding of the fixed broadband Internet packages that are being offered across the region, and their corresponding rates. For many of us, it may have been a while since we took out our current subscriptions, and so it can be useful to have a quick sense of how packages and prices might be changing year on year.
This year, the broadband Internet packages in 18 Caribbean countries were reviewed, and the methodology remained unchanged from previous years. We examined and presented the results for: the lowest advertised download speed and the corresponding lowest monthly rate in each country; the highest advertised download speed and the corresponding lowest monthly rate in each country; and, as available, the highest download speed plan that can be purchased for no more than USD 60.00 per month.
1. Is LinkedIn still relevant in 2018?
Truthfully, we were a bit surprised that this article took the number one spot – our most read article of 2018. However, we, at ICT Pulse, have always been excited about LinkedIn, as a networking platform for professionals, but we had noted over the years that Caribbean professionals did not appear to be as committed to it, as they were to their social networks. Further, with most mainstream attention often going to the likes of Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, one might be unsure as to whether it might be still worthwhile to continue focussing on LinkedIn.
In this article, which was published in the first quarter of 2018, we answered the question we posed in the title, and highlighted a few reasons in support. Hopefully our readers will take the hint, and make a more concerted effort to capitalise in the opportunities that LinkedIn provides.
Image credit: Gadini (Pixabay)
