Pragmatic fragility: Do information technologies lessen or adapt to the structural deficiencies of developing countries?

Carlos Ferrán () and Ricardo Salim ()
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Carlos Ferrán: Pennsylvania State University, United State American
Ricardo Salim: Software de Venezuela, S. A.

Economía, 2008, vol. 33, issue 25, 13-45

Abstract: Modern information technologies (it) can increase the digital divide between countries. Using information theory this article distinguishes between semantic and pragmatic information showing how it can increase or decrease the digital divide. Semantic information (like email) interacts primarily with information while pragmatic information (like e-business) interacts with material-energetic processes –production, transport, customs, etc. However, these processes require solid infrastructure and superstructure –already developed during the industrialization stage– which are still very fragile in most developing countries. This fragility in the pragmatic dimension of information (pragmatic fragility) directly affects how much developing countries can leverage these technologies in comparison with developed ones.

Keywords: Information technologies; digital divide; information theory; infrastructure; underdevelopment. (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: L86 M15 N70 O14 O33 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2008
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ula:econom:v:33:y:2008:i:25:p:13-45

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