Dear readers,

We sent the following call few days back on our research work
with `social dynamics of Internet usage in Dhaka city' and since
then we have received lots of responses at our survey site
(http://www.bytesforallinitiative.net/internetusagedhaka/index.php?
sid=72945&lang=en). The membership to our facebook group
(http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=25856184827) has already
crossed 140+ mark. It has already started to take a shape but we
need more and more responses to refer this as an evidence based
research outcome.

If you didn't fill up the survey yet, please do so at:
http://www.bytesforallinitiative.net/internetusagedhaka/index.php?
sid=72945&lang=en

Please feel free to distribute it to your network. If you're
interested to be a volunteer to collect data and be a part of this
research project, please contact us at
survey@...

Best wishes,

Partha


BytesForAll Initiative has undertaken a research project to study and
analyze the Internet usage pattern, browsing habit and service
requirements
of Internet users in Dhaka city as per age, income and gender. All
Dhaka
based Internet users are requested to fill up the survey form at:
http://www.bytesforallinitiative.net/internetusagedhaka/index.php?
sid=72945&lang=en

Why are we doing this?
-----------------------

According to ITU, there are about 450,000 Internet users in
Bangladesh (as
of August, 2007), which is also growing rapidly with mobile phone
penetration. There are about 40 million cell phone users in the
country. In
2006 Bangladesh got connected to SEA-ME-WE4 Internet submarine cable
[BTRC
Website]. All these development show that Bangladesh is in a
transition
where the demand is moving from connectivity to content.

An increasing number of people are using Internet for being in touch
with
family or friends who live abroad, bloggers community celebrate
their work
together, organizations are getting engaged in online activism,
young users
update their status frequently at facebook, employers go to linkedIn
to
search potential candidate, new services are emerging for a new
market,
students are doing research using google or wikipedia etc. But no
documentation or study is available to capture the trend of this
usage or
to identify the users from a social perspective. The research
project aims
to fulfill that important gap.

How this research will be done?
------------------------------

This research will be carried out within Internet users in Dhaka
city using
a stratified random sampling methodology that will take into account
the
different segments of society on the basis of gender, age bracket and
income level. This will ensure that we can compare the pattern of
Internet
usage across these strata. We have developed a questionnaire through
which
information will be collected using both online and offline means.
Our
in-country researcher will collect data talking to different Internet
users, which will then be inserted into an online feedback form. Our
research team will then analyze and synthesize the data to prepare a
report
of preliminary findings.

We also opened up a facebook group. Please join the group at:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=25856184827&ref=share

What you can do?
-----------------------

1. All Dhaka based Internet users can fill up the survey form at:
http://www.bytesforallinitiative.net/internetusagedhaka/index.php?
sid=72945&lang=en

It will not take more than 10 minutes to fill up this questionnaire.

[Our survey system can capture the IP address, therefore users who
are not
from Dhaka are requested NOT to fill up this form].

2. Forward this survey form to friends and families whom you know
and are
accessing the Internet from Dhaka.

3. Share any personal and interesting online experience. You can
post it in
the discussion board or can contact Partha or Mridul in the admin
list.
With your permission, we can arrange to publish these experiences
(with all
anonymity) as part of our research report.

4. Upload interesting photos of Internet usage or Internet users as
per
age, income and gender- the core variables of this research.

The results of this survey will be used ONLY for research purposes
(not for
any commercial interest). Please feel free to contact us (survey at
bytesforallinitiative dot net) if you have any question.

We look forward to hearing from you. Best wishes,