Offline knowledge sharing

Disseminating information in offline formats allows for communities with limited internet connections to access crucial data.

Perhaps the most well-known instance of this sharing is in Cuba, where many alternative ways of sharing information and communicating emerged, in lieu of relying on internet networks.

A common workaround for offline sharing, especially for entertainment are paquetes semanales (weekly packages), which are external hard drives which contain downloaded media from websites, movies, music and other items of interest. In a similar way, other forms of offline sharing using portable devices or USB drives have emerged globally.

In the following examples, Internet in a box and Graúna, communities are able to access offline information such as medical textbooks and health related information, educational resources, financial and archival information.

Internet in a Box

Screenshot: internet-in-a-box.org

Internet in a box is a small device that allows up to 30 people to access a set of curated information when nearby. It uses open source software and operates on Linux. It is battery powered, with a charge lasting 24 hours. Internet in a box is is inspired by the situation in Cuba, where connectivity is low but people have found unique workarounds like using offline digital media. It serves as a way to connect people to information (health, education, financial inclusion) in areas with poor internet infrastructure.

In the example given, doctors in clinics in rural parts of the Dominican Republic can access research and information on symptoms and treatments via the box.

Some considerations for using this tool are deciding what information should be uploaded (and in what languages/formats) and the need for periodic updates to the information stored.

Internet in a Box (IIAB) has also been used in rural villages in India to connect and share knowledge between remote villages.

An additional consideration of operating off-grid battery powered systems include weather conditions (if it is too cold the batteries will die). In Ladakh, India, an area in the Himalayas, temperatures can get as low as -40C, so finding work-arounds like solar powered batteries that are durable enough for the winter are essential.

Graúna

Screenshot: graúna comunitário.

Instituto Nupef created Graúna to remember and safeguard content online. They maintain a local portable server, with files and media of public interest, which they take to traditional and indigenous communities so that they can access it all offline.

They also use it to archive content/knowledge shared online, especially in Brazil. The project has two aims: 1) to protect and backup websites and 2) to disseminate knowledge in offline areas.

Graúna is divided into two projects: graúna memória and graúna comunitário.

• Graúna memória is a web archive that saves relevant information for Brazilian civil society organisations.

• Graúna comunitário is used to share information through community networks. Nupef installs portable web servers through these networks, allowing users to access open source materials for education, health, environment and human rights purposes through local computers and cell phones.

Page last updated: January 2024