Katy Pearce, an assistant professor in the University of Washington's Department of Communication, argues that Internet penetrations rates aren't important. She warns of generalizations such as "84 percent of women in country x have a mobile phone...therefore women's empowerment through technology is possible. She writes that it is not surprising that countries with a younger, better educated and wealthier societies would have higher Internet penetration. At the same time, she argues, the price of the internet is also a factor. She lays out in the article specific factors that make general statements on penetration levels irrelevant. Worth a read.

"So what is to be done about this problem? There are a few options. One may be to stop caring about penetration rates. This is not a race. Given the numerous contributing factors to these rates, the actual percentage is essentially meaningless. Given the way that these are manipulated, deemphasizing penetration rates may be best. Another solution would be an attempt at better measurement. Surveys would be best."

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Will businesses, governments and non-profits finally realize the potential of social innovation. This article says there are some that are doing that already like OpenIDEO that partnered with non-profits, businesses and governments to create a series of collaborative social innovation challenges. Read more about the networks that have been formed, the fundraising that has taken place and the benefits of collaboration.

"The success of collaborative social innovation initiatives shows that organizations and people are capable of co-creating innovative solutions to complex problems, and has created a new model for change makers to showcase their innovations, for governments and foundations to find solutions to societal issues and for businesses to realize sustainable growth."

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