[liberationtech] SMS questions

[Javier SOLA]

The problem of SMS or any technology that requires phone numbers is that 
it is quite easy for a government to shut it down. In small countries 
far away they just have to ask the operator to disconnect you. You can 
use numbers in another country (international SMS), but then it becomes 
too expensive for the users.

If you can solve the numbers problem, you can either install your own 
platform to manage e-mails (such as open source FrontLine or Kannel) or 
cooperate with an organization such as the NGO Instedd, which operates 
SMS services that directly solve your problems.

There are a number of SMS services for human rights operating in Kenya 
and Tanzania.

https://spidercenter.org/newsroom/article/ict4democracy-east-africa-network

Javier


On 8/27/13 11:36 PM, Richard Brooks wrote:
> I have colleagues living in a small country, far, far
> away with a history of rigged elections who want to
> put in place a system for collecting information
> using SMS. The local government keeps shutting
> down the systems that they put in place.
>
> I think I understand their needs and wants. SMS is
> really not my strong point. If anyone with an understanding
> of SMS, SMS web interfaces, and/or related security issues
> would be willing to point me in the right direction
> (or discuss potential issues) I (and by extension
> they) would be grateful.
>
> The alternative is for me to dedicate my excess cycles
> to researching those issues from scratch, which sounds
> time consuming. They kind of need help in the near future.
>
> -Richard