Need an Answer? Just Ask the Box

This is the VOA Special English Development Report.

When you have a question about something, where do you go? For many people the answer is simple. They go online to a search engine like Google or Yahoo. But what about people in rural or underdeveloped areas who may have no way to get on the Internet?

A business and international development consultant in California, Rose Shuman, wanted to find an answer for them, too. Her solution is Question Box.

Question Box is a service that provides answers -- free of charge -- for people who cannot search the Internet directly. They might not be able to read, or they simply have no access.

Question Box began two years ago in India. People use a metal call box with a push-to-talk button to connect to a live operator, as Rose Shuman explains:

ROSE SHUMAN: "You just push a button, a big green button, and that will connect you directly to our operators who are sitting in front of computers, and speak your language. And you can ask them any sort of question you want, and they'll look it up in English or in Hindi, or whatever the main language is, and translate the answer right back for you."

The service is currently offered in two villages. The latest version of the box uses mobile phone technology, and solar panels in case the electrical power fails. Rose Shuman says the aim was to make the box as easy as possible for users.

ROSE SHUMAN: "Rather than try to bring a lot of infrastructure to them and expect them to learn how to use the Internet, the idea was to make a technology that even Grandma could use, figuring that Grandma could probably walk up to a box and push a button."

In April, Question Box expanded to Uganda. Forty community workers with mobile phones connect villagers to call center operators in Kampala. The community workers go around telling people about the service. They wear T-shirts that say "Ask Me."

But Internet service in Uganda proved slow and undependable. So Question Box teamed up with a local technology company to store information on a local server. That way, the researchers in Kampala can quickly search the database for answers.

Question Box is a project of Open Mind, a nonprofit organization founded by Rose Shuman. She says Question Box is working to expand by offering its software through partnerships.

In Uganda, Question Box formed a partnership with the Grameen Foundation. Grameen had money from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to bring agricultural information to rural farmers. But users also ask about current events and many other subjects.

ROSE SHUMAN: "When was Mahatma Gandhi born, and how long is the Nile River? What's the tallest mountain? The funniest one I think we got was, 'Did the pyramids ever move to another place?' Which we found pretty funny. But we did look it up, and they haven't moved."

And that's the VOA Special English Development Report, written by June Simms. I'm Steve Ember.

这里是VOA特别英语发展报道。

当你对某件事有问题时，你会到哪里求助呢？对于许多人来说，答案非常简单。他们会到搜索引擎，比如谷歌或者雅虎进行搜索。但是那些乡村或者欠发达地区不能上网的人怎么办呢？

Rose Shuman是加利福尼亚一名商业和国际发展咨询顾问，她也想找到答案。她的解决方法是“问题箱”。

“问题箱”是一种为不能直接上网的人提供搜索的一种免费服务。他们可能认识字，或者仅仅是不能上网。

问题箱于两年前开始于印度。人们按下金融呼叫箱上面的“按下按钮讲话”按钮来连接现场接线员。Rose Shuman为我们做出了详细解释：

“你只要按下一个绿色的按钮，就可以直接连线坐在电脑前的接线员，说出你的语言种类。你可以问他们任何想问的问题，他们会用英语或印度语来搜索，或者任何语言，然后立即用你的语言翻译出答案。”

目前，有两个村庄提供这种服务。最新版本的问题箱使用了手机技术，并且使用太阳能板来预防突然断电。Rose Shuman称，这样做的目的是让用户操作起来尽可能的简单。

Rose Shuman：“相对于为他们带来大量的基础设施，期望他们学会怎样使用因特网，这个想法旨在研究出一种连老奶奶都会使用的简单技术。只要老奶奶走到问题箱前，按下按钮就可以了。”

四月份，问题箱扩展到乌干达。40名社工用手机帮助村民连线坎帕拉呼叫中心的接线员。社工到处告诉人们这项服务的开通。他们身穿印有“有问题请问我”的T恤衫。

但是乌干达的网络服务非常缓慢，非常不可靠。所以，问题箱与当地一个技术公司联合起来，将信息储存在当地服务器上。这样，坎帕拉的研究人员可以迅速在数据库中搜索答案。

Question Box是由Rose Shuman建立的非营利组织Open Mind的一个项目。她说，问题箱项目正在通过合作关系提供软件而不断扩展。

在乌干达，问题箱与Grameen Foundation建立了合作关系。Grameen从梅林达·盖茨基金会获得了资金，为乡村农民提供农业信息。但是使用者通常询问与时事有关的问题或者许多其他问题。

Rose Shuman“甘地是什么时候出生的，尼罗河全长多少？最高的山是什么山？我们听到的最有趣的问题是，金字塔有没有向其他地方移动过？我们发现这个问题非常有趣。但是我们确实找到了答案，金字塔从来没有移动过。”