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Productions   The Codebreakers - 1x44’ - English
February 2006

This documentary investigates how poor countries are using FOSS (free/open source software) applications for development, and includes stories and interviews from around the world.
The famous digital divide is getting wider. The Codebreakers examines whether FOSS might be the bridge.
FOSS contains ‘source code’ that can be used, copied, studied, modified and redistributed without restriction. It has been around for over 20 years but most PC owners are not aware that the Internet search engines and many computer applications run on FOSS.
We went to nearly a dozen countries around the world to see how the adoption of FOSS presents opportunities for industry and capacity development, software piracy reduction, and localization and customization for diverse cultural and development needs.
Stories from The Codebreakers include computer and Internet access for school children in Africa, reaching the poor in Brazil, tortoise breeding programmes in the Galapagos, connecting villages in Spain, and disaster management in Sri Lanka. The documentary also includes interviews from key figures around the world.


Continent(s): Europe / Africa / Asia Pacific / North America / Central America / South America /
Topic(s): Development / Technology /
Audio: English
Duration: 44' & 2x22'
Location(s): World