Have you ever wondered if people from other countries have the same or similar opinions to yours? Do people like themselves? Are they happy? How children feel about their parents? The modern human`s view of death? Which questions would you most like to have answers to?
Chances are we will soon have the answers, with the Planet Project starting today (November 15) and running until November 18.
The Planet Project, the vision and creation of US networking company 3Com, is employing the Internet as a communications forum and using technology of its own as well as that of its partners, to conduct the biggest, most insightful poll about the human condition the world has ever seen.
One great aspect of the poll is that the each participant`s answers can instantaneously be compared with others around the world. Once people start filling in the questions on www.planetproject.com from 13:00hrs South African time on November 15 until 20:00hrs on November 18, and the information and the answers from millions of people will be updated automatically for instant comparison and knowledge sharing.
People without web access will be able to reach the site from local Internet Caf'es or community centres.
In addition hundreds of Planet pollsters around the globe equipped with PDAs, palmtops, notebooks, modems and satellite uplinks will bring the Internet to people in remote areas of the world! Planet Pollsters will be active in South Africa areas, such as Umtata, Kgabalatsane, Mabopane and Durban.
Buddie Ceronie, General Manager, 3Com Sub-Saharan Africa and the Mediterranean, says Planet Project will demonstrate 3Com`s vision of a world brought closer together through networking technology. In South Africa 3Com has arranged a number of activities designed to encourage people to take the poll. Penryn College in Mpumulanga is inviting schools from its PenReach outreach program to come to the College and take the poll.
CITC (Commercial Information Technology Centre) in Welkom is organising a four-day program designed to bring the community to the centre to take the poll. 3Com Pollsters will be on Campus the University of the Western Cape.
Another Internet poll aimed at 13-20 year olds, called the Student Underground, will run parallel to the Planet Project poll. As part of this initiative, 3Com is working with SchoolNet to ensure that all schools with Internet access are aware of the poll and in addition a competition is being organised to run during and after the poll.
People will be asked to share their views on topics such as parenting, dating and sex, crime, health, marriage and beliefs. The answers will be compared with responses from people of other nations, ages and sexes.
The project is unprecedented in scale and will bring together millions of people across geographic and cultural barriers, says 3Com CEO and chairman Eric Benhamou. He says the project will cast light on the digital divide, or the gap between those possessed of vast knowledge resources because of the Internet, and those who cannot access it.
Results will be analysed by global research firm Harris Interactive. Respondents` identities will be kept private and information gathered by the poll will not be used for marketing activity, says Ceronie.
Oracle, Sun Microsystems, BEA Systems, Mercury Interactive, Macromedia, Eucid, Akamai Technologies, Harris Interactive and AT&T are joining 3Com to bring the project to life.
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