Afghan tech boom: Mullah embraces iPhone – San Jose Mercury News

From Afghan tech boom: Mullah embraces iPhone – San Jose Mercury News:

Young Afghans see the world differently from older Afghans because of their use of the Internet and mobile phones, and their participation in sports, said Shukria Barakzai, a female lawmaker and former newspaper editor.

Afghanistan’s youth are not caught up in “the old circle of war,” she said. “They are engaging with the rest of the world. That’s why technology is so important for Afghanistan.”

This article reminds me why I’ve been in this business since 1996. Back in my days at MindSpring, one of the early dial-up Internet providers in the US, I got a real rush from knowing that I was helping people communicate in ways that were never possible before and that my work would in a small way tear down walls and bring people closer together.