Interventions based on information and communication technologies abound in many parts of the world, but scholars still squabble over whether ICTs do create economic, social and political opportunities in the developing world or whether they exacerbate the knowledge gap between the privileged segments of society and the disadvantaged. As an academic, I think we need a holistic approach to address the central question of whether—and under what conditions—improved access to information and knowledge through ICTs can enhance the individual and collective capabilities of the poor.