February 2008 - KICTANet

Synchronizing Time Locally - NTP.KENIC.OR.KE
by Vincent Ngundi 27 Feb '08

27 Feb '08

Dear All, FYI. In 2005, KENIC in line with its mandate to promote ICT's in the Kenya, set up a GPS enabled NTP Server, ntp.kenic.or.ke, at the Kenya Internet eXchange Point (KIXP) to provide date and time integrity for computers. Most service providers have implemented time synchronization on their systems utilizing network time servers located in foreign countries. However, the time synchronization services are not extended to their clients due to unreliable connectivity and prohibitive costs associated with international links. Consequently, most of their clients are oblivious of the services' existence. Implementation of NTP services for the local Internet community utilizes the Global Positioning System (GPS) technology, and is expected to retain 0.5% of the current Internet traffic (NTP traffic) locally therefore enabling the service providers to extend the NTP services to their clients. Organizational expenses saved from operational failures and data losses due to time inconsistencies would be impossible to estimate. Consequently, date and time integrity and accuracy on computerised data information is essential for computer forensics procedures. The increased local content traffic is essential in promoting the development local content and local hosting and ensuring the operational stability of the Internet in Kenya. Some of the organisations utilizing the local NTP services include some Government bodies, ISP's, banks, corporates, and some educational institutions. The local NTP server is synchronized to at least 5 satellites at any one time thus making it the most accurate time source in the country. Instructions on how to configure NTP services on various operating systems can be found at: http://www.kenic.or.ke/index.php? option=com_content&task=view&id=71&Itemid=87 Kind Regards, ----------------- Vincent Ngundi Administrative Manager KENIC - The Kenya Network Information Center http://www.kenic.or.ke vincent(a)kenic.or.ke [T] +254 20 4450057/8 [F] +254 20 4450087

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Mobile phone threat
by Dorcas Muthoni 26 Feb '08

26 Feb '08

Extreme threats ..... The Taleban have threatened to blow up telephone masts across Afghanistan unless mobile phone companies agree to switch off their signals at night.* * They say that US and other foreign troops are using the signals to track down insurgents http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7262519.stm -- Muthoni My Blog: http://rugongo.blogspot.com/ -------------------------------------------- Mahatma Gandhi once said:- First they ignore you, Then they laugh at you, Then they fight you, AND THEN YOU WIN!!!

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Fwd: [AfrISPA.Discuss] Course at Arizona State University on "The Internet in Africa"
by Eric Osiakwan 26 Feb '08

26 Feb '08

Begin forwarded message: > From: William Foster <wfoster8560(a)yahoo.com> > Date: 25 February 2008 22:26:15 GMT+03:00 > To: AfISPA <discuss(a)afrispa.org> > Cc: Patience Akpan-Obong <pakpan2004(a)yahoo.com> > Subject: [AfrISPA.Discuss] Course at Arizona State University on > "The Internet in Africa" > Reply-To: Discuss(a)afrispa.org > > For those of you interested in doing international sociology > research, I would like to ask you to consider taking my "Internet > in Africa" course that will be offered in the summer of 2008. Eric > Osiakwan and I will co-teach the class. > > The main deliverable will be a country study of Internet/cell phone > diffusion in a specific African country of your choice. > > My experience is that there are enough resources on the Internet > which when supplemented with Internet based interviews can be used > to do high quality original work that is of a publishable quality. > > The online course will be offered twice in both the first and > second summer sessions: > > Internet in Africa, Soc 194-1005 Line number 46695 > Summer 1, June 2-July 4 > > Internet in Africa, Soc 194-1007 Line number 46626 > Summer 2, July 7-Aug. 8 > > I would appreciate it if you would pass this along > to who might be interested. I can be reached at > wfoster8560(a)yahoo.com > or by phone at 1-520-440-0807. > > ********* > Getting course credit at Arizona State University > · All registration can be done online: > > Registrar’s Website --- http:// > students.asu.edu/registration > > · Apply online and pay online for application to ASU > > · Apply as Unclassified Admission > > - For Summer School Class, they > can be admitted for one class. > > · Admission to ASU > > · Pay Out of State Tuition > > Fees are at: > http://www.asu.edu/summer/summer_tf/ > > · Register for class > > · After grades are posted , request ASU transcripts be sent > to your University. > > > > William Foster, PhD > Faculty Associate > Social and Behavioral Sciences > Arizona State University Polytechnic > http://www.FosterandBrahm.com > 520-440-0807 > wfoster8560 (Skype) > > Looking for last minute shopping deals? Find them fast with Yahoo! > Search. Eric M.K Osiakwan Executive Secretary AfrISPA (www.afrispa.org) Tel: + 233.21.258800 ext 2031 Fax: + 233.21.258811 Cell: + 233.244.386792 Handle: eosiakwan Snail Mail: Pmb 208, Accra-North Office: BusyInternet - 42 Ring Road Central, Accra-North Blog: http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/eric/ Slang: "Tomorrow Now"

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Kimathi Information Centre Symposium Program of the day March 22, 2008.
by Jose' 25 Feb '08

25 Feb '08

Greetings, Kindly find attached newsletter,program and poster for the upcoming Small medium Enterprise symposium organized by Kimathi Information Centre.We look forward to see you all there in support of Emerging Enterprise Regards, Jose' 0728878744. Best Regards, Jose' Njuki-Imwe Ngunjiri || +254 722 336754 || --------------------------------- Looking for last minute shopping deals? Find them fast with Yahoo! Search.

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INCEPTION WORKSHOP OF THE ELECTRONICE WASTE PROJECT IN KENYA
by Evelyne Majale 25 Feb '08

25 Feb '08

Dear all Further to the introduction meeting of the E-waste Project in Kenya held on 27/11/2007, Kictanet is pleased to invite you to the Inception Workshop to be held at Jacaranda Hotel on Monday, 03rd March 2008. Please find attached the invitation letter and tentative programme. Evelyne

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Are we a media state?
by Alex Gakuru 25 Feb '08

25 Feb '08

Let's face it, we are all afraid of the media projecting us badly. As the saying goes the media "makes or kills". That is tremendous power either ways depending on how it is used. Their pen can kill or make things happen. But "the media" is not a homogeneous thing. Like every other sector of society it has good people, questionable people and crooks as well. When I proposed that respective media houses conduct own audits, the media council another, and the government to do the final task force, it was on the premise that we all accepted that "the media" played a very big role in the events that led to the sorry of Kenya. We were looking at fixing the problem so that it never again happens in Kenya. I still stand by my statement. It is saddening to read that the media council has gone ahead to form not an audit but "a task force". And that they point to towards claiming that the government does not have the mandate to form a task force. In self-support, sections of the same media float suspicions "what is the ministry up to?" then reporting "media control is a tool traditionally used by oppressive governments" and editorials... If even MPs in clash-torn areas turn to and ask government for protection in their own areas, is it right for the media not to recognise that "for-common good" government always must always be recognised as the supreme authority on the the state? Is the media exempt from all forms of external audit? If this is the case, then we may as well come to terms that we moved to a "media state", just like exists "police states", dictators etc etc and in that scenario the media controls even all its critisms and would not be any different from past "news" critical e.g. to police etc for conducting internal closed investigations. Trust in their honesty delivery of news to consumers becomes questionable and one is left never to trust all news. Consumers need a media they can trust their information. A media open governance scrutiny the always help us hold government open and accountable. The government look after all of us, including the media and I recognize government as the final power over society's welfare. If we fail to collectively correct recent mistakes then "media resources" might also well be included in the ongoing peace talks because daily information consumers mind and opinion control is the most powerful national asset. Regards, Alex Gakuru ____________________________________________________________________________________ Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now. http://mobile.yahoo.com/;_ylt=Ahu06i62sR8HDtDypao8Wcj9tAcJ

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Mutua/Media Council beef all about superiority
by Rebecca Wanjiku 23 Feb '08

23 Feb '08

Media audit was a great idea. It would have been good to have a clearer picture of how the media performed. I was waiting to see which media house will be indicted. It did not matter who is doing it, at least we would have had a process in place, capable of being improved on in future. But the credibility of such a process seems to be dark. Why? its about superiority, nothing to do with the media audit read the full post - beckyit.blogspot.com Tel. 254 720 318 925 blog:http://beckyit.blogspot.com/ ____________________________________________________________________________________ Looking for last minute shopping deals? Find them fast with Yahoo! Search. http://tools.search.yahoo.com/newsearch/category.php?category=shopping

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Online Outsourcing
by robert yawe 22 Feb '08

22 Feb '08

Hi, I think we are in serious trouble as IT fellows unless we get our act together. I have been looking for someone to develop what I would call a simple SMS solution. All the local programmers I have approached have been asking for an arm and a leg and even when I agreed to their terms they have been unable to deliver. A few days ago I was lamenting to a colleague about my dilemma, his solution, go to www.elance.com or www.odesk.com. If this is the fuuture of programming engagements then we seriously need to rethink our careers. The consoling factor is that its not only IT people who will be affected its all so called white collar jobs. Robert Yawe KAY System Technologies Ltd Phoenix House, 6th Floor P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200 Kenya Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696 __________________________________________________________ Sent from Yahoo! Mail. A Smarter Inbox. http://uk.docs.yahoo.com/nowyoucan.html

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India Losing it's Attraction as Offshore R & D option?
by brian 21 Feb '08

21 Feb '08

This should be v. interesting for us as we gear up for the "offshoring" onslaught..... Question is: What do we need to do to be ready to pitch for the kind of R&D investments that India has benefited from? - good bandwidth? (imminent) - fairly priced labour force (done) - R&D skills (errmmhh - anyone?) - conducive investment policy (somewhat) - stable political environment (oh dear...) anything else? Brian ps. for Alex ;-) http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/afp/080220/technology/india_economy_technology_r… ---------------------------- Tue Feb 19, 10:45 PM BANGALORE, India (AFP) - India used to be seen as the perfect offshore research and development hub for global firms seeking to tap its low-cost and supposedly vast engineering talent pool to devise products for world markets. ADVERTISEMENT Companies including Microsoft, IBM, Intel, AMD, Google, Motorola, Yahoo!, Cisco and Siemens have opened R and D centres in India, drawn by payroll costs that were once a quarter of those in the US and Europe. But the cost advantage is fading and engineers trained in basic research are harder to find, reducing India's appeal, says Zinnov, a consultancy that advises overseas firms on R and D issues. "Some companies witnessed a 20 percent rise last year in the cost of running their R and D operations in India," Zinnov chief executive Pari Natarajan said in an interview. "If this trend continues, the cost advantage of doing R and D in India compared to the US will go away," he said, predicting a shakeout in the R and D offshoring market. India is home to 594 R and D facilities set up by overseas firms that invested a combined 5.83 billion dollars, according to Zinnov. Rising costs and a shortage of skilled workers have also hurt other industries -- from software to retailing -- in an economy that has expanded at an annual average of 8.6 percent over the past four years. But the R and D offshoring market has received scant attention. "Costs are going up all over, and we are also facing a shortage of shop floor workers," said Anjun Roy, economist at the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry. "There is a need to improve skill sets in a lot of areas." Like software makers, R and D centres whose expenses are incurred mainly in rupees were hurt by a more than 12 percent rise last year in the value of the Indian unit against the dollar. Wages jumped about 15 percent as companies fought to hire and retain hard-to-find engineers skilled in research. India turns out more than half a million engineers every year, but institutions do not train them in basic research, limiting the available talent pool to no more than 100,000 people, said Natarajan. The shortage may set back the ambitious expansion plans announced by companies such as networking giant Cisco, which said in October that it plans to triple its headcount in India to 10,000 in three years. "It's going to be very difficult for companies which have very aggressive hiring targets," Natarajan said. "It's almost impossible to hire unless you compromise on the quality of talent." Cisco, which plans to use India to develop products for customers in emerging markets, has opened 170 academies across the country and is training 8,600 students to overcome the talent crunch, human resources executive Leo Scrivener said. "We are aware that a large pool of technical specialists and business solutions experts can't be readily hired from the market," Scrivener told AFP. Cisco has benefited from its R and D facility in India that has generated 110 US patents, with another 400 pending with the US Patents and Trademark Office. Hundreds of patents have been filed by other research facilities based in the country. Half the work on an Intel wonder chip, a fingernail-sized device unveiled last year that offers supercomputer performance, was done by its India research centre. Despite the problems facing R and D, Zinnov predicts that investment in existing facilities by large global companies capable of riding out rising costs, and with the infrastructure to train fresh graduates, will drive India as an offshore R and D destination. That will pump up the R and D market by an annual average of 23 percent until 2012, even as per-employee cost in India increases by a yearly 13.3 percent. Smaller facilities may have to shut shop or sell out while investment in new R and D centres will likely dry up as part of a looming consolidation, said Natarajan.

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on sovereignty, peace talks and the "Responsibility To Protect" (R2P)
by saidimu apale 21 Feb '08

21 Feb '08

http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/02/20/opinion/edcohen.php ("A Change to Believe in") An intriguing article exploring current (fading?) notions of sovereignty ("that state sovereignty - the unfettered power of a state within its own jurisdiction - was the inviolable basis of international law"), to evolving ideas about sovereignty and international law ("R2P formalized the notion that when a state proves unable or unwilling to protect its people, and crimes against humanity are perpetrated, the international community has an obligation to intervene - if necessary, and as a last resort, with military force"). Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Responsibility_to_protect) has a good overview. Makes for interesting reading in light of the brouhaha over the peace talks. Regards, Saidi ------- A Change to Believe In by Roger Cohen Fidel Castro has quit after a half-century in power. An African-American has become a serious contender for the U.S. presidency, winning a 10th consecutive victory over his rival for the Democratic nomination. A new European state, Kosovo, has been born. And that’s just in the last week. Communist dictators don’t quit. Blacks don’t have broad U.S. electoral appeal. European borders don’t shift without bloodshed. History has been upended. Change, as Barack Obama would put it, is something you can believe in. After the cold war’s end, and close to one million dead in the genocides of Bosnia (1992) and Rwanda (1994), and the digitally-induced dissolution of barriers and distances and hierarchies, some governments thought everything could remain the same. They thought wrong, and not just in Havana and Pyongyang. They believed that in the age of globalization the principles of the Treaties of Westphalia, dating back to 1648, would be enough. In places like Moscow and Beijing and Belgrade, they clung to the idea that state sovereignty — the unfettered power of a state within its own jurisdiction — was the inviolable basis of international law. Boris Tadic, the Serbian president, took this line at the United Nations this week, insisting that Kosovo’s independence ”annuls international law, tramples upon justice and enthrones injustice.” He’s wrong. Let’s set aside the fact that Kosovo held one of the eight seats in the rotating presidency of a defunct state, Yugoslavia, and other holders of those federal seats from Slovenia to Bosnia to Macedonia all become independent. At a deeper level, the story of little Kosovo is the story of changing notions of sovereignty and international law. After the above-mentioned genocides, one perpetrated by the late Slobodan Milosevic of Serbia, both revealing a U.N. Security Council too divided to stop mass slaughter, NATO circumvented the council in 1999. It waged war for the first time to prevent Milosevic doing his worst again in Kosovo. The war, in the words of Thomas Weiss, a political scientist at the City University of New York, ”had legitimacy even if its legality was questioned.” This legitimacy stemmed from an evolving consensus that, as Tony Blair once put it, ”acts of genocide can never be a purely internal matter.” Sovereignty, after Bosnia, after Rwanda, in a globalized world, was more than authority over territory and people. It was also responsibility. When that responsibility to protect was flouted, when a government abused the basic rights of its citizens through slaughter or ethnic cleansing, sovereignty could in effect be suspended. As Kofi Annan, the former U.N. secretary general, put it: ”State sovereignty, in its most basic sense, is being redefined.” For Annan, as Weiss has noted, ”Human rights transcended narrow claims of state sovereignty.” Which brings us to ”R2P.” That’s not a rock band or a chemical compound. In 2005, the World Summit adopted the ”responsibility to protect,” known by that acronym. R2P formalized the notion that when a state proves unable or unwilling to protect its people, and crimes against humanity are perpetrated, the international community has an obligation to intervene — if necessary, and as a last resort, with military force. Member states declared that, with Security Council approval, they were prepared "to take collective action in a timely and decisive manner" when "national authorities manifestly fail to protect their populations from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity." An independent Kosovo, recognized by major Western powers, is in effect the first major fruit of the ideas behind R2P. It could not have happened if the rights of human beings were not catching up at last with the rights of states. Appropriately, Kosovo’s emergence coincided with the establishment in New York of the Global Center for the Responsibility to Protect, directed by Weiss. Backed by the Canadian, British and Dutch governments, among others, and with support from Ban Ki Moon, Annan’s successor, the organization’s mission is the spread of R2P principles. They need bolstering. The Iraq war has revived a 21st century sovereignty fetish exploited by Sudan to stall U.N. efforts to stop genocide in Darfur, where the government has failed utterly in its ”responsibility to protect” without provoking "timely and decisive" international action. Interventionism is increasingly seen in the Middle East and Africa as a camouflage for Western interests. But I believe the tide will eventually turn. R2P will be a reference. It is part of what Lawrence Weschler has called ”the decades-long, at times maddeningly halting, vexed, and compromised effort to expand the territory of law itself.” The ”territory of law” is now also the universal territory on which human life is protected. Westphalian principles meet R2P. An R2P generation is coming. The prizing open of the world is slow work, but from Kosovo to Cuba it continues. -----------

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