April 2009 - KICTANet

Re: [kictanet] Paypal Vs Mpesa
by Barrack Otieno 04 Feb '10

04 Feb '10

Honourable Members, I was just having a chat with a good friend who is a web developer over the issue of online payments. I realised paypal is common but the procedure and processes involved seem to be too complicated despite the fact that it is an important medium for online transactions globally. Does anyone has an idea of how we can encouarage local banks to interface with such systems to facilitate online transactions instead of the difficult route being undertaken currently, better still can mpesa be a viable option. They have an arrangement with pesa point which saved my neck on new year because of its efficiency can it be extended to facilitate online transactions international (say with Kenyans in diaspora Just curious On Wed, Jan 21, 2009 at 8:22 PM, Alex Gakuru <alex.gakuru(a)yahoo.com> wrote: > > > > --- On Wed, 1/21/09, Okulo Anthony <anthony.okulo(a)okulo.co.ke> wrote: > > > From: Okulo Anthony <anthony.okulo(a)okulo.co.ke> > > Subject: Re: [kictanet] Obama Speech puzzle: read, memorised or simply no > script? > > To: alex.gakuru(a)yahoo.com > > Cc: kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke > > Date: Wednesday, January 21, 2009, 12:22 AM > > Most good speakers especially litigation lawyers memories > > their speeches and when making the speech they rely on > > points so that it looks as if they are not reading a script. > > most likely Obama had his "points" on a screen in > > front of him. > > > > > > Anthony Okulo > > > > A trick we used in O-Levels to "cram" formulas, make "words" shortened > abbreviations for Chemistry, Geo, Bio, Hist, Maths etc.. It works wonders-- > only remember "new word" only known to thyself and Hey Presto! UR genius;) > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > kictanet mailing list > kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke > http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet > > This message was sent to: otieno.barrack(a)gmail.com > Unsubscribe or change your options at > http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/otieno.barrack%40gmail… > -- Barrack O. Otieno ISSEN CONSULTING Tel: +254721325277 +254726544442 +254733206359 www.issenconsult.com http://projectdiscovery.or.ke To give up the task of reforming society is to give up ones responsibility as a free man. Alan Paton, South Africa

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Nyama Choma na pombe
by warigia bowman 11 May '09

11 May '09

Hi ICT activists! Just want to let you know that yesterday I had a successful dissertation defense, and I became Daktari Warigia, earning my doctorate of philosophy in public policy from Harvard's Kennedy School of Government. My heartfelt thanks to KICTANet and KIF, in particular, for helping me get this far. I am grateful. Shukrani. Here is the footnote I included in the dissertation to thankall of you. Please let me know if you name is not in here,and you want it in or if you see misspellings or if you want to see the current Kenya chapter. Please email me OFFLINE, (so as not to spam the list) at warigia(a)gmail.com. The dissertation will be submitted for binding by May 15th, so email me quickly. Next step, publication . . . Would like to treat all of you who helped me to nyama choma and beer. So lets arrange. I will be in Kenya from June through August! Hugs and Thanks! Rigia The material in this section is based on sixty-five qualitative semi-structured interviews conducted from 2004-2006 in Kenya. Additional interviews were conducted in Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda. I also conducted participant observation, and sat in on dozens of meetings of the organizations KIF and KICTAnet as well as several national and transnational conferences on ICT. I conducted interviews in Kenya with former members of parliament, high ranking government officials, academics, private sector participants, and civil society advocates. I take responsibility for all content and interpretations. No individual named below can be held responsible for any insights or conclusions made in this article. All errors are my own. Several interviewees requested anonymity. Nonetheless, the sample below of those who allowed their names to be used gives a sense of the scope and depth of the interviews conducted. Several individuals deserve special thanks, including Juma Okech, the Secretary of E-Government, Bitange Ndemo, the Permanent Secretary for Information and Communications, Marcel Werner, the Secretary of the Kenya Information and Communications Technology Federation, Alice Munyua, the Kenyan representative of APC, and CCK Board Member, Amos Opiyo of the Ministry of Planning, Dr. Eric Aligula of the Kenya Institute of Public Policy Research and Analysis, Henry Belsoi of Telkom Kenya, Jonathan Campaigne, Director of Pride Africa, Kevit Desai, the President of Kenya IEEE, Mike Eldon, CEO of Symphony Software, James Gachui, Founder of Wananchi Online, Dr. Kathryn Getau, Computer Science Faculty of the University of Nairobi, Dr. Tim Waema, Computer Science faculty of the University of Nairobi, Wallace Gichoho of Call Center Africa, Mirjana Ilic of UNESCO, Michael Katundu, Communications Commission of Kenya, Joseph Kiplagat, Computer Science Faculty, Moi University, Brian Longwe of AFRISPA, Charles Nduati of Kenyatta University, Dr. Florence Etta, formerly of IDRC, Edith Adera of IDRC, as well as various staff members, directors and participants from the Computer Society of Kenya, KICTAnet, the Directorate of E-Government, the National Communications Secretariat, Kenya Pipeline Company, and many other organizations. -- Warigia Bowman Assistant Professor The Department of Public Policy Leadership The University of Mississippi 107 Odom Hall University, MS 38677 URL: http://www.olemiss.edu/depts/leadership/index.html PHONE: 662-915-1904 EMAIL: mwbowman(a)olemiss.edu

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FW: Mad About Maddo
by Patrick Mburu 30 Apr '09

30 Apr '09

Good evening, Thought you all may enjoy this :-)! Cheers & Happy Laby Day weekend! Patrick _____ From: Gogreen Support [mailto:info@gogreen.co.ke] Sent: Thursday, April 30, 2009 5:33 AM To: info(a)gogreen.co.ke Subject: Mad About Maddo mail drop

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Looking for a Senior Application Developer.
by Moses Kemibaro 30 Apr '09

30 Apr '09

Do you love to write code? Want to work smarter, not harder? Do you thrive in an work environment that enables you to work on exciting and challenging projects, day in and day out? Do you like to change the status quo and create value that has long- term impact and rewards? If you answered yes to any of these questions then we need to talk. The majority of our client development work is with Open Source such as PHP, Python, AJAX, Javascript, CSS and MySQL. We are looking for a talented, proven senior web application developer to join our team. The skills previously listed are highly desirable, but there's always something to be said for talent, potential, and attitude, so if you happen to be a developer with more expertise in other languages (.NET, Ruby, etc.) and are open to adding Python, PHP, AJAX, etc. to your arsenal, we want to hear from you. We are looking for the following qualities in a candidate: > Interested in learning and have a creative mind that enjoys the challenges of application development > Gets excited about clean code but knows that ugly code is out there and dealing with it is an necessity sometimes > Enjoys client interaction and problem solving, in a passionate way. > Knows the tools of your trade > Wants to raise the skill level of the whole team, not just themselves > Has the ability to play well with others - we will be welcoming you into our team > Has the ability to work independently - coding, testing, gathering requirements, and communicating with clients > Knows the value of a great user experience when it comes to building applications > Accepts the fact that mistakes will be made and that every experience is an opportunity to get better and improve the working processes within the agency > Appreciates that meetings are necessary but detests unnecessarily long or unproductive ones. You can't wait to leave a meeting and go back to writing code! > Knows that open, honest and productive communication is key to project success > Believes that working less hours smarter is better than working more hours harder > Knows that perfection may not be possible but aiming for excellence is realistic > Wants a full-time position in a growing company Are you an application developer who is savvy enough to deal with an intensively customer service oriented digital agency? We are that company. We consistently deliver for not only long lived and well-maintained clients, but also our new projects. They range from Flash intensive brand micro-sites with a major focus on user experience, to ordinary database driven content management systems such as Joomla and Typo3. We also work on unconventional projects with interesting and occasionally not so interesting features thrown in the mix. We will build anything that creates value and pass up those projects that are too cumbersome, outrageous or simply unsustainable. On any given day you could be part of a large team building a cutting edge web site or you may be "solo" coding feature enhancements or fixes for a client's online forms. We thrive in a results oriented environment because our team is treated well and our clients are treated even better. What we need from you: > Provable, quantifiable expertise as an application developer (code samples and/or project descriptions) > Provable experience working on web application projects (work history) > Salary expectations. What we don’t need from you: > We don't enjoy reading lists - especially not a list of the 50 technologies you know. If your resume doesn't make it clear that you have focus on a specific web technology(s) then you're just wasting both of our time sending us your CV - and nobody enjoys having their time wasted. > If you are looking to ladder climb and want to play politics this is also not the place for you. You are happy to work and are ready to address and solve problems as they arise. We do not pretend to know everything and mistakes are likely in every endeavor. Where you will work: We have a great office in one of Nairobi's quieter suburbs near the city centre with lots of windows and a very open floor plan. We dress down most of the time, but are always at our best in front of clients. We are professional and the management team is very hands on and engaged with the work that is done. We try very hard not to require more hours that are required of anyone and we strive to work 8.30 to 5.00 pm every day with a one hour lunch break. That said, we're flexible and recognize that we all have lives outside of the office - and we also know that sometimes, especially when deadlines demand it, normal working hours just won't get the job done. When it doesn't, we act accordingly - and we show our appreciation when people step-up. We use our leave days and so will you, for your sanity and ours. If think that your that special talent we may be looking for, kindly send us your CV on jobs(a)dotsavvyafrica.com

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Kaspersky Internet Security...
by Mike Bullut 30 Apr '09

30 Apr '09

Greetings, Does anyone know where I can get a genuine copy of Kaspersky Internet Security & at what price? Please contact me off the list. Thank you... Kind regards, Mike. *-- "The computer programmer . . . is a creator of universes for which he alone is the lawgiver. . . . No playwright, no stage director, no emperor, however powerful, has ever exercised such absolute authority to arrange a stage or a field of battle and to command such unswervingly dutiful actors or troops." ~ Joseph Weizenbaum... --*

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Re: [kictanet] kictanet Digest, Vol 23, Issue 43
by Harry Delano 29 Apr '09

29 Apr '09

Re: IG Discussions- Day 3 of 10: Infrastructure Issues-Submarine Cables - Cyber Security (Harry Delano) Fellow discussants, One thing to also note with regard to the much anticipated Fibre landing is how to content with the security challenges that will accompany this 'Super Highway" So apart from the other topics, that have been covered so well,allow me to introduce a new angle and momentarily tackle 'The Security challenges posed by this noble venture' -Cyber Security. It is one thing to deal with a stream flowing through your garden, harmlessly but productively watering it, and quite another dealing with a 'flood gate' suddenly let loose on your land, and which you have had little or no time to prepare yourself to handle. Indeed as much as this would be a Top Tier connectivity, right now , truth be told - most of the service providers leave tackling security to end users who in most cases are ill equipped to deal with internetwork borne threats. Networks are badly exposed, including sensitive data, copywright material, and organizational information that would make it a field day for identity thieves, and who knows? - a possible cyber attack on our different national wide infrastructure when they go online. Blended threats propagate much faster on faster connections. Currently,a standard round trip time of about 800-1300 msec, for most Tier 1 & 2 Service providers wears off the patience of most hackers presently prowling the net, which is a good thing for us, but not for long as these Marine links lands in within the next few months. With this in mind, how prepared are we on this front..? And by that I mean, the Government, the Service providers, the Private stake holders, including the Educational institutions. Have we made an assessment of our cyber security levels, to date? Are our sensitive Data Centres secure..., or will they be overly exposed when this time comes? And at what cost will we upgrade these systems..? With increasing E-commerce activities, and other online transactions are we 'foolproof? Are our cybersecurity regulations up to the task, to protect us...? Certainly, we need to take the necessary measures,- a systematic approach and prepare ourselves to deal With these challenges as the Threat environment is certainly set to shift for us, especially as a country on the move in Communication Technology. The good news is, it is an undertaking to look forward to with a lot of expectation, and we need to position ourselves to reap the maximum benefits that will accrue thereof. If you would ask me the score for this - Our Cybersecurity preparedness to handle, the onset of the Marine Fibre = 1 Harry Delano. Integrated Networks and Data Systems. -----Original Message----- From: kictanet-bounces+harry=inds.co.ke(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke [mailto:kictanet-bounces+harry=inds.co.ke@lists.kictanet.or.ke] On Behalf Of kictanet-request(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke Sent: Wednesday, April 29, 2009 12:00 PM To: Harry Delano Subject: kictanet Digest, Vol 23, Issue 43 Send kictanet mailing list submissions to kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to kictanet-request(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke You can reach the person managing the list at kictanet-owner(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific than "Re: Contents of kictanet digest..." Today's Topics: 1. A wider audiance (robert yawe) 2. Re: IG Discussions- Day 3 of 10: Infrastructure Issues-Submarine Cables (John Walubengo) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Message: 1 Date: Tue, 28 Apr 2009 18:56:59 +0000 (GMT) From: robert yawe <robertyawe(a)yahoo.co.uk> Subject: [kictanet] A wider audiance To: Kictanet Mail list <kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> Message-ID: <796042.73588.qm(a)web27801.mail.ukl.yahoo.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8" Hi, I have been been contributing articles to a new IT magazine called CIO (chief information officer), as you may be aware there currently isn't any good and regular ICT local magazine and this magazine aims to fill this gap. The magazine is in its 3rd issue please get a copy and read my articles as well as others which are well thought through and cover local ICT issues. Due to space issues some of my articles have needed to be shortened, if you need to read the entire unsensored version please send me an email. Regards Robert Yawe KAY System Technologies Ltd Phoenix House, 6th Floor P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200 Kenya Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696

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FW: COURSE: Certificate in Telecomms Policy, Regulation and Management
by Edith Adera 29 Apr '09

29 Apr '09

This might be of interest. I can testify - it's a great course for anyone in the ICT sector interested in in-depth knowledge on ICT policy and regulation. Edith ________________________________ From: link-info-bounces(a)lists.wits.ac.za [mailto:link-info-bounces@lists.wits.ac.za] On Behalf Of Charley Lewis Sent: 29 April 2009 16:31 To: link-info(a)lists.wits.ac.za Cc: Tennyson Mashiloane Subject: LINK CENTRE: COURSE: Certificate in Telecomms Policy, Regulation and Management This course commences in just over two weeks from now, and is already over 50% full. If you (or a colleague) are keen to attend, please register as soon as possible - your paid-up registration confirms your place. Please circulate this message to anyone you know who may be interested. ================================================== Certificate in Telecomms Policy, Regulation and Management ================================================== [cid:image002.jpg@01C9C8DD.02013150] This course commences in May 2009. The Certificate in Telecommunications Policy, Regulation and Management is offered by the LINK Centre, School of Public and Development Management, University of the Witwatersrand - Southern Africa's leading research and training body in the field of information and communications technology policy, regulation and management. It provides an essential background to understanding regulatory and policy issues and challenges in the rapidly changing telecommunications and broadcasting sectors. Spread over three week-long sessions between May and July 2009, skilled and experienced staff at the LINK Centre, School of Public & Development Management, University of Witwatersrand, supported by an extensive panel of guest lecturers, each an expert in their field, will help you get to grips with the landscape in the ICT sector. Significance The course is designed to unpack the constantly evolving issues and challenges inherent in South Africa's fast changing and dynamic ICT sector. These changes - driven by rapidly developing technologies, by the evolving legal and regulatory environment and by the emergence of new markets, services and applications - give rise to increased demands for training and information. The advent of convergence and globalisation intensifies the ongoing challenges faced by professionals in the sector to remain abreast of both local developments and international trends and practices. Who should attend? Decision-makers and senior policy-makers in the Department of Communications, ICASA and USAASA, managers and regulatory staff in industry (including service providers, new and established operators, and suppliers), bidders for new ECNS and ECS licences, broadcasters and signal distributors, lawyers, consultants, journalists, union officials and NGOs involved in the sector. Objectives By the end of the course, the successful student will be able to: * grasp how key information and communications technologies operate, and the policy implications of these technologies; * assess current market trends in the ICT sector, both globally and nationally; * demonstrate an understanding of ICT sector reform and its implications for national policy and regulation, including the impact of globalisation and convergence; * explain the approaches to ICT sector policy and regulation adopted nationally, regionally and globally; * demonstrate an understanding of the policy and regulatory environment for the telecommunications and broadcasting industries in South Africa; * critically compare the South African ICT environment with international models and best practice benchmarks; * describe the structure and process of policy formulation, regulatory oversight and licensing procedures in South Africa. Content Overview A Certificate in Telecommunications Policy, Regulation and Management is awarded to candidates who attend the following three modules (120 hours) and who successfully complete the required individual and syndicate assignments. A certificate of attendance is awarded to participants who attend all three modules, but who do not complete the required assessment. Module 1: ICT Technologies and Markets * The evolution of basic telecommunications technologies: the PSTN and its underlying technologies; * Wireless communications: fixed & mobile wireless, WLL, GSM, 3G, CDMA, satellite, WiFi, WiMax, Bluetooth, mobile broadband; * Spectrum, its planning and management, and the assignment of frequency; * Numbering and numbering plans, number portability, carrier pre-select, eNum; * Signal distribution, and broadcasting technologies; * Internet, VoIP, VANS & the NGN; * Telecommunications market trends, developments & drivers; * Broadcasting market trends, developments and drivers, and the migration to digital broadcasting; * Internet and broadband market trends, developments and drivers; * Convergence, multimedia, the NGN & the future of communications. Module 2: International ICT Trends, Organisations & Developments * Globalisation, the knowledge economy and the information age; * Global trends in regulatory reform: liberalisation, privatisation, regulation in a converging environment; * Global e-governance: structures, institutions and global obligations (ITU, WTO, WIPO, GATS, ICANN); * Regional developments in telecommunications regulation: SATCC, CRASA, ATU, NEPAD; * National responses to the global information economy: e-commerce in South Africa; * ICT and labour; * ICT and gender; * Information and communications technologies and development (the digital divide, ISAD, GK, dotForce, UN ICT TT, WSIS, ICT4D); * Universal access and universal service. Module 3: Telecommunications and Broadcasting Policy, Law and Regulation * The SA Constitution and administrative law; * ICT sector regulation: rationales, principles, approaches and practices; * Competition law, and the telecommunications and broadcasting sectors in SA; * ICT sector reform in SA: overview; * Legislative, regulatory and licensing framework for telecommunications in SA: institutions, structure, processes and issues; * Legislative, regulatory and licensing framework for broadcasting in SA: institutions, structure, processes and issues; * Interconnection, facilities leasing and essential facilities: principles, law and regulation; * Licensing: the objectives, typology, procedures, content and monitoring of licences; * Pricing and tariff regulation; * Quality of service and consumer protection. About LINK The LINK Centre is the leading public policy, regulation and management educational body in the area of information and communication in Southern Africa. LINK focuses on capacity building in the public sector and development arenas through quality training, applied research and consultancy services necessary to maximise the benefits of the Information Society and the Knowledge Economy. Methodology An interactive and intensive teaching methodology is used, comprised of several learning methods, including lectures, syndicate work, case studies, structured learning group discussions and presentations from local and international experts in the field. In this way participants will develop a strong practical focus directly applicable to their own organisations. The course is evaluated via one individual and two syndicate assignments. Syndicate assignments are professionally presented to the group and external examiners drawn from government, industry or academia. Schedule 2009 TPRM 2009 is a block release course divided into three modules, each running for one week per month. Participants may attend individual modules as stand-alone executive courses. Certificate in Telecommunications Policy, Regulation & Management Module Title Dates Module 1 ICT Technologies and Markets 18 - 22 May, 08:30 - 17:00 Module 2 International ICT Trends, Organisations & Developments 22 - 26 June, 08:30 - 17:00 Module 3 Telecommunications and Broadcasting Policy, Law and Regulation 20 - 24 July, 08:30 - 17:00 Fees R 18 500 (plus VAT) per participant for the full three-week course. Any individual modules may be taken on its own as an 'executive course' (for which a certificate of attendance is issued) at a fee of R 8 000 (plus VAT) per participant. A small fee discount is available for bulk enrolments. Venue All lectures are held at the Graduate School of Public and Development Management campus, 2 St David's Place, Parktown. Lectures run daily from 08:30 to 17:00 with breaks for lunch and teas. Convenor Charley Lewis + 27 11 717-3784 or charley.lewis(a)wits.ac.za Information The course web page is available at http://link.wits.ac.za/training/tc1.html. Registration can be done online, using the course code WE/TPRMGM/07/01, via http://www.wits.ac.za/enterprise/courses/register.html. Contact Tennyson Mashiloane + 27 11 717-4595 or via Tennyson.Mashiloane(a)wits.ac.za for more information or to enrol. - - - ends - - - Charley Lewis Senior Lecturer, LINK Centre Tel: + 27 11-717-3784 Fax: + 27 86-529-5562 /+ 27 11-717-3910 Mobile: + 27 83-539-5242 Post (personal): Box 81185, Parkhurst, 2120, SOUTH AFRICA Skype: charley.lewis URL: http://link.wits.ac.za Mwalimu House, School of Public & Development Management, University of the Witwatersrand 2 St David's Place, Parktown, 2193, SOUTH AFRICA ==> Master of Management in ICT Policy & Regulation: http://link.wits.ac.za/training/training4.html<blocked::http://link.wits.ac.za/training/training4.html> ==> Certificate in Telecomms Policy, Regulation & Management: http://link.wits.ac.za/training/tc1.html [cid:image003.gif@01C9C8DD.02013150] This communication is intended for the addressee only. It is confidential. If you have received this communication in error, please notify us immediately and destroy the original message. You may not copy or disseminate this communication without the permission of the University. Only authorized signatories are competent to enter into agreements on behalf of the University and recipients are thus advised that the content of this message may not be legally binding on the University and may contain the personal views and opinions of the author, which are not necessarily the views and opinions of The University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. All agreements between the University and outsiders are subject to South African Law unless the University agrees in writing to the contrary.

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Kenya IG Discussions Day 3 of 10
by alice＠apc.org 29 Apr '09

29 Apr '09

How many listers are on Face book? As we discuss intrenet governance, i wish to share this article on Face book by Jonathan Zitrain, which brings up issues of privacy, data protection, etc best alice ------------------------------------------------- http://www.opendemocracy.net/node/47778 E Pluribus Facebook Jonathan Zittrain Facebook boasts more than 200 million active users, with an astounding 100 million logging in at least once per day. Its prominence is not just in numbers of users. Its what they do: many share intimate and sensitive details about themselves. That not only means that the service is susceptible to privacy panics (both real and imagined) on a regular basis. It means that, as with other social networks, people vest their identities in their profiles. If an account is disabled because of alleged misuse such as spamming the hurt can transcend the effort needed to create a new account. Even small changes, such as in the way the newsfeed works, elicit heartfelt reactions from people who think of their pages as well their pages. We saw this phenomenon at work when in mid-February Facebook posted a set of what its management seems to have thought were minor changes to its terms of service the kind of things that just wouldnt matter to its users. Instead a privacy panic ensued, reinforcing larger worries about Facebooks power. Founder Mark Zuckerberg responded quickly in plainspeak rather than legalese and I credit his view that the changes in terms of service really werent meant to be a stealthy way of doing surprising new things with users information. But he used the occasion to offer an analogy: More than 175 million people use Facebook. If it were a country, it would be the sixth most populated country in the world. Our terms arent just a document that protect our rights; its the governing document for how the service is used by everyone across the world. This encourages Facebook users not to simply view themselves as users but as citizens. Citizens of Facebook. The consumer/vendor relationship governed by contract and fair trade law is different from that of citizen/government. Citizens identify with something larger than themselves if ones country is attacked, it can feel like a personal attack in a way that a fellow bank customers account theft does not feel like a personal invasion. (Today we are all Bank of Americans doesnt leap to the lips.) And in non-authoritarian systems, citizens have a voice in the affairs of state distinct from the metaphorical vote a consumer makes with his or her feet or that a shareholder makes in a quaint proxy proceeding. Facebook has followed through with the analogy. In a rather unusual move it has published Facebook governance documents, opened them to public comment in a manner intentionally reminiscent of American administrative agencies notice-and-comment periods, enlisted law students to help process the responses, and now is putting a revised set of documents up for a vote. This isnt meant to be a one-off deal. Instead, there is a Facebook Principles document translated into multiple languages that expresses commitments to such things as open platforms and standards, free flow of information, universal availability of the service and its contents regardless of ones country, and freedom to control ones own data, including removing (or extracting) it from Facebook. The Statement of Rights and Responsibilities has a most unusual section on amendments usually the boilerplate piece of a terms of service that says that the vendor has the right to change the terms whenever it wants so long as it alerts users to the change. This one says: If more than 7,000 users comment on the proposed change, we will also give you the opportunity to participate in a vote in which you will be provided alternatives. The vote shall be binding on us if more than 30% of all active registered users as of the date of the notice vote. To be sure, these two sentences have loopholes suitable for a truck (and a missing verb which presumably is supposed to be a quorum requirement 30% of all active registered users voting for a vote to be binding). 30 million users voting on anything (especially since it requires adding a new Facebook voting app) is a high threshold. More important, theres no effort to identify what the alternatives will be. The current vote on the principles themselves simply asks users: Which documents should govern the Facebook Site? Choices: The proposed documents: Revised Statement of Rights and Responsibilities and Facebook Principles 4/16/09 (These documents reflect comments from users and experts received during the 30-day comment period.) Existing documents: The current Terms of Use 9/23/08 (This document was developed entirely by Facebook and does not reflect any third-party outside comments.) It calls to mind the age-old trick of asking the children whether theyd like to wear their red or green pajamas to bed with no choice about when bedtime actually is. Facebook still holds the quill and frames the choice. But the fact is that most companies wouldnt dream of going as far as Facebook just has, because the kinds of public pressures that create privacy crises can also be elicited when cynical choices are presented. Facebook has intentionally placed itself in a new zone, borrowing elements of .org and .gov to inform how a .com is run. Coming from .edu myself, Im disappointed that something initially as academically-related as Facebook a social networking site for university communities wasnt begun and nurtured under university auspices, naturally incorporating public interest values. So Facebook draws from the public and public interest sphere, a simultaneously bold and modest step towards acknowledging that our new networked technologies deeply affect our lives in ways not always captured or best shaped by the typical template of consumer and seller. So Ive become voter number 167,476 in the poll. (Yes, they say results will be audited by an outside firm.) Im not expecting to add another passport to my drawer, but Im heartened at the prospect that the amazing engine of private enterprise may find creative ways to tap into and reinforce our civic instincts. -------------------------

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A wider audiance
by robert yawe 28 Apr '09

28 Apr '09

Hi, I have been been contributing articles to a new IT magazine called CIO (chief information officer), as you may be aware there currently isn't any good and regular ICT local magazine and this magazine aims to fill this gap. The magazine is in its 3rd issue please get a copy and read my articles as well as others which are well thought through and cover local ICT issues. Due to space issues some of my articles have needed to be shortened, if you need to read the entire unsensored version please send me an email. Regards Robert Yawe KAY System Technologies Ltd Phoenix House, 6th Floor P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200 Kenya Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696

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Antivirus Poll...
by Mike Bullut 28 Apr '09

28 Apr '09

Hey guys, I hope your week is fairing on well. I'm doing an unofficial *antivirus poll<http://kipsang.wordpress.com/2009/04/28/antivirus-poll/> * on my *blog <http://kipsang.wordpress.com/>* & I'd like to know which product offers the best security for your PC/laptop. Looking forward to your vote! Warm regards, Mike. *-- "The computer programmer . . . is a creator of universes for which he alone is the lawgiver. . . . No playwright, no stage director, no emperor, however powerful, has ever exercised such absolute authority to arrange a stage or a field of battle and to command such unswervingly dutiful actors or troops." ~ Joseph Weizenbaum... --*

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