July 2012 - KICTANet

Freedom of Information Bill and Open Standards
by Evans Ikua 26 Jul '12

26 Jul '12

Apologies for cross-posting. The Peruvian Government in 2005 passed a law mandating the use of Free/Libre software in all Government agencies (bodies funded by the tax payer). I have reproduced some excerpts here below that tie in with our Freedom of Information Bill (and to a large extent the Data Protection Bill). Please note that the use of the term free is not to be confused to mean free of cost, but more about liberty, openness, open standards and access to source code. *"The guarantee of these rights in our Constitution is not solely based on the good will of the State's agents to fulfill the norms of the Constitution, but also based on the use of technologies that in some cases contribute, and in others do not, to an effective protection of said citizens' rights.* *It is in this context of utmost importance for the State to implement those technologies that help reinforce the exercise of the right of citizens' to access information and to withhold it in cases that require so. * *The use of Free Software in all of the State's agencies points in this direction. Basically, we can say that the fundamental principles that drive the present Bill are tightly related to the basic guarantees of a democratic State and we can sum them up in the following:* - *Free Access of the citizens to public information* - *Pereniality of public data* - *Security of the State and of the citizens* *To guarantee the citizens' free access to information, it is indispensable that the coding of the data not be tied to a sole provider. The use of standard and open formats guarantees this free access, making possible the creation of compatible software.* *To guarantee the pereniality of public data, it is indispensable that the use and maintenance of software does not depend on the good will of the providers, nor of monopolic conditions, imposed by them. Systems can be guaranteed by the availability of the source code.* *To guarantee national security it is vital to have systems that are devoid of elements that allow remote control or the transmission of non-desired information to third-parties. Therefore, it is required to have systems whose source code is freely accessible to the public, so that its inspection be allowed by the State, the citizens and a great number of freelance experts in the world."* Please see the following links for more info: Peru's Bill - Use of free software in Government agencies<http://opensource.org/docs/bill-EngTrans.php> Peruvian Congressman refutes Microsoft's "Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt" (F.U.D.) concerning free and open source software.<http://opensource.org/docs/peru_and_ms.php> Now, looking at our Freedom of Information Bill, the right to access of information by citizens is also anchored in the constitution under Article 35 of the Constitution. But the FOI does not make any reference to the method of processing or storage of that data and information by tghe public bodies. Part VII, Section 49, says "Every public authority or private body shall operate and maintain digital records"* There are two weaknesses with this particular section: * 1. Is the Government mandated to require Private (bodies) companies to maintain digital records?* *Is this what the Bill aims to achieve? Or is it targeted at particular private bodies that deal with public data, say Banks or Hospitals? How does one differentiate? Maybe it needs to be a bit more specific 2. he requirement to maintain digital records also needs to go further and demand that such records must be maintained in an open and standard format, without tying the public to specific proprietary formats. As indicated in the above excerpt from the Peruvian Act, it is pretty obvious that the technology used has a large bearing to the access of information to citizens. There are certain instances where even web based applications in certain public bodies could only work on certain browsers. This denies all the right to access such public information. At the same time, storing public data in proprietary formats means that the availability of such data in the long term depends on the survival and availability of the particular vendor (pereniality of public data). This also extends to the processing systems. Fast forward to 2013, would the IEBC be able to give access to the source code of the softwares that it will use in its operations for public audit and scrutiny? What if someone has a problem with the electronic voter registration or voting and feels that they need to have access to that code so as to ensure transparency? And what about all other public bodies? In the mean time, if I was to ask for information from a public body, what formats will I get the information in? Will those formats still be supported 20 years from now? Will the vendor require that we upgrade our systems (of course at additional costs) for us to continue getting access? To answer these questions, the FOI needs to be very specific and demand that all public bodies process and store data in open and standard formats that are not vendor specific, nor proprietary. As tax payers and the people paying for these entities, we have a right to demand this. -- *---------------------------------------------------- Kind Regards, Evans Ikua,* lanetconsulting.com, lpi-eastafrica.org, ict-innovation.fossfa.net, Skype: @ikuae Cell: +254-722-955831

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Facts Regarding the African Union Commission (.Africa) application
by Alice Munyua 26 Jul '12

26 Jul '12

*Facts Regarding the African Union Commission (.Africa) application * ** 1.The African Union Commission's (AUC) involvement in the dotAfrica (.Africa) Top Level Domain (TLD) process has been mandated by African Heads of State (OR Tambo Declaration) and African Minister's in charge of ICT (Abuja Declaration). 2.In fulfilling its mandate the AUC has, in accordance with an open and transparent Request for Proposal (RFP) process, officially endorsed UniForum SA t/a the ZA Central Registry (ZACR) to apply for and launch the dotAfrica (.Africa) TLD. 3.The AUC/ZACR, in accordance with the procedures and standards prescribed by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), has officially lodged an application with ICANN for the delegation of the (.Africa), under reference number: 1-1243-89583. This application constitutes the official AUC endorsed application for the dotAfrica (.Africa) Top Level Domain. Further details of this official application is available at:http://gtldresult.icann.org/application-result/applicationstatus/applica… 4.There is a competing private application, for a confusingly similar string, lodged by DotConnectAfrica Trust. The application for the dotdotAfrica (.dotAfrica) TLD string, under reference number 1-1165-42560. 5.The AUC/ZACR's application meets and exceeds, the minimum evaluation criteria set by ICANN for application of Geographic strings. 6.The AUC/ZACR's application, is correctly designated as a geographic application in accordance with the criteria and processes outlined in ICANN's Applicant Guidebook. In particular:/Africa (and therefore .Africa) is a clearly designated geographic area as defined in the UNESCO "Composition of macro geographical (continental) regions, geographical sub-regions, and selected economic and other groupings" list (http://unstats.un.org/unsd/methods/m49/m49regin.htm)./Therefore the designation of the official dotAfrica (.Africa) TLD string application, as a geographic name, is technically and procedurally correct. The "geographic evaluation process" that this application is subject to provides sufficient checks and balances for the protection of interests and rights of African governments and the pan-African community.// 7.The AUC endorsed dotAfrica (.Africa) application has been, and continues to be, a collaborative African initiative involving African governments, ICT stakeholders and the broader African community. In this regard the stated mission and objective of the AUC's officially endorsed application is enshrined in its answers to question 18 of the Application, which is publicly available on the ICANN New gTLD website http://gtldresult.icann.org/application-result/applicationstatus/applicatio… --

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PesaPal Developer Community
by Agosta Liko 26 Jul '12

26 Jul '12

Hi We have launched our developer community at http://developer.pesapal.com/ We will monitor and answer questions raised in our forums and we intend to use them as a developer exchange/resource Here we share how to documents, showcase sample sites, have a list of proven PesaPal integrators We will add more PesaPal Integrator shortly ... we will also add ready to use plugins, components and extensions Thanks Agosta Liko PesaPal.COM

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Knowledge Transfer - IEBC and future tenders
by S.M. Muraya 26 Jul '12

26 Jul '12

http://www.the-star.co.ke/national/national/86623-sh30-million-bribe-demand… While accusations over the IEBC poll tender continue, which firm offered the most generous and detailed knowledge transfer process to the Kenyan People http://www.freepatentsonline.com/article/Journal-International-Business-Res… Does the IEBC.or.ke site have detailed specifications of what they require? Now and in 2017?Kenyan software firms partnered with computing & communication firms can offer these solutions in the next 5 years.

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Re: [kictanet] Kenic board resignation, new CEO
by Walubengo J 26 Jul '12

26 Jul '12

@lordmwesh, 1st to say it sounds like a bad dream for KENIC if this is true. Remember KENIC is in the global ^guiness^ book of IT as a model top level country code organisation. It is therefore necessary that we work to ensure that it does remain so. Kenya must continue to provide leadership in the region and am not sure this sounds lke something to export. But since the Chair -our very own Alice - promisd an AGM this month, guess we can give her the month and see then decided on the extra ordinary if necessary. I do hope when we do finally meet, we shall be able to be know the truth, the lies and the myths. walu ------------------------------ On Thu, Jul 19, 2012 6:07 PM AST (Arabian) Kivuva wrote: >Probably Burachara relinquished his position at Nairobinet on taking the >CEO's position at KENIC. We have seen this culture before, like when Esther >Passaris relinquished her position at Adopt-Alight to run as Mayor of >Nairobi, and When Paul Kukubo relinquished his position at 3-Mice to take >up the position of CEO at ICT Board. But in all cases, major conflicts of >interest have ensued, and this should not be allowed to take place. > > > >The Board of Directors’ job is to define strategy and direction of the >company. If the current strategic plan implemented by KENIC failed under >the chairmanship of Burachara, how can he claim to be able to turn around >the organisation as the CEO and come up with a new strategy? If the current >strategic plan had major gaping issues, who should be made accountable? >Under what authority did he get to the position of interim CEO? Did the >board sanction the appointment? What are the qualifications of the change >manager? Was KENIC's HR policy followed in the process of hiring him? Is >Buruchara the right person to bring change at KENIC? What is his track >record at NairobiNet? If he could not transform NairobiNet to the league of >Wananchi Online or Africa Online, do we expect him to transform KENIC to >the regional leader we all envision? There were interviews for a new CEO >done several months ago. What were the results? Members need to know >because company resources were used in the hiring process. > > > >It should also be noted that the board has been a negative influence and >interferes with the running of KENIC, causing major instabilities. How can >they explain the high turnover of CEOs? There is a very dark cloud hovering >around. > > > >For a Board that has managed to only register 25,000 domains in the >lifetime of KENIC, compared to .co.za's 780,000 and 100,000 additions >annually, isn't it time for a major overhaul? I had proposed on this list >to have board members run for a maximum of two terms of 3 years each. This >will ensure synergy and fresh ideas are injected into our KENIC, and propel >its growth and success. > > > >The KENIC AGM has always been made around July, but so far, members have >not got any communication from the Board convening the AGM. If there is no >communication forthcoming, the members should call for an extra-ordinary >AGM to chat the way forward, and streamline the company. > > > >It was a shame really that visibility of KENIC in the just concluded EAIGF >held here in Nairobi was minimal. These are the opportunities that should >be capitalised for publicity and marketing. > > > >Regards >lordmwesh > > >On 19 July 2012 11:42, Rebecca Wanjiku <rebeccawanjiku(a)yahoo.com> wrote: > >> If you have views on Kenic, please share on the latest post. All views >> welcome >> >> Kenya Network Information Center (KENIC), is never short of drama. There >> seems to be something very wrong but no one seems to have the right answer; >> over the last month, three board members have resigned and the chair is >> said to be on the way out. >> Over the same month, former board member Sammy Buruchara took over as the >> CEO or ”change manager” and there was mixed reactions over the turn of >> events. It is not clear whether resignations of Aly Hussein, Moses >> Kemimbaro, and Lucky Waindi have anything to do with the turn of events or >> whether Alice Munyua’s, (chair) unhappiness has anything to do with it, but >> something is not right. >> Continue... >> >> >> http://www.wanjiku.co.ke/2012/07/resignation-chaos-at-kenic-as-former-board… >> >> Tel. 254 720 318 925 >> >> blog:http://beckyit.blogspot.com/ >> >> _______________________________________________ >> kictanet mailing list >> kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke >> https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet >> >> Unsubscribe or change your options at >> https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/kivuva%40transworldaf… >> >> The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform >> for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and >> regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT >> sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development. >> >> KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors >> online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth, >> share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do >> not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications. >> > > > >-- >______________________ >Mwendwa Kivuva >For >Business Development >Transworld Computer Channels >Cel: 0722402248 >twitter.com/lordmwesh >www.transworldAfrica.com | Fluent in computing >kenya.or.ke | The Kenya we know

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Re: [kictanet] kictanet Digest, Vol 62, Issue 119
by Gideon 26 Jul '12

26 Jul '12

Dear Departed Engineer, Thanks for your contribution in the time that God gave you to serve and be in this world. RIP Eng Ochola. Your will be greatly missed. My Condolences to the immediate family ,entire CCK fraternity and the Internet industry at large. Rop. On Thu, Jul 26, 2012 at 12:33 AM, <kictanet-request(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke>wrote: > Send kictanet mailing list submissions to > kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke > > To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit > https://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. Re: Tribute to Eng. Ochola (Peter Kenduiywo) > 2. Re: Tribute to Eng. Ochola (Alice Koech.) > 3. Re: Tribute to Eng. Ochola (Matunda Nyanchama) > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Message: 1 > Date: Wed, 25 Jul 2012 22:17:57 +0300 > From: Peter Kenduiywo <pkenduiywo(a)jambo.co.ke> > To: Alice Munyua <alice(a)apc.org> > Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> > Subject: Re: [kictanet] Tribute to Eng. Ochola > Message-ID: > <CAAgQcg= > PaZ3GV3M9vqPrJhGL_bx75iPtQdhFkiEhwiOdB0f9mg(a)mail.gmail.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" > > My condolences to the family for a work colleague of many years. > Peter > > On 25 July 2012 19:39, Alice Munyua <alice(a)apc.org> wrote: > > > Tieni was an exceptional friend and colleague. > > She will be missed. > > > > Alice Munyua > > > > My condolences to the family and team at CCK for this loss. RIP Tieni you > > were a big contributor and a mentor to many in the ICT industry. > > > > Rita Gitobu > > > > On Wed, Jul 25, 2012 at 8:18 AM, Edwin Onchari <eonchari(a)lynxbits.com > >wrote: > > > >> RIP Eng, the ICT community will miss you. My condolences as well to the > >> Family and team at CCK > >> > >> Edwin > >> > >> -----Original Message----- > >> From: kictanet [mailto:kictanet-bounces+eonchari= > >> lynxbits.com(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke] On Behalf Of Solomon Mburu Kamau > >> Sent: Wednesday, July 25, 2012 2:21 PM > >> To: Edwin > >> Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions > >> Subject: Re: [kictanet] Tribute to Eng. Ochola > >> > >> Although I've never met her, from the description that you've pointed > >> out, Eng. Ochola was indeed a great person. > >> > >> My condolences to her family and colleagues at CCK. > >> > >> Rest in peace, Engineer. > >> > >> > >> Regards, > >> > >> Solomon > >> > >> On 25/07/2012, james ratemo <jratemo(a)gmail.com> wrote: > >> > May I also condole with the family of the Engineer on behalf of Kenya > >> > iCT repoprters Association. Indeed kenya has lost another ICT industry > >> icon. > >> > Poleni sana. > >> > > >> > James Ratemo > >> > Online Sub-editor/ICT reporter > >> > Nation Media Group, > >> > P.O Box 49010-00100, > >> > Nairobi > >> > Cell Phone: 0724960649 OR 0731960649 > >> > Email: jratemo(a)ke.nationmedia.com <Emaili-jratemo(a)standardmedia.co.ke > > > >> > or ratemoj(a)hotmail.com <jamrats2001(a)yahoo.com> > >> > Website:www.jratemo.wordpress.com <http://www.ictcradle.com/>. > >> > Twitter accounts: http://twitter.com/kenyacurrent or > >> > http://twitter.com/jamesratemo Skype account:ratemoj My facebook > >> > account: http://www.facebook.com/Rats.the.menace > >> > > >> > Who is rich? He that is content. Who is that? No one. > >> > > >> > >> _______________________________________________ > >> kictanet mailing list > >> kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke > >> https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet > >> > >> Unsubscribe or change your options at > >> > https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/eonchari%40lynxbits.c… > >> > >> The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform > >> for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and > >> regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT > >> sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and > development. > >> > >> KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors > >> online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and > bandwidth, > >> share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, > do > >> not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications. > >> > >> > >> _______________________________________________ > >> kictanet mailing list > >> kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke > >> https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet > >> > >> Unsubscribe or change your options at > >> > https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/rgitobu%40gmail.com > >> > >> The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform > >> for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and > >> regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT > >> sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and > development. > >> > >> KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors > >> online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and > bandwidth, > >> share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, > do > >> not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications. > >> > > > > > > > > -- > > Rita Gitobu > > Cellphone: | +50934410176 > > http://www.linkedin.com/pub/rita-gitobu/4a/674/614 > > > > Port au Prince, Haiti > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > kictanet mailing listkictanet@lists.kictanet.or.kehttps:// > lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet > > > > > > Unsubscribe or change your options at > https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/alice%40apc.org > > > > > > > > The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform > for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and > regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT > sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development. > > > > KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors > online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth, > share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do > not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications. > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > kictanet mailing list > > kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke > > https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet > > > > Unsubscribe or change your options at > > > https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/pkenduiywo%40jambo.co… > > > > The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform > > for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and > > regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT > > sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and > development. > > > > KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors > > online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and > bandwidth, > > share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do > > not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications. > > >

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Tribute to Eng. Ochola
by waudo siganga 26 Jul '12

26 Jul '12

Just read in the paper on the death of Eng. Atieno Ochola (Tieni) of CCK. This was one of those hardworking people in Kenyan ICT who has rendered many years of service quietly. I will remember her as someone who was ever smiling. Tieni was an "A" student throughout her academic life which took her through Alliance Girls and the University of Nairobi where she was the only girl in the Electrical Engineering class. Pole to her family and colleagues at CCK. Waudo

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Re: [kictanet] Tribute to Eng. Ochola
by Matunda Nyanchama 26 Jul '12

26 Jul '12

Friends This is a great loss to many, many of us that interacted with the late Tieni over a long period of time. And a great loss to the ICT sector in Kenya. I have known this dynamic lady for many years since our days at the U of Nairobi. She was one of the few women that studied engineering when it was not fashionable for women to do so. Indeed, it was common to find one woman in a class of 30 which usually elicited various (I must add not so friendly) reactions. To survive in such environment for a women meant being tough, fending of stereotypes from both men and women, students, faculty and staff. I hope she kept good diaries (if not an autobiography) from which her story could be gleaned as an inspiration to younger generations. RIP. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Matunda Nyanchama, PhD, CISSP; mnyanchama(a)aganoconsulting.com Agano Consulting Inc.; www.aganoconsulting.com; Twitter: nmatunda; Skype: okiambe ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Be prepared for ICT security failures & know how to respond when they happen! Call: +1-888-587-1150 or info(a)aganoconsulting.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "The best revenge is massive success" - Frank Sinatra----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This e-mail, including attachments, may be privileged and may contain confidential or proprietary information intended only for the addressee(s). Any other distribution, copying, use, or disclosure is unauthorized and strictly prohibited. If you have received this message in error, please notify the sender immediately by reply e-mail and permanently delete the message, including any attachments, without making a copy. Thank you.

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Yes, Government Researchers Really Did Invent the Internet
by Alice Munyua 25 Jul '12

25 Jul '12

Yes, Government Researchers Really Did Invent the Internet <http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/2012/07/23/yes-government-…> http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/2012/07/23/yes-government-… By Michael Moyer | July 23, 2012 ?It?s an urban legend that the government launched the Internet,? writes <http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390444464304577539063008406518.h…> Gordon Crovitz in an opinion piece in today?s /Wall Street Journal/. Most histories cite the Pentagon-backed ARPANet <http://www.scientificamerican.com/report.cfm?id=Internet-at-40> as the Internet?s immediate predecessor, but that view undersells the importance of research conducted at Xerox PARC labs in the 1970s, claims Crovitz. In fact, Crovitz implies that, if anything, government intervention gummed up the natural process of laissez faire innovation. ?The Internet was fully privatized in 1995,? says Crovitz, ?just as the commercial Web began to boom.? The implication is clear: the Internet could only become the world-changing force it is today once big government got out of the way. But Crovitz?s story is based on a profound misunderstanding of not only history <http://www.scientificamerican.com/report.cfm?id=Internet-at-40>, but technology. Most egregiously, Crovitz seems to confuse the Internet <http://www.scientificamerican.com/report.cfm?id=Internet-at-40>?at heart, a set of protocols designed to allow far-flung computer networks to communicate with one another?with Ethernet, a protocol for connecting nearby computers into a local network. (Robert Metcalfe <http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=using-the-internets-histor…>, a researcher at Xerox PARC who co-invented the Ethernet protocol, today tweeted <https://twitter.com/BobMetcalfe/status/227426481901559808> tongue-in-cheek ?Is it possible I invented the whole damn Internet??) The most important part of what we now know of as the Internet is the TCP/IP protocol, which was invented by Vincent Cerf <http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=internet-pioneer-cerf> and Robert Kahn. Crovitz mentions TCP/IP, but only in passing, calling it (correctly) ?the Internet?s backbone.? He fails to mention that Cerf and Kahn developed TCP/IP while working on a government grant <http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=internet-pioneer-cerf>. Other commenters, including Timothy B. Lee at Ars Technica <http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2012/07/wsj-mangles-history-to-argue-gov…> and veteran technology reporter Steve Wildstrom <http://techpinions.com/wsjs-internet-history-is-way-off/8080>, have noted that Crovitz?s misunderstandings run deep. He also manages to confuse the World Wide Web <http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=long-live-the-web> (incidentally, invented by Tim Berners Lee <http://www.scientificamerican.com/report.cfm?id=web-20-anniversary> while working at CERN, a government-funded research laboratory) with hyperlinks, and an internet?a link between two computers?with THE Internet. But perhaps the most damning rebuttal <http://www.latimes.com/business/money/la-mo-who-invented-internet-20120723,…> comes from Michael Hiltzik, the author ?Dealers of Lightning <http://www.amazon.com/Dealers-Lightning-Xerox-PARC-Computer/dp/0887309895>,? a history of Xerox PARC that Crovitz uses as his main source for material. ?While I?m gratified in a sense that he cites my book,? writes Hiltzik, ?it?s my duty to point out that he?s wrong. My book bolsters, not contradicts, the argument that the Internet had its roots in the ARPANet, a government project.? In truth, no private company would have been capable of developing a project like the Internet, which required years of R&D efforts spread out over scores of far-flung agencies, and which began to take off only after decades of investment. Visionary infrastructure projects such as this are part of what has allowed our economy to grow so much in the past century. Today?s op-ed is just one sad indicator of how we seem to be losing our appetite for this kind of ambition. *About the Author:* Michael Moyer is the editor in charge of technology coverage at Scientific American. Follow on Twitter @mmoyr <http://twitter.com/mmoyr>.

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Re: [kictanet] Death of landlines
by Angela Nganga- Mumo 25 Jul '12

25 Jul '12

Dear Listers, It is indeed true that our copper fixed line continues to be affected due to vandalism and sabotage. But we continuosly make efforts to not only repair the lines as quickly as possible but also to put in place new measures to reduce the impact using fibre rings and other wireless solutions. Its our sincere hope that now the legal framework is in place to have stiffer penalties for convicted vandals that the incidences will minimise. As Lordmwesh indicates below we also offer redundancy through wireless at no extra cost for all post paid customers. More details on this can be obtained from your account manager or at any of our shops. On the issue of waiting lists this ordinarily shouldn't be the case for areas with infrastructure you can get a landline in 5 working days including the survey. Ali Hussein please contact me with the specific case for further assistance. Its also important to mention, if you allow me, that all faults need to be reported to customercare there are still many customers who contact the technician they know or visit an exchange which means the reports aren't easy to track leading to delays in repair. We look forward to being of continued service. Regards Angela Nganga - Mumo Chief Corporate Communications Officer ----- Original Message ----- From: kictanet-request(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke [mailto:kictanet-request@lists.kictanet.or.ke] Sent: Saturday, July 21, 2012 09:45 AM To: Angela Nganga- Mumo Subject: kictanet Digest, Vol 62, Issue 81 Send kictanet mailing list submissions to kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit https://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. Re: [ISOC_KE] How Safaricom Steals Your Internet Bundle (Ali Hussein) 2. Re: The Death of Landlines? (Ali Hussein) 3. Re: The Death of Landlines? (Kivuva) 4. Re: The Death of Landlines? (Dorcas Muthoni) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Message: 1 Date: Sat, 21 Jul 2012 08:38:10 +0300 From: Ali Hussein <ali(a)hussein.me.ke> To: Grace Githaiga <ggithaiga(a)hotmail.com> Cc: "kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke" <kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke>, isoc(a)orion.my.co.ke Subject: Re: [kictanet] [ISOC_KE] How Safaricom Steals Your Internet Bundle Message-ID: <CAPjmBy0B5Cn5OFC=S9YFTz06hxStgdOwX0fzPv+WiOReCBpebA(a)mail.gmail.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="windows-1252" Grace The question is: What is the regulator doing about this? Ali Hussein On Fri, Jul 20, 2012 at 11:29 PM, Grace Githaiga <ggithaiga(a)hotmail.com>wrote: > > 99% of Kenya?s 6.5m <http://cck.go.ke/news/2012/Mobile_Subscribers.html> internet > users access it via mobile, of which Safaricom owns 77% marketshare. > > In Kenya, when you buy a 1.5Gb internet bundle from Safaricom you pay > 1000ksh (~$12). You?ve paid for the data, and there is no additional cost > to Safaricom if you were to use that data today or a year from now. The > whole concept of data bundle expiry is ridiculous, as noted by Safaricom > CEO Bob Collymore when he visited the iHub: > > ?When you go into a petrol station and fill up your car, does the owner of > the petrol station tell you to bring it back on Wednesday to take back > what?s left in the vehicle? Of course not. So I ask, why the hell are we > doing that?? > > > Read on > > http://whiteafrican.com/2012/07/18/how-safaricom-steals-your-internet-bundl… > > _______________________________________________ > isoc mailing list > isoc(a)orion.my.co.ke > http://orion.my.co.ke/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/isoc > > -- *Ali Hussein|Managing Partner* * *Telemedia Africa Azania Technology Group Chaka Court, Argwings Kodhek Road P O Box 14556-00100 Office: +254 737 751409 Cell: +254 773/713 601113 *Nairobi, Kenya* Twitter: @AliHKassim Skype: abu-jomo "You generally hear that what a man doesn't know doesn't hurt him, but in business what a man doesn't know does hurt.". - E. St. Elmo Lewis, member, Advertising Hall of Fame

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