- KICTANet - KICTANet

Fw: [alac] Africa Position Paper on Internet growth through content
by alice＠apc.org 10 Apr '06

10 Apr '06

Would be interesting to know what mistakes made in North America in 1960s and how they were addressed. Would be interesting to know what mistake 'they' made in North America in 1960s and how this addressed it. The desire by AfrISPA is not just more bandwidth but use-value for internet, relevant content addresses the use-value of the internet as illustrated in the paper Muriuki Mureithi > > The major mistake was to assume that the most important use of the net was > to distribute content from a relatively small set of sources out to the > masses, and that the masses would pay for the privilege. In fact, people > put a much higher value on one-to-one or one-to-few communication, and the > number of content providers that successfully sell information can be > counted on your fingers. > > If you look at the history of web portals, early on they tried to present > collections of exclusive content, all failing miserably except for a > handful like the Wall Street Journal which already had vast amounts of > high-quality proprietary material. The most successful portal I know, My > Yahoo, offers its own content but also permits you to integrate any other > source that has an RSS feed, which I think most users do. On my My Yahoo > page, it's about 1/3 Yahoo's content, 2/3 from other sources. > > On the other hand, putting existing off-line content on the net has often > been very successful. Governments have put everything from tax forms to > departmental phone books on-line, which is great. If you are worried > about content, I would suggest concentrating on getting existing off-line > content onto the web, rather than trying to generate new material. Don't > expect the users to pay for it, so the first place to look for funding is > from savings on material that would otherwise have to be distributed by > more expensive means, and material that is directly of high value to > users, e.g., commodity prices to farmers. > > Also, for anything that has multiple chunks of information updated from > time to time, e.g., anything even vaguely blog-shaped, make sure that it > has RSS and Atom available so users can monitor it any way they want. > Don't waste time building blog hosting or blog aggregating sites, since > they are already widely available and an African one would be just like an > American or European one except perhaps for translating the messages into > local languages which they can already do. Maybe you can get Google to > put a blogger.com site in Africa to speed up access for African users. > > Regards, > John Levine, johnl(a)iecc.com, Primary Perpetrator of "The Internet for > Dummies", > Information Superhighwayman wanna-be, http://www.johnlevine.com, Mayor > "More Wiener schnitzel, please", said Tom, revealingly.

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Re: [Kictanet] Minutes KICTAnet Planning meeting March 20, 2006 held at the jacaranda hotel
by Wainaina Mungai 08 Apr '06

08 Apr '06

I agree. The new structure is great and bound to be more effective. All the best to the team. Regards --- Wainaina Mungai http://www.madeinkenya.org SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. > -------Original Message------- > From: Bill Kagai <billkagai(a)gmail.com> > Subject: Re: [Kictanet] Minutes KICTAnet Planning meeting March 20, 2006 held at the jacaranda hotel > Sent: 07 Apr '06 11:39 > > Very Good Minutes!!! > Explore ways of getting Kictanet members to contribute to the > acivities...but...so far so good. > > -- > -- > With Kind Regards, > Bildad Kagai > MD - Circuits & Packets Communications Ltd > Suite B2, Tetu Apartments, State House Avenue > P. O. Box 20311 - 00200 > Nairobi, Kenya > Tel. 254 20 2728332 > Fax. 254 20 2726965 > Cell. 254 722 379409 > E. bill(a)circuitspackets.co.ke > URL. www.circuitspackets.co.ke > > > On 4/7/06, alice(a)apc.org <alice(a)apc.org> wrote: > > Dear All > > > > Find attached minutes of the March 20th meeting held at the jacaranda hotel. > > > > > > regards > > alice > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > kictanet mailing list > > kictanet(a)kictanet.or.ke > > http://kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet > > > > Please unsubscribe or change your options at http://kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/billkagai%40gmail.com > > > > _______________________________________________ > kictanet mailing list > kictanet(a)kictanet.or.ke > http://kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet > > Please unsubscribe or change your options at http://kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/wainaina%40madeinkenya.org >

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Re: [Kictanet] Minutes KICTAnet Planning meeting March 20, 2006 held at the jacaranda hotel
by Wainaina Mungai 08 Apr '06

08 Apr '06

I agree. The new structure is great and bound to be more effective. All the best to the team. Regards --- Wainaina Mungai http://www.madeinkenya.org SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. > -------Original Message------- > From: Bill Kagai <billkagai(a)gmail.com> > Subject: Re: [Kictanet] Minutes KICTAnet Planning meeting March 20, 2006 held at the jacaranda hotel > Sent: 07 Apr '06 11:39 > > Very Good Minutes!!! > Explore ways of getting Kictanet members to contribute to the > acivities...but...so far so good. > > -- > -- > With Kind Regards, > Bildad Kagai > MD - Circuits & Packets Communications Ltd > Suite B2, Tetu Apartments, State House Avenue > P. O. Box 20311 - 00200 > Nairobi, Kenya > Tel. 254 20 2728332 > Fax. 254 20 2726965 > Cell. 254 722 379409 > E. bill(a)circuitspackets.co.ke > URL. www.circuitspackets.co.ke > > > On 4/7/06, alice(a)apc.org <alice(a)apc.org> wrote: > > Dear All > > > > Find attached minutes of the March 20th meeting held at the jacaranda hotel. > > > > > > regards > > alice > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > kictanet mailing list > > kictanet(a)kictanet.or.ke > > http://kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet > > > > Please unsubscribe or change your options at http://kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/billkagai%40gmail.com > > > > _______________________________________________ > kictanet mailing list > kictanet(a)kictanet.or.ke > http://kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet > > Please unsubscribe or change your options at http://kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/wainaina%40madeinkenya.org >

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Re: [Kictanet] KICTANet Proposed Logo
by John Walubengo 08 Apr '06

08 Apr '06

looks cute. walu. >>> <alice(a)apc.org> 04/07/06 11:56AM >>> Dear all Early this year there was a KICTANet logo competition. The jury selected the attached. best regards alice

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Fw: [alac] Africa Position Paper on Internet growth through content
by alice＠apc.org 07 Apr '06

07 Apr '06

AFRISPA, More comments on your intrenet report. ----- Original Message ----- From: "John R Levine" <johnl(a)iecc.com> To: <alice(a)apc.org> Cc: "ALAC" <alac(a)icann.org> Sent: Friday, April 07, 2006 4:19 PM Subject: Re: [alac] Africa Position Paper on Internet growth through content >> Primarily their interest is driven by the value of content >> that they locate which is relevant to their lives and business. > > That's surprising. Here in the U.S., despite the myth that "content is > king" the reality is that what people are willing to pay for is person to > person communication. See, for example > http://www.firstmonday.org/issues/issue6_2/odlyzko/ > > Regards, > John Levine, johnl(a)iecc.com, Primary Perpetrator of "The Internet for > Dummies", > Information Superhighwayman wanna-be, http://www.johnlevine.com, Mayor > "I dropped the toothpaste", said Tom, crestfallenly.

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Fw: [alac] Africa Position Paper on Internet growth through content
by alice＠apc.org 07 Apr '06

07 Apr '06

Hi All, especially AFRISPA folks, Comments on your "strategies for increased internet growth" report from ALAC ICANN members alice ----- Original Message ----- From: "John L" <johnl(a)iecc.com> To: <shahshah(a)irnic.ir> Cc: <alice(a)apc.org>; "ALAC" <alac(a)icann.org> Sent: Friday, April 07, 2006 5:21 PM Subject: Re: [alac] Africa Position Paper on Internet growth through content >> Well it isn't so clear that a statistical study was done. This seems to >> be >> a call by African ISPs for what they consider important. They may be >> advocating more use of Internet for educating and informing, or a call >> for >> 'content' may just mean a desire for more 'bandwidth'. Further, because >> so >> much of email is web-based, it is hard to differentiate. > > I can't tell from the report what they consider important either. > > I just hope they're not repeating the mistakes we made here in North > America in the 1990s. > > Regards, > John Levine, johnl(a)iecc.com, Primary Perpetrator of "The Internet for > Dummies", > Information Superhighwayman wanna-be, http://iecc.com/johnl, Mayor > "I dropped the toothpaste", said Tom, crestfallenly.

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Fw: VACANCY: Information & Networking Officer - BRIDGE gender and development programme
by alice＠apc.org 07 Apr '06

07 Apr '06

APOLOGIES FOR CROSS-POSTING - please circulate widely VACANCY: Information & Networking Officer (Ref 140) BRIDGE gender and development programme The Institute of Development Studies (IDS) is a leading centre of research, teaching and communications on international development issues. BRIDGE is an innovative gender and development research and communications unit within IDS that supports policymakers and practitioners with accessible and diverse gender information. We now need to recruit a talented and highly motivated individual to join this groundbreaking team. The successful candidate will take responsibility for the continued evolution of our electronic information strategy - in particular the development of the Siyanda website (please visit www.siyanda.org) Siyanda offers: a comprehensive database of summaries and links to gender materials from across the world; a database of gender experts; and opportunities for networking with colleagues. You must have an excellent knowledge of internet-based information systems along with a strong background in gender and development issues, debates, information and networks. Your experience of building networks of partner organisations through electronic means will ensure Siyanda remains relevant and vibrant. In turn, you will demonstrate the competence to identify and develop information strategies, for both on- and offline communication. Starting salary: £20,044 - £25,565 (depending on experience) Closing Date: Thursday 4 May 2006 (12.00 GMT) Interview date: 23 and 24 May 2006 OFFICIAL APPLICATIONS FORMS ONLY, CVs will not be accepted For further information and to download an application form please log on to http://www.ids.ac.uk/ids/recruit/index.html Alternatively to receive a hard copy please email Human Resources, hr(a)ids.ac.uk Or call our confidential answer phone 01273-678682 [Int +44 1273] Human Resources Institute of Development Studies University of Sussex Brighton BN1 9RE, UK We strongly encourage applications from all sections of the community regardless of sex, race, religion or religious beliefs, disability, HIV/AIDS, sexual orientation and age. Paola Brambilla Communications Assistant/Consultant BRIDGE Institute of Development Studies University of Sussex Brighton, BN1 9RE email: P.Brambilla(a)ids.ac.uk <mailto:[email protected]> Visit our websites! http://www.bridge.ids.ac.uk/ <http://www.bridge.ids.ac.uk/> to download our Bridge reports http://www.siyanda.org/ <http://www.siyanda.org/> for a great range of gender focused development material ______________________________________________________________________ This message is for the addressee only and may contain privileged or confidential information. If you have received it in error, please notify the sender immediately and delete the original. Any views or opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of IDS. Institute of Development Studies at the University of Sussex, Brighton BN1 9RE Tel: +44 (0)1273 606261; Fax: +44 (0)1273 621202 IDS, a charitable company limited by guarantee: Registered Charity No. 306371; Registered in England 877338; VAT No. GB 350 899914 --- You are currently subscribed to inbrief as: alice(a)apc.org To unsubscribe send a blank email to leave-inbrief-325803F(a)lyris.ids.ac.uk

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KICTANet Proposed Logo
by alice＠apc.org 07 Apr '06

07 Apr '06

Dear all Early this year there was a KICTANet logo competition. The jury selected the attached. best regards alice

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Minutes KICTAnet Planning meeting March 20, 2006 held at the jacaranda hotel
by alice＠apc.org 07 Apr '06

07 Apr '06

Dear All Find attached minutes of the March 20th meeting held at the jacaranda hotel. regards alice

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Fwd: [Fibre-for-africa] Yesterday's Nepad meeting
by Bill Kagai 07 Apr '06

07 Apr '06

---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Vincent Waiswa Bagiire <vincent(a)cipesa.org> Date: Apr 7, 2006 10:44 AM Subject: [Fibre-for-africa] Yesterday's Nepad meeting To: Private list for use by EASSY Workshop Participants <fibre-for-africa(a)lists.apc.org> Dear All, Where as I was unable to attend the NEPAD meeting yesterday, we asked one of our colleagues based in South Africa to attend and provide us with an update. Below is the feed back she has provided. Anriette and any one else who attended please chime in here. Just a brief overview of what occurred at the NEPAD EASSy meeting yesterday: The following made presentations: (1)IDC: consultants hired by NEPAD to look at Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) models for financing the cable (no report submitted, and came under fire); (2)Presentation from the inter-governmental forum (IGA) (rather defensive delivery); (3)World Bank (regional policy dept): presented their SPV model (noticeably professional and concrete); (4)EASSy consortium: gave an update on where they are currently and what they think of the proposed SPV ideas (are ready to start building and aren't going to wait for governments to sort out their regulatory stuff); (5)Consultants for the Commonwealth Telecommunications Organization (CTO): their research into legal and regulatory changes required to support EASSy. (we have their report, their presentation was somewhat feeble, eg, they gave inappropriate examples of "success stories" of OA initiatives in other countries, which were all in municipalities, some of which are known to be failing) Each session was followed by Q&A. Unfortunately I did not realize the meeting concludes today (April 07 was not on the agenda?), so I don't know what the outcome was. But I can give you the following overall impressions for you to muse over: (1) This was a very high-level meeting between representatives of regulators, governments, and telcos (APC and AfrISPA also there). (2) A lot of frustration over IDC failing to submit a report to the group prior to this meeting, and a lot of embarrassing excuses from NEPAD chair. (3) There were 7 action points from the last meeting, but NEPAD had only made progress on 2, and there was some disagreement over the exact brief for some. (4) Frustration from the telcos (mostly Telkom and MTN), wanting greater detail of IDC's SPV model, with the presenter giving inadequate answers. (5) ***interesting*** Telcos stating bluntly that without the report, and action from last meeting, the process would likely stall. At this point, Lyndal Shope-Mafoli (our DG) stepped in and put her foot down, stating that she wanted to remind everyone that this was a NEPAD-led initiative, and governments would determine how this cable would be built. Governments would then ask the telcos if they wanted to participate. She said she had spoken to the CEOs of six of her telcos and all had agreed to invest. So, "there is no room for negotiation here: this is a development issue and one led by government, not the telcos". (6) But then a speaker from Kenya cautioned her on this approach - he sited the (disastrous) examples of COMTEL and RASCOM, ie, government-led initiatives tend to come to nothing. Also, Kenya is getting several offers (mostly from India) for alternative cables, which they are having to turn down so that they don't "sell out" their "brothers" in the SADC region. But it's getting hard for them to continue this - under a lot of public pressure for affordable bandwidth - and they want a timeline asap. (7) The timeline was mentioned by Rwanda, Botswana, Kenya and Tanzania as too long. (8) Rwanda is particularly cheesed-off: they've applied to join EASSy, but do not hear anything and ask "why must we come with a begging bowl, just because we don't have any operators"? (9) The question of why companies need an international gateway license came up several times. Answers from NEPAD and EASSy varied from "it was a compromise made at the beginning to appease telcos for us adopting OA principals" to a less compromising answer along the lines of "anyone can join, you just need a gateway license" ...inferring that countries must get on with issuing more of these, ie, liberalize faster. (10) WB stressed the need for NEPAD/IGA to stick to policy, and leave the cable to others - governments are not in the business of building cables themselves. (Got the impression the WB model for SPV is preferred over IDC's) (11) EASSy stressed that they are NOT opposed to any SPV model, as long as it is run on a commercial basis (ha ha, very good). (12) APC raised intelligent questions asking if their would be any civil society input to EASSy shareholders agreement, academica, umbrella orgs etc, but didn't get good answers. Compiled by Jennifer Huesler on behalf of CIPESA for the EASSy task force. Regards, Vincent -- Vincent Waiswa Bagiire, Director, CIPESA Plot 30, Bukoto Street, P.O. Box 26970 Kampala Tel: 256-41-533057 Fax: 256-41-533054 Cell: 256-77-702256 or 256-71-702256 Email: vincent(a)cipesa.org www.cipesa.org _______________________________________________ Fibre-for-africa mailing list Fibre-for-africa(a)lists.apc.org http://mailman-new.greennet.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/fibre-for-africa

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