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[Fwd: [APC Forum] OII 2nd Call for Applications from Civil Society Practitioners in the global South]
by alice 27 Aug '07

27 Aug '07

hi everyone a reminder on the OII Civil Society internship programme - the deadline is 26th september >Date: Sun, 26 Aug 2007 20:40:21 +0100 >From: "Jennifer A. De Beer" <jennifer.debeer(a)oii.ox.ac.uk> >To: oii recruit <recruit(a)oii.ox.ac.uk> >Subject: OII 2nd Call for Applications from Civil Society Practitioners in > the global South > >Reminder: Application deadline 26 September 2007 > >Oxford Internet Institute - Civil Society Practitioners Programme > > > >Invitation to apply > > > >The <http://www.oii.ox.ac.uk/>Oxford Internet Institute (University >of Oxford) invites applications from the global South to fill two >places in its Civil Society Practitioners Programme. > >This visitor programme is intended for Civil Society Practitioners >of distinction or outstanding promise who wish to visit the >Institute for a period of six weeks between February and December >2008, to undertake research concerning the social impact of the >Internet and related ICTs. Visitors are expected to reside in Oxford >during their stay, and to participate fully in the intellectual life >of the Institute. The successful applicants will receive: > * A subsistence allowance of 3800 GBP (7500 USD) to cover > research expenses and living costs during their stay in Oxford > * A travel grant of up to 1000 GBP (2000 USD) for travel to and > from the UK > >Applications will ideally be submitted by Civil Society >Practitioners in or from the global South, active in the areas of >freedom of expression, media reform, media justice, and >communications and information policy in the globalized context of >the Internet. > > >How to apply > > > >For details on how to apply, please download: >Information for Applicants (PDF, 45kb) at ><http://www.oii.ox.ac.uk/people/CSPP_Application_Information.pdf>http://www.oii.ox.ac.uk/people/CSPP_Application_Information.pdf > >You may also request to have this information emailed to you in >plain text form. The deadline for completed applications to reach >the OII Academic and Student Affairs Officer (by post or email: >contact details below) is 26 September 2007. Please note that >incomplete applications cannot be considered. > >Final notification of an award will occur in November 2007. >Successful candidates will be expected to take up their six week >residency in Oxford at any time between February and December 2008. > > >Contact > > > >Laura Taylor >Academic and Student Affairs Officer >Oxford Internet Institute >University of Oxford >1 St Giles, Oxford OX1 3JS >United Kingdom Tel: +44 (0)1865 287222 >Fax: +44 (0)1865 287211 >Email: ><mailto:[email protected]?subject=Civil%20Society%20Practitioners%20Programme>recruit(a)oii.ox.ac.uk > > >This programme has been made possible through funding by the media >policy portfolio in the ><http://www.fordfound.org/program/edu_main.cfm>Knowledge, Creativity >and Freedom Program of the Ford Foundation. >This Call for Applications is also available at: ><http://www.oii.ox.ac.uk/microsites/cspp/>http://www.oii.ox.ac.uk/microsites/cspp/ > ======================================= APC Forum is a meeting place for the APC community - people and institutions who are or have been involved in collaboration with APC, and share the APC vision - a world in which all people have easy, equal and affordable access to the creative potential of information and communication technologies (ICTs) to improve their lives and create more democratic and egalitarian societies. _______________________________________________ apc.forum mailing list apc.forum(a)lists.apc.org http://lists.apc.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/apc.forum

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Safaricom SMS Swindlers
by Alex Gakuru 27 Aug '07

27 Aug '07

Dear Consumer, It has come to our notice that Safaricom is charging but blocking SMS sent to Telkom Wireless network. Charging for undelivered goods and services is outright theft, and criminal acts under Kenya Laws. Their Network accepts SMS from Telkom Wireless but replies to these message instantly report "message sending failed" although Safaricom still eat your balance. We have been at Telcos malpractices since 2005 and now it is time to change the strategies. We are filing a lawsuit against Safaricom Ltd and we need as many petitions as possible. Kindly send your electronic petition directly to me assist our lawyers in filing the suit. Regards Alex Gakuru Chairman, ICT Consumers Association of Kenya ____________________________________________________________________________________ Moody friends. Drama queens. Your life? Nope! - their life, your story. Play Sims Stories at Yahoo! Games. http://sims.yahoo.com/

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Fw: Laare computing center in Meru
by Jose' 27 Aug '07

27 Aug '07

Nice innovation in Sirisia,Bungoma. Best Regards, Jose' Njuki-Imwe Ngunjiri || +254 722 336754 || ----- Original Message ---- From: "bitange(a)jambo.co.ke" <bitange(a)jambo.co.ke> To: ngunjirijnr(a)yahoo.com Cc: mibuari(a)gmail.com; harry KARANJA <harrykaranja(a)yahoo.com>; KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> Sent: Monday, August 27, 2007 8:03:09 AM Subject: Re: [kictanet] Laare computing center in Meru Thank you for sharing the experience with us. We shall contact Laare to upgrade them to a Digital Center under the Digital Village Project. We saw similar projects last week in Bungoma and Busia. The level of innovation in these centers is unimaginable. In Sirisia, Bungoma for example the digital village is the only center where women are taught through internet how to diagonise some of the common diseases at a cost Ksh. 10 and it is the only center where one can charge a mobile at Ksh. 20. The center uses solar enrgey. Regards Bitange Ndemo. > Follow Harry Karanja's 'cathinoned' exploits in Meru - story from his > blog. > > Members of this forum would also be interested in the work Eric has > done at Laare, getting support from MIT. > (attached is a job posting for a manager/trainer he's looking for) > http://laare.csail.mit.edu/ > > > > http://startupkenya.blogspot.com/2007/08/internet-charity-and-miraa- > day-one.html > > Back in July my good pal Eric Mibuari (next M.P. of Ntonyiri > Constituency and MIT alumni) invited me to help him set up internet > access at a computer centre he founded in Laare, Meru. The idea was > to use my internet in the village model which I had already deployed > in two other places. I jumped at the idea, not only is Eric a fun > guy, but I had never been to Meru and I needed a holiday from Forex > trading. So together with another of my pals, Dru, we piled into a > 4WD and headed off towards Meru. > > Now, I have never been to Meru so I didn't really know what to > expect. I borrowed the 4WD from a friend suspecting I'd be in trouble > without it but I was pleasantly surprised to find well paved roads > most of the way. > > There was another reason I borrowed the 4WD, it was because it had > enough storage room. The previous week Nakumatt (Kenya's leading > retailer) had announced the opening of its Meru branch and I had my > eye on a big-screen TV that was going to be on a special half price > offer. I was sure of getting it as I would be in Meru on the day > right after grand opening. > > A rapid learning experience my trip was to prove, the first thing I > realised was that Meru is a very wealthy town. If the fact that the > TVs were all sold out on day one by 11:00 am did not convince me of > this fact then it was the brand new Toyota Hilux pick-ups scattered > everywhere making up 1 of every 3 cars. I was to learn in due course > why this was the favoured vehicle. > > Eric was already in Meru and asked us to rendezvous with him in Maua > - a town 50km north of Meru and near the Meru National Park. We > finally got to Meru at about 6pm and I discovered the second thing > about Meru; at 1800M above sea level and off the slopes of Mount > Kenya, the place is extremely cold. By luck Dru and I had both had > packed heavy woolen sweaters, although the cold seemed to seep > through those too. While waiting for Eric, who was coming from the > centre, we took a tour of Maua. To our surprise we found that half > the town's occupants were of Somali origin. Now for a non-Kenyan to > understand this you must appreciate that rural areas are usually > homogenous in ethnic makeup. We expected at least 90% Meru ethnicity. > Somalis however are extremely capable merchants and Maua has a very > valuable and tradeable commodity, miraa. So like flies to honey they > flocked in their hundreds to the small yet extremely rich town. > > By the time we got to Maua I had been driving for six hours and over > 400km but when we finally met up with Eric he insisted on taking us > to see the centre. So after checking in to our hotel we drove on to > Laare, about 10km from Maua. The centre is temporarily hosted by the > Laare Catholic parish. This stoked the fire of conviction that > churches form a good backbone for such community projects; direct > access to the community and structural resources. > > Our trip to the parish was also our first chance to interact with > locals of Meru - the priests. Kimeru language is not so much spoken > as it is sung, with alternating pitch, tempo, and rhythm. It was > fascinating to listen as the priests and Eric weaved kimeru in and > out of the English conversation. Our hosts generously served us some > hot tea and bananas (incredibly huge bananas) as they found out about > our mission to Meru. > > Eric also showed us the computers and equipment that had been donated > by MIT for use in the centre. An impressive number of relatively new > PCs, laptops, routers and switches all the way from Boston were > stacked up in one corner of the priests' living room waiting for us > to set them up the following day. > > We finally left at around nine o'clock and slowly drove back to Maua. > Slowly because it was a pitch black moonless night and the cold > mountain air hitting the warmer tarmac caused instant rising mist on > the road. > > Used to Nairobi's fast pace we found ourselves still eager to explore > the place at that late hour. However the few places we checked out > were lifeless (it was a Tuesday) so we decided to go to the hotel and > strategize on the following day. Before retiring though we purchased > some of Meru's finest. > > So while chewing on a few choice stems, we tried out the EDGE > internet connectivity from the hotel room using my laptop and my cell > phone as a modem. The connection worked quite well and I was even > able to open my forex trading platform and put in a few trades. > (Isn't technology wonderful - you can buy and sell off Wall Street > while in a hotel in Meru right on the slopes of Mount Kenya!) > > I finally gave in at 1:00 am as even the cathinone in the miraa could > not erase six hours of driving. I left a 'cathinoned' Eric sending > emails and on the phone with his colleagues in Boston late into the > night. > > Watch this space for Day Two coming soon... > _______________________________________________ > skunkworks mailing list > skunkworks(a)my.co.ke > http://ole.kenic.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/skunkworks > Blog http://skunkworks-ke.blogspot.com > > > > ---------------------------------------------- > This message has been scanned for viruses and > dangerous content by Jambo MailScanner, and is > believed to be clean. > --------------------------------------------- > "easy access to the world" > > _______________________________________________ > kictanet mailing list > kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke > http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet > > This message was sent to: bitange(a)jambo.co.ke > Unsubscribe or change your options at > http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/bitange%40jambo.co.ke > _______________________________________________ kictanet mailing list kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet This message was sent to: ngunjirijnr(a)yahoo.com Unsubscribe or change your options at http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/ngunjirijnr%40yahoo.com Boardwalk for $500? In 2007? Ha! Play Monopoly Here and Now (it's updated for today's economy) at Yahoo! Games. ____________________________________________________________________________________ Be a better Globetrotter. Get better travel answers from someone who knows. Yahoo! Answers - Check it out. http://answers.yahoo.com/dir/?link=list&sid=396545469

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[Fwd: [Fibre-for-africa] South Africa - Another instance where privatization trumped liberalization]
by alice 27 Aug '07

27 Aug '07

-------- Original Message -------- Subject: [Fibre-for-africa] South Africa - Another instance where privatization trumped liberalization Date: Sun, 26 Aug 2007 23:24:48 -0400 From: Steve Song <ssong(a)idrc.ca> Reply-To: APC - Private list for use by EASSY Workshop Participants <fibre-for-africa(a)lists.apc.org> Organization: IDRC To: 'Private list for use by EASSY Workshop Participants' <fibre-for-africa(a)lists.apc.org> Hi all, I see that a journal article by Willie Currie and Robert Horwitz in Telecommunications Policy entitled "Another instance where privatization trumped liberalization: The politics of telecommunications reform in South Africa-A ten-year retrospective" has been written up in Business Report (http://www.busrep.co.za/index.php?fArticleId=3998638) and then Slashdotted at http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=07/08/26/1642210. Looks like a damning summary of how *not* to stimulate investment and competition in the telecom sector. We all knew South Africa was an awful example but it is chilling to have 10 years of greed, incompetence, and mismanagement laid out so starkly. -Steve P.S. While we are on the topic of *access*, I see that the actual journal article is not available on the web. http://portal.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=1282573.1282768 Obviously not Open Access but perhaps the authors were allowed to self-archive? Willie? -- Steve Song <ssong(a)idrc.ca> Manager ICT4D Africa Programs http://www.connectivityafrica.org http://www.idrc.ca/acacia International Development Research Centre Tel. +1 613 236 6163 x2268 Mobile: +1 613 302 8233 Skype: steve_l_song _______________________________________________ Fibre-for-africa mailing list Fibre-for-africa(a)lists.apc.org http://lists.apc.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/fibre-for-africa

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Laare computing center in Meru
by Riyaz Bachani 27 Aug '07

27 Aug '07

Follow Harry Karanja's 'cathinoned' exploits in Meru - story from his blog. Members of this forum would also be interested in the work Eric has done at Laare, getting support from MIT. (attached is a job posting for a manager/trainer he's looking for) http://laare.csail.mit.edu/ http://startupkenya.blogspot.com/2007/08/internet-charity-and-miraa- day-one.html Back in July my good pal Eric Mibuari (next M.P. of Ntonyiri Constituency and MIT alumni) invited me to help him set up internet access at a computer centre he founded in Laare, Meru. The idea was to use my internet in the village model which I had already deployed in two other places. I jumped at the idea, not only is Eric a fun guy, but I had never been to Meru and I needed a holiday from Forex trading. So together with another of my pals, Dru, we piled into a 4WD and headed off towards Meru. Now, I have never been to Meru so I didn't really know what to expect. I borrowed the 4WD from a friend suspecting I'd be in trouble without it but I was pleasantly surprised to find well paved roads most of the way. There was another reason I borrowed the 4WD, it was because it had enough storage room. The previous week Nakumatt (Kenya's leading retailer) had announced the opening of its Meru branch and I had my eye on a big-screen TV that was going to be on a special half price offer. I was sure of getting it as I would be in Meru on the day right after grand opening. A rapid learning experience my trip was to prove, the first thing I realised was that Meru is a very wealthy town. If the fact that the TVs were all sold out on day one by 11:00 am did not convince me of this fact then it was the brand new Toyota Hilux pick-ups scattered everywhere making up 1 of every 3 cars. I was to learn in due course why this was the favoured vehicle. Eric was already in Meru and asked us to rendezvous with him in Maua - a town 50km north of Meru and near the Meru National Park. We finally got to Meru at about 6pm and I discovered the second thing about Meru; at 1800M above sea level and off the slopes of Mount Kenya, the place is extremely cold. By luck Dru and I had both had packed heavy woolen sweaters, although the cold seemed to seep through those too. While waiting for Eric, who was coming from the centre, we took a tour of Maua. To our surprise we found that half the town's occupants were of Somali origin. Now for a non-Kenyan to understand this you must appreciate that rural areas are usually homogenous in ethnic makeup. We expected at least 90% Meru ethnicity. Somalis however are extremely capable merchants and Maua has a very valuable and tradeable commodity, miraa. So like flies to honey they flocked in their hundreds to the small yet extremely rich town. By the time we got to Maua I had been driving for six hours and over 400km but when we finally met up with Eric he insisted on taking us to see the centre. So after checking in to our hotel we drove on to Laare, about 10km from Maua. The centre is temporarily hosted by the Laare Catholic parish. This stoked the fire of conviction that churches form a good backbone for such community projects; direct access to the community and structural resources. Our trip to the parish was also our first chance to interact with locals of Meru - the priests. Kimeru language is not so much spoken as it is sung, with alternating pitch, tempo, and rhythm. It was fascinating to listen as the priests and Eric weaved kimeru in and out of the English conversation. Our hosts generously served us some hot tea and bananas (incredibly huge bananas) as they found out about our mission to Meru. Eric also showed us the computers and equipment that had been donated by MIT for use in the centre. An impressive number of relatively new PCs, laptops, routers and switches all the way from Boston were stacked up in one corner of the priests' living room waiting for us to set them up the following day. We finally left at around nine o'clock and slowly drove back to Maua. Slowly because it was a pitch black moonless night and the cold mountain air hitting the warmer tarmac caused instant rising mist on the road. Used to Nairobi's fast pace we found ourselves still eager to explore the place at that late hour. However the few places we checked out were lifeless (it was a Tuesday) so we decided to go to the hotel and strategize on the following day. Before retiring though we purchased some of Meru's finest. So while chewing on a few choice stems, we tried out the EDGE internet connectivity from the hotel room using my laptop and my cell phone as a modem. The connection worked quite well and I was even able to open my forex trading platform and put in a few trades. (Isn't technology wonderful - you can buy and sell off Wall Street while in a hotel in Meru right on the slopes of Mount Kenya!) I finally gave in at 1:00 am as even the cathinone in the miraa could not erase six hours of driving. I left a 'cathinoned' Eric sending emails and on the phone with his colleagues in Boston late into the night. Watch this space for Day Two coming soon... _______________________________________________ skunkworks mailing list skunkworks(a)my.co.ke http://ole.kenic.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/skunkworks Blog http://skunkworks-ke.blogspot.com

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Re: [kictanet] National e-Government Strategies: Designing for Success - 19 June 2007
by Patrick Mburu 26 Aug '07

26 Aug '07

Harry, thank you for the link to this webcast. Am interested to know how many from this list were able to attend this at the WB video conferene. I participated online and was a great delivery with key issues addressed from participants throughout the globe. I hope that there will be a posting of the questions submitted through the chat as well as the brief summary of it posted in the site: http://go.worldbank.org/KYLN3DZF40 Some key questions that was addressed regarding to e-readiness from the Kenyan participants VC), it would be insighful if we could obtain perhaps further deliberations from this perspective and how these could / would be addressed in terms of infrastructural dev activities that are currently underway.... Anyone care to comment / suggest where these could be addressed? Regards, Patrick On 18/06/07, Harry Hare <harry(a)africanedevelopment.org> wrote: > > > > Dear Colleagues, > > > > > > The World Bank office in Nairobi has kindly availed their facility for those > interested in participating in a videoconference is titled "National > e-Government Strategies: Designing for Success" which is to take place > tomorrow June 19th at 9:00 - 11:30 am EST, which is 4pm here. > > > > This VC is organized in partnership with USAID/USTTI and Development Gateway > Foundation. The event will feature several leading experts from India, > Singapore, U.S., Kenya and World Bank who will engage in a discussion with > country clients. The event description is below and more information is > available at: http://go.worldbank.org/KYLN3DZF40 > > > > A great number of governments have now developed e-Government strategies and > are at various stages of implementation. While a significant amount of > attention has been given in the past to identifying the key components of > e-Government strategies and identifying best practices, little attention has > been given to the processes involved in the design of such strategies. > Recognizing that the process of designing an e-Government strategy is > perhaps as important if not more important than the resulting document, this > event will be an opportunity to learn from three different country > perspectives. The speakers will address the process of designing successful > national e-Government strategies, focusing on the following questions: > > > > Why is it important to have well-designed e-Government Strategies? > > Why might the process be as important as the final document? > > What constitutes successful e-Government strategies? What are the key > ingredients? > > How should governments go about designing e-Government strategies? > > What are the steps and processes that are essential not only to the > elaboration of the strategy, but also to its successful implementation? > > > > The VC room at the Bank can accommodate just a few people, and we have been > given about 15 spaces which shall be allocated on a first come first served > basis. Due to security issues at the Bank's offices, we have to submit the > names of those interested by 1pm tomorrow. So if you are interested in > participating, pls send me an email by 1pm tomorrow 19th June 2007. My > apologies for the short notice and we look forward to your participation! > > > > Best regards, > > > > Harry Hare > > African eDevelopment Resource Centre > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > 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/patrick.mburu%40gmail.com >

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NSE Weekly Analytics & MediaCorp Clinic
by Bill Kagai 26 Aug '07

26 Aug '07

Dear Sir/Madam, 1. Please find attached the NSE Weekly Analytics. This week our eye is on the proposed Bamburi/East Africa Portland Cement Merger - The real winners. 2.Next Saturday on 1st September 2007, we will be at Nyali Beach Hotel looking at how ICT can help you trade more efficiently at the inaugural MediaCorp Clinic. Main Plenary * * -Dr. Bitange Ndemo – PS, Ministry of Information and Communication who will speak on the role of ICT in harnessing online trading -Mr. Jimnah Mbaru – Chairman, Nairobi Stock Exchange [NSE] who will speak on transforming the market from a paper to a digital market and the future vision of the NSE. -Mr. Bob Karina – Managing Director, Faida Securities who will speak on demystifying the bond market by taking advantage of online resources in Kenya. Discussant Mr. Fred Mweni, Chief Executive, Tsavo Securities. First Plenary -Financing IPOs from a bank's perspective – K-Rep Bank - Moses Banda -Custodial Services from Barclays Securities Services – John Odhiambo / Gideon Chokah -NSE Real Time Data Demonstration – MediaCorp - Edwin Wambugu -Investor Rights and Redress – Kenya Association of Investor Groups – Patrick Kariuki -Brokers, Unit Trusts and Investment Groups Exhibition Confirmed Exhibitors Dyer & Blair Investment Bank, Faida Securities, Discount Securities, Barclays Securities Service, Bob Mathews, K-Rep Bank, Old Mutual, Tsavo Securities and Apex Africa have already confirmed exhibiting their services at the Clinic. -- Bildad Kagai MD - MediaCorp Limited Nairobi Stock Exchange [NSE] - Authorised Information Vendor Suite B2 Tetu Apartments StateHouse Avenue P. O. Box 20311-00200 Tel. 254 20 272 8332 Fax. Rendered Obsolete URL. www.mediacorpafrica.com --

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WHOIS privacy reform reaches dead end
by Alex Gakuru 25 Aug '07

25 Aug '07

http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20070824-whois-privacy-reform-reaches-… Reforms to the WHOIS database in order to address growing privacy concerns have once again come to a halt, leaving a seven-year-old debate to continue on how much personal information should be displayed to the public. The WHOIS Working Group published its Final Outcomes report (PDF) this week, which detailed nearly three months' worth of talks, negotiations, and disagreements among 70 users, service providers, and law enforcement officials. The group was pulled in two directions: one by those who want increased privacy protections for individuals registering domains and another by those who want easier and quicker access to WHOIS contact information in order to keep an eye on bad apples. Report: http://gnso.icann.org/drafts/icann-whois-wg-report-final-1-9.pdf ------------------- [WWWhatsup NYC, http://pinstand.com,http://punkcast.com http://isoc-ny.org] ------------------- ____________________________________________________________________________________ Be a better Globetrotter. Get better travel answers from someone who knows. Yahoo! Answers - Check it out. http://answers.yahoo.com/dir/?link=list&sid=396545469

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Fwd: [Skunkworks] MEETING - PloneGOV - 28 Aug 2007
by Riyaz Bachani 25 Aug '07

25 Aug '07

this might be useful for members on this forum too. Begin forwarded message: > To: skunkworks <skunkworks(a)my.co.ke> > > > Nicholas Bossut will be speaking about http://www.plonegov.org > > Wananchi Online, 1st Floor Loita Hse > > 6pm, 28 Aug 2007 > > We will probably do dinner after for those wanting more discussions > > > > > > ----- > from Ashok: > > Hello All: > > One of the main creators of PloneGOV project (http:// > www.plonegov.org) [1] is > visiting nairobi during this week, and is interested in meeting > organizations, interested > parties, open source folks.... : > > <quote> > Moreover, I'm truly interested to explore opportunities for PloneGov > project. PloneGov could be a way for african municipalities to fight > the digital divide in saving money. Open source websites as City of > Seneffe website (www.seneffe.be) could be easily copy-paste and help > national administrations in charge of local governments to develop a > presence of public authorities on Internet. Different applications > are independant and interconnectable. In facts, we deployed tools > that aren't useful in Africa but municipalities can choose 'à la > carte' what they need. > </quote> > > Interested parties may drop me an email offline .... > > thanks > > Ashok > > [1] PloneGOV : > ""55 European, African, North and South American Public > organizations participate > in the PloneGov project. In doing so, they aim to gain > independence from large > IT services providers by developing, essentially by themselves and > in a > cooperative manner, applications and websites for their own use as > well as for > their citizens'. > > PloneGov is open and aims to reach more organizations. Initiated by > small towns > in close collaboration with the Plone / Zope Communities, the > project reaches now > cities, regions and 10 parliaments. This collaboration effort > already spans over 3 > continents and 15 countries."" > > > _______________________________________________ > skunkworks mailing list > skunkworks(a)my.co.ke > http://ole.kenic.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/skunkworks > Blog http://skunkworks-ke.blogspot.com

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Teen 'unlocks' iPhone from AT&T network
by Jose' 25 Aug '07

25 Aug '07

I found this really facinating on the new iphone just released in the USA. The 17 year old guru got it "unlocked" from the AT&T network.Now we await on the blackberry :-) http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070825/ap_on_hi_te/iphone_unlocked;_ylt=Al511V… Best Regards, Jose' Njuki-Imwe Ngunjiri || +254 722 336754 || ____________________________________________________________________________________ Be a better Globetrotter. Get better travel answers from someone who knows. Yahoo! Answers - Check it out. http://answers.yahoo.com/dir/?link=list&sid=396545469

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training on Information Security Management Systems
by Rebecca Wanjiku 25 Aug '07

25 Aug '07

in case of interest Course: Information Security Management Systems-ISO 27001:2005 Lead Auditor Course Date: 27th-31st August 2007 (5-days 8am-5pm) Venue:Safaripark Hotel Certification: International Registrar of Certified Auditor (IRCA) Certificate Facilitator: Gerald Kelly ( From Ireland) ( He has hands on expereience in auditing and implementing ISMS so its not theory based) Cost: 69,500 + VAT TARGET GROUP Senior Managers IT Professionals IS Managers Systems Administrators Database Administrators IT Consultants Owner Managers Accountants Quality & Safety Managers Auditors AIMS OF THE COURSE Explain the purpose of Information Security Management Systems(ISMS) Explain the process Involved in establishing,Implementing,Operating,Monitoring,Reviewing,and Improving the ISMS including their significance to auditors. Explain the purpose,content and Inter-relationship between ISO 27001:2005,ISO 17799:2005,and ISO/IEC 13335 To gather evidence through observation,Interview and Sampling of documents and records. Conduct audit follow up to verify the effectiveness of corrective actions. To explain the legislative frame work relevant to ISMS including the inter-relationship with corporate governance. To conduct process based audits in accordance to ISO 27001:2005,ISO 19001:2002,EA7-03,and ISO 17021:2006 Understand the responsibility and competencies of an Auditor Write objective and verifiable audit findings and summary report. BENEFITS OF THE COURSE Accelerate your professional skills and find out what is new in IS auditing and related fields Develop ability to improve audit performance Internationally Accredited Certificate Kindly review and we hope you are going to send participants from your organization. We can also schedule a meeting so that we can discuss the course further and I give you more material. -- Joseph McDonald Ignite Consulting Limited EDEN SQUARE 7th Floor, Chiromo Road, Westlands P. O. Box 15568 00100 GPO Nairobi, Kenya Tel: 254-20-3673250-9 Fax: 254-20-3673231 Email: joseph.mcdonald(a)igniteconsulting.co.ke URL: www.igniteconsulting.co.ke Professional & Life Skills Coaching, Quality Management Systems, Health Safety, Food Safety & Environment Management Systems, Lead Auditor Courses that are Internationally Accredited by IRCA, Training on Conformity and Compliance based on International Standards (ISO), Business Management, Organizational Development, Capacity Building and Strategy Facilitation and Development. IT Solutions:- eDocuments Management, Data Management, Disaster Preparedness and Hosting and Management Services for all your IT needs. Services delivered to you by Ignite Technologies, an Ignite Consulting Division focusing on Systems Integration. Tel. 254 720 318 925 blog:http://beckyit.blogspot.com/ --------------------------------- Sick sense of humor? Visit Yahoo! TV's Comedy with an Edge to see what's on, when.

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Nokia battery recall
by Jose' 25 Aug '07

25 Aug '07

Is your Nokia phone model Nokia 1100, Nokia 1100c, Nokia 1101, Nokia 1108, Nokia 1110, Nokia 1112, Nokia 1255, Nokia 1315, Nokia 1600, Nokia 2112, Nokia 2118, Nokia 2255, Nokia 2272, Nokia 2275, Nokia 2300, Nokia 2300c, Nokia 2310, Nokia 2355, Nokia 2600, Nokia 2610, Nokia 2610b, Nokia 2626, Nokia 3100, Nokia 3105, Nokia 3120, Nokia 3125, Nokia 6030, Nokia 6085, Nokia 6086, Nokia 6108, Nokia 6175i, Nokia 6178i, Nokia 6230, Nokia 6230i, Nokia 6270, Nokia 6600, Nokia 6620, Nokia 6630, Nokia 6631, Nokia 6670, Nokia 6680, Nokia 6681, Nokia 6682, Nokia 6820, Nokia 6822, Nokia 7610, Nokia N70, Nokia N71, Nokia N72, Nokia N91, Nokia E50? then log on to this link and read it for further instructions. http://batteryreplacement.nokia.com/batteryreplacement/en/ There after,please call 0911 NOKIA. You'll get it replaced. Best Regards, Jose' Njuki-Imwe Ngunjiri || +254 722 336754 || ____________________________________________________________________________________ Sick sense of humor? Visit Yahoo! TV's Comedy with an Edge to see what's on, when. http://tv.yahoo.com/collections/222

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KICTANet cocktail at 6.30 pm today
by Rebecca Wanjiku 24 Aug '07

24 Aug '07

just to let you know that the cocktail is today at 6.30 pm at jacaranda, Palm room, hope to see you there, regards becky Tel. 254 720 318 925 blog:http://beckyit.blogspot.com/ --------------------------------- Luggage? GPS? Comic books? Check out fitting gifts for grads at Yahoo! Search.

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cocktail at Jacranda
by Rebecca Wanjiku 23 Aug '07

23 Aug '07

the cocktail is at jacaranda, 6.30 to 8pm friday august 24th Tel. 254 720 318 925 blog:http://beckyit.blogspot.com/ --------------------------------- Yahoo! oneSearch: Finally, mobile search that gives answers, not web links.

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invitation to KICTANet cocktail
by Rebecca Wanjiku 23 Aug '07

23 Aug '07

Re: Introduction of the ICT board Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) and the Permanent Secretary in Ministry of Information and Communication Dr. Bitange Ndemo wishes to invite you to a cocktail on Friday August 24th 2007. At the cocktail, Dr. Ndemo will introduce the members of the newly formed ICT board and honour other members of in the ICT sectors who have made notable contributions. In line with KICTANet mission to bring together stakeholders in the ICT sector, this event aims at providing a forum which the government will inform and update ICT industry players the recent developments in the policy and regulatory arena. The cocktail starts at 6.30 pm and is expected to end at 8 pm. Yours faithfully, Alice Munyua KICTANet Tel. 254 720 318 925 blog:http://beckyit.blogspot.com/ --------------------------------- Park yourself in front of a world of choices in alternative vehicles. Visit the Yahoo! Auto Green Center.

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] Kagwe pulls back another proposed law]
by alice 23 Aug '07

23 Aug '07

Kagwe pulls back another proposed law Story by NATION Correspondent Publication Date: 8/23/2007 The Government yesterday withdrew the contentious Kenya Communication Amendment Bill 2007 from the floor of Parliament for redrafting. Information and Communications minister Mutahi Kagwe said the Bill had omitted crucial issues that included cyber crime and penalties to be meted on those who damage fibre optic cables. "The Bill has not sufficiently addressed the internet crimes and the issue of fibre optic cable protection. It will be re-introduced after it is properly drafted," the minister said. Mr Kagwe noted that laws governing theft and damage of copper wires were too lenient to deal with the optic cable that was more expensive. "The cable is expensive and we need to know what to do with those who damage and cause inconvenience to others," he said. Mr Kagwe said the issue of cross-media ownership would also be looked at afresh. "We want companies that are listed at Nairobi Stock Exchange (NSE) with 51 per cent shares held by the public and the rule will not necessarily apply," Kagwe said. At the same time, the minister said the government was determined to establish Universal Access Fund to enable the Information Communication Technology (ICT) to reach rural areas that were not economically viable for the operators to set up their operations. He said this would increase the ICT coverage in the country, where only 2.7 million use the internet. The minister was addressing the press after opening the 2nd annual connecting rural communities and Africa forum at Grand Regency hotel. He said some of the issues being raised were in the current law and cited the Kenya Film Censorship. He said the content of some FM stations had raised concerns from religious bodies and that their broadcast time should be reviewed. "There is an outcry by the Christian and Muslim religions and that is why we want the Media Council where such complaints can be directed," Mr Kagwe said. Print this Page Email this Story Save this Story __._,_.___ Messages in this topic <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DigAfrica/message/6251;_ylc=X3oDMTM0ZW8xa2U0B…> (1) <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DigAfrica/post;_ylc=X3oDMTJwMHNxNTBoBF9TAzk3M…>

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SILENT DEMO
by Rebecca Wanjiku 23 Aug '07

23 Aug '07

in case yhou support journalists... Hi all. This is to inform you that we have already notified the police that we shall be holding a peaceful procession as indicated in Mbaus email. We have also dispatched a letter to the AG asking him or his representative to wait for our petition on the appointed date. Please send this message to as many journalists as you can. Thank you. _____________________________________________ From: Samuel Mbau Sent: Friday, August 10, 2007 12:23 PM To: Julius Bosire; Owino Opondo; Editorial Cc: Business Daily; Easy FM; eam; NTV News Subject: SILENT DEMO Dear journalist, The contentious clause 38 (4) in the Media Bill states: "When a story includes unnamed parties who are not disclosed and the same becomes the subject of a legal tussle as to who is meant, then the editor shall be obligated to disclose the identity of the party or parties referred to." As members of the Fourth Estate who take it upon ourselves to fight for the rights of others, we simply cannot afford to sit down and do nothing while our own rights and a basic tenets of our profession are at stake. The Silent Demo is on! The Silent Demonstration will take place on Wednesday August 15, with the blessings and the support from the majority of media houses and associations as well as myriads of well wishers. We shall assemble 8:30am at Freedom Corner at Uhuru Park. We will then march to the AGs Chambers (via Kenyatta Ave- Moi Ave- Harambee Ave) where we will present a petition to the chief legal adviser to the Government and ask him to advise the President against signing the proposed law. We shall then proceed to march around Parliament two times before breaking the demo at Freedom corner. The whole programme should take about two hours maximum. The demo is silent for there will be no chanting nor singing. We will actually be quiet through out the march and our mouths gagged with black cloth or duct tape. We can also adorn black scarves, head bands or arm bands. So please bring along a gag, dress in your organisations branded wear [if available], AND remember to put on some comfortable walking shoes. We are looking forward to your participation and your organisations support as we SILENCE this bad law. NB: Watch out for a spectacular media showing on that day. Standing as one, Inter-media committee DISCLAIMER: The information contained in or accompanying this e-mail is intended for the use of the stated recipient only. It may contain confidential, proprietary or legally privileged information. No confidentiality or privilege is waived or lost by any mistransmission. If you receive this message in error, please immediately delete it and all copies of it from your system, destroy any hard copies of it and notify the sender. You must not, directly or indirectly, use, disclose, distribute, print, or copy any part of this message if you are not the intended recipient. Any views or opinions presented herein are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the Nation Media Group. Tel. 254 720 318 925 blog:http://beckyit.blogspot.com/ --------------------------------- Shape Yahoo! in your own image. Join our Network Research Panel today!

9 26

KICTANET COCKTAIL
by charles nduati 21 Aug '07

21 Aug '07

Hi All, Can someone confirm whether the earlier announced cocktail of 22/08 is till on at jacaranda. Charles CHARLES N. NDUATI BUSINESS MANAGER JKUAT ENTERPRISES LTD JOMO KENYATTA UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE AND TECHNOLOGY JUJA MAIN CAMPUS, THIKA P. O. BOX 79324-00200 NAIROBI, KENYA TEL: 254-067-52420 OR 254-067-52711 FAX: 254-067-52438 MOBILE:254-722728815 EMIAL:[email protected] www.jkuat.ac.ke ----- Original Message ---- From: "bitange(a)jambo.co.ke" <bitange(a)jambo.co.ke> To: charlesnduati2002(a)yahoo.co.uk Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> Sent: Monday, 20 August, 2007 7:20:16 PM Subject: Re: [kictanet] The Kenya Communications Amendment Bill Dear Alex, There is no crisis or tension in the ICT legislative process. I was pointing out the opportunities that are available to you in ensuring that the piece of legislation you want is passed. As far as I am concerned all of us have representation in parliament and we should utilize that opportunity instead of blaming the Government. The Safari Park proposals shall be given to the MPs. The Thursday date was set anticipating that parliament will go on recess. Now that they are not going on recess, they have proposed August 30th and 31st. We are looking for resources for a venue in Mombasa and shall revert to you. Regards Bitange. > May I suggest we ask Eng. Rege to help diffuse ICT > tensions now bottling up? Borrow his experince on > dealing with government, stakeholders, steakholders, > and others? Just thinking aloud and welcome comments. > > Alex > > --- Barrack Otieno <otieno.barrack(a)gmail.com> wrote: > >> Thanks Alex i appreciate your response your >> arguments are valid though >> >> On 8/17/07, Alex Gakuru <alex.gakuru(a)yahoo.com> >> wrote: >> > Barrack, >> > >> > My apologies if I appeared to harass the Permanent >> > Secretary. The gist of my, I believe justified, >> > request for information was to know the fate of >> our >> > Safari Park contributions considering that the >> > expected legislators could not come because of >> said >> > Parlimentary Procedures. >> > >> > I needed to know whether we should assume that >> those >> > contributions we made needed to be repeated should >> an >> > opportunity to meet with the Committee present >> itself >> > especially if the ministry could not incorporate >> them. >> > >> > I interpret Dr. Ndemo's advice as "they have them, >> > because we gave them but now lobby hard yourselves >> to >> > ensure your interests are captured" >> > >> > I am sufficiently pleased with his reply, his >> > voluntary additional information, and await >> > confirmation on how the committee sees best fit to >> > receive any outstanding stakeholders' concerns >> on >> > the bill as promised today. >> > >> > Please understand that I consider myself of the >> issue >> > focussed, not the person, nature and I would >> seriously >> > err to substitute any clause, error, commission, >> or >> > omission with "Bitange Ndemo":) >> > >> > Have a laughly day! >> > >> > Alex >> > >> > --- Barrack Otieno <otieno.barrack(a)gmail.com> >> wrote: >> > >> > > Good effort bwana Ndemo, Alex i bet you >> understand >> > > how our legislators >> > > operate take it easy on bwana Ndemo, bwana Ps >> try >> > > your level best to ensure >> > > that Stakeholder expectations are met, so far i >> > > guess you deserve a pat >> > > Regards >> > > >> > > On 8/16/07, Benjamin Makai <benmakai(a)yahoo.com> >> > > wrote: >> > > > >> > > > Dr.Ndemo >> > > > This information is very necessary and >> important. >> > > Kindly could you also >> > > > outline to the level or rather phases >> pertaining >> > > the same sir. >> > > > >> > > > This gives us the the auditable elements of >> the >> > > process for the few whom >> > > > may not be aware of the process and yet they >> may >> > > want to shout loundest.. >> > > > >> > > > >> > > > >> > > > All is about the welfare of our countr >> y(personal >> > > sentiments and not about >> > > > who shouts loundest and in some situations or >> > > least solutions. ICT is all >> > > > bout solutions and world wide tested and >> proven >> > > best practices) >> > > > >> > > > Regards >> > > > >> > > > >> > > > *bitange(a)jambo.co.ke* wrote: >> > > > >> > > > Dear Alex, >> > > > I tried to explain how parliament works >> earlier in >> > > the week. We cannot >> > > > revise the bill here. We have taken the >> proposals >> > > to the committee for >> > > > consideration. >> > > > >> > > > Luckily today the committee sumoned me to >> > > parliament. They want to have a >> > > > stakeholder's meeting either on Tuesady or >> > > Thursday next week in Mombasa. >> > > > I shall confirm this to you tomorrow. Any >> changes >> > > now must go through the >> > > > committee since the bill belongs to >> parliament. >> > > You have this window to >> > > > make the necessary changes. The safari Park >> > > proposals are already with >> > > > them but they may decide that they do not want >> to >> > > include them. This is >> > > > where we need the stakeholders to push. >> > > > >> > > > I hope you do not leave this window of >> opportunity >> > > to pass and blame us >> > > > later. >> > > > >> > > > >> > > > Regards >> > > > >> > > > >> > > > Ndemo. >> > > > >> > > > >> > > > >> > > > >> > > > > Dr. Ndemo, >> > > > > >> > > > > You invited us to Safari Park Hotel and on >> > > information >> > > > > and belief, we were coming to meet the >> > > Parliament >> > > > > Committee. We understood your at the venue >> > > explanation >> > > > > why they could not come. >> > > > > >> > > > > However, >> > > > > >> > > > > Would you be in a position to inform >> > > stakeholders what >> > > > > to expect of our Safari Park contributions >> on >> > > the >> > > > > Kenya Communications Amendment Bill 2007? >> i.e. >> > > does >> > > > > the ministry have an "updated" >> > > version-considerate of >> > > > > expressed concerns? I am made to understand >> that >> > > a >> > > > > Bill's mover (who in this case is the >> Minister) >> > > is >> > > > > allowed to amend it anytime. >> > > > > >> > > > > This also would not only help us know where >> our >> > > > > concerns lay but it would also help us take >> > > informed >> > > > > engagements with the Energy and >> Communications >> > > > > Committee. >> > > > > >> > > > > I request for this information in view of >> your >> > > emailed >> > > > > informative note advising stakeholders on >> the >> > > law >> > > > > making processes, advising on the steps, >> when >> > > and >> > > > > where to engaging parliamentary committees >> in >> > > the >> > > > > process. >> > > > > >> > > > > Hope to hear from you. >> > > > > >> > > > > Sincerely, >> > > > > >> > > > > Alex >> > > > > >> > > > > --- Brian Longwe wrote: >> > > > > >> > > > >> Thank you very much Bw. Ndemo for this >> clear, >> > > > >> concise and very >> > > > >> practical reminder of our legislative >> process >> > === message truncated === > > > > > ____________________________________________________________________________________ > Be a better Globetrotter. Get better travel answers from someone who > knows. Yahoo! Answers - Check it out. > http://answers.yahoo.com/dir/?link=list&sid=396545469 > > _______________________________________________ > kictanet mailing list > kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke > http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet > > This message was sent to: bitange(a)jambo.co.ke > Unsubscribe or change your options at > http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/bitange%40jambo.co.ke > > ---------------------------------------------- > This message has been scanned for viruses and > dangerous content by Jambo MailScanner, and is > believed to be clean. > --------------------------------------------- > "easy access to the world" > > _______________________________________________ kictanet mailing list kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet This message was sent to: charlesnduati2002(a)yahoo.co.uk Unsubscribe or change your options at http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/charlesnduati2002%40ya… ___________________________________________________________ Yahoo! Answers - Got a question? Someone out there knows the answer. Try it now. http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/

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Mobile and Internet OPEN SOURCE Experts, International meeting in LONDON
by Rebecca Wanjiku 20 Aug '07

20 Aug '07

st1\:*{behavior:url(#default#ieooui) } FYI and possible circulation think that access to ICT is not enough and it is the ability to create, to add value that is important then you are invited to participate as speaker at the CTO's most innovative conference to date: Open Source in ICT 2007: Bridging the Digital Divide London , 4 - 6 December 2007 Open Source software presents an opportunity to cut costs, see inside the software, demystify technology and understand the design so that all users can adapt technology to meet their own needs. It is widely seen as the key enabler for developing countries to achieve technological self-determination. Open source can reduce total cost of ownership, enhance security, and create a vendor-independent network based on interoperability and open standards. Open source software also provides the opportunity to break free from the shackles of proprietary systems and expensive upgrades . The Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation is hosting a three-day event in December devoted to Open Source. It is a must-attend event for ICT giants and start-ups alike. The first day of the conference is reserved for ministers and senior representatives from the public sector, the second day will include speakers from the private and public sector to analyse how open source is bridging the digital divide and the last day of the conference will be devoted to open source in mobile. We are now seeking experts like you to deliver presentations at this industry-shaping event aimed at the private and public sector. If you work in the public sector and are using open source software for e-governance, disaster management, e-literacy campaigns etc then we would like to invite you to share your experiences, achievements and difficulties If you are a service provider and have adopted open source to reduce costs, then we would like you to deliver a case study If you are an internet or mobile operator and have harnessed open source to decrease time to market and have used open source for the fast delivery of new services, then we would like you to contribute your expertise at this event CALL FOR PAPERS: If you would like to participate as speaker, please submit 4 sentences describing the main points of your proposed presentation to Conference Producer, Miss Mani Rai at m.kaur-rai(a)cto.int by 10th September. Please note all speakers are entitled to attend the entire forum free of charge. There is also an opportunity for speakers and delegates to take a free trip on the London Eye (UK's most iconic and popular tourist attraction). Open Source in ICT 2007 will bring together world experts on Open Source and you are warmly invited to join our speaker faculty. Please be sure to submit your proposal by 10th September. Confirmed Speakers so far include: Dr. Ekwow Spio-Garbrah, Chief Executive Officer, Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation Mr. Magnus Glantz, Application Specialist, IT Operations OSS, TeliaSonera Mr. Arthur Feather, Senior Manager Mobile Standards and Architecture, Cisco (subject to final confirmation) Mr. Simon Crab, Team Leader, Informal Mr. Jerry Stabile, Senior Vice President, Pingtel (subject to final confirmation) Mr. Rishab Ghosh, Senior Researcher, Maastricht Economic Research Institute on Innovation and Technology If you do not want to participate as speaker, but would like to:- KNOW why One Laptop Per Child chose Open Source CONSIDER open source initial implementation and lifetime costs HEAR FIRST HAND EXPERIENCE of how successfully open source software can work with existing applications ANALYSE what Open Source can offer that proprietary systems cannot UNDERSTAND how easy it is to localise open source software to meet the needs of non-English speaking users LEARN how mobile operators are harnessing open source to deliver superior smartphone features in inexpensive handsets ENHANCE your knowledge on optimising open source in mobile for convergence and next generation networks EXAMINE how, when and where open source might fit into VoIP deployment Save the date: 4 6 December, 2007, London . Draft agenda is available on request, please email me directly at m.kaur-rai(a)cto.int. I look forward to seeing you in London! Yours sincerely, Mani Rai Conference Producer Email: m.kaur-rai(a)cto.int Tel: 0044 20 8834 1565 Fax: 0044 870 034 5626 P.S Please note the trip on the London Eye (subject to a private or public sector organisation sponsoring the conference) will be free for all delegates and speakers. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "DON'T LET SOMEONE BECOME A PRIORITY IN YOUR LIFE...WHEN YOU ARE JUST AN OPTION FOR THEM....." Tel. 254 720 318 925 blog:http://beckyit.blogspot.com/ --------------------------------- Boardwalk for $500? In 2007? Ha! Play Monopoly Here and Now (it's updated for today's economy) at Yahoo! Games.

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FW: Needed: Web-experts for: Web-portal Development, Hosting & Training (IGAD) -COMESA/RICTSP
by Harry Hare 20 Aug '07

20 Aug '07

Dear Colleagues, This posting might be of interest to some of you. Please circulate further, and apologies if youve already seen it. Kindest Regards Harry ________________________________________ From: Jane Møller Larsen [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Friday, August 17, 2007 5:58 PM To: Jane Møller Larsen Subject: Needed: Web-experts for: Web-portal Development, Hosting & Training (IGAD) -COMESA/RICTSP Dear ICT experts, We are presently searching for individual web-experts to be included in a team for the following position. Please distribute this to personal contacts and networks where you believe that experts could find interest in this. Thank you in advance. Pls. note that proposed start-date is expected to be in September 2007. ____________________________________________________________________ We are presently looking for experts who have an interest in the following position: Project title: Web-portal Development, Hosting & Training (IGAD) Application deadline: As soon as possible and at the latest Thursday 30 August 2007 Contract duration: Short term Company: Danish Management A/S (http://www.danishmanagement.dk/) for the Intergovernmental Authority for Development (IGAD) under COMESA/RICTSP. _______________________________________________________________ General information: Overall Objectives of the Assignment The main objective is to develop and achieve improved information access at the Intergovernmental Authority for Development org. and in the IGAD and ESA region. Specific Objectives: 1. Collect and analyse the user requirements and information needs of the stakeholders of the Regional IGAD Web Portal; 2. Design and develop a web portal; 3. Collect all information and populate the databases with the information; 4. Define information provision protocol for member states information suppliers to the web portal; 5. Train Technical staff on the web Servers including update to Web portal server software required from time to time; 6. Train Technical staff in the development and management of the Web Portal; 7. Design /provide a Content Management System(CMS) for content management; 8. Train Professional users on updating the portal using the Content Management System; 9. Train Regional Member states Technical staff in Web Portal development; 10. Train Regional Member states professional team in updating their specific information on the Portal. 11. Develop a Portal governance and Security system; 12. Define information for Intranet and develop the intranet system for IGAD; 13. Train staff in using the intranet; 14. Provide feedback and usage statistics. Requested Services The services required involve developing a new WEBPORTAL, over a period of 6 months, maintaining updating and building capacity for content uploading and maintenance, ensuring portal content integrity and security, providing feedback and usage statistics, and providing technical training of IGAD staff to maintain the portal after the termination of the contractual period. Additionally, the team of STEs will be required to provide services of setting up the WEBPORTAL servers and related IT support mechanisms to provide information to both potential and existing partners and the public at large about Intergovernmental Authority for Development. The Portal must be interactive, enabling global partners to make enquiries and requests for more information on-line. Implementation Time Frames: The development of the WEBPORTAL shall occur within a period of twelve (12) months and thereafter the staff of IGAD shall take over the responsibility of updating the Webportal which shall be on monthly basis. If completed sooner the STE will move on to the phase of Webportal enhancement, maintenance and capacity building - training. Expertise Required: Project managers, web development experts, and administrators - including STEs with experience and qualifications in web design, web programming, Microsoft Windows 2003, Microsoft Internet Information Server administration, Linux Mysql and PhP, etc. Indicate the respective roles that you/the STE will play in the team. Language: The webportal should be developed and regularly updated in both English and French languages. Eligibility (who can apply?): EU citizens and citizens from: Angola, Burundi, DR Congo, Malawi, Rwanda, Swaziland, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius, Seychelles, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia, and Sudan AND citizens of the ACP member states: http://www.acpsec.org/en/acp_states.htm Background information: www.igad.org http://www.comesa.int http://comesa.assure.danishictmanagement.dk Please find ToR enclosed If you find the position of interest and your - or one of your proposed expert's - profile complies with the stated criteria, please contact us immediately and send us a short professional presentation of yourself and an updated CV with relevant similar experience (stating your age, nationality, languages spoken, education and exactly in what you are an expert). Send your application to: ictjobs(a)danishmanagement.dk NB: Only shortlisted candidates will receive notice. Contact person: Jane Moeller Larsen Danish Management A/S Margretheholmsvej 2 1432 Copenhagen, Denmark Phone: +45 70 200 298 Direct: +45 35 250 655 Kind regards, Jane Moller Larsen

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FW: CD celebrates 25th anniversary
by Harry Hare 20 Aug '07

20 Aug '07

_____ From: Harry Hare [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Friday, August 17, 2007 8:47 PM To: 'kictanet(a)kictanet.or.ke'; 'swopnet(a)dgroups.org'; 'ethinktanktz(a)yahoogroups.com' Subject: CD celebrates 25th anniversary Dear Colleagues, Interesting story, 25 year later, what appeared to be an "engineering marvel" is fighting for survival! Read on. Harry +++++++++++++++ CD celebrates 25th anniversary EINDHOVEN, Netherlands (AP) -- It was August 17, 1982, and row upon row of palm-sized plates with a rainbow sheen began rolling off an assembly line near Hanover, Germany. Are CDs burnt out after 25 years? An engineering marvel at the time, today they are instantly recognizable as Compact Discs, a product that turned 25 years old on Friday -- and whose future is increasingly in doubt in an age of iPods and digital downloads. Those first CDs contained Richard Strauss' Alpine Symphony and would sound equally sharp if played today, says Holland's Royal Philips Electronics NV, which jointly developed the CD with Sony Corp. of Japan. The recording industry thrived in the 1990s as music fans replaced their aging cassettes and vinyl LPs with compact discs, eventually making CDs the most popular album format. The CD still accounts for the majority of the music industry's recording revenues, but its sales have been in a freefall since peaking early this decade, in part due to the rise of online file-sharing, but also as consumers spend more of their leisure dollars on other entertainment purchases, such as DVDs and video games. As the music labels slash wholesale prices and experiment with extras to revive the now-aging format, it's hard to imagine there was ever a day without CDs. Yet it had been a risky technical endeavor to attempt to bring digital audio to the masses, said Pieter Kramer, the head of the optical research group at Philips' labs in the Netherlands in the 1970s. "When we started there was nothing in place," he told The Associated Press at Philips' corporate museum in Eindhoven. The proposed semiconductor chips needed for CD players were to be the most advanced ever used in a consumer product. And the lasers were still on the drawing board when the companies teamed up in 1979. In 1980, researchers published what became known as the "Red Book" containing the original CD standards, as well as specifying which patents were held by Philips and which by Sony. Philips had developed the bulk of the disc and laser technology, while Sony contributed the digital encoding that allowed for smooth, error-free playback. Philips still licenses out the Red Book and its later incarnations, notably for the CD-ROM for storing computer software and other data. The CD's design drew inspiration from vinyl records: Like the grooves on a record, CDs are engraved with a spiral of tiny pits that are scanned by a laser -- the equivalent of a record player's needle. The reflected light is encoded into millions of 0s and 1s: a digital file. Because the pits are covered with plastic and the laser's light doesn't wear them down, the CD never loses sound quality. Legends abound about how the size of the CD was chosen: Some said it matched a Dutch beer coaster; others believe a famous conductor or Sony executive wanted it just long enough for Beethoven's 9th Symphony. Kramer said the decision evolved from "long conversations around the table" about which play length made the most sense. The jump into mass production in Germany was a milestone for the CD, and by 1982 the companies announced their product was ready for market. Both began selling players that fall, though the machines only hit U.S. markets the following spring. Sony sold the first player in Japan on October 1, with the CBS label supplying Billy Joel's "52nd Street" as its first album. The CD was a massive hit. Sony sold more players, especially once its "Discman" series was introduced in 1984. But Philips benefited from CD sales, too, thanks to its ownership of Polygram, now part of Vivendi SA's Universal Music Group. The CD player helped Philips maintain its position as Europe's largest maker of consumer electronics until it was eclipsed by Nokia Corp. in the late 1990s. Licensing royalties sustained the company through bad times. "The CD was in itself an easy product to market," said Philips' current marketing chief for consumer electronics, Lucas Covers. It wasn't just the sound quality -- discs looked like jewelry in comparison to LPs. By 1986, CD players were outselling record players, and by 1988 CDs outsold records. "It was a massive turnaround for the whole market," Covers said. Now, the CD may be seeing the end of its days. CD sales have fallen sharply to 553 million sold in the United States last year, a 22 percent drop from its 2001 peak of 712 million, according to Nielsen SoundScan. Napster and later Kazaa and BitTorrent allowed music fans to easily share songs over the Internet, often illegally. More recently, Apple Inc. and other companies began selling legal music downloads, turning the MP3 and other digital audio formats into the medium of choice for many owners of Apple's iPods and other digital players. "The MP3 and all the little things that the boys and girls have in their pockets ... can replace it, absolutely," said Kramer, the retired engineer. CDs won't disappear overnight, but its years may be numbered. Record labels seeking to revive the format have experimented with hybrid CD-DVD combos and packages of traditional CDs with separate DVDs that carry video and multimedia offerings playable on computers. The efforts have been mixed at best, with some attempts, such as the DualDisc that debuted in 2004, not finding lasting success in the marketplace. Kramer said it has been satisfying to witness the CD's long run at the top and know he had a small hand in its creation. "You never know how long a standard will last," he said. "But it was a solid, good standard and still is." E-mail <http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/ptech/08/17/cd.anniversary.ap/index.html> to a friend E-mail to a friend

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DOMAIN NAME TASTING
by alice 17 Aug '07

17 Aug '07

Dear All: A Request for Information has been posted by the ad-hoc group formed by the GNSO Council to look at Domain Tasting. The announcement can be found at: http://www.icann.org/announcements/announcement-2-10aug07.htm <http://www.icann.org/announcements/> In particular, an easy-to-use survey of the questions in the Request For Information (RFI) is available in the BigPulse voting/polling system. This makes it quick and easy to register your answers to the RFI. This can be found at: https:// <https:///> www.bigpulse.com/872i <http://www.bigpulse.com/872i> Real-time results from the survey are also publicly available at: http://www.bigpulse.com/pollresults?code=4Rkitd2chD5rD7eyJHJi We hope that many in the community will take the time to register their views and provide any suggestions of additional sources of information to be analysed while the RFI is open - it closes 15th September. DOMAIN NAME TASTING Background info <http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=e68jwbcab.0.rhwdddcab.xrsqb6bab.183&ts=S0263&p=http…> One sure sign of the growing maturity of the domain name system is the speculative market that has grown up around domains. But is this market a sign of health, the result of a loophole that needs to be closed, or somewhere in between? An Issues Report <http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=e68jwbcab.0.uhwdddcab.xrsqb6bab.183&ts=S0263&p=http…> on domain tasting was produced for the San Juan ICANN meeting where it was discussed in a number of sessions - including a tutorial <http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=e68jwbcab.0.whwdddcab.xrsqb6bab.183&ts=S0263&p=http…> on the issue. There is no simple solution however and the GNSO Council declined to launch a formal policy development process (PDP) into it, delaying a decision until September in order to provide time for more research to be carried out. An ad hoc group will draft a focused terms of reference for the possible PDP. A GNSO process isn't the only route however: ICANN staff pointed out that domain tasting may also be tackled through the ICANN Budget process; registry contractual changes; and the approval of new registry services. Each change would be aimed at removing the financial incentive that currently exists for companies to register and then "drop" tens of thousands of domain names every day. Key date: September: GNSO Council discussion on whether to launch domain tasting PDP

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It's official: Mugabe sorts the mail
by Alex Gakuru 17 Aug '07

17 Aug '07

[JURIST] (via africa.rights.apc.org) http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/paperchase/2007/08/zimbabwe-president-approves.p… Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe has signed off on the controversial Interception of Communications Bill, which establishes a government communications surveillance agency and authorizes the government to intercept communications across the telephone, the Internet, and other electronic communication devices. The bill, which has been criticized by opposition lawmakers as an effort to consolidate power and crack down on dissent, will also allow the government to open conventional mail, requires communication services providers to facilitate the interception and storage of private communications at the government's request. The legislation was approved in June by both the Senate and House of Assembly. Mugabe has been criticized for his handling of the economy of Zimbabwe and his increasingly authoritarian rule. In July, Zimbabwean police reports indicated the arrest of at least 1300 shop owners and managers who refused to comply with price controls that halved the prices of all goods and services. Zimbabwe's inflation rate, which is reportedly exceeding 5000 percent, is largely attributed to Mugabe's controversial white-owned farm seizure program as previously productive farms have become barren under inexperienced new owners. In June, the International Commission of Jurists accused the Zimbabwean government of "interfering with the proper functioning of the administration of justice, the role of lawyers and their independence". In May, Zimbabwean police refused to comply with a High Court ruling requiring police officials to vacate a farm seized by police in March, and responded by ordering more police on to the property. In March, opposition leader and presidential hopeful Morgan Tsvangirai was arrested and beaten while in police custody. Police officials have routinely ignored court orders and critics have alleged that Mugabe has given tacit approval to their actions. BBC News has more. ____________________________________________________________________________________ Fussy? Opinionated? Impossible to please? Perfect. Join Yahoo!'s user panel and lay it on us. http://surveylink.yahoo.com/gmrs/yahoo_panel_invite.asp?a=7

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Procedure for appointment?
by bitange＠jambo.co.ke 17 Aug '07

17 Aug '07

I think in future it may prudent to direct questions to the source on issues such as Board Appointment. In the past, it was purely the prerogative of the President and the Minister to appoint even the MD. This has since changed and we want it to change even further to enable stakeholders to nominate potential candidates. If you carefully scrutinize the ICT Board and Management appointment, you will see our rationale. The CEO went through a vetting process by Delloite. The Minister only confirmed the outcome. We needed both the CEO and the Chairperson to be both marketers and have some knowledge of ICT to market our country as an outsource destination. The Board appointments were made in such a way to accomodate most of the stakeholders and also takes into account on such issues as Gender, diversity (age, race, religion, public/private etc). With all these variables, it is not difficult to annoy a few in the process. What needs to be done is to have a legal requirement as we have done with the Film Commission that the stakeholders nominate. But even in this case some stakeholders are not permanent entities or are not recognized by all. In my view Kicktanet is a wonderful organization but it has remained a virtual club. We need to move its agenda a notch higher to create interface between policy making and the citizenry. I have given my views on this to the consultant but we should one day have an holds barred seminar to reform this noble organization. Regards Bitange Ndemo. > I believe the board members have terms and more people will have an > opportunity to serve in future. > > The board is new and it is not necessarily that membership is on reward > basis. Its about work! We shall be definitely challenging. Thats how i see > it. > > Muthoni > > > On 8/13/07, Lizette Kraft <lfkraft(a)gmail.com> wrote: >> >> Hi Walu, >> >> No one ever had the thought that there wasn't other talent out there, >> but >> considering she was a founder of the organisation or whatever it is >> known >> as, should have at least given it some consideration don't you think. As >> I >> said, we don't know how the board was put together, whether through >> nomination or whatever, (some of us didn't see this at all to even >> comment >> on), but besides that what other factors where there that overrode the

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Update on Kenyaś OOXML Vote
by Dorcas Muthoni 15 Aug '07

15 Aug '07

I just made contact with one of the committee members and i am told that the vote went Yes in Kenya last evening. We had a problem in that out of 12 members in the committee, 7 were from Microsoft or were Microsoft dealers/partners and were actually brought into the committe by Microsoft. I am told the vote was: 9 - Yes (Microsoft and dealers/partners, 1 university, I society) 2 - No (Kenya Airways and IBM East Africa) 1 - Abstain (Kenya Bureau of Standards and Committee Secretariat) This committee met only 5 times. Once i get the official copy of this ballot, i will post more information. The committee was not representative of the industry. Most members representing the various organisations were not experts in the subject matter from my analysis. I attended part of the meeting yesterday. Muthoni

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board members
by Rebecca Wanjiku 15 Aug '07

15 Aug '07

in case you were wondering who are the other board members, here the names The other members are: Richard Bell Catherine Adeya Peter Kimacia Kevit Desai Kiptiness from CCK. Getting a board nowadays is very difficult as you must take into account many issues. I hope we got the bast here. Tel. 254 720 318 925 blog:http://beckyit.blogspot.com/ --------------------------------- Fussy? Opinionated? Impossible to please? Perfect. Join Yahoo!'s user panel and lay it on us.

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I Want The Earth Plus 5 per cent
by Alex Gakuru 14 Aug '07

14 Aug '07

Want to know why money-makers aspire to be Fabian? <snip> "Fabian was excited as he once more rehearsed his speech for the crowd certain to turn up tomorrow. He had always wanted prestige and power and now his dreams were going to come true. He was a craftsman working with silver and gold, making jewelry and ornaments, but he became dissatisfied with working for a living. He needed excitement, a challenge, and now his plan was ready to begin...." This meant that for every $100 he held in deposits, it was possible to make 42% profit, most people believing he was only making 2%. The other goldsmiths were doing the same thing. They created money out of nothing at the stroke of a pen, and then charged interest on top of it.... <snip> See http://www.relfe.com/plus_5_.html [Posted by Ashok Hariharan to skunkworks mailing list http://ole.kenic.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/skunkworks] ____________________________________________________________________________________ Need a vacation? Get great deals to amazing places on Yahoo! Travel. http://travel.yahoo.com/

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Say NO to OOXML campaign
by Judy Okite 13 Aug '07

13 Aug '07

Dear Listers, Just to alert you on the ongoing campaign.......this product is substandard,but M$ is determined to launch it. Please do not get caught in between and make a wrong decision.... briefly scrutinize the links below and make a well defined decision. Say NO to this product,sadly M$ has a strong hold in our country,but its within your rights to demand for a worthy product.do not be fooled/coarsed or get caught in marketting gimmick. Please spread this news out and wide. Kind Regards, The campaign to stop Microsoft getting the Office format approved by ISO is on. MS's OOXML has been proved to be long, incomplete, patented,and unsuitable as an ISO standard. There is also an existing standard, ODF, as you know. The FFII has been fighting OOXML in Europe and Latin America, and FTISA has beat it in South Africa. Together with these guys, we should be able to kick OOXML out of the rest of Africa. There are ISO votes in Ghana, Nigeria, Cote-d'Ivoire, Botswana, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Kenya, and Congo. Microsoft have, I heard, gone to Nairobi in force to try to force the vote there. What we need to do is work with the ISO national boards to understand that OOXML is really broken, and we then need to make sure those boards can't be stuffed with Microsoft puppets, as happened in the US, Italy, Azerbaijan, Romania, and elsewhere. We just want national boards to vote "NO" until all the technical problems in the format are fixed. The FFII has collected information on this campaign, see www.noooxml.org. But to start with, I'd like to invite you to join this mailing list: https://lists.ffii.org/mailman/listinfo/noooxml-africa Thanks, - Pieter ph(a)imatix.com -- Judy Ann Okite, +254-721237507,+254-734252336 P.O. BOX 2228 00100, NAIROBI,KENYA. "Even if you are on the right track, you'll still get run over if you just sit there."

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Tanzania: City Launches Own Local Internet Exchange
by Alex Gakuru 13 Aug '07

13 Aug '07

[Guys, I hope am not such a bore to stop your full enjoyment of Freedom of Expression but just for moment look over yonder. Ugandans too are moving very fast. Thanks Cece for this pointer - Alex] Tanzania: City Launches Own Local Internet Exchange Point Arusha Times (Arusha) By Valentine Marc Nkwame 11 August 2007 Arusha <snip> Arusha has just become the first non-capital urban center in East and Central Africa to have its own Internet Exchange Point, a physical infrastructure that allows different Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to connect to each other and exchange local traffic between their networks by means of mutual peering agreements. <snip> http://allafrica.com/stories/200708120056.html ____________________________________________________________________________________ Pinpoint customers who are looking for what you sell. http://searchmarketing.yahoo.com/

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Re: [kictanet] board members - Procedure for appointment?
by John Walubengo 11 Aug '07

11 Aug '07

Fatma, All details for the ICT Board were contained in the corresponding Gazette Notice. A quick browse on the government sites, Parliament http://www.bunge.go.ke/ and Ministry of Info and Comm http://www.information.go.ke/ gave me no reference to the document. So I am compelled to tread carefully and find out if the said Gazette notice is for public consumption and if so, why it is not available in electronic form...I know I sound like the KANU days are back but hey, the environment may have changed but the laws (Secrecy Act and its cousins) are still pretty much the same... walu. --- Fatma Bashir <fbashir(a)cyberschooltech.com> wrote: > Walu > > hi, might you know what the mandate of the ICT board is? > in terms of > hierachy as well, will it be like Rwanda's RITA ? > > Fatma > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "John Walubengo" <jwalu(a)yahoo.com> > To: <fbashir(a)cyberschooltech.com> > Cc: "Kenya ICT Policy - kictanet" > <kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> > Sent: Saturday, August 11, 2007 11:31 AM > Subject: Re: [kictanet] board members - Procedure for > appointment? > > > > Lizette, > > > > FE's contribution to ICT in Kenya is quite exceptional > and > > outstanding. However, when it comes to sitting on > > non-elective boards, other factors tend to override. > > > > The legislation (Gazette Notice) for the Kenya ICT > board > > and other similar boards accross the world leaves the > > search and appoint procedures at the pleasure of the > > President and his respective minister. Now, in a market > > with excessive ICT and related talent like Kenya, one > can > > only understand if some qualified members miss out > > (including me maybe? ;-) > > > > Nevertheless, what matters is if the new board can > deliver > > the anticipated benefits within reasonable timeframes. > And > > I believe the six or seven of them will not succeed > without > > the input the likes of FE et al. > > > > walu. > > > > > > > > --- Lizette Kraft <lfkraft(a)gmail.com> wrote: > > > >> Congratulations to all the Board members!! > >> > >> On the other hand, It's amazing how Dr. Florence Etta > was > >> not given the > >> opportunity to be nominated and/or participate on the > >> Board!!! As one of > >> the key founders of KICTANET and the name and having > >> contributed > >> extensively to ICT as a whole in everyway!!!! Have we > >> forgotten so fast!!! > >> With no disrespect intended to anyone, but I must ask > - > >> Is this the Kenyan > >> way of doing things??? I am sure most of you will > agree > >> that at least > >> Florence should have been nominated or asked to > >> participate as a board > >> member. It was then upto her to decide if she was > >> interested to or not, and > >> of course then, the voting or whatever would have been > >> done to determine the > >> members, or so I would think. Is this what everyone > >> agreed to?? would be > >> good to know. > >> > >> Sorry but its always hard for people to be upfront, > >> truthful and bold enough > >> to ask and I think it's only fair to raise this. What > >> method > >> was used to select the board members??? Important for > >> all to be informed. > >> > >> > >> Thanks to all > >> best regards > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> On 8/10/07, Rebecca Wanjiku <rebeccawanjiku(a)yahoo.com> > >> wrote: > >> > > >> > in case you were wondering who are the other board > >> members, here the names > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > The other members are: > >> > Richard Bell > >> > Catherine Adeya > >> > Peter Kimacia > >> > Kevit Desai > >> > Kiptiness from CCK. > >> > > >> > Getting a board nowadays is very difficult as you > must > >> take into account > >> > many issues. I hope we got the bast here. > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > Tel. 254 720 318 925 > >> > > >> > blog:http://beckyit.blogspot.com/ > >> > > >> > ------------------------------ > >> > Fussy? Opinionated? Impossible to please? Perfect. > Join > >> Yahoo!'s user > >> > > >> > > > panel<http://us.rd.yahoo.com/evt=48516/*http://surveylink.yahoo.com/gmrs/yahoo_pa…>and > >> lay it on us. > >> > > >> > > >> > _______________________________________________ > >> > kictanet mailing list > >> > kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke > >> > > http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet > >> > > >> > This message was sent to: lfkraft(a)gmail.com > >> > Unsubscribe or change your options at > >> > > >> > > > http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/lfkraft%40gmail.com > >> > > >> > > >> > >> > >> -- > >> Lizette Kraft > >> P.O. Box 18488, 00500 > >> Nairobi, Kenya > >> Cell: 0722-800362 > >> > _______________________________________________ > >> kictanet mailing list > >> kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke > >> http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet > >> > >> This message was sent to: jwalu(a)yahoo.com > >> Unsubscribe or change your options at > >> > > > http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/jwalu%40yahoo.com > >> > > > > > > > > > > > ____________________________________________________________________________________ > > Fussy? Opinionated? Impossible to please? Perfect. > Join Yahoo!'s user > > panel and lay it on us. > > > http://surveylink.yahoo.com/gmrs/yahoo_panel_invite.asp?a=7 > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > kictanet mailing list > > kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke > > http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet > > > > This message was sent to: fbashir(a)cyberschooltech.com > > Unsubscribe or change your options at > > > http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/fbashir%40cyberschoolt… > > > > > ---------------------------------------------- > This message has been scanned for viruses and > dangerous content by Jambo MailScanner, and is > believed to be clean. > --------------------------------------------- > "easy access to the world" > > ____________________________________________________________________________________ Take the Internet to Go: Yahoo!Go puts the Internet in your pocket: mail, news, photos & more. http://mobile.yahoo.com/go?refer=1GNXIC

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Thumbs-up ECK - Confirm your Polling Station via SMS
by Alex Gakuru 10 Aug '07

10 Aug '07

List M8s, On behalf of consumers, allow me to declare Mr. Samuel Kivuitu (i.e.ECK) ICT compliant. This morning, I composed an sms - typed only my National ID No and sent that sms to 020-4605872. Within seconds I received a reply sms that read: >From ECK ID No: XXXXXXX(I've masked my ID No) Voters Name: ALEX GAKURU Voters Card No: 005/012/1570733010 Constituency: 005-DAGORETTI Polling Station: 012-JAMHURI PRI. SCH. Status: OK On further inquiry, I found out this sms is charged at normal rate (shs 5/=) and that anyone can query/confirm their polling station from Safaricom, Celtel or Telkom CDMA phone. The service is powered by Telkom Wireless technologies. For delivering the ECK register to consumers' hands and so conveniently we are delighted with ECK's visible electoral transparency. We only hope every public body emulated ECK and offered similar services. We would be happy to do e-government business this transparently. Thank you Alex Gakuru > -- > website: http://www.billowsbpo.co.ke/ > ____________________________________________________________________________________ Shape Yahoo! in your own image. Join our Network Research Panel today! http://surveylink.yahoo.com/gmrs/yahoo_panel_invite.asp?a=7

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Fwd: African Telecoms Billing And Revenue Management Forum
by Mike Theuri 09 Aug '07

09 Aug '07

---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: yamanjanl <yamanjanl(a)yahoo.com> Date: Aug 9, 2007 3:49 AM Subject: [Fikara] African Telecoms Billing And Revenue Management Forum To: Fikara(a)yahoogroups.com African Telecoms Billing And Revenue Management Forum Event Registration Register online or Call: Customer Services Tel: +44 (0) 20 7017 7483 Email: registrations(a)iir-telecoms.com Mon 03 Sep 2007 - Fri 07 Sep 2007 Cape Town International Convention Centre, Cape Town, South Africa Building on the resounding success of IIR's 3rd Annual African Telecoms Billing and Revenue Management Forum in September 2006, IIR is delighted to announce the dates and venue for the 2007 event. Join us this September in Cape Town and benefit from an event offering 5 focused days of conference and seminar sessions addressing. The event will bring together leading operators and operators to address commercial address the specific Revenue Management and Billing challenges currently being faced by African Telecoms Operators and Service Providers. The event attracted 120 delegates from across the African continent and Gulf States last year. This forum presents an invaluable opportunity to hear real-world experiences in a series of cutting- edge case studies and workshops led by African and European Operators. The weeklong event offers two back-to-back conferences: the format is fully flexible allowing delegates to attend either the full five days to gain a complete overview of Billing and Revenue Assurance/Management strategies or individual conference days depending on their particular professional interests. Who Will Attend?The conference is specifically designed for: Decision-makers from fixed, mobile, prepaid, post paid, Internet, broadband and convergent Operators from EMEA, with responsibility for: Billing / Prepaid * Customer Care / CRM * IT/MIS/ICT/Mediation * BSS / OSS Implementation * Systems Development * Network Engineering * Finance / Accounting / Audit * Revenue Assurance and Fraud Management * Interconnect / Partner Administration« Business Strategy / Development * Pricing, Rating, Marketing and Sales Regulatory agency executives and senior government officials with oversight for the regulatory framework within the telecom industry Senior banking executives with responsibilities for managing lending and financing activities to the telecom industry Legal practitioners, external auditors, management consultants and risk management experts serving the telecom industry Key PresentationsKey topics to be addressed include: Developing A Successful Billing System Implementation Strategy: Creating A Benchmark For Implementation And Project Management Best Practice Exploiting Prepaid Recharge Mechanisms To Maximise Revenues By Boosting Both Customer Acquisition And Retention Examining How The Increased Convergence Of Telecoms With Other Industry Sectors Will Impact Key Revenue Protection Functions Like Billing, Revenue Assurance And Fraud Management Deploying A Prepaid Charging System To Effectively Deliver Prepaid Content And Next Generation Services Developing Mobile Banking Services To Generate New Revenue Streams Understanding Why It is Essential For African Operators To Move Beyond Revenue Assurance To Revenue Management To Successfully Respond To Emerging Requirements Of A Fast-Paced And Increasingly Convergent Telecoms Market Addressing The People Factor In Revenue Assurance And Billing – Finding, Retaining And Training Staff With The Appropriate Skills Setting Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) To Benchmark And Quantify The Performance Of Your Revenue Assurance Strategy Developing A Successful Revenue Assurance Solution Implementation Strategy: Creating A Benchmark For Implementation Best Practice Understanding How To Structure An RA Team And Where To Position It Within The Company For Maximum Benefit Addressing The Challenges Of Managing Revenue Assurance For Prepaid Services Minimising Cost And Revenue Losses Incurred By African Operators Through Infrastructure Failure, Damage And Theft Key speakers include: Susan Burger, Group Revenue Assurance & Interconnect Manager, MTN Group Albert Salima, Billing Manager, Celtel Zambia Ehtisham Rao, Director Billing, Mobilink Ebele Eghobamien, HOD Wholesale Billing Services, Revenue Management Division, Celtel Nigeria Andreas Krebs, Senior Product Manager, Partnering & Innovation, O2 Germany Bernard Wole Ilori, Manager, Revenue Assurance and Fraud Management, Globacom Mike Nelson, Specialist, Business Analysis, Telkom SA Dennis Baguyo, Senior Billing Manager, Celtel Group Henry Whyte, General Manager/Revenue Assurance, Ghana Telecommunications Johnson Bareyei, Head Billing and Customer Management, Topcom Nigeria Syed Thameen, Revenue Assurance Manager, Celtel Uganda Elliot Mashumba, Service Risk Manager, Econet Wireless Johan de Wet, Senior Manager, Revenue Assurance and Accounting, Group Finance, Telkom SA http://www.iir-events.com/IIR-conf/Telecoms/EventView.aspx? EventID=1082&SearchResult=http%3a%2f%2fwww.iir-events.com%2fIIR-conf% 2fSearchEvents.aspx __._,_.___

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[Fwd: Key CTO Forum in Kenya to examine solutions to African rural connectivity]]
by alice 09 Aug '07

09 Aug '07

Any members interested in attending this forum? Please let me know off line. Thank you best alice -------- Original Message -------- Subject: [kictanet] Key CTO Forum in Kenya to examine solutions to African rural connectivity] Date: Wed, 08 Aug 2007 12:15:02 +0300 From: alice <alice(a)apc.org> Organization: Association for Progressive Communications (APC) To: alice(a)apc.org CC: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> CTO Forum in Kenya to examine solutions to African rural connectivity Africas search for real solutions that will lead to the early connection of the nearly 80% of the Continent that is still without telephone and internet access will take a giant leap forward when ministers, regulators, operating company executives and high-level officials from various development partner agencies converge in Nairobi for the Connecting Rural Communities Africa Forum 2007, and is preceded on the 20th August by a meeting of the Commonwealth Connects programme. The Forum is taking place at the Grand Regency hotel in Nairobi, Kenya from the 21st to the 24th August. This key event, organised by the Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation (CTO) and hosted by the Communications Commission of Kenya (CCK), will provide a forum for discussion of research findings, policy options, regulatory strategies, business models, financing and investment facilities, available technologies and public-private-people-partnerships that could enable improvement in African rural connectivity. The Conference proceedings are expected to contribute to a major study to be launched by the CTO on Africas Rural Connectivity within the context of the Commonwealth Connects programme, and recommendations from the Conference will go a long way to outline the agenda for subsequent meetings, workshops, programmes and projects in the sector. The advances in information and communication technologies (ICTs) in developing nations are facilitating socio-economic development, as well as the general progress and well-being of individuals and communities. ICT has been identified as playing a leading role in enabling countries to attain their Millennium Development Goals, such as the elimination of poverty, combating of serious disease, improving access to education and providing equal opportunities to women. This conference will discuss each of these issues and highlight the work of African governments, regulators and the private sector in providing universal access. For ICTs to be sustainable and provide widespread ubiquitous access to all citizens, it is generally considered imperative that governments, regulators and the private sector work together to provide solutions and enhance connectivity. As part of its commitment to bridging the digital divide, the CTO has produced this knowledge-sharing event, designed to bring together the giants of the ICT sector, from both the public sector, private companies, the development and academic community and civil society, especially non-governmental and community-based organisations. CTOs CEO, Dr Ekwow Spio-Garbrah, states: We are delighted to be able to assemble such a high faculty of speakers and delegates from all over Africa, and also from many other regions of the world. Participants in this Conference are those who have come to acknowledge that of all the challenges the global community faces in the ICT sector, that of connecting Africas rural populations must be the epi-centre. All who are committed to the use of ICTs to advance the development process should be interested in this fundamental challenge. We look forward to seeing and meeting with as many of Africas development and investment partners as possible. The CTO Conference will significantly contribute to the development of universal access to ICT in the African region. Based on the success of last years CTO event on Connecting Rural Communities in Abuja, Nigeria, the CTO has decided to increase the duration of this years forum to three days to incorporate a Focus day which will cover amongst other things, telemedicine and improving the accessibility of education. The Conference be preceded by a half-day workshop on the use of satellites to connect rural communities in the afternoon 21st August; a half-day meeting between the CTO and heads of Universal Service Funding agencies in Africa, on the morning of 21st August, and by another all-day meeting on 20th August of representatives of African Commonwealth countries whose Points of Contact will discuss various issues involved in the Commonwealth Connects programme, that has been mandated by Commonwealth Heads of State and Government. According to an official of one of the several companies that has agreed to sponsor the event, Connecting Rural Communities Africa is a timely opportunity for all stakeholders who are spearheading rural connectivity to network, discuss best practices for harnessing ICT to deliver socio-economic benefits, share strategies for connecting rural Africa and consider different solutions for bridging the digital divide through sustainable ICT connectivity. For more information and to register to attend, or for opportunities to support this event, contact: Toby Davies Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation Tel.: +44 870 777 7697 t.davies(a)cto.int <http://mailer.eddiction.co.uk/_webscripts/emaillog.php?789c35cbcd0a80201004…> *** About the CTO - The Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation (CTO) is an international development partnership between Commonwealth and non-Commonwealth governments, business and civil society organisations. It provides the international community with effective means to help bridge the digital divide and achieve social and economic development, by delivering to developing countries unique knowledge-sharing programmes in the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) in the specific areas of telecommunications, IT, broadcasting and the Internet. _______________________________________________ kictanet mailing list kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet This message was sent to: alice(a)apc.org Unsubscribe or change your options at http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/alice%40apc.org

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[Fwd: Support A Digital Village (Centre, School, or Kiosk) In Kenya]
by alice 09 Aug '07

09 Aug '07

Dear Friend, To assist the Government of Kenya to rapidly and successfully implement the Digital Village Project in all 210 constituencies, ICTvillage.com is coordinating a public private partnership (PPP) to take ICTs to the rural and peri-urban areas all over Kenya. If you would like to support a youth or womens group, faith-based or community-based organization, primary or secondary school to set-up and run a digital village in the rural or peri-urban areas of Kenya then click on www.ictvillage.com/dvn_dve_3a.asp to apply online on their behalf. As a digital mentor, you will assist your chosen beneficiary to participate in a Digital Village Network that adopts and transforms existing computer facilities (cybercafe, computer lab, training centre, etc.) into world-class branded digital villages. Constituency development is not reserved for politicians. All Kenyans have an obligation to assist the less fortunate in our midst. ICT initiatives like the Digital Village Project presents us with a golden opportunity to stimulate economic and social development for all Kenyans. Let us work together to fulfill this noble and innovative vision. You can change lives by supporting rural communities via digital villages. Please visit our website, www.ICTvillage.com, for more information on digital villages and how to participate. Best Regards, Anne Mutugi, General Manager. -------------------------------------------- ICTvillage.com, Idea Factory Limited, The Office Park, Riverside Drive. Tel: 254-020-444-9277 254-020-444-7655 Fax: 254-020-444-9210 PO Box 12 - 00606, Sarit Centre, Nairobi, Kenya.

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ISOC Fellowship to the IETF - seeking applicants for IETF 70 and IETF 71
by Brian Longwe 09 Aug '07

09 Aug '07

> > Dear Colleagues, > > The Internet Society has announced that it is seeking applications > for the next round of the ISOC Fellowship to the IETF program. The > program offers engineers from developing countries fellowships that > fund the cost of attending an Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) > meeting. > > As you know, the IETF is the Internet's premier standards-making > body, responsible for the development of protocols used in IP-based > networks. IETF participants represent an international community of > network designers, operators, vendors, and researchers involved in > the technical operation of the Internet and the continuing evolution > of Internet architecture. > > Fellowships will be awarded through a competitive application > process. The Internet Society is currently accepting fellowship > applications for the next two IETF meetings: > > * IETF 70 being held in Vancouver, Canada on December 2-7 2007, > and > * IETF 71 being held in Philadelphia, USA on March 9-14, 2008 > > Up to five fellowships will be awarded for each IETF meeting. > > Full details on the ISOC Fellowship to the IETF, including how to > apply, are located on the ISOC website at : > > http://www.isoc.org/educpillar/fellowship > > Fellowship applications for both IETF meetings are due by 7 September > 2007. > > The Internet Society formally launched the ISOC Fellowship to the > IETF program in January 2007 after successfully piloting the program > during 2006 at IETF 66 in Montreal and IETF 67 in San Diego. Fifteen > individuals from 12 countries have participated in the program since > its inception. > > I encourage you to pass information about this program to individuals > involved in your regional operators' groups that have a keen interest > in the Internet standardisation activities of the IETF. You also may > consider being a reference for the applicant. > > If you have questions, please do not hesiate to contact Karen Rose > <rose(a)isoc.org> or Mirjam Kuehne <mir(a)isoc.org>. > > Kind Regards, > Mirjam Kuehne > ISOC >

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NOMINATE YOUR ACHIEVER TODAY
by Fiona Asonga 09 Aug '07

09 Aug '07

Dear All, The African ICT Achievers program has been launched in all the five regions, the goal is to have each region run its own leg of the Awards - handling the nominations and judging process and ultimately appointing a winner for that region in each of the categories. All the winners in the various categories from the regions will then be the finalists who will compete in the overall African ICT Achievers Awards for the coveted title as top achiever in each of the respective categories. The Winners will be announced at the African ICT Achievers Awards Banquet, to be held in Johannesburg, South Africa at the end of November. To nominate a candidate (individual or organization) for the ICT Achievers Award kindly go to: http://www.forgeahead.co.za/achievers/categories.htm With the pass at which the ICT sector is developing in this country, I think there are Kenyans who stand a good chance. Regards Fiona Asonga Administrator Telecommunications Service Providers Association of Kenya (TESPOK) P.O Box 27589 - 00506 NAIROBI Tel: +254 20 245036 -----Original Message----- From: godera(a)skyweb.co.ke [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Wednesday, August 08, 2007 5:34 PM To: tespok(a)tespok.co.ke Subject: Fwd: NOMINATE YOUR ACHIEVER TODAY Fiona, This is what I have been wanting to broadcast on kiplist to the industry. Can you please forward it, we need to see Kenyans winning. Please ensure everyone gets this so they nominate people who deserve to be recognized in Africa. ----- Forwarded message from Shirley <shirley(a)forgeahead.co.za> ----- Date: Wed, 8 Aug 2007 16:03:10 +0200 From: Shirley <shirley(a)forgeahead.co.za> Reply-To: Shirley <shirley(a)forgeahead.co.za> Subject: NOMINATE YOUR ACHIEVER TODAY To: Godera <godera(a)skyweb.co.ke> Trouble viewing this mail, please read it online NOMINATE YOUR ACHIEVER TODAY The African ICT Achievers Programme has built a strong foundation of recognition and reward for those ICT individuals and organisations who have made a difference to the ICT industry in Africa. They must have proven achievement in business excellence , innovation, entrepreneurship or through having touched the lives of others less fortunate. They must also have proven that their interaction continues to leverage ICTs to make a difference across our continent. ----- End forwarded message ----- ------------------------------------------------- This mail sent through IMP: http://horde.org/imp/ No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.476 / Virus Database: 269.11.8/941 - Release Date: 8/7/2007 4:06 PM No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.476 / Virus Database: 269.11.8/941 - Release Date: 8/7/2007 4:06 PM -- This message has been scanned for viruses and dangerous content by MailScanner, and is believed to be clean.

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Of journalists, and corruption�.
by Rebecca Wanjiku 08 Aug '07

08 Aug '07

Of journalists, and corruption. When a friend of mine sent a scathing SMS castigating a fellow journalist, I was offended. He had advised me to urge my colleague to go to hell. I was offended because I expected more from a lawyer I had grown to respect, I thought he had better skills to deal with it than to splash mud on everyone. He complained of bad faith and malice, demonstrated by a cartoon in the newspaper. But the core of my friends complaint was what he described as chronic corruption within journalism. He felt that the journalists who write or publish negative things are the same ones who queue for handouts. This is an old saying, has been told over generations. Even the meanest of characters, who cant even afford to buy a drink for anybody, shout themselves dead when speaking about corrupt journalists. I am not overly impartial in this, because my opinion has always been- it takes two to be corrupt. Can anyone who gives money or other favors to journalists claim to be righteous? The main question: do the journalists hold a gun to anyone demanding money? This question was underscored by the Members of Parliament who claimed the only reason for passing the media bill is because the journalists are corrupt and survive on hand outs. It was argued that it is fair to pass the controversial media bill that will force journalists to reveal sources, because journalists are corrupt. It was even said that journalists are always seen walking to parliament. How right! The question of corruption is controversial, because the journalists threaten to publish malicious details. But there are other mechanisms for redress can sue or officially complain. Tel. 254 720 318 925 blog:http://beckyit.blogspot.com/ --------------------------------- Building a website is a piece of cake. Yahoo! Small Business gives you all the tools to get online.

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"Call for Participation: Trust and the Future of the Internet
by alice 08 Aug '07

08 Aug '07

From: Lucy Lynch <lynch(a)isoc.org> Date: 8 augusti 2007 20.06.17 GMT+02:00 To: isoc-members-discuss(a)elists.isoc.org Subject: [isoc-members-discuss] A Call for Subject Experts Greetings - Your help in disseminating this announce would be greatly appreciated: "Call for Participation: Trust and the Future of the Internet The Internet Society (ISOC) Board of Trustees is currently engaged in a discovery process to define a long term Major Strategic Initiative to ensure that the Internet of the future remains accessible to everyone. The Board believes that Trust is an essential component of all successful relationships and that an erosion of Trust: in individuals, networks, or computing platforms, will undermine the continued health and success of the Internet. The Board will meet in special session the first week October of 2007 for intensive study focused on the subject of trust within the context of network enabled relationships. As part of this process, the Board is hereby issuing a call for subject experts who can participate in the two day discussion. Topics of interest include: the changing nature of trust, security, privacy, control and protection of personal data, methods for establishing authenticity and providing assurance, management of threats, and dealing with unwanted traffic. Participants will be selected based on a short paper summarizing individual interests and qualifications as well as availability. The retreat will be held in Toronto, Ontario (CA) . Travel and accommodation costs will be covered by ISOC and participants should expect to arrive October 4th and depart on the 6th or 7th. Expressions of interest may be emailed to: Oct07-retreat @ elists.isoc.org and papers should not exceed three pages. Papers must received by August 24th, 2007 and the Program Committee will make their selections on or before September 7th, 2007. Subject experts will be allotted one hour for presentation on October 5th and will be included in the days round-table discussions. In order to facilitate open discussion, final presentation materials should be forwarded to ISOC no later than September 21st, 2007. We look forward to a lively and informative meeting on this important topic and encourage you to share this announcement with your communities of interest." Lucy Lynch Director of Technical Projects Internet Society (ISOC)

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ICANN Releases Draft IDN Evaluation Plans
by alice 08 Aug '07

08 Aug '07

Procedures for IDN TLD Evaluation Deployment in the Root Zone 6 August 2007 ICANN has finalized the procedures describing how IANA will manage the insertion, administration and removal of internationalized top- level domains in the root zone for the upcoming evaluation. The procedures were posted previously for public comments. That comment, as well as advice from the technical community (including RSSAC), was taken into consideration in editing the final versions. The two procedures guiding this effort are: 1. IANA Root Zone Procedures for Test IDN Deployment <http://www.icann.org/topics/idn/test-deployment-procedures-06aug07.htm> The final procedure was approved by the ICANN Board on 29 June 2007 (see http://icann.org/minutes/resolutions-29jun07.htm <http://www.icann.org/minutes/resolutions-29jun07.htm>) after some clarifications were provided in response to public comment (see http://forum.icann.org/lists/iana-idn-process/) These procedures are being implemented by IANA in preparation for the insertion of IDN evaluation TLDs. 2. Root Server Operator Procedures for Emergency Revocation of Evaluation-purpose IDN TLDs <http://www.icann.org/topics/idn/operator-emergency-procedures-06aug07.htm> The purpose of this procedure is to provide a method of quickly removing IDN TLDs from the root zone in the very unlikely event that insertion of these evaluation strings negatively impact DNS or root server operations. After consultation with the RSSAC, the procedure has been modified to focus on a communication protocol that root server operators will employ in the identification and mitigation of any problems that might arise for root server operations as a consequence of the proposed testing of IDN strings . Root server operators will monitor and identify deteriorated service potentially caused by IDNs in the root. If such a result is detected, ICANN will be notified and in turn activate the procedure. IDN Program -- looking forward: The next milestones in the IDN Program Plan requires obtaining necessary approvals to insert the eleven suggested evaluation top-level domains (the term <.test> translated into eleven languages). (See the IDN .test Evaluation Plan at http:// icann.org/announcements/announcement-2-19jun07.htm <http://www.icann.org/announcements/announcement-2-19jun07.htm>). An additional announcement will be made once the approvals have been received. It is anticipated that these evaluation TLDs will be launched in late September 2007. ------------------------------------ Updated IDN .test Evaluation Plan ICANN updates the IDN .test Evaluation Plan based on comment to the previously posted version of the plan for the insertion of evaluation IDN TLDs in the root zone 19 July 2007 Update ICANN has amended the draft plan for insertion of evaluation IDN TDs into the root zone based on comments received on the public forum established for that purpose (see, http://forum.icann.org/lists/idn-tld-test/) Specifically, an amended version of the proposed label for the Persian TLD, has been posted (see, http://www.icann.org/topics/idn/idn-evaluation-plan-v2.9.1.pdf [PDF, 241K]). The changes that have been made: (i) replaces the previously suggested Persian .test TLD with an alternate TLD label that more clearly reveals the Persian YEH, and (ii) changes of the reference to the name of the language from Farsi to Persian. Comments on this or other aspects of the evaluation plan can be made to idn-tld-test(a)icann.org <mailto:[email protected]> and viewed at http://forum.icann.org/lists/idn-tld-test/. For more details please see: http://forum.icann.org/lists/idn-tld-test/msg00002.html and http://forum.icann.org/lists/idn-tld-test/msg00003.html. --------------------------------------------------- ICANN Releases Draft IDN Evaluation Plans 19 June 2007 As announced previously in the IDN program status report, in the draft IANA Root Zone Procedures for Test IDN Deployment, and the draft IDN TLD Root Server Performance / Tolerance, ICANN has developed a plan for insertion of IDN TLDs in the root zone for evaluation. The .test plan contains two separate evaluation facilities where the feasibility and usability of fully localized domain names can be evaluated and tested in a live environment. Implementation of this plan is one of the core elements in ICANN’s IDN Program. The draft .test plan is posted here for public comment <http://www.icann.org/topics/idn/idn-evaluation-plan-v2%209.pdf>. The draft contains a preliminary list of scripts for the example.test evaluation strings. Recommendations for changes or additions to this list of strings will be reviewed carefully to ensure broad public participation in the evaluations. During the public comment period, the plan will be discussed during several sessions of the ICANN meeting in San Juan (June 2007) and at the RSSAC / IETF meeting in Chicago (July 2007). Subject to these and other consultations, a final version of the plan will be provided for ICANN Board consideration at its 14 August 2007 meeting. ICANN Board approval will be sought for the plan, including approval of the insertion of the suggested evaluations strings (<.test> translated into a number of different languages), in the root zone. According to the plan the evaluation facilities will be launched in late September 2007. Comments to the draft .test plan can be submitted idn-tld-test(a)icann.org <mailto:[email protected]> and viewed here http://forum.icann.org/lists/idn-tld-test/. For other questions or inquiries regarding ICANN’s IDN Program please contact Tina Dam, ICANN’s Director for the IDN Program, at tina.dam(a)icann.org <mailto:[email protected]>. Translation of the .test plan into Arabic, French, Spanish, Russian, and Chinese is currently underway and will be released shortly.

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Journalists are THE Source of Corruption!
by Alex Gakuru 08 Aug '07

08 Aug '07

Welcome to despots utopia land where corruption must be legitimized by all legal means available. "Journalism is said to be a profession. But journalists are employed by media owners. The way journalists are treated is shameful. We know them and they are up there in the Press Gallery. I have never seen one driving a car. They live on handouts. That is what brings in a lot of corruption." http://www.eastandard.net/hm_news/news.php?articleid=1143972553&catid=4 1. "is said to be a profession" depicts a resentment of despicable work 2. "But journalists are employed by media owners" according to him no professionals earnestly be employed. 3. "The way journalists are treated is shameful" Now the hero liberator comes to the rescue of mistreated journalists. 4. "We know them and they are up there in the Press Gallery." - We vs Them and we shall fix sort them out today 5. "I have never seen one driving a car." materiality concept is what is worship in the House? So when this MP see Kenyans walking, he has so little, if at at all any for them. Maybe he forgot to say "Please let us pass that other law quickly and tripple our 60 million retirement package. I need two new cars" 6."They live on handouts." Earlier had said "we know them" and now they live on handouts, so pass laws to make us richer and we feed them on our leftovers. 7."That is what brings in a lot of corruption." Thus passing this law is their noble respected legal responsibility in the fight against corruption. Why has not Guinness Book of Records awarded them with a medal recognizing their success at fighting graft? one asks. ---- Hello.. Hello.. awaken to the reality: http://www.nationmedia.com/dailynation/nmgcontententry.asp?category_id=25&n… Will the President endorse this Bill? Nop! I highly doubt it. Will the MP get re-elected? Maybe, if voters are not aware of this Hansard Extact. WE WANT EVERY HANSARD AVAILED ONLINE! ____________________________________________________________________________________ Shape Yahoo! in your own image. Join our Network Research Panel today! http://surveylink.yahoo.com/gmrs/yahoo_panel_invite.asp?a=7

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Key CTO Forum in Kenya to examine solutions to African rural connectivity]
by alice 08 Aug '07

08 Aug '07

CTO Forum in Kenya to examine solutions to African rural connectivity Africas search for real solutions that will lead to the early connection of the nearly 80% of the Continent that is still without telephone and internet access will take a giant leap forward when ministers, regulators, operating company executives and high-level officials from various development partner agencies converge in Nairobi for the Connecting Rural Communities Africa Forum 2007, and is preceded on the 20th August by a meeting of the Commonwealth Connects programme. The Forum is taking place at the Grand Regency hotel in Nairobi, Kenya from the 21st to the 24th August. This key event, organised by the Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation (CTO) and hosted by the Communications Commission of Kenya (CCK), will provide a forum for discussion of research findings, policy options, regulatory strategies, business models, financing and investment facilities, available technologies and public-private-people-partnerships that could enable improvement in African rural connectivity. The Conference proceedings are expected to contribute to a major study to be launched by the CTO on Africas Rural Connectivity within the context of the Commonwealth Connects programme, and recommendations from the Conference will go a long way to outline the agenda for subsequent meetings, workshops, programmes and projects in the sector. The advances in information and communication technologies (ICTs) in developing nations are facilitating socio-economic development, as well as the general progress and well-being of individuals and communities. ICT has been identified as playing a leading role in enabling countries to attain their Millennium Development Goals, such as the elimination of poverty, combating of serious disease, improving access to education and providing equal opportunities to women. This conference will discuss each of these issues and highlight the work of African governments, regulators and the private sector in providing universal access. For ICTs to be sustainable and provide widespread ubiquitous access to all citizens, it is generally considered imperative that governments, regulators and the private sector work together to provide solutions and enhance connectivity. As part of its commitment to bridging the digital divide, the CTO has produced this knowledge-sharing event, designed to bring together the giants of the ICT sector, from both the public sector, private companies, the development and academic community and civil society, especially non-governmental and community-based organisations. CTOs CEO, Dr Ekwow Spio-Garbrah, states: We are delighted to be able to assemble such a high faculty of speakers and delegates from all over Africa, and also from many other regions of the world. Participants in this Conference are those who have come to acknowledge that of all the challenges the global community faces in the ICT sector, that of connecting Africas rural populations must be the epi-centre. All who are committed to the use of ICTs to advance the development process should be interested in this fundamental challenge. We look forward to seeing and meeting with as many of Africas development and investment partners as possible. The CTO Conference will significantly contribute to the development of universal access to ICT in the African region. Based on the success of last years CTO event on Connecting Rural Communities in Abuja, Nigeria, the CTO has decided to increase the duration of this years forum to three days to incorporate a Focus day which will cover amongst other things, telemedicine and improving the accessibility of education. The Conference be preceded by a half-day workshop on the use of satellites to connect rural communities in the afternoon 21st August; a half-day meeting between the CTO and heads of Universal Service Funding agencies in Africa, on the morning of 21st August, and by another all-day meeting on 20th August of representatives of African Commonwealth countries whose Points of Contact will discuss various issues involved in the Commonwealth Connects programme, that has been mandated by Commonwealth Heads of State and Government. According to an official of one of the several companies that has agreed to sponsor the event, Connecting Rural Communities Africa is a timely opportunity for all stakeholders who are spearheading rural connectivity to network, discuss best practices for harnessing ICT to deliver socio-economic benefits, share strategies for connecting rural Africa and consider different solutions for bridging the digital divide through sustainable ICT connectivity. For more information and to register to attend, or for opportunities to support this event, contact: Toby Davies Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation Tel.: +44 870 777 7697 t.davies(a)cto.int <http://mailer.eddiction.co.uk/_webscripts/emaillog.php?789c35cbcd0a80201004…> *** About the CTO - The Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation (CTO) is an international development partnership between Commonwealth and non-Commonwealth governments, business and civil society organisations. It provides the international community with effective means to help bridge the digital divide and achieve social and economic development, by delivering to developing countries unique knowledge-sharing programmes in the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) in the specific areas of telecommunications, IT, broadcasting and the Internet.

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Telkom's new licence, Sh69b debt and layoffs
by Mike Theuri 08 Aug '07

08 Aug '07

The Standard reports the following excerpts in part: http://www.eastandard.net/hm_news/news.php?articleid=1143972525&catid=14 ++++++++ *Telkom Kenya plans major debt and project swaps to rid it of liabilities amounting to Sh68.8 billion as part of restructuring before privatisation. *======== The debt burden itself is astounding given the sum of US$1bn. The government's promise to hand over TKL with a clean balance sheet ought to invite offers far in excess of the said $50m that was said to have been offered by some bidders. While debt swap is a novel idea, the tax payer should not inadvertently become the party to whom the debt is swapped to, directly or indirectly. *++++++++ Mr Solomon Kitungu, Director of Reforms in the Ministry of Finance, said the Government has already factored the funding initiatives in the current budget, with Sh41 billion made available towards the process.* ======= It appears that the Kenyan taxpayer is bound to be saddled with heavy debt obligations far more than the previously thought Ksh 20bn. The government would do well to inform Kenyans at large just as it did for the potential bidders as to what is in it for them and the country were the sale of TKL to be successful considering it is our hard earned taxes that are paying for this privitization +++++++ *This in addition to Safaricom interconnection interest of Sh1.3 billion, Paris Club and other loans paid by Government amounting to Sh3.8 billion. There is also the Government debt on telephone and data lines amounting to Sh3.4 billion, new mobile license (US$55m), which requires Sh3.9 billion and liquidity and investment support of Sh3.5 billion. *======= It now appears that TKL is set to transition from a fixed wireless provider for which it was already licensed, to a fully fledged mobile provider at par with Safaricom and Celtel. Whether the complaints against TKL generated more than the providers bargained for (ie the mere payment of excise and VAT taxes vs a new mobile operator on equal operational footing) remains to be seen. Clearly TKL with its basket of licences will be a formidable provider once privatized considering it will be able to offer competitive and bundled services (wireless + wireline + internet + IPTV etc etc). The $55m mobile licence fee presumably will again be footed by the taxpayer. Is the government in effect throwing this arena wide open to any RWA operator by licencing TKL as a mobile operator? This would be a big plus for the consumer and other entrants eager to tap the market. Hopefully the Kenyan taxpayer who is likely to be bearing this $1 billion+ burden will not be short changed when it comes to the offer amount. TKL's management had reportedly asked for 5 years to run TKL, 5 years might be too long but atleast 2-3 years ought to have been fair. I believe TKL if given a chance would alleviate the debt burden to be passed on to taxpayers by leveraging its new services and restructured organization so as not to unfairly burden the Kenyan taxpayer and unduely reward foreign entities coming on board. Hopefully we will get to see consortiums that include local partners bidding for the sale. The government should be willing to reject bids that do not reflect the true value of TKL after the Ksh 69 billion debt offload. With a clean balance sheet, TKL ought to be worth in excess of the range Rothschilds once valued it at: $800m - $1.3bn. Why the Government did not seek to ask the bidders to assume part of the debt remains to be seen, though it does make the sale very attractive. Also to be seen is whether the government intends to undertake measures to ensure that the Nation's national security is not compromised as a result of the sale. Mike Theuri

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Echelon (Spy Network).
by Michael Kipsang Bullut 07 Aug '07

07 Aug '07

Guys, Big brother is watching: 1. Echelon <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ECHELON> - Wikipedia Article. 2. The Echelon Project & Evidence of Anglo Leasing that even Ringera won't bear to ignore<http://kumekucha.blogspot.com/2007/03/echelon-project-and-evidence-of-anglo…> - Kumekucha Article. Kind regards, Michael. -- "To see a world in a grain of sand, and a heaven in a wildflower...hold infinity in the palm of your hand, and eternity in an hour..." ~ William Blakeg. --

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[KBC Poll] Internet Users: 90.4 per cent oppose revealing sources
by Alex Gakuru 07 Aug '07

07 Aug '07

According to the ongoing KBC (http://www.kbc.co.ke/) Poll (image attached), Internet Users resoundingly object to journalists revealing their sources of information. Guess we are mostly OK with the 4th Estate continuing to broadcast and publish their goofs on their front pages, when they do-it's better than government info black-outs. Hope our Safari Park Hotel request that the ICT Bill incorporates a Blogger Protection clause is incorporated. ____________________________________________________________________________________ Looking for a deal? Find great prices on flights and hotels with Yahoo! FareChase. http://farechase.yahoo.com/

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Security Tips.
by Michael Kipsang Bullut 06 Aug '07

06 Aug '07

Guys, Forewarned is forearmed. I didn't want to bypass an opportunity to disseminate this information. Don't forget to check out this great page on e-mail hoaxes to boost your awareness: Urban Legends & Folklore.<http://urbanlegends.about.com/> Kind regards, Michael. -- "To see a world in a grain of sand, and a heaven in a wildflower...hold infinity in the palm of your hand, and eternity in an hour..." ~ William Blakeg.

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Re: [kictanet] It's a new twist for Econet Wireless
by bitange＠jambo.co.ke 06 Aug '07

06 Aug '07

Dear Mr. Theuri, Thank you for supplying more details. You raise many issues here and more importantly is the fact that you understand the difference between regulatory and policy. For smooth running of the industry, the regulator must be independent. The current Government at least wants an indepedent regulator. We must leave regulatory issues to the regulator. The Econet matter is regulatory. The Government has extricated itself from mixing regolatory and policy issues. This is simple and straight forward. Your problem is the fact that you are a party to the issues sorrounding Econet and you are not disclosing that to your audiences. At some point I am told you did not want KNFC to have access to the licence. Now you are advocating issuance of the same licence to KNFC. I deceided to engage with you in this discussion because I thought you were a sincere Kenyan interested in seeing justice. I now know that you cannot in any way see issues in this matter objectively. You will therefore excuse met from further discussion on this issue. I HAVE RESTED MY CASE. Regards Ndemo. > Dear Dr. Bitange, > > Thank you for your candid response and dialogue. I disagree that I am > in effect spilling any beans. The information being shared is in > possession of the Government, the regulator, KACC, courts in various > jurisdictions and covered in numerous publications across the world. > These are public domain sources and some of these documents have been > provided in many different courts by none other than Econet and the > regulator. In case my liberal sharing has been misunderstood, the > information I have shared revolves around the infamous litigant, > Econet, any information that touches on the Government is a result of > being willingly or unwillingly mired in the scandal and highlights the > danger of the Government crossing the line of being an impartial party > and becoming complicit by extension in the actions of the foreign > entity. > > The documents and facts speak for themselves and I believe there is a > pending matter in court against the regulator over the failure to > respond appropriately to an objection to the licence as required by > law. Such are the endless consequences that will potentially continue > to haunt the government if the right decision is not carried out. > > My humble opinion is that for the sake of integrity and faith in > future tendering and so as to attract companies that will not > disappoint, that the regulator seek to conduct proper and thorough due > diligence so that Kenyans and the GoK are not in essence defrauded or >%2 ---------------------------------------------- This message has been scanned for viruses and dangerous content by Jambo MailScanner, and is believed to be clean. --------------------------------------------- "easy access to the world"

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Should the ICT Bill pasing follow The Media Bill...
by Alex Gakuru 05 Aug '07

05 Aug '07

On second thought, I recall the President said "Kama mtu yeyote [serikali-ni] ana kukasirisha sema..hapana ogopa! basi..." thus Bill Kagai,no-one should succumb to online intimidations and if I am wrong they should just say so. I am fully aware that some providers are afraid of "license implications" if they speak out... Now, given the secrecy, contradictions and last-minute maneuvers in Kenya's law-making processes consumers may be forced to pro-actively go to court to challenged the ICT Bill on constitutional illegality, certainly if the "storming clause" is not deleted. Other transparent legislators committed to consumers accessing affordable telecommunications even publish their Bills online(e.g. PDF bill, Section 5 Excemptions (2) "during an emergency declared by the President") http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20070803-community-broadband-act-would… ____________________________________________________________________________________ Shape Yahoo! in your own image. Join our Network Research Panel today! http://surveylink.yahoo.com/gmrs/yahoo_panel_invite.asp?a=7

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Register your free offical Postal Email Address at PostKenya.com
by Michael Kipsang Bullut 04 Aug '07

04 Aug '07

Can you say: "Najivunia kuwa Mkenya?" ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: TelePosta Communications <postmaster(a)postkenya.com> Date: 04-Aug-2007 22:51 Subject: Register your free offical Postal Email Address at PostKenya.com To: kipsangb(a)gmail.com Dear Kenyan, As a proud Kenyan or a person with interest in Kenya, we are glad to announce to you that a new Email hosting PostOffice platform for Kenyans has been launched at http://www.postkenya.com Here, you can get your own FREE official email address and start to communicating officially with both local and international clients as well as get insightful business tips. Register now for free at PostKenya.com to get your own *email(a)postkenya.com*and have an official address that you can use to communicate freely. Please forward this message to friends and help get Kenyans on the web officialy. TeleP0sta Communications, PostKenya.com <http://www.postkenya.com> -- "To see a world in a grain of sand, and a heaven in a wildflower...hold infinity in the palm of your hand, and eternity in an hour..." ~ William Blakeg.

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New law forces media to reveal sources
by Alex Gakuru 04 Aug '07

04 Aug '07

>From now on, would you trust Kenya media with any confidential corruption story, especially if you were in the civil service? or expect Editors to even touch let alone fearlessly publish corruption reports when they will have to name their sources. Who will now dare accuse a minister of graft? In short, "You Kenyans shut up and let us eat". Loss of business for local media houses and we revive your old shortwave radio. You will need it henceforth to tune in to BBC, VOA, etc for breaking news on Kenya? But then again, one can always publish in foreign newspapers that protect their sources and on websites. At least for the time being before another internet censorship and PCs confiscation law is passed. Don't you love Kenya? Have fun with whistle blower protection program joke... ____________________________________________________________________________________ Sick sense of humor? Visit Yahoo! TV's Comedy with an Edge to see what's on, when. http://tv.yahoo.com/collections/222

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Fellowships to Ensure Global Voices Heard at ICANN
by alice 03 Aug '07

03 Aug '07

see <http://www.icann.org/announcements/announcement-02aug07.htm> Fellowships to Ensure Global Voices Heard at ICANN Program builds on the successful pilot program run at San Juan meeting 2 August 2007 MARINA DEL REY, Calif.: More voices from across the globe will be heard at ICANN's 30th International Public Meeting in Los Angeles later this year thanks to the global fellowships program being launched today. "ICANN has a global mandate and it's important that we do what we can to support participation from every corner of the world. This program makes sure we have involvement from individuals from developing and least developed nations who otherwise may be unable to attend," said Theresa Swinehart, ICANN's Vice President, Global and Strategic Partnerships. "The pilot of the fellowship program at our San Juan meeting was a success and has helped us refine the program for the upcoming ICANN meeting in Los Angeles." The 33 fellows from 24 countries who played an active role at the San Juan meeting were chosen from 125 applications received -- and 65 per cent of the fellows and 68 per cent of applicants had never attended an ICANN meeting. Priority will be given to applicants who are current residents of developing and least developed nations who are interested in participating in ICANN and its supporting organizations, such as the Governmental Advisory Committee, the Country Code Names Supporting Organization, and the Generic Names Supporting Organization. The fellowship will assist in covering airfare, hotel and a stipend. Recipients will be expected to actively participate in and contribute to ICANN processes. As always, registration for ICANN's meetings is free for anyone wanting to attend. The Los Angeles meeting will be held from 29 October to 2 November 2007. "ICANN is working on major efforts with internationalized domain names and new top-level domains -- efforts that represent some of the biggest changes to the Internet since it was invented," Swinehart added. "ICANN wants as much input and global engagement as possible on issues like IDNs and top-level domains -- and the fellowship program has a key role in helping us accomplish that goal." Applications will be accepted from now until 1200 PDT (UTC -7) on Friday 24 August 2007. More information, as well as a link to the application for a fellowship, is available online at: http://www.icann.org/fellowships/ etc etc about ICANN. ____________________________________________________________

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