[DDN] new profiles of volunteers engaged in ICT4D
As part of its mission to promote the role of volunteers in Information Communication and Technology for Development (ICT4D), UNITeS profiles related activities by UN Volunteers who are serving or have served in the field. These profiles are now presented by country at http://www.unites.org/html/projects/projects.htm UNITeS is about ALL volunteers applying ICT4D, not only UN Volunteers. There is also a section on the UNITeS web site that profiles the contributions of volunteers from a variety of organizations applying ICT4D as each relates to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). http://www.unites.org/cfapps/wsis/wsis.cfm UNITeS also hosts an online discussion group for volunteers from any organization engaged in ICT4D. For more information: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/unitescommunity/ -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Jayne Cravens ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) Online Volunteering Specialist United Nations Volunteers www.unvolunteers.org Bonn, Germany Online Volunteering: www.onlinevolunteering.org UNITeS: www.unites.org Global volunteerism portal: www.worldvolunteerweb.org -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- ___ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://mailman.edc.org/mailman/listinfo/digitaldivide To unsubscribe, send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the word UNSUBSCRIBE in the body of the message.
Re: [DDN] 'Wikis' Offer Knowledge-Sharing Online
Audrey Borus wrote: Taran-- bravo. Well put. There is a raging debate in higher ed too about accepting any web content. It's foolish IMHO. As as come up over and over again--good research requires a variety of sources. Thank you. Comments for and against the Wikipedia caused me to write this, which I think is actually better: Standing On The Shoulders of Giants: http://www.worldchanging.com/archives/001293.html#more -- Taran Rampersad [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.linuxgazette.com http://www.a42.com http://www.worldchanging.com http://www.knowprose.com http://www.easylum.net It requires greater courage to preserve inner freedom, to move on in one's inward journey into new realms, than to stand defiantly for outer freedom. Rollo May ___ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://mailman.edc.org/mailman/listinfo/digitaldivide To unsubscribe, send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the word UNSUBSCRIBE in the body of the message.
Re: [DDN] ICT infrastructure and knowledge creation
Hi Anotnio, Your research project sounds interesting. I'd be happy to send a copy of my Masters thesis (when I finish converting it to pdf). The thesis has a number of references that address the issue of moving beyond the provision of ICTS to developing a capability to use information. Primary sources are Donald Lamberton and Stuart Macdonald. My thesis looked at the problem of technicians who are expected to maintain complex technologies in isolated environments. I did a case study of technicians working in Pacific country of Samoa. Information provision and the ability to use such information become critical issues in times of crisis (equipment failure). The main message is that membership of a social network of engineers/technicians is fundamental to both aspects of the information asymmetry problem - ie access to information and ability to use information. Developing such networks is difficult because of the isolation and the small number of local engineers/technicians My study predates the technicians having email and Internet access but I'm coming to the view many of the issues are fundamentally similar. Happy to start a dialogue on the topic if you wish. Will Diaz. Andrade, Antonio Eduardo wrote: Dear All, I am in the first year of my doctoral studies at The University of Auckland, New Zealand. I am from Peru and my research interest is to examine how ICT assists human capacity development for socio-economic development in developing countries. My interest is to find out how ICT gap between have and have not (DC and LDC) can be closed in order to benefit from the knowledge economy. Most authors, organisations and development agencies have been busy providing ICT (information and communication systems) to developing countries. However, can these systems actually develop the capability and capacity to synthesis 'useful' knowledge in developing countries? I doubt it. There is considerable literature, theories and propositions on knowledge management with a slant towards information provisions to developing countries. Several development programs funded by the ADB, World Bank have focused on providing ICT systems as an enabler and access to information. From knowledge management view point, I would like to argue that providing information and enabling ICT systems, is only small effort in bridging the gap between knowledge have and knowledge have-not. This is because the ability to use information resides in capacity and capability to create knowledge from such information. For ICT to be beneficial, it is imperative that we develop knowledge synthesis capability at individual and enterprise levels. My initial research suggests that we have devoted most our efforts to develop ICT systems not the knowledge creation capability from it. Access to information is not the same as knowledge synthesis; the information access is not enough for the creation of useful knowledge and it seems that most efforts in developing countries are currently devoted to ICT systems building thinking that it will allow knowledge synthesis. Has any one seen any interesting work in the area of methods of translating ICT to knowledge or any studies on developing countries capability to use them effectively? I will appreciate your comments and assistance. Regards, Antonio Díaz Andrade The University of Auckland Business School Information Systems and Operations Management Department 7 Symonds Street, Auckland New Zealand Phone: 64 9 373-7599 ext. 89838 Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ___ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://mailman.edc.org/mailman/listinfo/digitaldivide To unsubscribe, send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the word UNSUBSCRIBE in the body of the message. ___ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://mailman.edc.org/mailman/listinfo/digitaldivide To unsubscribe, send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the word UNSUBSCRIBE in the body of the message.
Re: [DDN] 'Wikis' Offer Knowledge-Sharing Online
Christopher Foster wrote: . . . Most of the people who work on Wikipedia are white, male technocrats from the US and Europe. They're especially knowledgeable about certain subjects - technology, science fiction, libertarianism, life in the US/Europe - and tend to write about these subjects. As a result, the resource tends to be extremely deep on technical topics and shallow in other areas. I think this problem will correct itself over time. I think it reflects the development of content on the WWW. When the web was young, most of the content was oriented towards the hard sciences. For instance I searched for Alports Syndrome and got one hit. A few years later, the same search provided almost 500 hits. The sites available covered treatment, history, support groups and related diseases. It took awhile for the social sciences and general public to become aware of the web and to exploit it. We're seeing the same thing with Wikipedia. Personally, I think it is a great educational resource. It offers students the opportunity to do real work, make a real contribution to society. The jargon is authentic assessment. Language arts teachers have a source of text for editing and discussing grammar. At senior levels, the discussion could get into accessible text and global language. Social studies students can either add to or correct existing articles or create entries describing their communities. Students in other disciplines can add entries, verify facts and add references. While elementary and secondary students may not be expert in any field, they can become expert about a particular entry or portion thereof. On a more esoteric level, students can learn what it means to become part of a learning community. The Wikipedia community has guidelines, expectations, and sanctions. This will aid their entry into any community in which they wish to pursue their vocational or avocational goals. This is important to me, because I believe that the purpose of education should be to help students acquire the skills, knowledge, and attitudes needed to be a part of the communities in which they pursue their goals. The article One Child -- Many Communities: Recasting the Purpose of Education at http://www.ecn.ab.ca/~ljp/edarticles/onechild.htm -- Larry Phillips FutureCraft http://www.ecn.ab.ca/~ljp Quantum 2000: Education for Today and Tomorrow http://www.ecn.ab.ca/quantum Alberta Consumers' Association http://www.ecn.ab.ca/consumer Conversations about education Ed Conversation mailing list http://www.topica.com/lists/edconversation/ [EMAIL PROTECTED] ___ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://mailman.edc.org/mailman/listinfo/digitaldivide To unsubscribe, send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the word UNSUBSCRIBE in the body of the message.
[DDN] Center for the Digital Future Identifies the 10 Major Trends Emerging in the Internet's First Decade of Public Use
A report from USC Annenberg Center for the Digital Future. Heres a snippet from the press release: Among the findings from Year Four of the Digital Future Project: Internet access has risen to its highest level ever. About three-quarters of Americans now go online. The number of hours spent online continues to increase, rising to an average of 12.5 hours per week the highest level in the study thus far. Although the Internet has become the most important source of current information for users, the initially high level of credibility of information on the Internet began to drop in the third year of the study, and declined even further in Year Four. The number of users who believe that only about half of the information on the Internet is accurate and reliable is growing and has now passed 40 percent of users for the first time. The study showed that most users trust information on the websites they visit regularly, and on pages created by established media and the government. Information pages posted by individuals have the lowest credibility: only 9.5 percent of users say information on those sites is reliable and accurate. Television viewing continues to decline among Internet users, raising the question: What will happen as a nation that once spent an extremely large portion of time in a passive activity (watching television) transfers increasingly large portions of that time to an interactive activity (the Internet)? Read more at: http://www.digitalcenter.org/pages/news_content.asp?intGlobalId=125intTypeI d=1http://www.digitalcenter.org/pages/news_content.asp?intGlobalId=125intTy peId=1 or the tiny version: http://tinyurl.com/54n84 (found via Instructional Technology Resources and Musings: http://mariettatitleiii.blogspot.com/) :mw ** Marnie Webb CompuMentor Work: www.compumentor.org Blog: http://ext337.blogspot.com ___ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://mailman.edc.org/mailman/listinfo/digitaldivide To unsubscribe, send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the word UNSUBSCRIBE in the body of the message.
Re: [DDN] FW: Standard Measures of Digital Divide Help Needed
Yoni, David has posted some very good references. But let us keep in mind that a standard measure of the digital divide requires a standard definition of what is the digital divide. And I will not repeat the numerous discussions and debates on that subject that have been held on this forum. Suffice it to say that if you pick a definition, a measure will follow -- and there will be legitimate disagreement as to whether that is the right measure. Ken Kenan Patrick Jarboe, Ph.D. Athena Alliance 911 East Capitol Street, SE Washington, DC 20003-3903 (202) 547-7064 [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.athenaalliance.org ___ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://mailman.edc.org/mailman/listinfo/digitaldivide To unsubscribe, send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the word UNSUBSCRIBE in the body of the message.
Re: [DDN] Tim Berners-Lee: Weaving A Semantic Web
I'm not sure if I understand the semantic web; but if I do, I don't think I want it. Technically, the sematic web requires meta data to be added to the url. In addition to complicating the url it presupposes knowing how others will view or use the data. Currently, meta tags embedded in the web page meet the need of identifying and typing content. Philosophically, rather than having content labeled with a standard identifier, I would prefer that search engines look for content that is relevant to the search terms. Assuming accurate labeling the best we could hope for is a situation similar to searches returning paid results. In other words, we will be dependent on the publisher to apply the standard identifiers in an accurate and comprehensive manner. Expecting publishers to look beyond their purposes is unreasonable and fanciful. What will a semantic web give us that we don't have now? Andy Carvin wrote: Tim Berners-Lee: Weaving A Semantic Web http://www.edwebproject.org/andy/blog/ But from the very beginning of the Web, Berners-Lee had hoped that he would be able to incorporate descriptive information into the Webs fundamental design, but for various reasons it didnt make the cut. One thing I wanted to put in the original design was the typing of links, he said. For example, lets say you link your website to another site. At the moment, the hyperlink connecting them contains very little information: just an address to get to the other websites content. But Berners-Lees idea was to include metadata with each hyperlink to describe *the relationship* between the two sites. For example: do the people linking their two websites know each other personally, professionally, or not at all? If theyre colleagues, how are they working together, and in what fields? Where are they working? -- Larry Phillips FutureCraft http://www.ecn.ab.ca/~ljp Quantum 2000: Education for Today and Tomorrow http://www.ecn.ab.ca/quantum Alberta Consumers' Association http://www.ecn.ab.ca/consumer Conversations about education Ed Conversation mailing list http://www.topica.com/lists/edconversation/ [EMAIL PROTECTED] ___ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://mailman.edc.org/mailman/listinfo/digitaldivide To unsubscribe, send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the word UNSUBSCRIBE in the body of the message.
[DDN] Request for Feedback: Free And Open Source Software Licensing Primer
Dear Friends, Apologies for cross posting. The IOSN/APDIP/UNDP FOSS Licensing Primer is a brief introduction to different FOSS licenses, primarily the GNU GPL license. It presents a summary of issues involved with using the different FOSS licenses. It offers several scenarios, and proposes a framework for licensing of government sponsored software. The primer also addresses common questions and misconceptions regarding copyright and licensing issues. Please download from here: http://www.iosn.net/licensing/foss-licensing-primer/foss-licensing-primer.sxw http://www.iosn.net/licensing/foss-licensing-primer/foss-licensing-primer.pdf So far we have got feedback from Richard M. Stallman, Eric S. Raymond, Dr. Nah Soo Hoe and Mahesh T. Pai We would be very grateful if you could send in your comments and feedback by 10 October 2004. Thanks, Sunil INTERNATIONAL OPEN SOURCE NETWORK The International Open Source Network (IOSN - http://www.iosn.net) is a Centre of Excellence for Free / Open Source Software in the Asia-Pacific Region. IOSN is an initiative of the Asia-Pacific Information Development Programme (APDIP - http://www.apdip.net), which has been supporting the strategic and effective use of Information Communication Technology (ICT) for poverty alleviation and sustainable human development in the Asia-Pacific region since 1997. Via a small secretariat, the IOSN is tasked specifically to facilitate and network Free / Open Source Software advocates and human resources in the region. Activities undertaken by IOSN is listed below: A. Free / Open Source Information Resource Facility 1. Collaborative Website: On-going Mapping of Free / Open Source activities in Asia-Pacific; Collaborativedatabase of countries; languages, fonts,and organisations in Asia-Pacific; On-line Information/Clearing-house and Mailing Lists 2. Software Repository: A collection of FOSS software and GNU/Linux distributions specific to the Asia Pacific is being created. 3. Documentation of Best Practise 4. Open Source Primers: General FOSS by Kenneth Wong/Phet Sayo; Malaysia; Licensing by Shunling Chen Taiwan; Policy by Kenneth Wong; Localisation by Anousak Souphavanh / Theppitak Karoonboonyanan - Thailand; Network/Security/Infrastructure by Gaurab Raj Upadhaya - Nepal; and Education by Wooi Tong Tan - Malaysia. B. Creation of a Database of Free / Open Source Experts and Human Resources in the Region 1. Networking of Experts 2. Technical Support C. Training and Workshops 1. FOSSAP 2004: More than 50 senior policy makers and open source practitioners from 20 countries attended this event. http://www.iosn.net/fossap/ 2. Training of Trainers: We are currently planning the first training in Vietnam in partnership with Linux Professional Institute D. Research and Development 1. Localisation Toolkit in collaboration with Centre for Advanced Computing [CDAC], India 2. End-user training material in Text and Multimedia format. Script by Dr. Nah Soo Hoe, Malaysia and production by GetIT multimedia, Singapore. 3. GNU/Linux Live CD Project by Colin Charles, Australia of the Fedora Project. 4. QA on FOSS RD/Case Studies of implementations 5. Micro-grant Programme in collaboration with University of South Pacific Thanks, -- Sunil Abraham, [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.mahiti.org 314/1, 7th Cross, Domlur Bangalore - 560 071 Karnataka, INDIA Ph/Fax: +91 80 51150580. Mobile: +91 80 36701931 Currently on sabbatical with APDIP/UNDP Manager - International Open Source Network Wisma UN, Block C Komplex Pejabat Damansara. Jalan Dungun, Damansara Heights. 50490 Kuala Lumpur. P. O. Box 12544, 50782, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Tel: (60) 3-2091-5167, Fax: (60) 3-2095-2087 [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.iosn.net http://www.apdip.net ___ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://mailman.edc.org/mailman/listinfo/digitaldivide To unsubscribe, send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the word UNSUBSCRIBE in the body of the message.
[DDN] Blog: Emerging Technologies that will Change the World
Hi everyone, I've just posted another entry to my blog from the MIT Technology Review conference, entitled Emerging Technologies that will Change the World. It's about a panel session featuring Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, along with a couple of genetics pioneers and an invention expert talking about current trends in innovation and invention. It's rather long, so I won't post it here, but you can find it online at http://www.edwebproject.org/andy/blog/ thanks, ac -- -- Andy Carvin Program Director EDC Center for Media Community acarvin @ edc . org http://www.digitaldividenetwork.org http://www.edwebproject.org/andy/blog/ -- ___ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://mailman.edc.org/mailman/listinfo/digitaldivide To unsubscribe, send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the word UNSUBSCRIBE in the body of the message.
Fwd: Re: [DDN] ICT infrastructure and knowledge creation
Hi Antonio, You are asking a fundamentally vital question. I do not have a direct answer to your question although that is my area of interest. I can give you two pointers though. 1. A look at conceptualizing ICT in a development context is essential. I have written a paper recently on this with G. Harindrantah. It appears in The Information Society volume 20 no. 1, 2004. It touches upon many of the points you have made here. 2. Specific to the knowledge creation and use, a good thedoretical lpens to use is Nonaka. I will also look at the work of Argyris and Schoen on practice and knowledge. Finally a chapter by Justine Johnstone in S. Krishna, and S. Madon (Eds.) The Digital Challenge: Information Technology in the Development Context, Ashgate Not empirical work but good theoretical lenses. Good luck. hilsen . Maung Maung K. Sein, Ph.D. Professor of Information SystemsPhone: 47 3814 1617 Department of Information Systems Fax:47 3814 1029 Agder University College Service Box 422 Gimlemoen 4604 Kristiansand S NORWAY *** Please check out the new journal: e-Service Journal http://www.e-sj.orghttp://www.e-sj.org *** Dear All, I am in the first year of my doctoral studies at The University of Auckland, New Zealand. I am from Peru and my research interest is to examine how ICT assists human capacity development for socio-economic development in developing countries. My interest is to find out how ICT gap between have and have not (DC and LDC) can be closed in order to benefit from the knowledge economy. Most authors, organisations and development agencies have been busy providing ICT (information and communication systems) to developing countries. However, can these systems actually develop the capability and capacity to synthesis 'useful' knowledge in developing countries? I doubt it. There is considerable literature, theories and propositions on knowledge management with a slant towards information provisions to developing countries. Several development programs funded by the ADB, World Bank have focused on providing ICT systems as an enabler and access to information. From knowledge management view point, I would like to argue that providing information and enabling ICT systems, is only small effort in bridging the gap between knowledge have and knowledge have-not. This is because the ability to use information resides in capacity and capability to create knowledge from such information. For ICT to be beneficial, it is imperative that we develop knowledge synthesis capability at individual and enterprise levels. My initial research suggests that we have devoted most our efforts to develop ICT systems not the knowledge creation capability from it. Access to information is not the same as knowledge synthesis; the information access is not enough for the creation of useful knowledge and it seems that most efforts in developing countries are currently devoted to ICT systems building thinking that it will allow knowledge synthesis. Has any one seen any interesting work in the area of methods of translating ICT to knowledge or any studies on developing countries capability to use them effectively? I will appreciate your comments and assistance. Regards, Antonio Díaz Andrade The University of Auckland Business School Information Systems and Operations Management Department 7 Symonds Street, Auckland New Zealand Phone: 64 9 373-7599 ext. 89838 Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ___ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://mailman.edc.org/mailman/listinfo/digitaldivide To unsubscribe, send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the word UNSUBSCRIBE in the body of the message.
RE: [DDN] Tim Berners-Lee: Weaving A Semantic Web
I am not sure I understand either. But we should be hesitant of jumping to too many conclusions, at least just yet. Tim is clearly an intellectual force capable of jumping over boundaries most of us cannot even see let alone jump over. We should ask Mr. Tim Berners Lee (TBL)to be more specific and to answer those basic questions.. For example I cannot really understand how his social networking tools would work--how is what described below different from a listserv or an affinity group that forms. I think that he wants to develop a system independent of the way we humans naturally like to communicate--mimicking in the online world what happens in the so called real world. If that is the case how can we trust that the machines and the artificial intelligence networks will not use highly personal information against us? Because one of the reasons we communicate in these patterns is precisely because we want to be cautious about information closest to us. Surely someone as brilliant as TBL can provide some more concrete answers and examples to help us ordinary folk out. Relevant Quote below Its also helping build powerful social networking tools -- friend-of-a-friend networks in which people write a little bit about themselves as metadata, and connections get formed based on this information. Who knows what sort of Google will be built on top of this stuff, Berners-Lee wondered. Computers will be able to browse the Web and find what were looking for based on what they know about our needs and the descriptive metadata they find on relevant websites. A human being browse the Web? That will be a little old fashioned, he joked. Are we heading for a situation where the web browses human beings? Good idea for a science fiction story perhaps but we are not ready for that yet TBL I dont think.. -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Behalf Of Larry Phillips Sent: Thursday, September 30, 2004 12:39 PM To: The Digital Divide Network discussion group Subject: Re: [DDN] Tim Berners-Lee: Weaving A Semantic Web I'm not sure if I understand the semantic web; but if I do, I don't think I want it. Technically, the sematic web requires meta data to be added to the url. In addition to complicating the url it presupposes knowing how others will view or use the data. Currently, meta tags embedded in the web page meet the need of identifying and typing content. Philosophically, rather than having content labeled with a standard identifier, I would prefer that search engines look for content that is relevant to the search terms. Assuming accurate labeling the best we could hope for is a situation similar to searches returning paid results. In other words, we will be dependent on the publisher to apply the standard identifiers in an accurate and comprehensive manner. Expecting publishers to look beyond their purposes is unreasonable and fanciful. What will a semantic web give us that we don't have now? Andy Carvin wrote: Tim Berners-Lee: Weaving A Semantic Web http://www.edwebproject.org/andy/blog/ But from the very beginning of the Web, Berners-Lee had hoped that he would be able to incorporate descriptive information into the Webs fundamental design, but for various reasons it didnt make the cut. One thing I wanted to put in the original design was the typing of links, he said. For example, lets say you link your website to another site. At the moment, the hyperlink connecting them contains very little information: just an address to get to the other websites content. But Berners-Lees idea was to include metadata with each hyperlink to describe *the relationship* between the two sites. For example: do the people linking their two websites know each other personally, professionally, or not at all? If theyre colleagues, how are they working together, and in what fields? Where are they working? -- Larry Phillips FutureCraft http://www.ecn.ab.ca/~ljp Quantum 2000: Education for Today and Tomorrow http://www.ecn.ab.ca/quantum Alberta Consumers' Association http://www.ecn.ab.ca/consumer Conversations about education Ed Conversation mailing list http://www.topica.com/lists/edconversation/ [EMAIL PROTECTED] ___ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://mailman.edc.org/mailman/listinfo/digitaldivide To unsubscribe, send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the word UNSUBSCRIBE in the body of the message. ___ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://mailman.edc.org/mailman/listinfo/digitaldivide To unsubscribe, send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the word UNSUBSCRIBE in the body of the message.
[DDN] New Resource: Operating System Guide
We're pleased to announce this new resource from the Low-Income Networking and Communications (LINC) Project at the Welfare Law Center. Please feel free to distribute this notice widely! - Small organizations face tough challenges everyday: scarce resources, tight budgets and overwhelming odds. Computer technology holds promise, potentially dramatically increasing capacity and functionality for small groups. However it's a double-edged sword - poorly/improperly maintained and configured computer systems can create havoc for over-burdened staff. As an added challenge, small organizations rarely understand the broad range of technologies, including operating systems, that are available to them. The LINC Project Guide to Choosing an Operating System (www.lincproject.org/cosguide) is intended to be a first step to empowering groups to make informed decisions about which operating systems to select when acquiring or retrofitting a computer system. By examining their needs and then using this guide, groups can determine which operating systems will best suit them. Staff members of organizations can browse the guide by the purpose of the computer, such as a workstation, laptop, or a server. eRiders and other Technology assistance providers that work with small organizations can use the guide to get detailed information on how to install and configure the operating systems to meet groups needs. You can find the guide at http://www.lincproject.org/cosguide LINC has tested and compiled assessments of the following operating systems: Linuxdistributions: Debian NP, Redhat, Mandrake, Slackware and Suse;Mac OS X:Panther Jaguar; Microsoft Windows: 98SE, 2000, 2003. and XP. The launching of the guide is just our first step! We're hoping to engage folks working with small organizations around the world to contribute to the further development of the guide. See the Get Involved section of the site for more information (http://www.lincproject.org/toolkit/cos_guide/get_involved). --- Thanks! Dirk Slater Senior Circuit Rider LINC Project - Welfare Law Center www.lincproject.org [EMAIL PROTECTED] 212-633-6967 ext.22 ___ summersource-l mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://lists.tacticaltech.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/summersource-l ___ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://mailman.edc.org/mailman/listinfo/digitaldivide To unsubscribe, send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the word UNSUBSCRIBE in the body of the message.
Re: [DDN] FW: Standard Measures of Digital Divide Help Needed
To this quite correct observation that measurement depends on the object measured, I would like to add a few thoughts. First of all, the digital divide is qualitative and not easily quantified. If a bus stops at a corner and picks up five passengers, each pays two dollars, it is easy to determine that the bus has taken in ten dollars of revenue at that stop. How does one quantify a lack of interest in computers, being so hungry that one cannot think academically, let alone spend productive time at a computer or being interested in school and learning about computers but having a father who regularly beats up a child at home while drunk. I do not think that all phenomena that need to be studied lend themselves to statistical or numerical analysis and the digital divide is in this direction of tough to quantify. Regarding how one defines the digital divide, it is a matter of concern that the focus of many in understanding this situation is only on computer or its equivalent and internet access. Not much is said in any literature that I have read concerning the digital divide regarding teaching skills in and providing access to bibliographic databases, like but hardly limited to ERIC, PsychINfo, General Science Abstracts, Social Science Abstracts, Inspec, Compendex, Medline, CINAHL, Art Index, ABI Inform, Business Source Premier, Academic Search Premier and many many more. Oceans of ink have spilled regarding some of the dangers of the internet to children. Try a microscope or a telescope or both and one will be hard pressed to find hate group literature or pornography or violent content in the many databases out there like those listed above. Indeed the content is these tools is highly quality controlled in the sense that the coverage of the database is very precisely defined. The searching software in the better databanks, furthermore, is much richer in capabilities than that provided by search engines. One can use them to find quite on topic reponsive results to complex and convoluted research topics. Without databases, source lists like the one mentioned in the post that I am responding to would be a very unlikely outcome of searching the internet with the search engine tools of today. Finally, as a very intelligent librarian from North Carolina, pointed out in a talk he gave recently, the emphasis in libraries (that was his focus but for the word libraries could be substituted education) needs to be on learning and teaching needed knowledge and skills and technology and devices are only to be discussed and of importance for their role in facilitating and improving this mission and not as a discipline or subject in their own right. Hence computer skills should be taught and taught well but at the same time emphasis should be ongoing in showing how these skills facilitate gaining or using or expressing knowledge and learning in the various intellectual disciplines. The expressed prize for learning Word should not be that it facilitates learning PowerPoint, but rather that Word expedites writing and packaging a well written document about a topic such as history or literature. I often wonder if we would not be better off if we thought in terms of the educational or knowledge divide rather than in terms of the digital divide and not in terms of lack of access to the internet, but rather to lack of access to the important information on the internet. Sincerely, David Dillard Temple University (215) 204 - 4584 [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://groups.yahoo.com/group/net-gold http://www.edu-cyberpg.com/ringleaders/davidd.html http://www.kovacs.com/medref-l/medref-l.html http://listserv.temple.edu/archives/net-gold.html http://www.LIFEofFlorida.org World Business Community Advisor http://www.WorldBusinessCommunity.org = On Thu, 30 Sep 2004, Kenan Jarboe wrote: Yoni, David has posted some very good references. But let us keep in mind that a standard measure of the digital divide requires a standard definition of what is the digital divide. And I will not repeat the numerous discussions and debates on that subject that have been held on this forum. Suffice it to say that if you pick a definition, a measure will follow -- and there will be legitimate disagreement as to whether that is the right measure. Ken Kenan Patrick Jarboe, Ph.D. Athena Alliance 911 East Capitol Street, SE Washington, DC 20003-3903 (202) 547-7064 [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.athenaalliance.org ___ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://mailman.edc.org/mailman/listinfo/digitaldivide To unsubscribe, send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the word UNSUBSCRIBE in the body of the message.
Re: [DDN] Tim Berners-Lee: Weaving A Semantic Web
fyi, MIT Technology Review has an interview with TB-L in its latest issue. The very first question they ask him is basically, why is no one particularly excited about this new work of yours? So the article is able to delve into a bit more of a detailed response than what he gave during his speech. http://www.technologyreview.com/articles/04/10/frauenfelder1004.asp -- -- Andy Carvin Program Director EDC Center for Media Community acarvin @ edc . org http://www.digitaldividenetwork.org http://www.edwebproject.org/andy/blog/ -- ___ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://mailman.edc.org/mailman/listinfo/digitaldivide To unsubscribe, send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the word UNSUBSCRIBE in the body of the message.
RE: [DDN] 'Wikis' Offer Knowledge-Sharing Online
My first thought would be for term papers that students write to be published on Wiki - so students can (in any discipline) do research on a topic, and write the paper/entry - correct any errors that the teacher finds, and then create the entry on the Wikipedia. Given the number of term papers that are written by students worldwide, we'd get a lot of content very quickly. Then they'd also be sharing the knowledge that they have gained. Jacqueline A. Morris -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Wednesday, 29 September 2004 11:24 To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED] Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [DDN] 'Wikis' Offer Knowledge-Sharing Online First of all, it is a joy to learn from you and to know about all of these new technologies. I keep learning and catching up. I was impressed by what Andy shared with us. I looked at Noah's , statement.. and thought How do we invite, attract, explain and involve teachers in meaningful ways in this conversation? What is the gateway to this material for use in schools? Pros and cons. I did note that few women were involved in this great conversation. . I may have missed it, ie how do we share to inform teachers of Wikis ie best practices in using them?. I have a lot of time most of the time. How do we create enough time for teachers to explore, evaluate, add, augment, and try out these new practices? With the current policies in education, how do we allow, create , share possibilities for educational use in this very NCLB testing , memorization era? Teachers want to know. Andy said...that Tim Berners Lee said... What I'd like to see happen: I'd like to see lots of curricula like the MIT open courseware initiative being picked up by K-12 The tricky thing is that when you try to put down things like encyclopedia articles, like Wikipedia, you really need to keep education materials sown together. So I'd love to see a student be able to fly through this courseware, maybe in 3-D, following his or her interests. I know it takes a huge amount of efforts to keep these things [like Wikipedia and the Open Courseware Project] up to date, and I'd like to see teachers help contribute to it There are some amazing projects out there.. so how do we share with teachers? With whose permission? Students can work together when they can interact with simulations, with teachers, but particularly with each other. And for that we need lots of tools, lots of standards, lots of technology. There's lots of work to do out there Bugscope http://bugscope.beckman.uiuc.edu/ The Bugscope project is an educational outreach program for K-12 classrooms. The project provides a resource to classrooms so that they may remotely operate a scanning electron microscope to image bugs at high magnification. The microscope is remotely controlled in real time from a classroom computer over the Internet using a web browser. Bugscope provides a state-of-the-art microscope resource for teachers that can be readily integrated into classroom activities. The classroom has ownership of the project - they design their own experiment and provide their own bugs to be imaged in the microscope. The Bugscope project is primarily oriented towards K-12 classrooms and there is no cost to participate in the project. Some of the work is involving teachers in meaningful practice in education with professional development and support.. see www.eot.org EOT-PACI Projects These projects are undertaken by and in association with partners of the Education, Outreach and Training Partnership for Advanced Computational Infrastructure (EOT-PACI). With an emphasis on how projects may be used by students, teachers, science and engineering professionals, government planners and the general public, EOT-PACI invites everyone to take advantage of the wide variety of useful tools, resources, workshops and technological know-how generated by the more than thirty collaborating organizations of EOT-PACI. Biology Student Workbench http://www.eot.org/modules.php?op=modloadname=Sectionsfile=indexreq=print pa geartid=7 The Biology Workbench is widely recognized as a significant bioinformatics resource that provides a suite of interactive tools which draw on a host of biology databases and allows people to compare molecular sequences using high performance computing facilities, visualize and manipulate molecular structures, and generate phylogenetic hypotheses. ChemSense ChemSense is an NSF-funded research project to examine the impact of representational tools, chemical investigations, and classroom discourse on chemistry learning. http://www.eot.org/modules.php?op=modloadname=Sectionsfile=indexreq=viewa rt icleartid=10 First a conversation needs to be started about linking technology people with teachers and some kind of time sharing and understanding. I saw Tim Berners Lee at WSIS
