[DDN] Global Learn Day Ten - This weekend
Digital Divde List Serv subscribers are particularly invited to join us on our tenth voyage around the world...this weekend. We have a number of speakers that come from this group, including Keynoter Taran Ramparsad speaking from Trinidad and Tobago. http://www.ben300.com/TENPLAN/?p=62 and Lee Ann Baber, speaking from London. Global Learn Day Ten opens with two icons, Vint Cerf, Google's Chief Internet Evangelist and Sir John Daniel. They don't give keynoters -- that talk for 45 minutes with each other with some hard questions that come from the panelists. After that we make our way to the Southern Pacific and on to Hawaii, the long way around. 24 non stop hours featuring those who are increasing access to education worldwide. Here are the key web pages to view Home Page for the event http://www.bfranklin.edu List of all Speakers and their thumnails http://ben300.com/GLDTEN/?p=34 How to Talk, Listen, Blog http://ben300.com/GLDTEN/?p=52 Telephone number to call into if you want to just listen quietly -- or ask questions as appropriate +1 603-413-8003 - USA callers should just dial in...long distance charges apply. Overseas? Try Skype for pennies per minute. (But the event will also be available on a stream. When -- The event opens at 00:01 GMT Sunday October 8 and closes 24 hours later. That's Saturday afternoon if you sleep in the Americas. Sunday for the rest of the world. I hope you will come along with us. Should be fun! Appreciate if you forward. And apologies for a wee bit of cross posting. John Hibbs [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.bfranklin.edu/johnhibbs ___ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list DIGITALDIVIDE@mailman.edc.org 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] Are digital natives analog immigrants?
At 6:27 PM -0800 12/18/05, Dr. Steve Eskow wrote: A growing body of literature argues that, in Steven Jo The digital natives may be analog immigrants If this is so, if there are several grains of truth here, what should our colleges and universities do about the New Illiteracy? Two possibilities quickly suggest themselves. The first: acknowledge that print literacy is dissolving and eroding and morphing into something else, and convert instruction and instructional media to that something else. The second: acknowledge that print literacy is the central literacy needed by those who function in the 21st century, and turn the attention of our best minds to the problem of how to save and enhance it. Steve Eskow [EMAIL PROTECTED] A good piece. What, Steve, are YOUR recommendations? e. -- John W. Hibbs [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.bfranklin.edu/johnhibbs ___ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list DIGITALDIVIDE@mailman.edc.org 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] Your Bibliography Must Have Twenty Scholarly Sources and You Can Only Use Print Publications
Professor Ayers proved the power of research using Net sources only http://valley.vcdh.virginia.edu/usingvalley/background.html -- John W. Hibbs [EMAIL PROTECTED] About the Institute http://www.bfranklin.edu About John Hibbs http://www.bfranklin.edu/johnhibbs About Global Learn Day http://www.bfranklin.edu/gld About a long term stint abroad http://www.bfranklin.edu/champions Eugene, Oregon, USA TEL: +1 541 343 9389 cell +1 541 337 4233 ___ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list DIGITALDIVIDE@mailman.edc.org 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] World AIDS Day, and other awareness campaigns, what can we do together?
Next October we will hold our tenth Global Learn Day - a 24 hour marathon that features exceptional people from 24 time zones. We think it's the other side of the Earth Day coin - that learning is as important as environmental protection, and just as central to it. The two biggest problems we face are tied to each other. We don't have a large audience -(by large I think we need an audience of at least a million); and, because we don't have a large audience, we can't get the funding that is necessary to bring this event off professionally. I have personally come to the conclusion that Global Learn Day should be one of four or five other Very Important Events - and that all of them should be put on by a full time, paid professional staff -- drawn from people of a kind that subscribe to this list. I have also come to the conclusion that community radio is the key to large audiences; and that is why we formed The Dublin Bunch - please visit our blog at http://www.ben300.com/Dublin What other four or five events should this group support/advance? A good question, but I would argue for these Youth Day Earth Day Learn Day Webheads and ESL I'd encourage those who have an interest in this to write to me at [EMAIL PROTECTED] - and/or leave comments at the Dublin Bunch blog site. Community radio may well be the most promising tool we have to narrow the divide. How do we find the path to get hundreds of community radio stations to broadcast our messages? Regards John Hibbs http://www.bfranklin.edu/gldten At 1:33 PM -0600 11/30/05, Michael Maranda wrote: Greetings all, Dec 1 is World AIDS Day, and there are little things one can do to increase awareness, such as including a button on your website a href=http://www.worldaidsday.org/default.asp; title=Link to the official World AIDS Day websiteimg src=http://www.worldaidsday.org/images/virtualribbon.gif; width=120 height=40 border=0 alt=Support World AIDS Day //a As important as this is, among many important things in the world, that require resources and attention, I am also interested in hearing about these and other strategies for communicating a cause to the wider public (other campaigns of note: Make Poverty History ) What campaigns are we involved in related to Digital Divide issues, and how might we coordinate them? What dates are significant for our field that we might make use of? snip snip ___ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list DIGITALDIVIDE@mailman.edc.org 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] Virtual conferences
I'm exceptionally proud that our teeny, weeny non-profit has held eight Global Learn Day events, one each year since 1996. GLD, a non stop 24 hour event, opens in the South Pacific and travels west to Hawaii, the long way around. We make stops in eight major regions where we feature outstanding people doing highly innovative work, mostly in distance education, but also in health training, e-democracy and social justice. We use everything but two tin cans tied to a string, including community radio, one of the most ignored elements in the communication network, and one of the most important. (We also use ham radio to bring in voices from Antarctica and other truly remote areas.) But, this year, we will NOT hold Global Learn Day...(taking a year off is good for the soul). HOWEVER, we are watching -- and will participate -- with Webheads, the most innovative, far reaching, truly global enterprise in the whole of the English language training world. They are doing a much, much, much better job organizing for their (global) event than we ever did for Global Learn Day, so we are learning a LOT. I encourage subscribers here to plan on attending this exceptional conference. No, belay, that...I believe many DDN subscribers might wish to submit proposals, particularly about how to improve virtual conferences and increase impact. The Webheads conference is not just about verbs and pronouns; in fact what it is really about, I say, is connecting those doing innovative work of a kind likely to make for a safer, saner planet. HERE IS WHERE YOU SHOULD LOOK WiAOC 2005: Webheads in Action Online Convergence Bridges across Cyberspace Friday and Saturday, November 18 - 19, 2005 and Convergence rap-up Sunday November 20 tiny url http://tinyurl.com/d9ksx http://www.geocities.com/vance_stevens/papers/evonline2002/convergence2005.htm John Hibbs http://www.bfranklin.edu/johnhibbs At 11:00 AM -0400 9/18/05, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: John, I hear you and agree with you. Visit http://www.tutormentorconference.bigstep.com to see how my small, understaffed non profit is trying to connect the face to face tutor/mentor conference we hold in Chicago each November and May with others via a variety of econference concepts. We've held 3 econferences since May 2004. Dan Bassill Tutor/Mentor Connection http://tutormentor.blogspot.com ___ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list DIGITALDIVIDE@mailman.edc.org 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] Cedar Pruitt's departure from DDN
This group has so much to offer, and operates on budgets that ranking government and corporate officers would scoff at --- because it is so tiny. There are many examples of how bright ideas and a few dimes would do so much -- Taran's van in a box is as good as any. FEMA would spend more on the documentation than Taran would spend to have these in place in FEMA and other facilities across the country. So how do we acquire the resources that can ensure that the Tarand's and the Carvin's and the Shapiro's and the Abrhamsen's and the Pruitt's need in order to continue their extraordinary work? I say it is to hold, at least once a year, a 24 hour conference - held virtually of course - with at least as much effort to ensure an audience in the tens of thousands (at minimum) - either in real time or by way of community radio station broadcasts. You guys have the tools to do this. You have the brainpower to hold roundtable conversations that would be interesting to listen to over conventional radio - the NPR's of the world. Among the topics for consideration would be how to acquire funding so those with the skills could get funded. Another topic would be how to attract large audiences, not from the choir, but from the congregation we seek. At 2:16 AM -0500 9/19/05, Taran Rampersad wrote: Snipped out a few things and hopping in... Full agreement with Dan and Bonnie, and going from Michael's post... Michael Maranda wrote: So, to shape our field, we need to educate ourselves and educate the philanthropic community as to what is best for the field qua field and movement, and seek a new form of philanthropy. The other day I attended the Chicago Asian Giving Circle event The Art of Asian Giving at the Art Institute of Chicago. While not concerned about getting into details here, one important aspect was a diverse donor base and each donor at the $250 annual level having a vote in how the fund would benefit the community. One problem. The people with $250 are people with $250 to spend, which means that people below that amount don't get that vote. The diversity counts, but still... I know people working in NGOs who have never put a foot in the neighborhoods that they are supposed to be helping. $250 is one week's pay, before taxes, of someone that makes $6.25 an hour. Bear with me, this goes both ways. On the flip side, I've met people like Peter Abrahamsen who is doing work on getting internet access to the people at the center of Lake Nicaragua. He left Nicaragua a few months ago so he could earn more money so he could continue his work in Nicaragua. Peter, last I heard, was on this list and I apologize if I make him uncomfortable but I'm trying to make a point here. He's doing this completely on his own, at least the last I spoke to him. I wish I had a solution. I don't. But I think part of the solution is communicating what I see, and listening/reading what other people see. The people with money controlling the flow of money is what we consider to be the natural order of things. In capitalism, it is - and I'm not going to ding capitalism because I practice it as well. But the point here is that the value of people who freely volunteer their time and their energy for nothing more than a plane ticket have no say, and continue to have no say, because funding agencies choose where money goes to. It's fair to say that philanthropists do this as well, and while we can say what good has been done by philanthropy, I also think it's fair to say that philanthropy has been inadequate to the task. While I'm talking about this... well, I lean more toward Peter's side of the fence, something which has made me both friends and enemies. But there should be a middle ground. There should be a way for people who put in sweat equity to have more of a voice. I'm at a hospital in Guyana now, finishing up one stage of some volunteer work. This hospital gets donations all the time, and is grateful for them. They don't look gift horses in the mouth. But I can't help but notice the new wing, which was donated, but was donated with the understanding that no local people or materials could be used. In a few years, that wing becomes a liability for the hospital in costs. Why? Because the people with the money, who selflessly give it, selfishly decide where it goes a lot of the time. I'm sorry, I don't mean to offend, but that's what I see. On the flip side, not every person or organization who walks in can be trusted with money even in small amounts. Consider that at this same hospital, there were quotations for $1 million Guyanese dollars ($50,000 US, but it caught your attention) to network the same hospital. On one Saturday, with a cost of lunch ($3,000 Guyanese; $15 US) for the 1 lady and 3 gentlemen involved, plus the cost of the cable, connectors and switches, the hospital got the start of a functioning network. Why? Because they finally unleased their IT department. By looking at
[DDN] Virtual conferences
At 3:26 PM -0500 9/15/05, Taran Rampersad wrote: John Hibbs wrote: Why is an ICT conference not held virtually? Why do I have to travel to Washington to participate? or listen? or view? What century do we live in? 15 Sep 2005 15:26:11 -0500 Taran Rampersad [EMAIL PROTECTED] So that's where I left my drum! :-) Maybe it's just not easy enough for people to organize a conference virtually yet... or maybe they don't know how easy it is? Subscribers to the leading listserv in the distance education world have heard me beat this drum for almost a decade. The largest, most prestigious (?) distance ed conferences have very little virtual component; yet the leaders talk the talk about the wonders of their deliveries. My wee voice has been a lonely one. Perhaps the DDN should take up one more cudgel -- that it should beat up on those who hold large physical conferences advocating ICT; but are unwilling to offer same virtually? If we at the leading edge don't walk the walk -- who will? -- John W. Hibbs http://www.bfranklin.edu/johnhibbs ___ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list DIGITALDIVIDE@mailman.edc.org 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] Re: What can we do to prepare for a DISASTER?
At 10:42 AM -0500 9/15/05, Taran Rampersad wrote: Thank, Taran, for the reminder about the Jamaican effort. I had looked at that about four years ago...I see they have made a LOT of progress. All of what you say - every single word - has merit. Now, how to get our hands on some of the $50 billion being appropriated as a result of Katrina to put some of the Rampersad Boxes into - well, boxes? Shouldn't every Red Cross center of any size have a couple on hand? (I'd love to see the Jamaicans be the builders, but that really is far fetched..) Can we pursue this to where an offer is put on the Feds table by a reputable provider? http://www.fraw.org.uk/ssp/container/ That's sort of what you're talking about, except with a focus. Maybe you could hire a few Jamaicans. :-) Now, when I worked at Central Florida Blood Bank, I built a lot of the equipment for mobile blood drives... in fact I designed some of it... using PVC. It's possible to create tables that flip into self contained boxes with systems screwed to them... picture a computer on a desktop, and you unlock the desktop and it pivots on a central screw, allowing the system to be automagically packed into a PVC box which converts back to a table. You then secure the equipment to minimize vibration, and there you go. PVC is durable and easy to replace and keep clean (especially outside of a blood bank setting). Honestly, the Apple Mac minis may be ideal for this because of their small size. Wireless out of the box as I recall, which means that all that would be needed is a server, internet access (satellite) and some chairs. Toss some solar panels on the roof, ample fuel cells (because nothing described so far is heavy) with the understanding that they need to 'breathe', a DC refrigerator (you will want something to eat and drink), and you could *try* solar air conditioning, though you should have a double seal door if you use that because they don't blow as hard, normally. You should have some windows, too, for natural light - on top, for natural light in, dispersed with dispersal plastic (like in front of the fluorescent bulbs in offices) You could even put in a solar water pump and keep your own supply of water, which I would suggest. Toss in a HAM radio and the right software, plus a GSM modem... Actually, I just described my dream office. But I think you'll all get the idea. -- Taran Rampersad Presently in: Georgetown, Guyana [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.knowprose.com http://www.easylum.net http://www.digitaldivide.net/profile/Taran Criticize by creating. - Michelangelo ___ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list DIGITALDIVIDE@mailman.edc.org 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 DIGITALDIVIDE@mailman.edc.org 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] Re: What can we do to prepare for a DISASTER?
At 12:34 PM -0400 9/15/05, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: While we're all talking about ICT disaster preparedness, I'd like to point out there is a NTEN-sponsored conference on ICT disaster preparedness coming up in October : Global ICT Humanitarian Relief http://www.nten.org/conferences-ict Why is an ICT conference not held virtually? Why do I have to travel to Washington to participate? or listen? or view? What century do we live in? ___ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list DIGITALDIVIDE@mailman.edc.org 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] Re: What can we do to prepare for a DISASTER?
Remember the discussion about those cyber vans? Wouldn't it be nice if FEMA would have had about 50 of them? Or even a 100? They could have located in places where they could be used for disaster (and other) training; but in an emergency, they would be rounded up and trucked and ready-to-use in a few days at the disaster site(s). With all that money that is coming forward, one would think someone on the DD list would have the connections to get an order - for, say?, 50? They would not be all that hard to build. Not with all the talent that is available from this wonderful group. At 5:16 PM -0400 9/14/05, Ronda Evans wrote: Hi Deborah,In answer to your question about a trained group of volunteers that can help post missing persons during a disaster, I think this is exactly what happened. As soon as the people were out of New Orleans and in other places they were immediately helped with all the volunteers to use technology to find their loves one. This was done while waiting for the government to decide what to do. The more major concern at this time is keeping track of the refugees, where they went, what they need, which is what the new database by VisionLink is providing. This on-line database has taken years to develop and covers every area of persons life and is flexible to accommodate the homeless and the disaster victims. RECA Foundation and 4People are beginning to use this for our Homeless in eastern Washington, and almost any techie could easily walk around and get the information needed for this case management system. The important thing about the database is that Red Cross, FEMA! , Salvation Army, United Way and others have all AGREED to use this one, so it goes beyond posting, but providing services to the victims. My more immediate concern would be to make sure that New Orleans has Wi-Fi and computer centers in non-profits, hospitals, schools, senior centers, DSHS, HUD buildings so that everyone can learn to use the Internet to help themselves. My other concern is that the RED Cross, FEMA and all involved with disaster preparedness need to update their Disaster Preparedness Kits to include communications equipment. How about a solar powered battery recharger, or a hand held recharger. We need to proceed with making most computers wireless and showing people how to use these. We need to get the legislature and city officials to make deals with the ISP's to provide wireless access for FREE during a disaster. This is a great example to show non-profits how much they truly need to use the Internet. We still have a number of holdouts in our community even thought we have been pushing them for over 13 years. Know that the Tech Community was there!Ronda EvansRECA Foundationtcfn.org - connecting people to technology4people.tcfn.org - connecting people to resourcescalendars.tcfn.org connecting people to activities Re: What can we do to prepare for a DISASTER?Dear Colleagues,I just want to mention a vision that a few of us in the KatrinaPeopleFinder Project group have been discussing.What if we got together with the national CityCares / Hands On Networkand the CommunityTechnology Center Network ? What if the HandsOn Network recruited volunteers (to be trained by the KatrinaPeopleFinder Project) who would be willing to go to local CTCs in theevent of an emergency, in order to process data about missing persons,or to help distraught loved ones who are searching for evacuees toenter queries into the PeopleFinder database?If we had a network of previously-trained national or internationalvolunteers - and sites to which they could report - in advance ofemergencies - then the folks who were in unaffected regions would havean immediate way to help those in need.What do you think?Best regards from DeborahDeborah Elizabeth FinnBoston, Massachusetts, [EMAIL PROTECTED]://blog.deborah.elizabeth.finn.com/bloghttp://public.xdi.org/=deborah.elizabeth.finn___DIGITALDIVIDE mailing [EMAIL PROTECTED]://mailman.edc.org/mailman/listinfo/digitaldivideTo unsubscribe, send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the word UNSUBSCRIBE in the body of the message. ___ No banners. No pop-ups. No kidding. Make My Way your home on the Web - http://www.myway.com ___ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list DIGITALDIVIDE@mailman.edc.org 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 DIGITALDIVIDE@mailman.edc.org 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] Re: What can we do to prepare for a DISASTER?
First, long ago we tossed the idea of a bus...the van (40 foot container) would be towed for placement weeks and months on end. (outside of a Walmart) Next, it seems to me there is some advantage to having a self-contained shell where the equipment can be stored, used, and shipped - and where people can make their way to it, and work shoulder to shoulder. Just a thought. And you could be right. Maybe a boxes of computers which have all the information on their hard drivers, and bookmarks, etc. would be sufficient. Load them on an airplane and have the people find the outer carton, unpack same and set up shop. Wireless has changed a lot, that's for sure. At 7:26 PM -0400 9/14/05, Ronda Evans wrote: cyber vans? WSU got a large grant to put together a bus with 12 computer stations to take out to the Migrant Workers. These days the bus is parked and no one can afford the $500.00 a day to run the bus. We at RECA always do things on a shoestring, we have a 7 laptop, all wireless, with rooter, portable lab, that can be loaded into a car and taken to anywhere to conduct classes.In the future I would invision that volunteers would just bring their own laptops - like they do on plains - hook up to a wireless feed - and wa la they can help anyone they run into. Ronda EvansRECA FoundationRECA Foundationtcfn.org - connecting people to technology4people.tcfn.org - connecting people to resourcescalendars.tcfn.org connecting people to activities--- On Wed 09/14, John Hibbs lt; [EMAIL PROTECTED] gt; wrote:From: John Hibbs [mailto: [EMAIL PROTECTED]: ___ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list DIGITALDIVIDE@mailman.edc.org 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] Update on the Simputer
At 10:02 AM -0700 5/29/05, Dr. Steve Eskow wrote: If the Simputer is a superior product, and mass producing it will dramatically lower its price, the Simputer firm might emulate Negroponte and insist on mass orders. Insist? How? How much good would it do to set a date ceartain - as Earth Day has - and make a 24 hour, round the clock, round the world - effort to focus on this call? An event designed to engage grant writers, pundits, distance educators, distance trainers, radio stations, humanitarian relief agencies, the UN, appropriate government officials at high levels. Is there a better way that picking a date certain - say six months from now? - and then putting our collective shoulders together to make sure that a zillion people hear of the Simputer - and cause the ordering in the millions? John Hibbs http://www.bfranklin.edu/johnhibbs P.S. Sam Johnson says that nothing concentrates the mind like a hanging. I say that nothing concentrates the mind like an Big Event with a date certain. What else will turn insist into a collective action? ___ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list DIGITALDIVIDE@mailman.edc.org 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: RE: [DDN] Digital Divide, Telecentres and Iraq
At 8:51 AM -0700 5/9/05, Dr. Steve Eskow wrote: In the case of the powerful drug called a telecenter, there are times and communities when that drug needs to be delayed or avoided until there is a readiness to benefit from it. And, in the instant case - Iraq - perhaps could you tell us what matrix you would suggest as to when the telecenter would be useful? Or, when it would be harmful? -- John W. Hibbs http://www.bfranklin.edu/johnhibbs ___ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list DIGITALDIVIDE@mailman.edc.org 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] Webheads and the Digital Divide Network,
At 10:25 AM -0400 5/9/05, Andy Carvin wrote: That's why I'm glad Chris Lydon and his team are doing Open Source Radio - they're using mobcasting (in this context, public contributions via telephone) and are unabashedly happy to mix in content that's low-quality from a technical/broadcasting point of view. Even though the sound quality will leave a lot to be desired, it puts the power of podcasting back into the hands of the people My suspicion, for our purposes, is that terrific two or three minute thoughtful pieces recorded over the telephone will find a lot more ears than will a lesser piece with all bells and whistles attached. What I visualize is a serious, year-long undertaking which I call Connecting the Dots. As I visualize it, there would be a continuous call for 2-3 minute Paul Harvey type audio messages. (Phil Shapiro came up with one yesterday about Apple's Tiger and the City of Philadelphia. I will let him tell you about that.) (Andy's mobcasting is wide open for a dozen Connect the Dots pieces) Move-On.org showed the way for this kind of development in the presidential campaign last year. What they did was ask their subscribers to create short videos for possible use on television. The response was overwhelming something like 1,700 submissions in a very short time period. Submissions could come by phone (and/or upload); voting by DDN subscribers could take place with use of all that sophisticated (free) polling stuff. The winning pieces could be announced by emails that were also sent to radio stations interested in intriguing pieces for insertions when times were dull. Winning stuff could also be put in text, and submitted to the print media. In many ways this is really fun stuff for people with the cast of mind who read the Digital Divide posts. I see the the goal of reaching larger audiences --- and with that cash contributions,as per the success of www.move-on.org. John Hibbs http://www.bfranklin.edu P.S. My favorite Çonnect the Dots involves the role of English language instructors, ICT, radio and how their work can reduce the Divide. (Blind copies are sent to the leaders of Webheads. They may wish to post?) ___ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list DIGITALDIVIDE@mailman.edc.org 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] Webheads and the Digital Divide Network,
At 9:23 PM -0700 5/7/05, Aiden Yeh wrote: Vance Stevens [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:Group cohesion is when as a result of postings on a thread the group feels more like it's heading in a common and positive direction. I belong to far too many lists, the majority of which are in the education arena. The two best, by far, are Webheads http://www.webheads.info and The Digital Divide Network http://www.digitaldividenetwork.org Of course I am biased because of my strongly held belief that English language instructors and those inside their classrooms are at the pointy edge of the shovels which can best reduce the Divide. Nowhere is this belief better reinforced than by the many dozens of very smart Webheads (like Aiden Yeh) who use affordable technology in ways that are often completely uncommon with others in their part of the world. My hat's off to them. It's also off with equal vigor to brilliant subscribers to DDN who are as varied as the one hundred or so countries from which they come. At first glance, the two groups have entirely different missions. But do they? Here's my caveat. The one area that I think needs improvement is how both groups can get more attention? My guess is that podcasting, satellite radio, community radio and the innovative spirits that are found in both groups are the main ingredients for wide publicity - and more money, accelerated results. Yet, both groups seem satisfied to reach a few hundred in their real time events and a few thousand in their electronic circulations. I wish they would give more thought on how to reach millions. Unfortunately, the recipe that will generate same has yet to be formulated -- much less baked. Ideas welcome. John Hibbs http://www.bfranklin.edu/johnhibbs ___ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list DIGITALDIVIDE@mailman.edc.org 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] explosion at Kabul cybercafe kills three
That is a grim reminder of the fierce nature of those who wish to return Afghans -- and other Arabs - to 4th century barbarism. This should not mean that there should be less cybercafes. If that logic would apply, police training would stop because the their facilities are targeted. It would seem to me that the more innocents --such as those inside a cyber cafe - are killed, the greater would be the general resolve to take down the killers, as vs taking down the cafes. At 10:21 AM -0400 5/8/05, Andy Carvin wrote: Our conversation this week about telecentres and Iraq was disturbingly prescient, based on this headline I just saw a moment ago on Yahoo News andy Explosion at Kabul Internet Cafe Kills 3 ___ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list DIGITALDIVIDE@mailman.edc.org 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] Digital Divide, Telecentres and Iraq
In the run up to the invasion of Iraq, when it was certain to some of us - including a well connected civilian inside the Pentagon - that war and the aftermath would come, a number of us drafted a memorandum outlining why 40 foot vans, filled with the necessaries, could do about as Andy describes below. Our guy inside the Pentagon did what he could; but, like others who warned about looting, the need to protect of the museums, and how important the first 100 days would be after major conflict ended, we never got a hearing. By the way, also as Andy knows, inside those telecenters would be broadcast equipment for low power radio. The reach of a telecenter is quite large, that is if equipped with the right culture. At 12:15 PM -0400 5/6/05, Andy Carvin wrote: Dr. Steve Eskow wrote: And it is not clear--to me, at least--that if we had a thousand telecenters in Iraq that the other divides would shrink. Hi Steve, If there were 1,000 telecentres in Iraq that did nothing but provide people email access and an outlet for online gaming, I'd have to agree with you. But when done well, telecenters are epicenters of hope and human potential -- places within the community where people can rally together for educational, economic, cultural and civic development. And when all members of a nation are given equal opportunity to improve the quality of life of their families, some of these other divides, I hope, would lessen over time. Much of the work of NY Times columnist Thomas L Friedman has dealt with this issue; for example, he's written about Lebanese telecentres serving as ICT job training centres, and how these institutions are helping improve the country's overall socio-economic prospects and strengthen local democratic institutions. So let's say we could snap our fingers and have 1,000 telecentres across Iraq. Imagine if each one of them addressed their community's most pressing needs. Some of these telecentres would large the local unemployed with the tools they need to gain new skills or start small businesses. Others would focus developing e-mechanisms for the public to interact with civil servants and government officials, making sure that the new government addressed their needs effectively, no matter if they spoke Arabic, Kurdi or Turkmen as their native language. Yet others would assist local mosques in providing health care and human services to people whose lives and livelihoods were destroyed during the war. If telecentres are merely nonprofit cybercafes lacking any development context, then I'd agree with you. But if we put that aside and see telecentres as serving specific development goals based on each community's particular needs and opportunities, I would have to be more optimistic about the role they could play in helping Iraq get back on its feet and prosper in the coming years. I know there are at least one or two Iraqis on the list. I hope they're reading this thread; perhaps they would want to comment. ___ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list DIGITALDIVIDE@mailman.edc.org 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] Fwd: [creative-radio] Podcasters and LPFM - Fellow Travelers?
Dummy me, I can't find the thread dealing with the forward thinking podcaster who is organizing an podcasting event - or a serious of events. That person, particularly, will be interested in the below. Sender: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Mailing-List: list [EMAIL PROTECTED]; contact [EMAIL PROTECTED] Delivered-To: mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] List-Id: creative-radio.yahoogroups.com List-Unsubscribe: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Date: Sat, 07 May 2005 05:17:48 - Subject: [creative-radio] Podcasters and LPFM - Fellow Travelers? Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Howdy Deep Thinkers of Creative Radio! Given that many podcasters are one-person hobby production units and most American Low Power community stations are by defination non-profit collectives can they be fellow travelers in terms of alternative content? Our group, KYXS-LP, has begun to talk about swapping content with other LPFM stations and podcasters. And then we heard about this: I've received word that the newest edition of Kenneth Newquist's podcast of all things science fiction, Nuketown, out of Easton, PA, includes a tip of the hat to Coyote Radio Theater. In particular, Mr. Newquist seems to agree with our poking fun at the Amityville remake just released into the multiplexes. Besides his huzzah, he also rebroadcasts a pirate recording of our Amityville Realty sketch from last November's 5th Annual Day of the Dead Dinner Show. Check it out at: http://www.nuketown.com/templates/music.php?id=600 Until we meet again, I remain your radio pal, Andrew Johnson-Schmit President-for-Life Coyote Radio Theater Prescott, AZ USA Website http://www.coyoteradio.org Blog http://www.twoblog.com/bmachine/coyoteradio_Coyote_Radio.php or Your shorter link is: http://makeashorterlink.com/?Q5002190B ___ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list DIGITALDIVIDE@mailman.edc.org 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] GETS NUDGE FOR IT'S SUCCESS!
At 5:50 AM -0400 4/23/05, Sandra Latherbenson wrote: As a creative thinker, it is grand to find such a body of scientific professionals who are willing to share knowledge and interests. Where else can you see this? The only comparable listserv that I know of is Webheads - where marvelously innovative English language instructors from all over the world meet frequently in real time on the Net. Given that most of them are inside classrooms where the Movers and Shakers of the future are gathered, they, collectively, may have as high an impact on the Divide as does The Digital Divide Network --and that's saying a LOT! More? --- Webheads: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/evonline2002_webheads Digital Divide Network http://www.digitaldividenetwork.org ___ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list DIGITALDIVIDE@mailman.edc.org 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] Current browser standards for international audiences
At 6:56 PM +0200 4/21/05, J Cravens wrote: Actually, I am rather impressed with blogger.com in this regard. Blogger.com does not work with my machine -- I'm on a Mactintosh, and have three browsers: MS Explorer 5, Netscape 7.0, and Opera 6.3. Blogger.com does not work with any of them -- it will not let me create an account/login. I wrote tech support and their reply: use a different machine with a higher version of MS Explorer or NetScape. So, I certainly won't be recommending blogger.com to anyone. Jayne is absolutely correct. I was infuriated about being told, many times, that blogger.com was fine for Macs. It's fine for OS X, in I.E. (with glitches in Safari and Firefox). It's not fine on 9.5 and older Macs. I know. I operate three of them ___ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list DIGITALDIVIDE@mailman.edc.org 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] blog: The Mystery of the Food Pyramid
1. My jaw dropped when I read of the cost of hiring the PR firm - was it $2.3 million? What could THIS group do with that kind of money? 2. I lean to the left about as far as anyone on this list, but I have to wonder if the Feds belong in this business at all? And if so, would it not be to simpler and cheaper to hire one very motivated person who would seek *private* funding for a web site that worked? And VOLUNTEERS who knew how to promote widely? At 9:42 PM -0400 4/20/05, Andrew Pleasant wrote: Hello, Agree on the points about the web site. Additionally, try to figure out which physical exercise group you belong to if you don't exercise everyday .. a required response to access a customized food pyramid...if the web site worked that is. Again, turning away the people perhaps most in need of the information. Underlying is the already ongoing controversy about the Feds hiring a private PR firm, Porter Novelli that often/mainly works for the food industry, to conduct the marketing associated with the release of the new pyramid(s). Gov. sources claimed the contract was necessary because they did not have the resources or skills to proceed without assistance and needed industry support to succeed according to an Associated Press article in recent NY Times. Critics argue it is like giving a wolf keys to the hen house. From that perspective, it is no surprise that the information is difficult to access. For what its worth. Best, ___ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list DIGITALDIVIDE@mailman.edc.org 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] international conference calls
Brian: I am the imagineeer and chief conductor to Global Learn Day, now in it's ninth year. 19 of the 24 hours of this event come from real time articipants outside of the United States. We use VOIP very successfully, provided by talking communities.com. We also use the telephone bridged through a nice conference system provided by www.mrconference.com. We bridge the Net to the phone and the phone to the net using some easy and very cheap devices. Now this does not answer the questions about international phone calls, so let me address that. In those few cases where our speakers cannot use talking communities, and want to speak over the phone, we rarely have complaints about the international cost of their call to our telephone conference center. But in those rare cases, we and the speakers work hard to find very cheap phone cards. Rarely does it cost more than 20 U.S. cents per minute from almost anywhere in the world. Given that very few talk on the phone for more than an hour, this means a cost to the speaker of about US$12.00 - less than the cost of the taxi from most downtowns to the airport. We have not had too much luck with Skype. In fact we have some problems bridging it. I don't think we will have much trouble using www.talkingcommunities.com - which now allows Mac OSX platforms. I can probably get www.talkingcommunites.com free. John Hibbs http://www.bfranklin.edu/ At 9:03 AM -0400 4/12/05, Brian Russell wrote: I'm having a large group conference call to work on PodcasterCon. We have folks all around the world who want to participate. I tried using Skype conference call with five people and it just didn't work. Sounded TERRIBLE. Plus there is some difference between the mac version and the pc version. Does anyone have any ideas on how to hold a international conference call on the CHEAP? We can't afford a toll free number and cheap cell phone minutes are obviously only good in your nation. Thanks! -Brian R. p.s. we want an AUDIO conversation to record ___ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list DIGITALDIVIDE@mailman.edc.org 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 DIGITALDIVIDE@mailman.edc.org 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] Mobile Lab in India
Andy's video, though quite large, is a remarkable piece -- which well illustrates the one picture, thousand words idea. Thanks greatly Andy. Next week I have sworn to myself that I will write both a short version and a long version paper on the wisdom of efforts to PROMOTE use of appropriate tools...whether they be phone, radio, Firefox, blog, wiki, star office, magazine, two tin cans tied to a string. The central pillars of this PROMOTION effort would center around a) a very few very large events, both virtual and physical b) lots and lots of small ones, both virtual and physical (Meet Up is a GREAT IDEA!) b) following the Lance Armstrong model c) finding money sources for telecenters, both mobile and stationary d) finding people to do what those people in India are doing as per Andy's video e) finding energetic, bright people from the wealthy countries (ala Peace Corps) to help implement - and, most important - return to their home country cemented to the FACT that if the lives of five billion are not improved, the economic prosperity of one billion will be increasingly at risk. f) using all of the communication tools we have - especially radio - to enlarge the audience. (who knows when an Angel may be listening?) Again - Andy - Thanks for the below: From Andy Carvin: I've made two versions of the video, one without captioning and one with captioning. Without captions: http://www.andycarvin.com/video/baramati-bus.mov Captioned: http://www.andycarvin.com/video/baramati-captioned.mov Both versions of the movie are quite large - more than 45 megs. So you may want to let the video download for a brief time before trying to stream it. Better yet, download the whole thing first so you won't have to worry about it pausing due to bandwidth bottlenecks. The movie is released on a Creative Commons noncommercial/attribution/share-alike license, which means it may be viewed, disseminated and even edited for educational and noncommercial purposes. For those of you who are interested in how I made the video, here are some quick tech specs. I shot the video on a Canon A60 digital camera, capturing about 15 minutes of footage, on location in Baramti, India. I uploaded this footage to my Mac G4 laptop and edited it using Final Cut Pro. Music was licensed from ProductionTrax.com; licenses for four songs cost approximately USD $30. For voiceover (narration) I used Final Cut Pro's voiceover tool, spoken through a LogiTech USB headset mic. Captioning was also done using Final Cut Pro. The total editing process, from uploading footage to exporting the movie as a Quicktime file, took approximately eight hours over the course of several days. Anyway, please check it out when you get a chance and let me know what you think. thanks, andy carvin ___ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list DIGITALDIVIDE@mailman.edc.org 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] refurbished computer systems becoming very affordable
Tempting post, Phil...mm 40 foot container shell, insulated, with floor, lighted, doors, and ventilation $5,500. 40 computers $4,000. couple printers, and, say $2,000. for install using smart volunteers accepting beer money -- What are we to? -- $12-14K. What's missing? - a location, people to use and train, and either a recovery plan or an Angel. At 11:54 AM -0500 3/11/05, Phil Shapiro wrote: hi DDN community - in case it might be of interest, a company in the washington dc-area is selling refurbished pentium II computer systems at a very afforable price. $89 for the complete system, including 17-inch monitor. see http://www.pcretro.com/ you know their supply of these systems is pretty large when they offer to sell you an extra system at half price. here are some things to keep in mind - - since these computers come without an operating system or programs, you might want to install linux and openoffice.org on them. - to have linux run well on these systems, you probably want to add an extra 128 megs (or more) of memory. fedore core (the free version of linux from redhat) runs best in 256 or more of memory. - choosing to buy these computers with the modem installed (for an extra $20) makes a lot of sense, unless you know that you'll be using the computers on a network only. - if you wanted to drive to the washington dc-area to buy a bunch of these (and save shipping costs), the company selling them might well negotiate a lump sum fee for 10 or 20 systems. my prediction is that they paid very little -- or nothing -- to acquire the systems. all the same, they're providing a valuable service by storing them and reselling them to the public. i've dealt with this company before and have been generally happy with what i bought. i wouldn't buy an imac from them, though, because often older imacs have monitor problems than can be costly/annoying to repair. a second-hand blue-and-white G3 is a safer purchase. - phil ___ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list DIGITALDIVIDE@mailman.edc.org 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] The real digital divide (fwd)
At 4:27 AM + 3/12/05, Cindy Lemcke-Hoong wrote: One reason is, as a labourer, you don't need to know too much reading. Just pure muscle. And miserable lives. I saw that in China, Singapore (that was in the 80s, where foreign workers from Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia lived in deplorable conditions as compared to the local. The Malaysian faired better since their home is only a hop away ...), now in Malaysia ... While we frequently talk about greater access to education and training as a result of the Net and cheaper access to it -- all of which is true -- we really don't concentrate very hard on the talking more about promoting *work* opportunities as a result of the new connectivity. I don't know why this is because the examples are many that this kind of thing is well underway; (India's India's call centers -- coupled to the complaint by wealthy nation employees that their job was outsourced). (What is one man's poison is another man's potion.) It is not a terribly long step to believe that relatively simple typing skills by Bengali's can lead to data processing jobs from Boston -- along the lines of what the Irish have done for New England insurance companies for two or three decades. Outsourcing has just begun. In full bloom, 30, 40, 50 years from now, it will mean tele-commuting -- probably from telecenters with all the latest and greatest equipment, with the labor force coming from that same pool that Cindy came from...except what will count most is brain power, not muscle power. Final note: All this means today's American college and high school graduate had best get off their lazy butts and realize what the REAL competition is going to do to their job situation. -- John W. Hibbs http://www.bfranklin.edu/johnhibbs ___ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list DIGITALDIVIDE@mailman.edc.org 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] Dark Horse for bridging the divide
On another list with concerns about the digital divide, and the talks about the $100 computer, Sam Lanfranco [EMAIL PROTECTED] makes some very, very interesting observations, as follows: Sam Lanfranco writes : GKD has had an interesting and instructive round of discussion about the $100 computer. It explored the prospects for, current uses of, and obstacles facing the spread of inexpensive computers in the service of development in the poor regions of the world. If there is one positive lesson to take from the discussion, it is that low cost computers (circa $100) are possible and can be used to community benefit, if all the other dimensions (technical/social/economic) of a well planned community project are also in place. Such computers may be specially built or may be refurbished older machines. If there is one negative lesson to be learned it is about how hard it is for a good ICT idea being carried out in one corner of the globe to effectively enter knowledge networks and be used elsewhere on the globe. This negative lesson is not the result of a lack of ICT knowledge mobility per se but more the result of organizational obstacles resulting from either opportunism (claiming ICT innovation when ICT knowledge transfer is more appropriate) or a culture of organizational silos (where ICT public relations frequently outpace ICT organizational learning). Both of these organizational maladies are treatable, partially by broadening the stakeholder participation in project development and execution, and partially by a more critical stance on the part of those funding the organizations seeking funding for silo mentality ICT projects. The discussion has positioned the promise of the $100 computer against experience of the wireless cell phone and suggested that building out from the cell phone, rather than building down the higher end computer, is one likely path for technology based progress across the digital divide. This is both clearly true and clearly happening. There is however another dark horse (unseen) technology unfolding that may hold a promise for significant leaps in technology use across the digital divide, a technology frontier that will unfold in one setting but can be easily migrated to other settings. That technology goes by the name of in-vehicle telematics. In-vehicle telematics consists of the network of processors, monitors and control devices within the modern automobile, and the user interface that allows the driver (or passengers) to make use of ICT within the vehicle (especially the vehicle in motion). The typical new vehicle has 50 or more onboard processors, many designed to perform specific tasks. In-vehicle telematics operate on at least three frontiers. One is the internal automatic command and control of the vehicle (fuel, braking, skid control, etc.) A second consists of monitoring vital transport signs to feed information to the driver, or an external monitoring centre. The third is to provide the driver, and passengers, with access to information and controls for decision making. There is no need to detail all these options here except to note that a significant, necessary, and important component to in-vehicle telematics is the need for voice-to-voice interaction between the driver and onboard systems. This is necessary for safe driving since using a keyboard, or giving attention to a screen, while driving, is not a good idea. What does all this have to do with ICT for development? The answers are fairly simple, short and direct. First of all, this complex system operates on an electrical system based on one 12 volt battery and a generator. Second, it operates across a range of harsh climates (heat, cold, moisture, vibration, etc.). The user interface includes a range of technologies including cellular networks, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, USB ports, etc. However, third and most important, the user interface also necessarily includes the voice-command/voice-response element essential for safe vehicle operation. The voice-to-voice interface represents a significant opportunity for multi-lingual user interfaces since voice recognition and generation applications rest, at their base, on phonemes, the smallest contructive unit in the sound system of a language. This has the potential to bypass the challenge of keyboard and screen character generation and recognition, and puts the technology in the reach of a user who can neither read nor write. As suggested, this is a dark horse candidate for shrinking the digital divide. It should not go unnoticed that the Italian Fiat Auto company and Microsoft have just teamed up for a strategic partnership with regard to in-vehicle telematics, one where voice-to-voice communications will be central. The interesting question here is whether external research and development groups will work to adapt these technologies to the challenges of the digital divide, or if 5 to 10 years down the road enterprising groups in developing countries will re-tool
Re: [DDN] [Fwd: [Politech] World Bank report questions size of digital divide [econ]]
Declan McCullagh declan@well.com writes In other words, it's a bit silly to talk about the digital divide without also addressing the underlying problems of broken court systems, military rule, confiscatory government policies, and so on that these nations have yet to address. Solving those problems would go a long way to solving any digital divide that still remains. Chuck Sherwood responds: This is the kind of knownothing analysis that is being generated by the World Bank report. Declan's listserv is read by many thought leaders and his analysis will contribute to the general misunderstanding and misinformation about the Digital Divide. Chuck, I am not sure I see your point? And, if I read Declan's post correctly - or make some rough assumptions? - it could well be that the economic gulf has gotten wider while the digital gulf has gotten more narrow. The metrics of determination are of course difficult, but let's assume that one of the metrics of digital prosperity is how many people are within walking distance of a computer connected to the Net? If we don't talk trained people who know how to use the computer and if we don't talk about trained people who can use the computer to improve their lives then, from that narrow perspective, the digital divide might have improved greatly in the last few years. i.e. a whole lot more people are now within walking distance of being Net connected, yet many (the bulk?) have unchanged economic situations. In other words, one gulf got smaller; and the other gulf didn't change - or might even have gotten bigger. It may take many, many years to provide solidly documented studies that support the idea that when the digital divide is small, the chances of upward economic growth is likely. Yet, even then, we may get lots of chicken and egg caveats. Sometime back I told the story of a Horacio Alger Taiwanese who made it big in the chicken business. Underpinning his success was use of superior chicken growing technology; but underpinning that was the message that if his customers didn't keep the coops clean, no amount of brilliant technology would fatten up their wallets. Isn't that what Declan was getting at? That the easy part was the technology. The hard part was good governance. Are we completely sure that once a society has a narrow digital gulf, that good governance will follow? John Hibbs http://www.bfranklin.edu/johnhibbs ___ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list DIGITALDIVIDE@mailman.edc.org 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] Yale Global Flow of Information Conference - Apr.1-3, 2005
Dr. Eskow: Are you saying that reviewing the text of the proposed lecture - or keynote speech - in advance of same is a bad idea? Are you also saying that in today's college (100) classes it is NOT common that there is little or no Question and Answer by the students of the person at the lectern? If on the second question, you disagree, I encourage you to visit Eugene and see what I have frequently seen here on the Oregon campus. As to the first question, if you are opposed to the idea of students or conference attendees reviewing the materials in advance, then perhaps you could delineate supporting arguments why this is a bad idea? Please try to be direct and on-point. None of us need a reminder there are no silver bullets --- Most of us, even outside of the robed world, gave up on silver bullets at about age 12. However, we do happen to believe that the new tools offer new opportunities; and these should not be easily or quickly disregarded just because they come from people who don't wear robes and headgear of high distinction. At 9:44 AM -0800 2/8/05, Steve Eskow wrote: Mr. Hibbs is apparently confused by my gender as well as by the dynamics of good instruction: perhaps the lady doth protest too much? He asked: and answered his own question: Would the students (attendees) have learned more if they had listened, in advance, to the lecture at a time convenient to them? Or if they had read the text commentary and looked at the links provided - all well in advance of the physical meeting place? ___ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list DIGITALDIVIDE@mailman.edc.org 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] 'Digital Divide' Narrowing Fast, World Bank Says
At 12:57 PM -0800 2/26/05, Jim Vines wrote: It's time to wake up and come to grips that there really is an Illuminati or shadow government that really runs the world. The Internet is seen as a threat to the few hundreds (or a thousand or two) people that dictate government policies from behind the scene. Jim Vines [EMAIL PROTECTED] Jim, for two decades - maybe three? - I have called what you call The Illuminati -- The Whiskey Drinkers. I say they meet in London, New York and Washington, pull their strings and the rest of us twitch according to the tunes they dictate. Now, as a result of the Internet, there is a viable opposing force. I call them the Lilliputians. I have no doubt who will win the battle between the Whiskey Drinkers and the Lilliputians. My doubts are: How long will it take? I'm 62. Before they put me in the Marble Orchard, will I see if my prediction is accurate? But here's a much better question: What are the best ways to accelerate the work of the Lilliputians? John Hibbs http://www.bfranklin.edu/johnhibbs Paul Mondesire [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Hello Folks, We may be preaching to the choir but those singing need inspiration as well. ;-) they seem to equate bridging the digital divide with the spread of mobile telephony, which strikes me as very misguidedSaying that the digital divide is being bridged rapidly makes no sense...because it suggests the job is done, let's not worry about it, and takes pressure off all these policymakers here in Geneva who are debating how to finance bridging the digital divide. This is exactly the point of the article IMO. Whoever planted the story was trying to set the agenda so those working diligently to DO SOMETHING to bridge the DD would be forced stop what they are doing and defend themselves. This type of misdirection is commnplace when dealing in a world of limited resources and extraordinarily powerful business/politcal interests who want to maximize their profits and or power at all costs. Conquering the DD is essentially a philanthropic effort, meaning you have to appeal to people on the basis of their desire to work for the greater good. Working with such high ideals in mind is not exactly the most popular activity among those who control the vast amount of financial an other resources. What those folks DON'T CONTROL is the intellectual capacity of people like-minded people determined to reach across the barriers to create new, more effective means for the sharing of ideas and ideals. I think it is a blessing that folks here get it and are willing to step up to the plate. I hope to be able to contribute in a more concrete fashion as we move forward. In the meantime, keep fighting the good fight... Paul Mondesire [EMAIL PROTECTED] - Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail - You care about security. So do we. ___ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list DIGITALDIVIDE@mailman.edc.org 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 DIGITALDIVIDE@mailman.edc.org 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 DIGITALDIVIDE@mailman.edc.org 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] ITU plugs telecentre caucus
At 6:13 AM -0500 2/25/05, Andy Carvin wrote: It turns out the ITU has included a nice plug for the WSIS telecentres caucus in its latest Prepcom newsletter: http://www.itu.int/wsis/newsroom/2/pc2/highlights/23feb.html There were few links in the laundry list of fine objectives; and in the telecenter there was only a single link and that to Andy/DDN http://www.digitaldivide.net/community/telecentres and this text As part of the civil society delegation to the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), we have created a working group to discuss the role of telecentres, community technology centers, telecottages and other public access points to the Internet, in achieving the UN Millennium Development Goals. The working group is an international community of activists, with English, French and Spanish as official working languages for the group. We'll use this space, along with our email discussion group, to explore ways of working together to share best practices and strategies for promoting successful, sustainable telecentres. I've probably missed something, but how do we push this along? From the 40 foot van thread, there is a ton of knowledge about the subject. Surely there is broad agreement that the more we can standardize a telecenter the more sustainable - and more ubiquitous ? - these centers can become. i.e. Andy - what, exactly, is -- the next step? Hibbs http://www.bfranklin.edu/johnhibbs http://www.bfranklin.edu/friend ___ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list DIGITALDIVIDE@mailman.edc.org 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] Help for community radio stations
At 2:11 PM +0100 2/25/05, A. K. Mahan wrote: In this convergence, radio promises to take on even greater significance and value. For this reason, we believe that radio is the one to watch. Amy Mahan, I love you. I believe you are just exactly on target! Now. Perhaps I should be writing off list directly to Amy Mahan in Montevideo? Or, most certainly, perhaps I should mention - especially to Amy - that one of the premier gurus in the whole of the community radio world, a Dutchman, lives in Montevedio - Bruce Girard [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.comunica.org/apasionados/ or Arun Mehta, in New Delhi http://www.radiophony.com/html_files/arun.html Also one of the planet's radio gurus or George Lessard...in Nunavut http://media002.tripod.com/ Or perhaps I should just plug for the fact that I am seeking, seeking, seeking a small group of people who would like to help in a real world demonstration of the impact that can be made by combining the collaborative power of the Net with the reach of ordinary radio -- and not so ordinary radio -- to include podcasting, Apple, and some Gee Whiz folks in San Francisco? Would those interested in helping with such demonstration please write to me - on or off this list? Bruce? Amy? Chuah Siew Eng? Geoff? Andy? Janet? John Hibbs http://www.bfranklin.edu/johnhibbs P.S. Inside that 40 foot van/telecenter should be the skills and equipment necessary to allow low power broadcasts to reach a radius of 25kms...arguably the most important use of the telecenter? At 2:11 PM +0100 2/25/05, A. K. Mahan wrote: Second, while there has been a lot of talk about podcasting, and other audio deliveries, and some talk about internet (streaming) radio, there hasn't been much talk about reducing the divide by combining the power of the Net with the reach of conventional radio. The One to Watch: Radio, New ICTs and Interactivity This book is available online in English and Spanish at: http://www.comunica.org/1-2-watch/ The Internet and other new ICTs are changing radio in the developing world. But far from making it less relevant, they are opening up hitherto unimagined possibilities: *Broadcasters who used to have to travel for hours or even days to find a public library to research a programme, now have instant access to the Internet; *National, regional and global radio news agencies are making world news and alternative perspectives available to even the most remote communities; *The radio/telecommunications combination is helping to keep communities together, despite the distances imposed by migration. The cases presented in this book are among the first examples of the convergence of radio and new ICTs for development, and the book underscores the significant potential of the combination. In this convergence, radio promises to take on even greater significance and value. For this reason, we believe that radio is the one to watch. -- Amy Mahan Montevideo, Uruguay www.lirne.net www.regulateonline.org ___ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list DIGITALDIVIDE@mailman.edc.org 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] Help for community radio stations
First, there is an enormous amount of technical skills on this list, http://www.digitaldividenetwork.org; not to mention serious intellectual depth that comes with almost every post. Second, while there has been a lot of talk about podcasting, and other audio deliveries, and some talk about internet (streaming) radio, there hasn't been much talk about reducing the divide by combining the power of the Net with the reach of conventional radio. Such pathway might well open up if some of you very smart technical guys - dare I say geeks? - help Chuah Siew Eng in Malaysia with his problems. In return, perhaps Mr. Eng will help us tell how important podcasts can be aired in Malaysia to the ordinary listener. Chuah Siew Eng [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: Dear all, My organisation is setting up a community radio in Malaysia and testing streaming on the web, but is flummoxed by some technical problems. Our youthful (but possibly now graying) web technician says: We are using Mac OSX version 10.3 Panther, with Quicktime 6.5 and Quicktime Broadcaster. I have set up a website, and the web host supports live streaming. I've search through the websites for info, which all pointed to this: broadcasting through Quicktime requires QTSS, which is used in Mac OSX server. How can I create a live broadcast from the software that I have without needing to purchase and/or install any other software? I would appreciate a detailed response including the whole process of making the live broadcast. Thanks (also for the past postings of the many resources and news about community radio). Lurker no more, Chuah Siew Eng Outreach Coordinator Centre for Independent Journalism Malaysia PS Minidisc obsolete? Gosh...and I only just got acquianted to it :-o ___ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list DIGITALDIVIDE@mailman.edc.org 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] Stephen Downes - and mental challenges
(forgive cross posting) For those who want a great peak under this brand new tent we call the Internet, I consider Stephen Downes to be one of the most profound thinkers on the planet. Trust me on that. For those who would like a mental challenge, this piece from him is as good as it gets. http://www.downes.ca/cgi-bin/website/view.cgi?dbs=Articlekey=1109302318 Trust me on that too. This too - If you like crossword puzzles, or have a geeky worm inside you, or don't mind being puzzled because the concept outlined is (just barely) out of reach, but terribly, terribly interesting, this too is for you. All others should not bother. ___ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list DIGITALDIVIDE@mailman.edc.org 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] Municipal Wireless, Innovation, and Politics
Time spent reading what Jon Lebkowsky has to say about innovation, wireless connecting and politics is, I submit, well spent. http://www.worldchanging.com/archives/002146.html Municipal Wireless, Innovation, and Politics At WorldChanging we talk a lot about leapfrogging, where developing regions or nations can leap to higher levels of development bypassing intermediate stages. Leapfrogging can occur where you don't have legacy infrastructure that impose constraints on innovation. ___ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list DIGITALDIVIDE@mailman.edc.org 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] Africa and the 40 foot van
Many, many of you made valuable contributions to the subject of a 40 foot van -- one loaded for bear. While I couldn't make much progress with the idea of placing these on the parking lots outside of large retailers in the United States, they still seem to me worth serious consideration for other places around the world. With this in mind, let me share the entire post about a UN undertaking to put 100 telecenters in Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi. It seems to me that The Powers would be well advised to consider a big box van - as vs. putting the equipment inside brick and mortar facilities...for dozens of good reasons. Anyway, here is the post and the web site of the organization which authored same: John Hibbs http://www.bfranklin.edu/friend -- -- -- Please view http://www.ugabytes.org/ http://www.ugabytes.org/missions.html http://www.ugabytes.org/maintele.html Secretariat, UgaBYTES Initiative, writes: The United Nations International Communications Union (ITU) is to establish a network of at least 100 MCTs (Multipurpose Community Telecenters), to provide communities with access to Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). The project aims to enable the African communities to obtain the social and economic benefits that accrue from participation in the information society. Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi are among 20 African countries that are to benefit from dozens of these female-directed community telephone and computer centers setup by the UN. These MCTs are to be managed by women which will enable them to actively participate in the development and decision-making process. This initiative is in partial fulfillment of the commitment made by 175 countries to a Plan of Action at the first phase of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) to extend the benefits of ICTs to everyone in the world. ITU has already established four MCTs in Tanzania and Guinea Bissau that are now providing basic training in the use of computers and will soon supply other services such as public telephone, fax, Internet connectivity and basic information. Several African countries, including Benin, Burundi, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, The Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Tanzania and Zambia, requested help in fulfilling the first phase of the December 2003 Plan of Action of the World Summit on the Information Society According to the director International Telecommunication Union Development (ITU), Hamadoun Toure, Multipurpose Community Telecenters (MCTs) are one of the most innovative and practical ways to bring the benefits of the information society to the people of Africa. Not only do they create employment and provide basic information services, they establish community focal points for e-education, e-health and e-governance initiatives through web-based multimedia contents. They also stimulate the development and growth of local businesses, as well as ICT skills among the local population, he said. The second stage of the World Summit on the Information Society will be held in November in Accra, Ghana. The three-day African preparatory meeting is to negotiate an action plan on achieving continent-wide distribution of communication technologies. -- Secretariat UgaBYTES Initiative P.O.Box 6081 Kampala-Uganda [EMAIL PROTECTED] or [EMAIL PROTECTED] Check our website: www.ugabytes.org ___ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list DIGITALDIVIDE@mailman.edc.org 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] Fortune Digital Divide and Global Leadership
Pamela - all good work. And how publicity have you received from it? Can you point us to your press releases web page? I hope so. I really do. My bet is the demands on you are such that publicity comes a long way down the totem pole. If so, should more resources be devoted there? John Hibbs http://www.bfranklin.edu/johnhibbs http://www.digitaldivide.net/blog/hibbs At 1:18 PM + 2/19/05, Pamela McLean wrote: Hi Chris. I think you might like what CawdNet is doing in rural Nigeria. To oversimplify the explanation - we are using ICTs to help people on both sides of the digital divide connect with each other and rub brains about how issues of rural poverty can be addressed. . # Run an innovative training course for teachers, http://teacherstalking.xwiki.com/xwiki/bin/view/Main/TeachersTalkingCourse # Taken a farmer's problem to the GKD discussion list [GKD] A Nigerian Farmer Using ICTs to Seek Information Archives of previous GKD messages can be found at: http://www.edc.org/GLG/gkd/ # Organised a workshop on solar cooking (I have some photos - but not on the Internet and I don't expect it is acceptable to send them as attachments with this email) ___ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list DIGITALDIVIDE@mailman.edc.org 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] web video of Berkman blog meeting
A must visit. I loved the text overlay that attached the name of the speaker (in text) to the person on display. Andy, who did you ever get to be so YOUNG At 11:29 AM -0500 2/19/05, Andy Carvin wrote: Hi everyone, Video blogger extraordinaire Steve Garfield has put together a 10-minute Web video covering last Thursday's Berkman bloggers meeting at Harvard. A production crew from ABC's Nightline was filming the meeting as well, so it was a sizable crowd, not to mention quite lively. We discussed blogging and journalistic standards. Several DDN members took part in the meeting, including Rebecca MacKinnon, Taran Rampersad, Doc Searls, Cedar Pruitt and myself. The video can be found here: http://stevegarfield.blogs.com/videoblog/2005/02/on_the_record_b.html ac \ ___ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list DIGITALDIVIDE@mailman.edc.org 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] Fortune Digital Divide, Global Leadership, $100 computer
From Lee Thorn,an truly exceptional human being writes - on another list (forgive cross posting.) From: Lee Thorn [EMAIL PROTECTED] Dear Colleagues, I hope this finds you well. I have been following all the various threads on GKD with interest and wish to comment on this one. Thanks to all of you. The Jhai PC and communication system is prominently mentioned as are the MIT and Via projects in the EE Times: http://www.eet.com/issue/fp/showArticle.jhtml?articleId=59301178 Our project is different from the others in seven ways: (1) Our process includes a consumer-designed, well thought-out business model for village implementers to use for their own self-realized and customized development. This business model was developed by villagers and with a local internet cafe owner and Stanford business and engineering students. It is for villages without electricity or telephones of any kind. 2. It was developed in response to well expressed community needs of remote Lao villagers. 3. We have built, tested, and installed briefly our system already in Laos, but we had to bring the system back to the US due to a political glitch. This glitch was not related to regulatory or technical issues. I own the glitch. 4. We are preparing for thorough proof of concept (POC) and betas using prototypes. 5. Ours is an open source, ***open design*** project. 6. We, too, expect the price of production versions of the Jhai PC and communication system to drop hugely, but we will not project that cost until we have finished preliminary research. The next version of the PC will have no moving parts. Our computers are designed for very harsh conditions. 7. We project being in the consulting business, not the hardware or software business. Projections are just projections. No one knows the future. We are preparing for a Proof of Concept (POC) on the Navajo reservation in accord with the desires and vision of a school district there. If everything continues to go well, we expect to be up in mid-to-late March. Lee Felsenstein is Jhai Foundation's chief volunteer designer and engineer and is still deeply involved in our project. He and I have been helped by nearly 100 volunteer engineers, IT managers, programmers, and marketing people over 2 1/2 years. During the last two months, thanks to Cisco Foundation's help via Teachers without Borders, and in cooperation with Intel on the social side, we have employed four people at non-profit rates to: 1. finish the software, 2. wrap up the hardware (under Lee Felsenstein's leadership), 3. assemble, 4. document, 5. develop training materials for, 6. and test our equipment prior to the POC. Our hard-working, very experienced staffers, Jim Stockford, Alex Rudis, Gerard Cerchio, and Jon Toler, join Lee Felsenstein and Stan Osborne and other volunteers. You can follow our progress at http://69.17.55.171 I am going to China, Laos and India next week for discussions preliminary to memorandi of understanding with prominent non-governmental organizations in each country. ***I will bring a Jhai PC with me on my Asian trip.*** In China we are in discussions with the Amity Foundation. In India we are in preliminary discussions with Datamation Foundation Trust, which we hope will lead to an MOU. In Laos we continue discussions with the government and other potential partners. We expect to be lead implementers in Laos, if that works. We are looking at various kinds of beta tests in each of these locations. We are also in earlier stage discussions in South Africa, Congo, Namibia, Mozambique, and several other countries. We have plans for a consulting firm allied to or within our non-governmental organization to facilitate the roll-out of our project. What we project is: 1. to give away our plans and software 2. and pass on our growing knowledge base on a professional basis. We would like to have a well-established, very grounded NGO partner in the Southern part of the Americas. Other than that, we can only open discussions with others, now. We cannot commit to any more activity until we believe our research substantiates our process and open source, open design products. I am not a techie. I am lucky to work with caring people with great technical expertise. I started this work because I was involved in the American bombing of Laos many years ago and I wanted to help people there, who actually were helping me heal by their compassion and ability to be present. Some of these villagers decided they could use IT and communication devices as a way to increase their income ***without losing their culture***. We are helping poor people with similar ideas and we are helping people like us who understand this situation, either first-hand or from deep and continuing direct discussions with poor people themselves. We need partners who can help us fund this development and scheme. We have a business plan. I hope our gift helps poor people in exactly the way they choose. We are not selling to poor people. We are
Re: [DDN] Yale Global Flow of Information Conference - Apr. 1-3, 2005
Gee...Steve - what caused the jump from my comment that students and attendees would be more informed if in advance of their time in the classroom, or the lecture hall, they viewed the lecture to a contention (by me? by someone else?) that technology is the silver bullet for all the ills in the classroom. Perhaps the lady doth protest too much? At 4:00 PM -0800 2/7/05, Steve Eskow wrote: John Hibbs asks if a technologized alternative to the traditional lecture would enable students to learn more, and suggests an answer: Would the students (attendees) have learned more if they had listened, in advance, to the lecture at a time convenient to them? Or if they had read the text commentary and looked at the links provided - all well in advance of the physical meeting place? The search for technological fixes for education is of course as old as Socrates who used an early version of Power Point to help the slave boy learn the Pythagorean theorem. ___ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list DIGITALDIVIDE@mailman.edc.org 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] Re: Mahatma Gandhi in an Italian Communications Company ad
At 3:39 PM + 2/8/05, Oliver Moran wrote: Taran, I was born in the rural area, I work in the ghetto, this advertisement is irrelevant to both and a distraction from the real needs of those places and the real people who live their real lives there. It is a fiction, its a presentation dangerous and counterproductive. What it sells is an ideal that neither presents the reality of exclusion nor inequality nor realistic solutions to them. This is what is wrong about the advertisement and what I sensed in the snippet I quoted from your reply to the Wiki thread. The view always depends on where one stands. From one part of where I stand -pretty much a peacnik - the Ghandi clip caused me to think what might have happened had Ghandi had the tools available to him today that we have now? Would his message have caught sufficiently to reduce the $500 billion the American government spends annually on defense? Another part of my view was from the cynical lens - ya, shurrr, let's all go out and buy some new gadgets so we don't miss the latest and greatestthat's just what the world needs more of...more toys, more goodies. barf barf. Another part of my view was my involvement in the Ben Franklin Tercentenary, 11 months from now...If our Ben 300 guys could create something like the Ghandi clip, would it help us promote the virtues of Ben Franklin? How could it help us make the Tercentenary the largest, longest running birthday party in history? And the last part of my viewpoint was, hopefully, somewhat rational - Admit it, John, visual images have huge impact. Whether the product you are selling is improving access to education or reducing the divide or increasing sales of tennis shoes, or the merits of Ben Franklin -- video - and the means to distribute same widely - is a necessary part of your arsenal. Even inside a single pair of shoes, the view changes depending on which image one calls to mind. This has been an interesting discussion. Thank for all the contributions. ___ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list DIGITALDIVIDE@mailman.edc.org 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] Narrowing the divide - radio, eBay and profits
From Creative Radio Listserv http://groups.yahoo.com/group/creative-radio/ On Wednesday 02 February 2005 21:04, George Lessard wrote: Lifeline radios are the windup radios from http://www.freeplayfoundation.org/ Ed Girardet, just back from Aceh and once again in Kabul. I am in the process of reporting a piece for the December 2005 edition of National Geographic on Frontline Aid workers: who are they and why do they do it? This will also explore key issues of humanitarian aid in the 21st century plus how aid has changed over the past 25-30 years. Edward Cherlin, Simputer Evangelist http://www.ryze.com/go/Cherlin [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: One major way it has changed is represented by National Geographic's partnership with Novica to sell art and craft items from developing countries through their eBay store and their own Web site, http://www.novica.org. eBay, Overstock.com, and other sites are major outlets for tens of thousands of individual producers in dozens of countries. Overstock.com was certified last year as the largest employer in Afghanistan. http://www.wired.com/news/business/0,1367,63932,00.html?tw=wn_tophead_1 Instead of the five cents an hour that you hear about for child labor in rug factories in Asia, these sellers get about 70% of the final selling price. UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan's IT Challenge to Silicon Valley http://news.com.com/2010-1069-964507.html?tag=lh points out that low-cost computers and wireless can let developing economies leapfrog the conventional development process. This idea is gaining wider acceptance in the response to the tsunami. The other leg of the new approach is microbanking and village banking, which raise large numbers of people out of poverty (as locally defined) every year, enabling many to escape crippling lifelong debt for as little as $20. When you put e-commerce, computers and wireless, and microbanking together, you have the platform for delivering health care information, educational materials, economic opportunities of many kinds, and much more to villages that can now afford them. The whole enterprise can be carried out at a profit to the villagers, the suppliers, and the microbanks, so once we get properly started we won't have to wait for funding from governments, foundations, and individual donors. We still need to improve some of the software and the training programs for villagers, and create a lot of content for health care, education and so on in local languages, but we are ready to put all of the basic components together and start rolling out the program. I just wish we could have done it sooner. Here are some other links for you. They, the Free Software movement, and e-commerce for developing countries represent the Best Practices I know of for aid in the 21st century. Sarvodaya Shramadana Movement, Sri Lanka Five-stage program of village development, on Gandhian principles http://www.sarvodaya.org/ Partners in Health Zanmi Lasanté, Haiti Free health care for 700,000 of the poorest people in the world, including HIV/AIDS and TB treatment http://www.pih.org/ See also Mountains Beyond Mountains, by Tracy Kidder Fantsuam Foundation, Nigeria Computers, health, education, economic opportunity, and more http://www.fantsuam.org/ Global Catalyst Foundation, US and Tanzania Computers and communications in a refugee camp, connecting victims with family, friends, government services, and job opportunities http://www.global-catalyst.org/kasulu.htm ITC e-choupal program One computer per village raises farm income significantly http://www.echoupal.com Grameen Communications Village Computer and Internet Program http://www.cityshelter.org/08_itc/ex/10_itc_ex.htm One particular question I am exploring is whether any serious efforts (within the first week or so) were made in Aceh, Sri Lanka etc. following the Tsunami to help inform affected populations. As far as I can gather, no wind-up radios etc were distributed in Aceh and apart from certain efforts by Internews to train local journalists, there was - and still is - no appropriate lifeline media/public awareness outreach aimed at informing the affected communities. I have it on *my* list of appropriate technologies, along with Simputers and such, but the oneVillage Foundation, which I work with, is not in on the councils of the big NGOs. We are talking about such things with the Sarvodaya Movement in Sri Lanka, which has one of the biggest reconstruction plans in the region, since it operates in about half of the villages in Sri Lanka. The project would involve sending several volunteer wireless network engineers/designers/builders, and training villagers to do construction, installation, operation, and maintenance. Sarvodaya has been working for some time on Simputers and wireless for its village banking system. We also have plans for satellite radio in local languages in Africa and elsewhere, using various receiving devices,
[DDN] radio and blogs
Tapped from the creative radio list, http://groups.yahoo.com/group/creative-radio/ Vickram Crishna [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: Some attention to the possibilities of widening the possibilities for keeping the flow of information moving collaboratively in times of stress, both literally and figuratively, happened in the aftermath of the Indian Ocean tsunami. Information from journalists in Sri Lanka and several other badly hit places was channeled to DesiMediaBitch, an open group of reporters on a blog. In its new found avatar as Chien(ne)s Sans Frontieres, the blog served to get reports raw from some of the worst mangled areas, sent out by SMS and ham radio from areas where mainstream journalists had not, and in some cases could not have, been. A few weeks later, and a different kind of tragedy has affected the concept of free and open communications, as a curtain of silence has fallen across the northern borders of the South Asian subcontinent. The possibility of relaying information out from behind the Nepal border by keyed transmission is being held open, as an informal network of ham operators attempt to organise relay listening across the amateur frequencies, in the hope that the voices of freedom denied may be heard once again. Obviously, the risk to amateur operators in Nepal is high, and the possible penalties dire, and C*S*F* hopes that their efforts may not be in vain, as the converging networks of hams and bloggers synergise. -- Vickram ___ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list DIGITALDIVIDE@mailman.edc.org 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] Conferencing Discussion
There are some wonderful strengths in virtual conferences that are rarely duplicated in physical ones - although there is no reason they should not be. I will list these as they come to mind: a) narrowly defined list serv where each participant is strongly encouraged to subscribe - and maintain after the conference; b) blog site(s) for the same purposes, with a particular emphasis on sharing web sites and other blogs (RSS anyone?) c) circulation of email and profiles of all attendants who will allow same; d) web archive for all written materials and slide visuals; e) stand alone audio recordings that can be made by telephone and linked to the blog and/or slides and/or speaker's web site. More difficult than any of the above -as these entail only attention to detail and the minimum in technology skills - is the attempt to change the culture of real time presentations from a one to many format to many to many format. (Virtual conferences in real time get very, very boring in a big hurry if only the speaker does the bulk of the talking.) (Physical conferences attendees seem willing to sit quietly for the longest, most boring presentations (of course they will be seen as rude if they get up and leave wheras in the physical ones they just quit the application (or multi task) and listen with one ear.) Energy? Or lack of same in virtual conferences as compared to the physical? I think this depends on the *follow up* --- which I think also depends on telephone contact and more intimate one-to-one conversations that can take place on the telephone. This is the weakest area of virtual conference promoters. They are much like those on this DDN list --- how many have YOU picked up the phone for purposes of establishing a relationship? Phone costs? First, European and American rates have dropped to the point that if the call isn't worth what the carrier charges, it probably isn't worth the time of the callers. Second, in comparison to the amount spent on taxis and tips alone, the costs of the telephone are minimum as compared to attending out of town physical conferences. What would happen if after virtual conferences there was more phone contact? small groups that would meet in real time on the phone for informal discussions? Organized effort to do just that? Are you sure that the virtual community doesn't get stronger after virtual conferences than does a physical one? And if the community gets stronger by way of the virtual, is this not the biggest reason of all to hold more virtual conferences - and less physical ones? What is the BEST part of a virtual conference that cannot be duplicated? One can gather the finest people in the world; ones who never have to leave their desktop...or their cell phone...that is if **your** conference is worthy of **their** (virtual) time. Is it? At 12:06 PM -0500 2/4/05, Stephen Snow wrote: Folks, It would be interesting to think about the differences between virtual and fF2F conferences and the value of each. There is a belief in some quarters that the F2F conference is dying because of telecom. I don't know about that. I do know, though, that virtual conferences serve me differently than F2F ones. I have been wondering how. The F2F conferences really provide the energy of real connection. I more often come away from virtual conferences information rich but a little tired -- all that screen time and alone time. Virtual conferences don't give me -- an extravert -- the energy that comes from F2F. They also lack some of the spontaneity and serendipity (though not always and not always completely). I am wondering perhaps if there are better ways to begin thinking about designing F2F conferences so they capitalize more on their greater strengths and the ways they are differentiated from the virtual ones. Both appeoaches have their place, even for the same information!, so I am wondering what people think about that, how F2F might be designed differently and how virtual might be designed differently, also. Steve Snow -Original Message- From: Sudhir Raghupathy [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Feb 3, 2005 8:27 PM To: The Digital Divide Network discussion group [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [DDN] Conferencing Discussion All, Perhaps I should clarify my stance. I am an advocate of virtual conferencing, especially as it applies to the Digital Divide - because of the opportunity it offers those who cannot afford to travel from different parts of the world as well as the environmental benefits inherent in such an approach. Anyone with access to the internet can participate, especially in free conferences like the one I am currently promoting (see my last post). I would never suggest all conferences take this approach- as I tated before there is inherent value in face-to-face contact. These types of conferences represent terrific potential, however, in their own right - coupled with efforts to make internet access
Re: [DDN] Yale Global Flow of Information Conference - Apr.1-3, 2005
At 9:16 AM -0500 2/3/05, Andy Carvin wrote: John, I think that's a little unfair. Arguably, Web based conferences are _different_ than physical ones. Some events work great virtually - others I've seen have been a flop. Forgive me if I left the impressions that virtual conferences should replace physical ones. They shouldn't. And they won't. There is far, far too much gain from meeting face to face for that to ever, ever happen. BUT . I submit conferences of a type mentioned should have as much virtual as is reasonable and cost effective. How much is that? 1.Keynoters: I would suggest that all keynoters should pre-record their remarks with the (archived) recordings made available almost exactly at the same time as the real time live deliveries. These recordings can be made over the telephone and uploaded as MP3 files for very, very small dollars without any more technical ability than talking into a telephone. I would think every single keynoter would LOVE to know h/h speech would be available worldwide immediately after delivery. 2 Presenters: I would suggest that all presenters who are at ease with uploading their power point slides and audio would also do that in advance of the real time deliveries. (And, for those that are not, themselves at ease, the organizers should seek volunteers who can help in this regard.) The organizers and the presenters should seek to have as many who come to the physical conference view these so that the time remaining can be used for real time questions and answers. Why go to a lecture if you are just going to sit back and get fed what you can see on a web site in your pajamas? 3.Blogs: I think conference blog site - and links to presenter blogs - are very, very helpful and should be promoted by the organizers. These sites are VERY helpful for those attending physically - an up-to-the-minute electronic bulletin board so people can find each other, make last minute announcements, etc. etc. etc. 4. Listservs: I also think that a conference litserv has some advantages. While at the conference, people check their mail. Again, a conference list serv can give reminders and last minute updates. Isn't it nice when you get up in a hotel room to check you mail and find that an email has gone out reminding all those at the conference to come to YOUR presentation? 5. Real Time?: And, for the really ambitious who would like some components to be webcast in real time, this should also be explored. Cell phones and very, very affordable telephone call centers linked to the Net make this an interesting subject to explore further. THE MOST IMPORTANT: Changing the culture! Isn't the most important part of all of this to cause people to re-think how they can improve deliveries? cut costs? increase outreach? Who on this list needs to be reminded that we live in a Google-ized, globalized, nanosecond, net-connected world? Isn't it fair to ask conferences organizers presenting themes like improving 'global information flow' and 'reducing the digital divide' to walk-the-walk, not just talk-the-talk? With all due respect, John Hibbs http://www.bfranklin.edu/johnhibbs I'm a big advocate of virtual conferences and have hosted several already, but I don't see them as a complete replacement of real-world gatherings. Not everyone is as comfortable with virtual events as you are, and they don't contribute as much as they would if it had been in person. Also, the personal networking that happens at real conferences still beats the networking at virtual conferences much of the time. My personal preference is to host conferences that have both online and offline components, but that doesn't mean one can always replace the other without losing something in the process. -- --- Andy Carvin Program Director EDC Center for Media Community acarvin @ edc . org http://www.digitaldivide.net http://www.tsunami-info.org Blog: http://www.andycarvin.com --- ___ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list DIGITALDIVIDE@mailman.edc.org 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 DIGITALDIVIDE@mailman.edc.org 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] 40' Van/WalMart
The purpose of this email is two fold - a) To most sincerely thank all those who commented on the subject of the 40 foot van. You provided a range of photos, advice, technical assistance and commentary which was - and is - extraordinary. b) To explore further novel ideas on how to answer the two Wal Mart questions that I could not: What perceptive value will the ordinary customer ascribe to the time he or she spent inside the Van? And can you provide a measurement of same? What skills will be acquired that can be quantifiably measured? Again, sincerely, thanks to all who contributed to a discussion which continues to have an elusive outcome. You know who you are and if you would like updates, or wish to write off-list with additional comments, I would love to hear from you. John Hibbs http://bfranklin.edu/friend/ ___ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list DIGITALDIVIDE@mailman.edc.org 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] RSS: The Next ICT Literacy Challenge?
At 3:25 AM -0500 1/23/05, Stephen Snow wrote: . That is how this current information tool development feels to me: lots of glitter and not much substance. Lots of information, but not much actual communication. What Stephen Snow writes about, quite eloquently, and as others have touched upon, is the essential problem of making those 40' foot vans outside of Walmart a go-er. i.e. if the ordinary Jack and the ordinary Jill can't find a use for learning the skills offered by Van employees, or don't need the downloadable stuff -- and the only ones excited about Van machinery are kids interested in video games or geeks interested in novel gadgets, well then --- -as the WalMart guy said to me --- ...Ya, shurr, John, this is neat stuff (head scratching); but, tell me John, --- what VALUE - either perceptive or real - will Jack or Jill ascribe to it? If the answer to that very perceptive Wallmart question can't be provided in a few cogent sentences backed by real life examples that stand up to hard examination, then maybe we should cool our own jets? Perhaps changing the world might just have to wait one more generation? Or even two? ___ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list DIGITALDIVIDE@mailman.edc.org 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 for Development research from Berkeley
At 12:41 PM +0100 1/24/05, Raffaele Moles wrote: If you are interested in such a topic I will try to send you more details about whatever you'll ask. Please do. In fact the work Raffaele talks about is so salutary, I thought it worthy of a re-read. Raffaele Moles wrote: I'm working on Digital Divide related topics. I have spent one year (Oct 2003-Oct 2004) in Sri Lanka, as volunteer coordinator in the startup of an IT Training Center (ITTC). The ITTC is managed by a local ngo and we started it from scratch, involving more than 500 students. We built the ITTC starting with 8 desktops and after seven months we had 50 laptops (Pentium 1), a Local Area Network (LAN) with one server (Pentium 2), an Internet connection shared on the LAN, a Database and an internal web site with administration, teaching and learning tools (such as online resources, online tests, etc.). One of the main goals was the training of local people as future teachers, also able to run the school after the volunteers. I was the only foreigner until May and after new volunteers came from Japan, in May 2005, and from Spain, in August 2005, and again from Japain in Oct 2005. So far, the ITTC has had a very strong impact on the local community, allowing many students (almost none of them had touched a computer before) to have both basic literacy and a deeper touch in IT. Of course we also had to face some questions on the relationships with local attitude, surely not so frenetic as in western countries (or developed world); the real impact was on people, not about physical resources availability. To be short, the question is how to deal with fast technology and slow attitude. If you are interested in such a topic I will try to send you more details about whatever you'll ask. Thanks Raffaele Moles ___ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list DIGITALDIVIDE@mailman.edc.org 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] ARC system created: SMS to Email in Tsunami hit areas now ineffect
Steven Elster wrote: I have written my friend in India, and he says: there are plenty of cell phones around here, even in the tiniest villages. He further goes on to say that a cell phone earthquake warning system was in fact in place in at least one village here on the southeast coast. They got notice; everybody was evacuated in an orderly fashion and not one life was lost. Students of earthquakes know only a few things for absolute certain. They include the fact that if a geographic area has never had an earthquake, it never will. A good example is Korea. The experts also know that if any area has ever had a shake, it can be unreservedly assured there will be more. What nobody knows is.when? While I salute, body and soul, the efforts to provide warnings that can go instantly and affordably to everyone on the planet with a radio, television, phone or computer, I suggest we be careful about promises impossible to keep. Predicting earthquakes - at least for now - is a fool's game. Preparing for their aftermath is not. ___ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list DIGITALDIVIDE@mailman.edc.org 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] request for help: creating a podcast on our RSS/literacydiscussion
At 5:13 PM +1300 1/23/05, Nicki Gemmell wrote: Hi Andy, Not trying to be too difficult here, BUT, for many people not is the States, asking us to call a US phone number is going to cost money. How about setting up a gmail account and asking for mp3 attachments (a la Adam Curry) or asking people to ftp mp3 links to their own or even your website? First a wee bit background to put this in context. (1) I lived outside of the U.S for twenty years and know something about the cost of phone calls. (2) For almost ten years we had a software capability that allowed anyone to make an ordinary phone call and the voice was automatically uploaded and attached to a web page that anyone who could type could create for himself or herself (3) efforts to affordably link the phone to the Net are something I salute body and soul. Now the but.sent with a smile and a hug One of my pet peeve's is about reasonably well-off, technically capable individuals who resist making international phone calls for purposes such as Andy has outlined. It seems to me they ignore the additional costs - in the most precious of all commodities - (time). How much *additional* time does it take for Andy to accept MP3 files internetted to him? And how much money the phone call actually cost? (European rates to the U.S, by prepaid phone cards, are a few cents per minute;slightly more to East Asia and Latin America. Few places on the planet cost more than U.S.0.30 cents per minute. A five minute call thus costs less than US$1.50. For me, the monetary cost is not nearly as important as the work to complete the circle that (a) phones are ubiquitous, reliable, friendly, and in except in rare cases, affordable (b) linking them, affordably, with blogs, email, RSS, etc. is crucial - that is if we intend to have an impact on the five billion who have never touched a keyboard. Hugs, ___ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list DIGITALDIVIDE@mailman.edc.org 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] [SPAM] Publicity - Where is our Lance Armstrong? Tour d'France?
PR Team Member Raymond Waynick wrote [EMAIL PROTECTED]: So, my 2 question to the group after reading this report, Who is responsible for solving the Digitial Divide? And does anyone know of any program that is truly closing the gap that can effect usage nationwide? On another list I started a discussion that began with the old joke about the Warden who had agreed to take off his badge to find out how his good friend Joe came home with so many fish. On the lake, after Joe reached into his fishing bag and pulled out a dynamite stick, the Warden gasped and screamed: JOE - You can't DYNAMITE the fish! Calmly, Joe responded, Warden, are we out here to fish or we out here to F around? Next I reminded the readers about lessons learned from Lance Armstrong, cancer research, wrist bands, and participation in world class events viewed by millions. Next came reminders about how Howard Dean, with novel use of the Net, collected millions on line; how www.moveon.org raised more millions through sophisticated data collection and brilliant e-mail; and, finally, the lessons learned from Michael Moore and www.MeetUp.com. Do any of them have a more urgent message than affordable access to the Internet? Is checking the benchmarks to increased Internet access more difficult than checking the progress of cancer research? a political movement? If your answer to those questions is no, then perhaps you can explain why we don't have a Bill Clinton? or a Martina Navritolova? or a Nelson Mandela? or an Opra Winfrey? Who is our Big Name Publicist helping us to making our pitch? Where is *our* wristband? What event could we partner with which will generate millions of eyeballs? How much of our resources should be toward advancing our public relations and fund raising outreach as vs. how much toward technical accomplishment -- for which there is, deservedly, loud applause --- But why only from the choir? If we really and truly want to increase -- factors of 500 or 5,000 -- those who have affordable access to the Net, where is our Lance Armstrong? our Tour d'France? our fund raising mechanisms? our Access Honor Badge? our dynamite stick? John Hibbs http://www.bfranklin.edu/johnhibbs ___ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list DIGITALDIVIDE@mailman.edc.org 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] RSS: The Next ICT Literacy Challenge?
At 6:54 PM -0800 1/21/05, Steve Eskow wrote: John Hibbs's message below seems to challenge the conventional wisdom which holds that the young are ready for the digital revolution while their elders resist it. It's not that the college students I know well resist technology. Universally, they have cell phones and text message like crazy. They get instantly touchdown-by-touchdown updates and have no trouble at all finding out, remotely, where the party is tonight. They can take digital photographs and wirelessly email same. But give them something to read outside of their required reading assignment that is unrelated to sports or fashion, and what you see is pretty close to armed resistance. They are cold - no, not cold - FRIGID! - to blogging, underscored by antagonism - yes that is the correct word - to writing assignments for old school professors who believe some aspect of their grade is determined by grammar, spelling, punctuation, paragraphing. You want them to write something on a *voluntary* basis? Gawd, Hibbs. ya gotta be CRAZY! -=--- Having said all this, I suspect this conversation (Steve) is best held on lists devoted to education? (Like DEOS?) Cheers, John ___ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list DIGITALDIVIDE@mailman.edc.org 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] [SPAM] Publicity - Where is our Lance Armstrong? Tour d'France?
PR Team Member Raymond Waynick wrote [EMAIL PROTECTED]: So, my 2 question to the group after reading this report, Who is responsible for solving the Digitial Divide? And does anyone know of any program that is truly closing the gap that can effect usage nationwide? On another list I started a discussion that began with the old joke about the Warden who had agreed to take off his badge to find out how his good friend Joe came home with so many fish. On the lake, after Joe reached into his fishing bag and pulled out a dynamite stick, the Warden gasped and screamed: JOE - You can't DYNAMITE the fish! Calmly, Joe responded, Warden, are we out here to fish or we out here to F around? Next I reminded the readers about lessons learned from Lance Armstrong, cancer research, wrist bands, and participation in world class events viewed by millions. Next came reminders about how Howard Dean, with novel use of the Net, collected millions on line; how www.moveon.org raised more millions through sophisticated data collection and brilliant e-mail; and, finally, the lessons learned from Michael Moore and www.MeetUp.com. Do any of them have a more urgent message than affordable access to the Internet? Is checking the benchmarks to increased Internet access more difficult than checking the progress of cancer research? a political movement? If your answer to those questions is no, then perhaps you can explain why we don't have a Bill Clinton? or a Martina Navritolova? or a Nelson Mandela? or an Opra Winfrey? Who is our Big Name Publicist helping us to making our pitch? Where is *our* wristband? What event could we partner with which will generate millions of eyeballs? How much of our resources should be toward advancing our public relations and fund raising outreach as vs. how much toward technical accomplishment -- for which there is, deservedly, loud applause --- But why only from the choir? If we really and truly want to increase -- factors of 500 or 5,000 -- those who have affordable access to the Net, where is our Lance Armstrong? our Tour d'France? our fund raising mechanisms? our Access Honor Badge? our dynamite stick? John Hibbs http://www.bfranklin.edu/johnhibbs ___ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list DIGITALDIVIDE@mailman.edc.org 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] RSS: The Next ICT Literacy Challenge?
Why do I think it's a pipe dream that the general public will do a little more work to stay informed? Isn't this in the opposite direction of where the world has been going? Why did the Vatican change from delivery of the mass from Latin into the vernacular? Why did colleges, long ago, abandon the need for humanities students to read in Latin and Greek? Who operates a t.v. without a remote? or a garage door? Who wants to give up cash machines on every corner? Quit micro-waved popcorn? Sad as a lot of this is, the fact is we live in a nonosecond world that rarely undertakes *any* hard work without a direct relationship to their paycheck. I share Steve Eskow's worries about a society not underpinned with people who have good reading and writing skills; one that is already chilly to the merits of civic responsibility, I don't see many of them jumping to learn RSS. At 12:03 PM -0500 1/21/05, Andy Carvin wrote: Dan Gillmor at the Berkman blogger confab today just made the comment that the public will have to learn to do a little more work if they want to stay informed. It's not just going to show up on their doorstep the way it used to be, he said. It takes more effort to stay informed now, he noted. So what can we do to streamline the process? Sounds like RSS feeds will be one of the next major ICT literacy challenges for the general public, particularly when only five percent of people on the Net use RSS and they tend to be white, well-off, and very well educated, according to the folks at Pew. It will take this particular technology literacy (RSS savviness) for people to achieve media literacy and be well-informed as more journalism and civic discourse is produced for the Internet rather than broadcast or print -ac ___ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list DIGITALDIVIDE@mailman.edc.org 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] RSS: The Next ICT Literacy Challenge?
At 11:40 AM -0800 1/21/05, Steve Eskow wrote: His first chapter is called The Daily Me, and deals with ever increasing ability of the new communication technologies to allow their users to personalize what they receive, tailor what comes to them so that they only hear and see what they want to hear and see. Steve, we may have already passed the Rubicon. I have come to know over 100 college undergraduates quite well. I see them daily, share many-a-meal, and even have some say in important aspects of their lives. I'm reasonably sure they like me a lot, and might even respect me just because of my limited amounts of gray hair. But could I interest even one in blogging? Or for that matter the beauties of education by distance means? Or the NY Times on line? Or that their employers will expect them to communicate well, which means lots of reading and writing,all within an intelligently framed context. Nope. Not one bit. They just look at me as some cave man from the Ice Age. At lunch they gather around the boob tube, glued to comics, sports or a really and truly dumb movie. Most dinners, about the same. What news they get is carefully filtered to their political and athletic leanings - Bush supporters swear by Fox, leftists are inclined to MSNBC. Pro sports or collegiate, don't bother me with the other if I have no interest outside of Eugene and the Ducks. Not one takes a daily newspaper, few read the articles I send them carefully pruned about matters I *thought* would be interesting to them. Yawn. Yawn. Perhaps the worst of this is they hold tight to whatever opinions they have formed, easily comfortable with the notion that my opinion counts just as much as yours. Perhaps this all has little to do with the digital divide? Or should we be expanding our own definition of The Divide? And, in closing, I love RSS. ___ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list DIGITALDIVIDE@mailman.edc.org 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] RSS: The Next ICT Literacy Challenge?
At 5:09 AM -0500 1/22/05, Stephen Snow wrote: It is a double-edged sword. Where, on the one edge, a free society is based on the ability to have unfettered access to information of our choosing, on the other edge, a free society's longevity is linked to common experiences, common goals and common understandings, which requires some connection to common information. ' In an event centric - and an increasingly nano-second world - isn't it even more important for those with a crucial message - like access to the Internet - to find ways to bind themselves with large events that already have big audiences? (Note the military has not lost the importance of same; thus taxpayer financed flyovers at the Super Bowl - all to large applause.) What are WE doing to piggyback our message to such events? What Big Name Messenger carries our cause to the kingpins of very large events? If money is the primer - and who can say that it is not? - which among us has a puncture proof theory why increasing access isn't good for the bottom line? John Hibbs http://www.bfranklin.edu ___ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list DIGITALDIVIDE@mailman.edc.org 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] blog: when mobile podcasting leads to mobcasting
I also forwarded it. Andy, you take the prize for being truly innovative! At 12:23 AM +0100 1/17/05, Claude Almansi wrote: I'e an old-fashioned cell that only phones and sends SMS, so I wont be able to avail myself of your precious indications. But I forwarded your e-mail to our local indymedia group. With the World Economic Forum in Davos next week, your theoretical example of a demonstration with police violence might become reality, unfortunately. ___ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list DIGITALDIVIDE@mailman.edc.org 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] Blogging Courses English teachers to narrow the divide
Those who know me well know of my conviction that one way to narrow the digital divide is to work closely with the tens of thousands of English language teachers gathered around the world. Not only are they bright, resourceful, inventive and almost always of generous heart, they are most certainly in close contact with the Movers and Shakers of tomorrow - and many are sons and daughters of the Movers and Shakers of today. A good example of a very fine group of them are those who have entered a webblogging group formed for purposes of finding out how to use blogs to improve classroom results. In this connection, I thought it might be a good idea to share a post from one of the leaders of this group, Barbara Diew from Brazil. She and her Twin from Portugal, Teresa Almeida d'Eca, were the keynote speakers for Global Learn Day Eight. If you scroll way to the bottom of my text remarks you can find out what I had to say about them in my introductory remarks. http://www.bfranklin.edu/gld8/gld8.htm Or, as a better example of her ability and those who lead this group, please read the below and ask yourself -..how many people do you know who could offer a course in December and have 140 people signed up in mid January? -- -- -- Barbara Dieu [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: We were re-reading your introduction messages and noting down details to form a better idea of the class we are going to have in the next 6 weeks ;-) Of the 136 members currently enrolled, 54 have posted their introductions, 36 (including moderators) have uploaded a photo, 40 have answered the survey and 56 placed themselves on the map (to make things easier, not necessarily the same who wrote the introductions or answered the survey...lol). Of those who posted their introductions (54 + 3 moderators): 20 are in North America 19 are in Europe 9 are in Latin America 8 are in Asia 1 is in the Middle East You can check out the distribution at: http://www.opensource.idv.tw/wiki/index.php/Participants_by_Geographi cal_Area#Asia So as you can notice, many of you have not yet introduced yourselves to the group. We know that the introduction phase is officially scheduled for the first week but, if you have time now (and haven't already done so, of course), we'd love it if you could say hello to the group, upload a photo, place your pin on the map and do the survey. Also take your time to check and enroll in the various environments we will be using along the course. With such a big and varied group, advancing a bit on the schedule will give us more time next week to respond to you individually and eventually answer any questions concerning technical difficulties you may experience. Bookmark your weekly schedule/checklist so as to have it handy. This is where you will find the latest information and links to the various environments we will use throughout the course. http://www.beewebhead.net/Evo05/week.htm If you have any doubts or questions please forward them to us. Looking forward to hearing from you! Aaron, Bee and Graham ___ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list DIGITALDIVIDE@mailman.edc.org 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] admin: thoughts on changing policy re: html messages
Hibbs' third cent: It's hard - and rare - to successfully argue with
Bonnie Bracey, one very brilliant individual. It's important for a
guy with Andy's skills to not waste time fixing things that no longer
need fixing -- which also bends the case toward unlocking HTML gates.
And if the visually impaired and members in the countries mentioned
don't object, then why should I push back?
Here's why - Partly based on the tree huggers here in Oregon, and
partly based on worries about a world gone nuts in the business of
heavier and heavier consumption, and partly based on the logic behind
Stuart Brand's The Clock of the Long Now {http://www.longnow.org},
I'd like to promote - everywhere - the idea that, many times, less is
more.
My argument is not so much about bandwidth saving as it is about
developing a cultural philosophy with and through people - such as
are found on this list - who share my over-consumption worries.
There may well be rich textual gains from HTML, and less work for
Andy - but at what cost to a culture many of us on this list would
like to nurture?
That's why I push back. :)
At 12:19 PM -0500 1/7/05, Andy Carvin wrote:
Hi John,
That was my feeling as well for many years, but I'm beginning to
change my mind for several reasons:
1. The majority of people who try to post in HTML on DDN are not in
the US or Europe, but in the South, so apparently there has been
significant growth of html-friendly email browsers there.
2. Many people who post in HTML but then are asked by me to post in
text do not -- or cannot -- switch to HTML, so their message never
gets posted. This may represent as many as one in five messages
posted to the list. And the majority of those who have a hard time
changing their settings to plain text are in developing countries,
so their messages aren't receiving fair representation on the list.
3. An early reason for this policy was also to help people who used
screen-reading software, but now this software is generally better
than it used to be and can usually read HTML. (If this isn't the
case for any list members, please speak up now.)
4. The amount of time I spend moderating list messages has doubled,
if not tripled, solely due to dealing with this problem, and it is
hampering my ability to provide other more important types of
assistance to list members.
Personally, I plan to base my final decision on input from two key
groups: DDN members in developing nations and members who are
visually impaired, since they are the groups that would be affected
by the change. If people from either of these constituencies respond
by saying that their participation in the list will indeed be
hampered by HTML messages, then I won't change the policy. But if
it's not longer an issue for them, I'm going to have to change the
policy just to make the list fully functional again
ac
John Hibbs wrote:
I for one hope the present (HTML) policy continues.
It seems this is especially important for a group devoted to
narrowing the digital divide. Yes, it may well be that most of us
on this list have broadband, super fast computers and live in
countries where electronic mail zips easily and instantly...but the
great, great, great balance of the world doesn't have these
advantagesand won't for a good long time.
Let the spammers choke on their own HTML. Let's keep the policy -
and in fact encourage our members to send *all* mail in plain text.
My two cents.
John Hibbs
http://www.bfranklin.edu/johnhibbs
At 11:07 AM -0500 1/7/05, Andy Carvin wrote:
Hi everyone,
In recent months we've had some problems with getting list
members' messages to the list because of the increasing number of
messages in HTML. Historically, we haven't allowed HTML messages
on the list because of bandwidth limits of some users (an html
message contains more than twice the amount of data of a plain
text message). Now, though, more than half of the messages that
people try to post to the list come in HTML, including from
developing countries. Because our list software, Mailman, cannot
automatically strip out HTML, it rejects these messages if I try
to post them. This means that I have to email the author and ask
them to repost in plain text, which they don't always do. So many
messages are not getting posted simply because they're submitted
in HTML.
So I'd like to ask for comments from list members about a proposed
rule change regarding HTML messages. The rule change would allow
people to post in HTML, but still not allow attachments, which we
block for virus and bandwidth concerns. Plain text, of course,
will still be encouraged, but members wouldn't be penalized if
they didn't comply.
Please let me know what you think. If there's general consensus
that posting in HTML is acceptable to the group, I'll make the
rule change in the FAQ.
thanks,
ac
___
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[DDN] assessment of access to ICTs
It could be this was already posted to the DD list? But in light of the size of the tragedy and the silver lining that might come out of this - narrowing of the divide by new communication adoption and access to - I thought it might be worth a second posting? --- SOURCE: CREATIVE RADIO Date: Wed, 5 Jan 2005 07:02:34 -0500 Subject: [hif-net-at-who] Access to ICTs among health professionals in South East Asia From: Ranjan Dwivedi [EMAIL PROTECTED] Dear Colleagues, We are doing a quick assessment of access to ICTs amongst functionaries in the public health system.(i.e.doctors / health workers /policy makers / researchers etc.), in Bangladesh, Bhutan, DPR Korea, India, Indonesia, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Timor-Leste (Countries constituting South East Asia Region of WHO) Appreciate your assistance in information / reports on access to this group to: 1) Landline phones, 2) Cellular phone 3) Computers 4) Internet 5) Email. Even if data for doctors/ health related professionals is not directly available, statistics for government officials or general public would be useful as it will provide a basis for estimation. Many thanks for your help, Best regards, Ranjan Ranjan Dwivedi e-Health World Health Organization, 530 A Wing, Nirman Bhawan New Delhi-110011, India Phone:+91 11 24644107 e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Web: www.hin.org.in [HIF-net-at-WHO profile: Ranjan Dwivedi is Project Manager of the Health InterNetwork India Project, WHO, New Delhi, India. Professional interests include use of information and communication technology for development. www.hin.org.in [EMAIL PROTECTED] ] HIF-net-at-WHO: working together to improve access to reliable information for healthcare providers in developing and transitional countries. Send list messages to [EMAIL PROTECTED]. To join the list, send an email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with name, organization, country, and brief description of professional interests. Archive at: http://www.dgroups.org/groups/inasp/HIF-net-at-WHO ___ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list DIGITALDIVIDE@mailman.edc.org 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] admin: thoughts on changing policy re: html messages
At 7:35 PM -0500 1/7/05, James Lerman wrote: I agree with Pam. I think many people don't know much about this at all. A primer for the neophyte would be excellent I think...don't just tell them not to send messages as HTML, tell them how not to and how to find out if they are. Jim Lerman Agree. Not only might they end up sending *all* their messages in plain text they might even cotton to the idea that less can be more. ___ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list DIGITALDIVIDE@mailman.edc.org 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] Thoughts from Stephen Downes
GLDers, Webheads and Digital Divide Readers, forgive cross posting - and forgive if you have already received the below from Stephen Downes. I risk duplications because Stephen's daily commentaries are so rich, so unusual and come from a person that is - really and truly! - gifted. You can subscribe to Stephen's OLDaily here http://www.downes.ca/cgi-bin/website/subscribe.cgi Below is what Stephen had to say in today's newsletter. - a rare bit of polemic from a guy committed to valuable newsletters that inform and enlighten. He doesn't chest pound; but if anyone on the planet has a right to do just that it is Stephen Downes, who hangs out in lovely New Brunswick. --- By Stephen Downes December 31, 2004 http://www.google.com/tsunami_relief.htmlA Smaller World With the dawn of 2005 I begin my tenth year publishing Stephen's Web and the fifth year I have been mailing copies of OLDaily to the world. In that time I've lived in three cities and travelled across Canada and around the world. It has been, for me, a decade of tremendous growth, and for all of us, I think, a decade in which the world grew smaller, more interconnected, more cohesive. The events of this past year and especially of this past week have shown us not only how fragile is our existence on this planet, but also how great is the power of our coming together. The nations impacted by the Tsunami are all part of what was once called the third world - but in my lifetime I have seen tremendous development in these regions, and I count among my readers people from every one of the impacted countries. I know it is trite to say this, but I think of all of you not only as readers but as friends and partners in the long march toward a better world. If you have been reading these pages for any length of time, you will know that this is the one, only and ultimate purpose of OLDaily and of my work in general. Education for all, and through education, a path toward each of us achieving all that we hope, all that we dream. I sometimes lose sight of this objective, even though it is on my front page for all to see. I sometimes worry more about hit counts and contests, credit and criticism. About myself and my place in the world, rather than what ought to be done, what is right, and good. Life is too short, too fragile and too precious for this. There is so much promise in the air, and yet so many of us fall to war and famine, natural disaster and disease. Those few people who have had the good fortune to be in a position to make things better have an obligation, a duty, to extend as much of themselves as they can to do so. The future of our civilization depends not on how high the greatest of us soar but on how far the weakest of us fall. We are together, all of us, one, or not at all. To all my friends around the world: Peace, and long life. ___ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list DIGITALDIVIDE@mailman.edc.org 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] Google Scholar Ready to Work for You
With thanks to David Kees who has passed on the neat bit of an addition to the wonders of Google: -- David Kees [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes Google Scholar Offers Access To Academic Information By Danny Sullivan, Editor November 18, 2004 Google has launched a new Google Scholar search service, providing the ability to search for scholarly literature located from across the web. The goal is to allow and enable users to search over scholarly content, said Anurag Acharya, a Google engineer leading the project. More: http://searchenginewatch.com/searchday/article.php/3437471 Google Scholar: http://scholar.google.com In his note, David adds the following - which shows how this service can be put to work in a particular field (in this case teaching English in China): David writes: This is great news for teachers who want to hone their skills. Google has a new service targeting academic papers. (News story below.) I used to search on the name of my subject plus ESL plus summary, conclusion and other key words like In this paper to find academic papers. Now life is a little bit simpler. Here are a few interesting titles I found on my first Google Scholar test drive searching on China, ESL and communicative approach: * E-mailing to Improve EFL Learners' Reading and Writing Abilities: Taiwan Experience * An Investigation of College English Teaching in Four Universities in China * Enhancing Oral Skills: A Practical and Systematic Approach * English-as-a-foreign-language teacher-training programs: An overview * Yu-Gong Yi Shan: Exploring Some Possibilities of Designing Tomorrow's Foreign Language Textbook * What Influenced Teachers' Adoption of the Communicative Approach in China? * A New Perspective on the Goals of TEFL in China Dave ~~~ P.S. from Hibbs a quick search brought me here, which I thought worthwhile - Yhee ghads!! is there no end to what can be learned from the Net? Google Scholar Offers Access To Academic Information http://www.dyscalculia.org/HUM501.html ___ 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] GLD8 AND GLD9
Global Learn Day 8 takes place this weekend, a 24 hour non stop event as per http://www.bfranklin.edu/gld8. On this list there are lots and lots of smart people. We would love to have you as audience or 'show and tell'. Nothing hard about it. Just write to me. Global Learn Day 9 will take place October 9, 2005. In the next 60 days, starting during Sunday afterroon this weekend, we will be deciding what are the eight most important topics related to innovative uses of the Net to improve education and training. Five of the topics are well sorted out and one of them, for sure, would interest most of you. The other three? We don't know, so we will be brainstroming this on Sunday afternooon, over the phone and over the net, 21 October - sometime around 2pm-3pm PST. Again, I would love to have you. Call or write, on or off list, and I will give you more details if you have an interest in this. At 6:13 AM -0500 11/15/04, Phil Shapiro wrote: Hi Phil, would you mind elaborating to list members about this? I imagine that not everyone is familar with podcasting or Steve's video blogging work. will do. thanks. - phil Thanks, andy carvin acarvin at edc 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. -- Phil Shapiro [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.his.com/pshapiro/ (personal) http://teachme.blogspot.com (weblog) http://guitarlessons.blogspot.com/ (guitar lessons) http://mytvstation.blogspot.com/ (video and rich media) We can and weve got to do better than this. - Dr. Seuss ___ 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] Wanted - Helpers for Global Learn Day VIII
On 20/21 November we run what may well be the most interesting event in the education arena. It's called Global Learn Day and this is our eighth time doing it. It's a 24 hour non stop event which features exceptional people from all 24 time zones. We open in the South Pacific and travel, virtually, west to Hawaii. Speakers and audience choose to listen over the phone or over the Net. We bridge the voices with a neat little device from a Los Angeles vendor which costs about $125. It's really slick is *very* useful for virtual events. I'm looking for people who are willing to give up to eight hours in total to help with the bridging. Their benefit? I will give them the bridging device; but the main benefit is learning more about providing really KISS simple technology for virtual events. Those interested might write to me on or off list. Or they may wish to call me over the friendliest, most ubiquitous communication device ever invented - the telephone. 541 343 9389. P.S. Those interested should come from either Canada or the USA. P.P.S. Those who might like to be speakers or presenters are also encouraged to contact me. We have a few slots open and could, almost certainly put you on some panels with other smart people. Most of the event is organized in a roundtable format - so all you have to do is talk, talk, talk. (Viewers are encouraged to look at links and/or we push web pages at them.) But the best part is the interactive voice conversations. If you can talk and have something people would like to listen to on public radio stations, this is an event for you. (Plug Plug) John Hibbs http://www.bfranklin.edu http://www.bfranklin.edu/gld8 ___ 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] Best Practices: Civil Servant Training Deployment
You might be interested in the work being done by this highly innovative group: http://www.civicspacelabs.org At 10:50 AM -0800 11/4/04, Njideka Harry wrote: Dear Colleagues, I am in the process of designing a technology training program for civil servants/government workers in a developing country and would be interested in learning from others on the mailing list who have been involved in planning a program of this nature before. Areas of particular interest include strategic planning, revenue generation, curriculum development, personnel, deployment and train-the-trainer models. If you have done something similar in the past and you are interested in sharing best practices and lessons learned, kindly get in touch with me offline. Thank you so much. Kindest Regards, Njideka Ugwuegbu Harry Founder/Executive Director Youth for Technology Foundation http://www.youthfortechnology.org email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] phone: (425) 681-3920 ...Bridging the Digital Canyon -- John W. Hibbs [EMAIL PROTECTED] About the Institute http://www.bfranklin.edu About John Hibbs http://www.bfranklin.edu/johnhibbs About Global Learn Day http://www.bfranklin.edu/gld About the Franklin Tercentenary http://www.bfranklin.edu/ambassadors Eugene, Oregon, USA TEL: +1 541 343 9389 cell +1 541 337 4233 ___ 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] A picture is worth a thousand words! Yup, in kilobytes
It would seem to me good practice, especially for those in the divide business, to have a very simple, very fast loading home page which would give connectivity options to the viewers. (Oddly, I think there are many with broadband connections and fast Pentiums who would view text as their first option.) Email text should also give reliable information as to what are the connectivity issues for any links provided -- particularly for those with heavy graphics. 11:13 AM -0500 10/20/04, Donald Z. Osborn wrote: Claude, I'm glad you made the points you did, but I also see two sides to this. ___ 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] Town meetings
I've conducted dozens of electronic meetings. Rule One: Keep It Simple Stupid. Rule Two: Use free telephone conferencing systems where callers pay ordinary costs of a call to some location in the United States. I use www.mrconference.com. Works just fine. Rule Three: Set up a blog and point people to it. Rule Four: A simple web page with a simple, short URL works best. On that web page, put a short description of what viewers can if they link to same. List these with a Arabic Numbers - 1, 2, 3, 4, etc. When talking about them over the phone, all that needs to be mentioned is the Arabic number. Rule Five: Text chat rooms work fine for those who can be on the phone and on the Net. Write me if you would like to use ours. Though there are better ones, including ones to with archive and instant hyperlink capability from the text area...a nice feature for those in the chat room who want those on the phone to learn more about themselves or topics related to the conversation. Rule Six - Cut by 2/3rds the number of people you think will attend and you will get be more accurate. People are really busy and getting real time attendance is a hard one. Rule Seven: For small money you can record. But I am not sure that is worth it, unless you think you can get a radio station to air the conversation, in which case it is WELL worth it. (Larry Elin, you should be in position to help with that - getting conversations aired on community and university radio stations is a pet project of mine...which I have failed to do...but keep trying. Larry?) BUT - the value of voices talking in a call center, cheaply and affordably, is a wonderful thing to knit the leadership together. John Hibbs http://www.bfranklin.edu/johnhibbs At 9:19 AM -0400 10/19/04, Larry Elin wrote: Can anybody answer this question sent to me by a friend? Q: I've been assigned the task of developing an 'electronic town meeting' for Evergreen by our local Chamber of Commerce. Any single piece of advice or resource that might be more valuable than others? Larry Elin Television, Radio, Film Dept. S.I. Newhouse School Syracuse University Syracuse, NY 13210 (315)443-3415 ___ 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
Technical solutions attract money -- because so many still believe there *must* be a silver bullet? What if the technology world took the approach to have a three year moratorium on such things as the Semantic Web? What if they could attract the same resouces and put those resources to put in place wider - much wider - application of that which is already invented? affordable? under-used? Don't we need more soft power humans? More cyber-cafe's? More models that show concrete, tangible results? Particularly ones which were scaleable? John Hibbs http://www.bfranklin.edu/johnhibbs At 7:20 PM +0545 10/15/04, Layton Montgomery wrote: Reading through these exchanges and through the Technology Review article was my first attempt to understand what the Semantic Web really is. Personally, I can see clear value in this, both from the view of refining searches to a much higher degree than is currently possible; and from the view of being able to synthesize disparate data across web pages and computer applications. For instance, I might want to do identify conferences being held in 2005 in Nepal having something to do with the Internet. Presumably, a Semantic Web search engine would allow you to not only identify keywords or phrases, but also what type of data they are. So I would search for something like: date = 2005, country = Nepal, event = conference, and theme = Internet. Of course there would need to be a lot of fuzzy programming behind that so that the search engine would identify reasonable variations of my search terms, but search engines today already do this, so I would not see any problem in this way. Web site authoring tools would be able to create or identify the existing files which contain the types of data in the web page; for many forms of data, they might do so automatically. ___ 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
Students will quit submitting the works found on the Web when the chances are very good they will be easily caught. That's pretty easy given Google and other search engines into which a few suspicious words will generate the original source of the material. In the meantime, students who search the Web and use it constructively will enjoy nice benefits. At 11:30 PM -0400 9/30/04, Maria Cervone wrote: This is a good first thought for knowledge sharing. One word of caution, though: teachers are already struggling with a rampant problem of students purchasing term papers on the internet and turning them in as if it were their own work. If term papers were included in Wikipedia, it would make it all the more easy for students to cheat. I personally don't understand why a student would want to do so, as little knowledge is gained when the effort is minimal. Unfortunately all too many students haven't learned that yet... Maria Cervone masters student School of Information University of Michigan -- John W. Hibbs [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.bfranklin.edu/johnhibbs About Global Learn Day http://www.bfranklin.edu/gldd Eugene, Oregon, USA TEL: +1 541 343 9389 cell +1 541 337 4233 ___ 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.
