Free software dominates the Open Access Institutional Rpository software scene.
With apologies for cross posting
-------- Forwarded Message --------
From: Stevan Harnad <harnad(a)ecs.soton.ac.uk>
Reply-To: BOAI Forum <boai-forum(a)ecs.soton.ac.uk>
To: jisc-development(a)JISCMAIL.AC.UK
Subject: [BOAI] More than 20% growth in Eprints Archives
Date: Fri, 18 Nov 2005 17:06:21 +0000 (GMT)
** Apologies for Cross Posting **
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Fri, 18 Nov 2005 10:43:44 -0500
From: Timothy Miles-Board <tmb AT ecs soton ac uk>
Reply-To: American Scientist Open Access Forum
<AMERICAN-SCIENTIST-OPEN-ACCESS-FORUM(a)LISTSERVER.SIGMAXI.ORG>
20% GROWTH IN EPRINTS ARCHIVES
The free GNU Eprints.org software is the first Open Access Institutional
Rpository software, and the most widely used worldwide.
The number of EPrints-based archives now stands at 195, an
increase of 22% from the 160 in existence 2 months ago. A list of the
new sites is provided at the end of this email.
http://archives.eprints.org/eprints.php?action=browse#version
Eprints is continuously upgraded in accordance with the expressed needs
of the worldwide EPrints user community - the longest-standing usership
of any archive software - as well as the evolving needs of the even
larger global Open Access community.
Recent features include:
- RSS feeds of latest research outputs from individuals, groups and
institutions
- HTTPS support
- Default metadata set designed by librarians
- Custom search forms
- Maximises Open Access (OAI is enabled by default and automatically
configured) and is designed to support Google searching
- Generate HTML bibliography fragments for including
up-to-date publication lists on web pages and portals
- Easy mechanisms for research reporting
Upcoming features:
- Output plugins (BibTex, XML etc.)
- Customisable submission workflow
- Support for Research Assessment processes
http://irra.eprints.org/
Core features:
- Stand alone, out of the box
- Host multiple archives on one physical server
- Designed by researchers (who understand the tasks, OA needs and
motivations of researchers)
- Email alerts
- Scripting API
- Comprehensive customisation
- Multi-language support
Download EPrints for free from http://www.eprints.org/software/
LAUNCH OF EPRINTS SERVICES
In order to help sustain the continued growth of EPrints in the future,
a new initiative, EPrints Services, has been launched.
http://www.eprints.org/services/
EPrints Services offers:
* Training for librarians, managers and technical personnel (next event:
18th-20th January 2006)
http://www.eprints.org/services/training/
* Advice on OA and IR policy matters
The institutional policy created by the EPrints team is recommended by
the UK Select Committee, Berlin 3, and Research Councils UK.
* Hosting and maintenance
* Technical Support
* Customisation and bespoke development
ALL revenue generated by EPrints Services is being used to fund the
continued development of EPrints as a free resource for all.
Timothy Miles-Board
EPrints Services
University of Southampton, UK
http://www.eprints.org/services/
ASSC publications (other)
http://eprints.assc.caltech.edu/
Caltech Archives Finding Aids Online (institutional)
http://findingaids.library.caltech.edu/
Caltech CODA Binary Large Objects and Supplements (institutional)
http://caltechblob.library.caltech.edu/
D-Drive Document Server (institutional)
http://locutus.cs.dal.ca:8088/
Dryden Technical Reports Server (institutional)
http://dtrs.dfrc.nasa.gov/
e-archive - part of elearning tools (other)
http://inca03.rz.fh-offenburg.de/
eBooks der ULB Darmstadt (other)
http://ebooks.ulb.tu-darmstadt.de/
Engineering and Science Online (institutional)
http://calteches.library.caltech.edu/
ePrints@ADE (subject)
http://ardb4.ncsi.iisc.ernet.in/
Epsilon Test and Demo Archive (demonstration)
http://test-epsilon.slu.se/
Examensarbeten Högskolan Kristianstad (theses)
http://eprints.bibl.hkr.se/
HTP Prints - Welcome to the History & Theory of Psychology Eprint
Archive (institutional)
http://eprints.yorku.ca/
ICTP Open Access Archive (subject)
http://eprints.ictp.it/
Iowa Publications Online (other)
http://publications.iowa.gov/
ISU Electrical and Computer Engineering Archives (institutional)
http://archives.ece.iastate.edu/
Lancaster E-Prints (institutional)
http://eprints.lancs.ac.uk/
Marine & Ocean Sciences ePrints @ Plymouth (subject)
http://sabella.mba.ac.uk/
Mathematics in Industry (subject)
http://www.maths-in-industry.org/
MuLF Eprints: Berlin Centre for Multimedia in Education and Research
(other)
http://prints.mulf.tu-berlin.de/
National University of Singapore Library (institutional)
http://etd.nus.edu.sg/
Sidewalk Repository (other)
http://sipubs.dlib.vt.edu:9090/
Swedish Institute of Computer Science Publications Database (institutional)
http://eprints.sics.se/
The Atlantic Canada Portal E-Print Repository (subject)
http://atlanticportal.hil.unb.ca:8000/
TrustSoft Publications (other)
http://trustsoft.uni-oldenburg.de:19080/
University of Birmingham: ePapers (institutional)
http://www.epapers.bham.ac.uk/
University of Birmingham: eTheses (theses)
http://www.etheses.bham.ac.uk/
University of Pittsburgh Minority Health Archive (institutional)
http://minority-health.pitt.edu/
University of Pittsburgh: Clinical Aphasiology (institutional)
http://aphasiology.pitt.edu/
University of Portsmouth Eprints Archive (institutional)
http://eprints.libr.port.ac.uk/
University of Sheffield: Department of Computer Science Archive
(institutional)
http://publications.dcs.shef.ac.uk/
University of Strathclyde (institutional)
http://strathprints.cdlr.strath.ac.uk/
Verkehrsmodelle (other)
http://modelle.clearingstelle-verkehr.de/
Virginia Tech Digital Library Research Laboratory Publications
(institutional)
http://pubs.dlib.vt.edu:9090/
Weburb Brief (other)
http://papers.weburb.org/http://brief.weburb.dk/
--
V. Sasi Kumar
Atmospheric Sciences Division
Centre for Earth Science Studies
PB No. 7250, Thuruvikkal PO
Thiruvananthapuram 695031, India
--
V. Sasi Kumar <sasi.fsf(a)gmail.com>
Free Software Foundation of India
http://education.guardian.co.uk/elearning/story/0,,1642278,00.html
No limits to lesson plans
Learning activity management systems (lams) - an open source software
system for making and sharing digital lesson plans among teachers around
the world - has launched its own website.
The lesson plans are designed to be used by students working in groups.
Professor James Dalziel, a leading e-learning innovator in Australia,
who created the Lams system, predicts a big future for Lams in the UK,
saying it allows teachers not only to use online resources but to have
"the freedom to change these resources to suit your local context, and
to share the changed versions back with the community". He says Lams has
been extremely popular with UK teachers, who are using it to find
teachers overseas with whom they can create joint online classes. One
month after launch in September this year, the site contained discussion
forums, resources and guides from 375 members in 45 countries.
www.lamscommunity.org
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4450060.stm
CDs and comics offer digital aid
By Jo Twist
BBC News technology reporter in Tunis
Girl looking at comic
A gang of characters explain technology and what it can be used
Jostling on the sidelines of this week's UN net summit in Tunis were
dozens of projects that provide people in developing countries with
much-needed hardware to get digital.
After a while in the haze and crowded floor of the summit's ICT4All expo
space, they start to blur into a colourful mass of e-learning,
e-government and e-others.
Most of the grassroots projects rely on open-source software as a cheap,
if not free, and adaptable resource.
Open software is seen as a crucial building block in the creation of a
digital society in which everyone, anywhere, can share the knowledge,
tools and opportunities that technologies can offer.
Knowledge is seen as the font of power and ultimately prosperity in its
wider sense.
Two very simple and relatively low-tech projects, which focus on the
distribution and use of open-source stood out at the World Summit on the
Information Society (WSIS).
Comic turn
One was SchoolNet Namibia, a non-profit group which provides net
services, computers, and training to schools in Namibia. It has had
great success in supplying and training people on open-source software.
But they found was that after the trainer they provided for two months
left the schools, the computers in the labs remained largely untouched,
especially by the teachers themselves.
"It is no use giving computers away to schools if no one is going to
use them," Ebben Haotuikulipi from SchoolNet Namibia explained to the
BBC News website.
So in April, they came up with the paper-based HaiTI comic, which means
Listen Up in the local language, Oshaiwambo.
"It is printed every Tuesday in the local youth newspaper, so it goes
across the country. What is in the comic is also all online," said Ms
Haotuikulipi.
The colourful gang of characters explain technology and what it can be
used for through stories, just like a conventional comic adventure.
When they talk about e-mail or downloading, for example, information
panels near the speech bubbles offer an explanation and web addresses
for readers to follow.
The characters are based on actual SchoolNet staff members and the comic
has been such a hit that they are becoming minor celebrities. And word
is spreading.
"We've started receiving calls from parents now asking questions about
where to save documents they get from the net and so on, so the
questions coming into our helpline are now about how to use the
computers," said Ms Haotuikulipi, which is a sign of real success as far
as SchoolNet is concerned.
They have also started to receive a lot more e-mails from all over the
country since its launch.
The group has also noticed that the teachers, 75% of whom are women,
have been inspired too with a large proportion of helpline calls and
e-mails coming from them.
"Women and technology have never really got on. So we did want to get
more women into technology too," said Ms Haotuikulipi. "The response has
been really good."
Even though it is a young project, it has been recognised by the World
Summit Youth Award for bringing technologies closer to people.
Toast and source
A second eye-catching project is equally simple and is proving to be a
big hit, this time in South Africa.
Freedom toaster
The Freedom Toaster has a touch screen interface
The large bright orange vending machine-shaped object looks rather like
an internet access kiosk. Then it spits out a CD from one of its four
trays.
In fact, it is not linked to the internet at all, and it does not offer
you a drink either.
The Freedom Toaster, a project run by the Shuttleworth Foundation, is a
"bandwidth substitute". It requires no infrastructure, just an
electricity supply.
It borrows its name from the open-source community's word for creating
or burning a CD, known as "toasting".
Through a simple touch screen interface, it gives the digitally
dispossessed in South Africa access to open-source software with free
licences for those who might have a computer but no net access.
"Users come with their own CD, and it will tell you all the information
you need about the different software, and asks users what version of
software they want and how many CDs they want," explained Jason Hudson
from the Shuttleworth Foundation.
There are now 30 machines installed in schools, libraries, science
centres and retail outlets, and the response has been huge in the year
it has been in action.
"It's been amazing," says Mr Hudson. "It has taken us by surprise. It
started off as an interactive desktop display, but then it just took
off."
All the programs available are stored on its hard drive and eventually
the hope is it would be connected to the net, but that is just not
possible yet.
Tonnes of information
The entire unit costs about 17,000 Rand (£1,500), the bulk of which is
taken up by the cost of the cabinet itself. Inside, it is basically a
computer.
The Foundation admits that although the Toaster does not address the
issue of getting computers into impoverished areas, it does provide a
way of plugging into the wealth of information the net offers.
In true open-source spirit, the blueprints of how to build a Freedom
Toaster are being made available in Freedom Toaster CookBook, which will
be available from March 2006.
Jimmy Wales, founder of the collaborative, open, online Wikipedia
encyclopaedia, said the Toaster is exactly the kind of distribution
channel that a resource such as Wikipedia could use.
"The ability to go and download a CD and have tonnes of information on
it is really important," he told the BBC News website.
--
-------------------------------------------------------------
Frederick 'FN' Noronha | http://fn-at-google.notlong.com
Goa, India | fred(a)bytesforall.org
Co-Founder, BytesForAll | +91(832)2409490 Cell 9822122436
-------------------------------------------------------------
http://www.germany-at-wsis.info/?p=99
Comic book from Namibia offers more than funny plots
Comic book from Namibia offers more than funny Plots
By Kittipong Thavevong, The Nation, Bangkok (Thailand)
(17/11, 20:00) An award-winning project by a non-profit group aims to
entice students and teachers into the digital world.
It’s been a common problem all over the developing world. While young
students find the computer alluring, their teachers (many of whom are
not very familiar with information technology) are not so keen in
getting into the computer lab.
A non-profit organisation in the southern African country of Namibia
comes up with an innovative approach to the problem. SchoolNet Namibia
is taking a bold new step to entice teachers and students into the
digital world. It produces and distributes a comic book that spreads the
word about the ways that computers and the Internet can transform the
lives of students and teachers.
Listen up!
The English-language full-colour comic is called "Hai Ti!", which means
"listen up!" in the local language and also sounds a lot like IT.
Two volumes of the comic book have been produced. The first edition of
"Hai Ti!" was included in the April 26th edition of The Namibian Youth
Paper. Page-by-page inserts of Volume 2 will be distributed in newspaper
on a regular basis for the remainder of 2005, and subsequent volumes
will be published for the next few years, according to the project’s
website (http://www.schoolnet.na/).
The online version of both current volumes of the comic book is
available at http://www.schoolnet.na/haiti/index.html.
Award-winning project
The award-winning project is also introduced to participants and
visitors of the World Summit on Information Society being held in Tunis,
the capital city of Tunisia. In a parallel event held during the summit,
SchoolNet Namibia was third-place winner in the Community Engagement
Category for the 2005 World Summit Youth Award.
SchoolNet Namibia, which provides Internet service, hardware and
training to Namibia’s schools, teams up with software development
company Direq International and comic-media production house Strika
Entertainment. The project is funded by the Swedish government.
A more effective approach
"Our numerous letters, manuals and trainers have not been very effective
in bringing teachers into the computer lab. So we decided to build a
character-based drama around the SchoolNet team and teachers and
learners at a remote rural school in Namibia," said executive director
Joris Komen. He said the comic book aims to teach the reader the skills
to cut, copy and paste, and use office tools such as word processors and
spreadsheets, as well as the Internet, regardless of the software
platform (free/open or proprietary).
Technically-savvy young staff of SchoolNet drew from their own
experiences to craft the comic book’s narrative, which is designed to
address teachers’ fears of exploring the digital world.
Starting from basics
With a great storyline, "Hai Ti!" teaches computer basics like how to
use "shortcut" keys to copy and paste texts instead of working the way
through the programme’s menu with the mouse.
The comic tells how to get connected to the Internet and how to use a
"search engine" (a website that allows users to search for information
they look for), in addition to addressing more difficult issues around
Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), such as Free and Open
Source Software.
Brief notes on comic panes offer explanations on technical terms, such
as "blog" and "copyleft" (copyright-free material), and provide helpful
information for the reader, including where they can find particular
software on the Internet.
Hi All,
We are all set to be at FOSS.IN <http://FOSS.IN>.
There is not much planned at this time.
1. Stall with FSF-India brochures and posters
2. GNU/Hurd demo
Everybody interested is welcome to join us.
Anybody having links to FSF-India t-shirt ideas
We are planning to put following
a. Front - GNU head logo on breast
b. Back - FSF-India logo , Weave your own code,
www.gnu.org.in<http://www.gnu.org.in>
Thanks and Regards
Kanti
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --
SPECIAL EDITION
WORLD SUMMIT ON THE INFORMATION SOCIETY (WSIS)
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --
*APCNews, the monthly newsletter of the
Association for Progressive Communications (APC)*
- November 2005 No. 58 -
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
-- ON THE ISSUES: INTERNET GOVERNANCE --
-- ON THE ISSUES: HUMAN RIGHTS IN TUNISIA --
-- ON THE ISSUES: FINANCING OF ICT4D --
-- APC AT WSIS --
-- WSIS BLOGS --
-- SNAPSHOTS FROM WSIS --
-- INTERESTING READING --
-- USEFUL SITES ON THE WSIS --
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
The second World Summit on the Information Society has started. Today,
Wednesday November 2005, the UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and
Tunisian President Ben Ali opened the summit which has focussed
primarily on the twin issues of financing of ICT for development in
developing countries and internet governance since the first summit was
held in Geneva in December 2003. A controversial host for an
international 'information summit' given its well-documented suppression
of freedom of expression including on the internet, the Tunisian
authorities were openly criticised by Swiss President Samuel Schmid and
civil society representative Shirin Ebadi for their repressive acts
against local and international civil society prior to the summit
opening. The Tunis Agenda and the Tunis Commitment -the two summit
documents- were finalised on Tuesday after long negotiations.
APC is producing two APCNews and APCNoticias specials direct from WSIS
and for the first time, original content in French. Here's the first on
Day One of the WSIS Summit. The next APCNews will appear on Day Three,
the last day of the Summit.
Keep informed about the WSIS with APC. We covering events on the ground
from Tunis and logging it all on our blogs in English, French and Spanish.
English blog: http://www.apc.org/english/wsis/blog
Spanish blog: http://www.apc.org/english/wsis/blog
French blog: http://www.apc.org/english/wsis/blog
RSS feeds also available from each blog page.
Detailed coverage in Spanish comes from APC's Latin America and
Caribbean ICT Policy Monitor. Http://lac.derechos.apc.org/wsis
All stories in this APCNews Special are from the APC WSIS blogs.
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
-- ON THE ISSUES: INTERNET GOVERNANCE --
The Tunis Commitment almost signed [By APCNews]
APCNews writing from TUNIS, Tunisia, 16/11/2005 09:15 -- By 10 pm
Tuesday, the chairperson, ambassador Khan, had concluded negotiations on
chapter 3 on internet governance and received a standing ovation from
all attending delegates. The outcome of the internet governance process
is to have a forum that will take up broad public policy issues on the
one hand, and a process of cooperation on the narrow principles that
relate to domain name, numbers and the root zone file on the other.
"This outcome has to be evaluated in terms of the balance of power in
the community of nations," said Willie Currie, APC's Communications and
Information Policy Programme Manager. "The U.S. clearly saw that its
strategic interest with regard to the war on terror and its dominant
role in the global economy meant that it had to retain its oversight
over the primary form of communications in the world, which today is the
internet," Currie added.
http://www.apc.org/english/wsis/blog/index.shtml?x=2466414
Who will control the internet? Negotiations appear to be pointing
towards a multi-stakeholder, multi-lateral forum [By APCNews]
Heated discussions between governments meeting in Tunisia at the World
Summit on the Information Society seem to reaching results which could
change the face of how the internet is managed for the next several
years. APCNews reports.
http://www.apc.org/english/wsis/blog/index.shtml?x=2452593
APC... recommendations on internet governance [By APC]
APC crystallizes a set of recommendations with regard to internet
governance for the final Summit in Tunis in November 2005 including for
an internet governance forum that has become reality in the Tunis
declaration. Recommendations available in English, Spanish and French.
http://www.apc.org/english/wsis/blog/index.shtml?x=2379688
IPS, WSIS and paedophile issues [By FN]
From my RSS-feed, I just came across this story from one of my
favourite news sources -- IPS filing from Bangkok -- that makes a case
on why the information society must block paedophiles.
http://www.apc.org/english/wsis/blog/index.shtml?x=2378624
Who gets the credit, and who controls? [By FN]
Here's an articulate post by a journalist colleague from India -one of
the few that makes sense of the issues at Tunis. It was written by Anand
Parthasarathy of The Hindu, a prominent Indian newspaper, and reproduced
via the One World South Asia network. BytesForAll mailing list, an APC
member, reproduced it... and it raised a (brief but interesting)
discussion. http://www.apc.org/english/wsis/blog/index.shtml?x=2447992
Crucial drafting session in Tunis [By APCNews]
Late on Sunday night, November 13, 2005, an assembly of about 100 people
agreed to a series of minimal points of common ground related
to internet governance in Tunis. These points were then to be reported
back to the general plenary of what is called the resumed PrepCom 3
meeting of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) for
definitive negotiation and implementation.
http://www.apc.org/english/wsis/blog/index.shtml?x=2418539
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
-- ON THE ISSUES: HUMAN RIGHTS IN TUNISIA --
NEWS ALERT: Censorship by the host of THE UN summit on information?
People in Tunisia cannot access a number of websites because they are
being blocked. And the Citizens' Summit on the Information Society has
also been taken 'offline' for Tunisians. List of filtered websites:
http://www.apc.org/english/wsis/blog/index.shtml?x=2436066
Flagrant violation of human rights at Tunis [By APCNews]
Under the incredulous eyes of the participants at the World Summit on
the Information Society (WSIS), journalists and human rights defenders
were manhandled, insulted, and then violently beaten. APCNews reports
from Tunis. http://www.apc.org/english/wsis/blog/index.shtml?x=2431813
Many civil society activities cancelled [By Markus Beckedahl]
Many international NGOs taking part in WSIS have collectively decided to
cancel their activities planned for today at WSIS. This measure is
intended to make government, private sector and civil society delegates
aware of the human rights violations that have been adding up since the
beginning of PrepCom3 resumed. It is also a clear showing of solidarity
with all independent NGOs in Tunisia who
seem to have to put up with police repression on a daily basis.
Interview with Anriette Esterhuysen of the APC.
In OGG format:
http://www.netzpolitik.org/wp-upload/Interview_with_Anriette.ogg In MP3
format: http://www.netzpolitik.org/wp-upload/Interview_with_Anriette.mp3
Utsumi happy about security... despite attacks on journalists and UN
staff [By Pavelan]
The internet should be more democratic and more international, says
the WSIS' chief organizer. More than 80% of the goals of WSIS have
already been achieved, says ITU chief Yoshio Utsumi at his opening press
conference for the summit's currently-underway second phase in Tunisia.
He however skipped answering whether ITU has communicated concern to
Tunisia's government regarding the safety of journalists and human
rights' campaigners. Utsumi also announced that over 300 parallel events
planned. Some 12,000 delegates are meanwhile in Tunis on the eve of the
summit opening.
http://www.apc.org/english/wsis/blog/index.shtml?x=2451281
Obstacles ...and whose security? [By Jac sm Kee]
Took a cab to the Kram Palexbo, where the Summit and IT 4 All exhibition
was happening[...] When we finally got to the site, we were stopped 5
times at security checks at every turn of the road and I had to flash my
registration card and a big smile to calm the security that I was
indeed, a legitimate subject to attend this conference, accredited
(somehow) and all.
http://www.apc.org/english/wsis/blog/index.shtml?x=2447599
Cause for concern: how free is free? [By FN]
IFEX Action Alert Network, the International Freedom of eXpression
Clearing House has come out with a statement quoting Article 19 to point
to attacks on journalists and others at the WSIS by the authorities.
This statement is being distributed on behalf of the World Summit on the
Information Society (WSIS) Civil Society's Media Caucus.
http://www.apc.org/english/wsis/blog/index.shtml?x=2446625
Online protest ... an alternative home [By Neila Charchour Hachicha]
Since the official website of the Online Protest is censored as you
can check for yourself here http://www.yezzi.org. I copied all pics
from the protest on flickr cause I thought you might like to discover
this online protest http://flickr.com/photos/yezzi/sets/1366354/. It is
a virtual online protest to say "Yezzi...Fock" which means "Enough is
Enough". They just cannot say we are disturbing the public order and
protesting is
a constitutional right. The Keyboard Revolution is doing its way so
help us keep the internet free from censorship.
http://www.apc.org/english/wsis/blog/index.shtml?x=2438705
In Tunis, internet governance rhymes with state control [By APCNews]
Today, the website of the Citizens' Summit on the Information Society
(CSIS) was effectively off-line for all web users in Tunisia. It appears
that Tunisian authorities have started to intensify their crackdown on
legitimate initiatives related to the World Summit on the information
Society (WSIS). Blocking the access to the www.citizens-summit.org is
the latest in a series of measures
introduced to silence voices critical of the government and its human
right record. http://www.apc.org/english/wsis/blog/index.shtml?x=2436066
Don't take pictures@WSIS-Tunis [By Shahzad BytesForAll, Pakistan]
Maxigas -- a friend from Hungary -- and myself had the opportunity to go
to the Tunis City Centre last afternoon, just to have a feel
of the city and get to know a little more about Tunis. The atmosphere
seemed quite festive, and preparations for the WSIS are in full swing.
Green plants are being transported in numbers and transplanted on
roadsides and important squares, large pictures of the Tunisian
President are installed everywhere, and even most of the banners also
carry his pictures welcoming the WSIS delegates ;)
But questions remain....
http://www.apc.org/english/wsis/blog/index.shtml?x=2415647
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
-- ON THE ISSUES: FINANCING OF ICT4D --
Making the ride to cyberspace affordable [By APCNews]
En route to the promised global village, the information superhighway is
plagued by poor access and high fares that the bulk of this planet
simply cannot afford. Reducing international internet costs is an
important priority, underlined in a set of recommendations from the APC
made to the WSIS stresses.
http://www.apc.org/english/wsis/blog/index.shtml?x=2427753
Some figures... and hard facts [By FN]
Some figures, and hard facts, from a Highway Africa article, titled
ICT4 All expo to attract 40,000 participants: "According to the
International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the 942 million people
living in the world's developed economies enjoy five times better access
to fixed and mobile phone services, nine times better access to Internet
services, and own 13 times more personal computers than the 85 per cent
of the world's population living in low and lower-middle income
countries. ITU also estimates that 800,000 villages still lack
connection by telephone line, the internet or any other modern ICTs."
http://www.apc.org/english/wsis/blog/index.shtml?x=2418346
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
-- APC AT WSIS --
Programme of APC events in Tunis:
http://www.apc.org/english/wsis/apc_wsis_programme.pdf (pdf to download
and print out)
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-- WSIS BLOGS --
APC blogs are open to anyone in Tunis or around the world who wants to
write or comment on the World Summit on the Information Society. Here
are some highlights.
WSIS II: A walking dead [By maxigas]
Ladies and gentlemen, this is a pseudo-transcript of the proceedings
of the Civil Society press conference held on November 15, 2005
(Tuesday) at 16:30. The second round of WSIS has not even started yet
but hearing the pronouncements below one would think that it is
already over!
http://www.apc.org/english/wsis/blog/index.shtml?x=2452532
ICT for All? Really? [By Jac sm Kee]
At the end of the day, Maxigas and I decided to take a walk and survey
the images of women, men, elderly people, young people and disabled
people at the ICT 4 All Exhibition hall. Afterall, the claim is that ICT
is for all right? So who is this 'all' we are talking about.
http://www.apc.org/english/wsis/blog/index.shtml?x=2447600
Hope remains forever... Tunis vignettes [Shahzad BytesForAll, Pakistan]
Have just gotten out of the Global Knowledge Partnership or GKP's
partnership building workshop at the El-Hana Hotel in Tunis City Centre.
It indeed was a pleasant experience. Frankly, had no clue earlier that
how GKP works and what kind of partnerships they have all around the
world ... http://www.apc.org/english/wsis/blog/index.shtml?x=2439181
It's another world out there... [By FN]
Inter-Press Service, the alternative news agency, has these stories
related to the WSIS. Given its alternative perspective, it reminds us of
some diverse perspectives which the first-to-break-the-news Western
media often overlooks... or simply prefers not to highlight. One
interesting piece is Media Enemies to
Share UN Spotlight by Marty Logan.
http://www.apc.org/english/wsis/blog/index.shtml?x=2436316
Groggy at Tunis... another view [By Jac sm Kee]
The plane ride was as all plane rides become after awhile, uncomfortable
and far too long. Once getting off, there were large posters everywhere
advertising WSIS, especially about the IT 4 All exhibition, where the
tagline -- complete with pictures of multi-gendered and 'raced' children
smiling at a computer screen - promises to forefront the human dimension
of information communications technologies development. I think I
snorted audibly. http://www.apc.org/english/wsis/blog/index.shtml?x=2431649
Gender voices from Tunis [By Katerina Fialova]
Here's some information about GenderIT.org coverage planned for the
WSIS at Tunis in mid-November 2005. See details of what's expected via
websites, blogs, RSS feeds and more, to keep cyberspace informed about
what's emerging. http://www.apc.org/english/wsis/blog/index.shtml?x=2386770
Looking for environmental activists [By Milena B.]
Just curious whether environmental sustainability and ICTs is taking
place somewhere in the WSIS docs at all ;-) It will be good to know
if apart from BlueLink, whether there are other NGOs interested to stand
up for the issue of environmental sustainability in Tunis.
http://www.apc.org/english/wsis/blog/index.shtml?x=2376151
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-- SNAPSHOTS FROM WSIS --
[Thanks to maxigas of Hungary, you can read more snapshots on the APC
WSIS blog and here
http://www.apc.org/english/wsis/blog/index.shtml?x=2452532]
Jeanette Hofmann (Member of the German Civil Society Coordination Group):
The U.S. is not willing to talk about internet government oversight.
Most likely the Summit will ask Kofi Annan the Secretary General of the
U.N. to set up a Forum on internet governance and the U.S. is expected
to participate. The Forum would take up a range of issues including
Information Technology for Development and political oversight.
Rikke Frank Jorgensen (Civil Society Human Rights Caucus):
"Many have asked about the human rights situation. [...] 10-15 of us
were to hold a coordination meeting at the Goethe Institute yesterday.
The Tunisian civil society people were not allowed to enter, and were
kept out by men in civilian clothes who introduced themselves as
"security personel". I am not sure what kind of police it was. When
myself and other members of the international civil society stayed
outside in solidarity, we were forcefully removed. Then we walked around
the city to find another place to peacefully gather - to exercise our
right for peaceful assembly. Each time we were removed again, we were
pushed, and some people were even tried to be taken into cars and taken
away. In the end the German ambassador arrived and tried to enter these
premises with his guests of his own choice but he was not allowed. After
that each of us contacted our respective delegations, and asked for
support from the governments to basically provide for a space where we
can have this Citizens' Summit."
Parmindeer Jeet Singh (Coordinator of the Civil Society Caucus for
Follow-up and Implementation):
"I am presenting the specific disappointment of the civil society. The
Tunis round was presented as a "Summit of Solutions" by its organisers.
We did not find any effective solutions to the problems that brought us
here, of using the new communication opportunities for more adequate
development in the developing countries. Countries of the North did not
show the political will to getting forward with the policy of internet
governance and did not establish any follow-up process. Financing ITC4D
(Information Technology for Development), which is a very important
issue, was not addressed at all and no commitments were made. At present
the governments are trying to cover up the possibility of a complete
failure of the implementation of the WSIS process."
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-- INTERESTING READING --
Indepth: WSIS by Choike
http://www.choike.org/nuevo_eng/informes/703.html
RWB presents electronic dissidents at the WSIS
http://committeetoprotectbloggers.blogspot.com/2005/02/rwb-presents-electro…
Humanity will survive information deluge ?·Sir Arthur C Clarke
http://southasia.oneworld.net/article/view/74591/1
Who owns and controls the information societies? FSF Europe 2003
http://www.germany.fsfeurope.org/projects/wsis/issues.de.html
WSIS and Beyond : A dialogue between Soenke Zehle & Geert Lovink
http://www.worldsummit2005.de/en/web/810.htm
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-- USEFUL SITES ON THE WSIS --
The WSIS documents:
Tunis Agenda:http://www.ngocongo.org/ngomeet/WSIS/TunisAgenda.htm
Tunis Commitment: http://www.ngocongo.org/ngomeet/WSIS/TunisCommitment.htm
Citizens' Summit on the Information Society
http://citizens-summit.org
This website has been blocked in Tunisia since Monday November 14, 2005.
It is only accessible from WSIS Media Center but the rest of us around
the world can still visit it.
WSIS official site from the ITU
http://www.itu.int/wsis/
United Nations Multi-Stakeholder Partnerships
http://www.unmsp.org/
Summit Newsroom, Tunis Phase
http://www.itu.int/wsis/tunis/newsroom/index_print.html
IPS on WSIS – the progressive Global News Agency
http://www.ipsnews.net/
WSIS Wire
http://www.wsis-wire.net/
ITU's ICT success story home page
http://www.itu.int/osg/spu/wsis-themes/ict_stories/index.phtml
Unesco WSIS publication series
http://portal.unesco.org/ci/en/ev.php-URL_ID=10592&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECT…
Gender at Tunis: from GenderIT.orghttp://www.genderit.org/en/index.shtml?apc=f--e--
The World Summit on the Information Society Civil Society Meeting Point
http://www.wsis-cs.org/
Germany-based site on WSIS (also in German)
http://www.worldsummit2005.de/en/nav/14.htm
Heinrich-Boll-Stiftung (German Greens Party-linked foundation) on
WSIS. Some sections of the site in Spanish too.
http://www.boell.de/en/04_thema/3800.html
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APCNews, in English, and APCNoticias, in Spanish, are
distributed monthly by APC -- a worldwide network supporting the
use of internet and ICTs for social justice and sustainable
development since 1990. APCNews Archive:
http://www.apc.org/english/news/apcnews/
Some rights reserved: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
Licence 2.0 - 2005 Association for Progressive Communications
(APC)
http://c-o-d-e-x.info
Codex is a network of people, organizations, websites and contents
that share and make visible the idea of free knowledge. Whoever shares
the idea that the society should be built for the benefit of human
beings; that society should provide freedom and justice to every body;
that in the new information and knowledge society every human being
should be allowed to benefit the potential of digital networks can
subscribe Codex reading the following text and sign it up. You can add
to Codex every website that makes visible the potential of the free
knowledge following this link.
Codex Manifesto:
We claim a free knowledge society
We share a common codex: our human nature.
We believe that human being is the central value for the building of
a free, fair and sustainable society.
We believe that human creativity flourishes in a free environment.
Free digital networks empower human beings allowing them to express
their creativity.
On the path towards the information and knowledge society we claim for
the right of every human being
to fully benefit the potential of digital networks.
Reference:
http://fsfs.hipatia.net/wiki/index.php/Main_Page
This is one of the three stories winning a media award from GKP at
Tunis. "For thoughtful and incisive reporting on the Information Society
through analyses of social and political impacts and policy
implications."
http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/ew/2005/04/18/stories/2005041800030100.…
Waiting to fly
Vipin V. Nair
Akshaya, the Kerala Government's project to make the common man log into
a computer, can take to the skies if it learns from teething trouble. A
status report from eWorld.
THE overnight rain had soaked Nilambur and its teak woods. A drizzle in
the morning brought a fresh layer of chill. Nilambur, famous for its
teak plantations, was about to sneeze.
But it was not the weather that dampened the spirit of Nazar. Sitting in
a small room that he calls office, Nazar looked more a loser than an
entrepreneur.
His Akshaya centre is in financial trouble, he has run up losses, and
the future is bleak, Nazar says.
He is not comfortable talking about selling a computer at one-third its
price to pay rent for the centre.
On the other side of the district, Mujeeb has a different story to tell.
His centre in Tirur has four staff to run the show.
It provides e-payment, DTP services, Internet browsing and computer
training. Why, he has even developed a billing software for local
cable-television operators.
In a nearby area, Noushad too has managed to take his Akshaya centre
forward, offering similar services to the local population, many of whom
saw a computer for the first time in their lives at the Akshaya centre.
Two years after Kerala's Akshaya project was launched — and gained
national and international attention for its pioneering vision — such
divergent voices about its viability and future are heard from
Malappuram, the district where it was piloted.
What is happening to Kerala's most ambitious information technology
project ever? Is there anything wrong?
Concept
The basic idea of Akshaya was to bridge the `digital divide' and thereby
propel Kerala as `India's foremost knowledge society.'
The Kerala State IT Mission, the nodal agency for the development of
information technology in Kerala, conceived the project, envisaging a
network of some 6,000 information centres across the State.
These centres would impart basic computer skills to at least one member
of the 65 lakh families, offer various e-services such as bill payment
for utilities, bring information through the Internet to people, and
most importantly, dispel the fear among ordinary citizens that the
computer is beyond their reach.
In the process, at least 50,000 people would find jobs, and Rs 500 crore
would be invested in the State within three years.
"The concept was to have an Akshaya centre within two km of every
household, just like a ration shop," says M. Sivasankar, now Malappuram
District Collector, and the man who spearheaded Akshaya.
These centres, set up by local entrepreneurs, would start off by
imparting computer skills to people under their coverage area. Over 15
hours of training, a person would acquire the basics of Windows, MS
Office, Internet, etc, from the Akshaya centre.
And for every such person trained, the centre would get a fee of Rs 120
from the State Government through the District, Block and Grama
Panchayat.
The first two institutions would chip in with Rs 20 each, while the
Grama Panchayat would spend Rs 80 for a person.
Every centre was supposed to train at least 1,000 people in three
months, thereby ensuring an income of Rs 1.20 lakh. Subsequent to this
e-literacy campaign, a host of services would be rolled out, including
the second phase of the training.
Malappuram, in northern Kerala, was selected as the test bed for the
project.
Initial days
The Kerala Government launched the Akshaya project in November 2002.
Entrepreneurs were selected by February 2003 and given training.
Over the next few months, a number of Akshaya centres, sporting their
blue logo, sprang up across Malappuram, one of the backward districts in
terms of social and economic development in Kerala.
Eventually, 634 Akshaya centres would be set up, it was planned.As per
the project report of the Kerala IT Mission, each centre would entail an
investment of Rs 3.83 lakh for its 10 computers and other paraphernalia,
plus working capital.
The Government ensured the Akshaya project priority funding from banks
and term loans to cover half the project cost were arranged.
The project went on steam in May 2003, and by February 2004, over 5.80
lakh people in Malappuram knew how to log on to a computer, open a file,
save it, surf the Internet and send e-mail. The world took note of
Malappuram.
But this process was not as easy as doing a search on Google, many
Akshaya entrepreneurs soon realised.
Every centre was supposed to train a certain number of people (over
1,000 from each ward in their respective area) over three months.
But sometimes, even a free meal is not enough of an attraction. Many
people showed reluctance to turn up at the centres at a given time,
putting aside whatever they were doing.
"We had to then open sub-centres to take the classes close to them,"
says M.M. Sadique, President of the Akshaya Entrepreneurs Forum. This
entailed additional spending.
He alleges that there were many instances of unnecessary expenditure
that entrepreneurs were forced to incur.
Like the case of handbooks for learners at Rs 8 per copy. These books
were to be sold at Rs 10 each but Sadique says the centres could not
sell even 100 copies. "Each of us had spent Rs 8,000 or more for this
handbook. We were promised that unsold books would be taken back, but we
are yet to be refunded," he says.
The delay in completing the training — it took nearly six months as
against the proposed 100 days — was reflected in disbursement of funds
as well. "It took about six months for us to get the money," one
entrepreneur says.
Government officials say no amount is now pending for the first phase of
the e-literacy campaign. A part of the funds was remitted directly to
those banks that had given loans to Akshaya centres.
A total of Rs 7.58 crore have been disbursed for the campaign, officials
say.
Yet, many centres were closed down. "Forty seven centres were closed
during the e-literacy project and 50 afterwards," says an official
associated with Akshaya. Only around 450 centres are now functional in
Malappuram, out of the planned 634, he admits.
"But this was the first time such a project was ever tried anywhere in
the world. In such a project, you usually don't get more than 30 per
cent success rate," he argues in the same breath.
Sivasankar says Akshaya was "slightly ahead of its time. Even in cities
like Kochi, many services are not available over the Net," he points
out.
Nevertheless, he too agrees that there were problems. Another critical
issue to be looked at is how many of those 5.80 lakh who learned their
skills at the expense of public money can now actually use a PC, after
two years. Apparently, many among them haven't used a PC again.
Missing: Fire in the belly
The selection of entrepreneurs was, perhaps, the first problem with
Akshaya. "There were substantive miscalculations," Sivasankar says. All
the 634 people who were chosen to run the centres, it was thought, would
make it on the lines of a Sabeer Bhatia or Narayana Murthy.
But many lacked the business acumen, the courage to take risks, and the
ability to see difficulties through. The result: when plans didn't work,
they tottered and waited for help, rather than finding innovative ways
to solve issues.
Since the project was a government baby, many thought there would be
continued support from the administration. "The Government had made it
clear in the MoU that there will not be any commitment after the
e-literacy campaign," the Akshaya official says.
Mujeeb, who runs the Tirur centre, says many unemployed youth jumped on
to the Akshaya bandwagon, thinking the Government would support them
throughout.
"The element of risk was not anticipated and they expected grants all
the time," he says. The political pressure that led to selection of some
entrepreneurs only added to the problem, officials say.
Promises fail
Entrepreneurs say many of the revenue streams the Government promised
for Akshaya after the e-literacy phase never saw the light of day.
"We were told during our training period that there would be a number of
avenues for business generation through the centre," says one
participant. The project report, in fact, lists a host of such
opportunities. The Akshaya centre, it says, would function as a direct
link between the people, Government and private organisations.
It can offer services such as data collection, training and education,
Web-based consultancy services, printing and publishing, information
sales and other general services.
For instance, the centres can do data collection such as census (for
government) and market data (for industry).
Several other services such as computer training to more people,
providing courses such as spoken English and personality development,
e-learning, online exams, Web-based marriage consultancy, real estate,
telemedicine, DTP, sales of government information and application
forms, Internet browsing and what- have-you were up for grabs for
enterprising folks.
A model centre in a normal year can thus make Rs 5.43 lakhs, the report
postulates.
While those like Mujeeb and Noushad managed to provide some of these
services, many others couldn't. The Government, from its side, did offer
large-scale data entry work, but this ran into rough weather.
One centre in a panchayat was selected by Information Kerala Mission to
convert panchayat records into digital format.
Sadique alleges that many centres are yet to receive their dues after
completing the work. Akshaya officials also agree that there are
problems with regard to this initiative.
Efforts are now on to get the funds released.
A health-kiosk concept was initiated, but it remained a concept only. It
is not clear now as to how far it is possible for Akshaya centres to
provide the kind of services envisioned in the project report.
Whether every citizen would go to an Akshaya centre to pay his bills,
buy his application forms/submit them and to deal with authorities
remains to be seen.
Besides, labour unions in utilities are grumbling, as they fear that
Akshaya would render many employees jobless.
Connectivity
Meanwhile, Akshaya centres were networked with one another through
wireless Internet. Through a global bidding, Delhi-based Tulip IT
Services was chosen to roll out a wireless Internet network over the
hilly terrain of Malappuram (which itself means `atop a hill').
Once the network was established, Akshaya centres would start providing
e-payment facilities, besides offering Internet browsing, e-mail, and
chat.
Establishing such a network in a district like Malappuram proved to be a
tough task.
Entrepreneurs complain that there were connectivity problems in the
early days. Each Akshaya centre was to pay Rs 8,000 for connectivity
through four post-dated cheques of Rs 2,000 each. Of this, only one
cheque has been cashed so far.
The centres were also to pay a monthly charge of Rs 1,000 for unlimited
connectivity. This amount has also not been levied as yet, despite the
network being up and running.
But the delay that occurred during the rollout affected the centres
severely, says Sivasankar. "The centres could not graduate to the second
phase," he says. Apparently, Tulip had underestimated the nature of
Malappuram's terrain and hence the delay.
But Tulip's Managing Director, Lt. Col. H.S. Bedi VSM, says Akshaya has
been "one of the most successful of such projects to date."
"The network has been in use for almost eight months as of now. The very
high usage of the project is probably the best measure of its success,"
he argues.
The centres agree Net connectivity has stabilised now and they are happy
about its bandwidth (between 16 Kbps and 64 Kbps), notwithstanding
occasional drops.
Out of the 401 centres that are connected, 151 are now providing e-pay
services. People can pay electricity and BSNL telephone bills through
these centres by paying a fee of Rs 5 per bill.
"In the past two-and-a-half months, 33,000 electricity bills of Rs 1.03
crore have been paid," officials claim.
Here too, entrepreneurs say more streamlining needs to be done at the
bank and utility offices to avoid glitches at the back-end.
They would like the Government to provide spurs on these lines: a lower
power tariff, waiver of interest on pending loans, status of small-scale
industrial units, and channelling of more government services.
What next?
Even though over one-fourth of Akshaya centres have closed down, it may
not be appropriate to term the project a failure.
In fact, the very fact that 450 centres are functioning across
Malappuram, braving the initial unforeseen hiccups, is a tribute to the
project.
But the State Government, now preparing to replicate the project in
other districts, should not overlook the problems that these centres
encountered.
And offering a helping hand to those in trouble, rather than just
washing its hands off, would send a positive message to potential
Akshaya entrepreneurs in other parts of the State.
vipin(a)thehindu.co.in
Picture by G.P. Sampath Kumar