Steve, was overall a benign (although frequently quizzical and at time skeptical) presence in all or most of the community technology initiatives in North America and around the world for the last 15 or more years... There was a bit of the "Zen" about Steve in that one (or a group) might be burbling on about this or that hope/dream/wish concerning this thing or that one and Steve would very quietly and gently ask a question and redirect the discussion in a way rather more in accord with what was realistic and do-able...

 

So I'm not exaclty clear what his role was in the various events of the Global Community Networking Partnership but that he was very very much a part of the community out of which those events and the activities and inspirations that flowed into and out of those is without question.

 

MG

 

 -----Original Message-----
From: bytesforall_readers@yahoogroups.com [mailto:bytesforall_readers@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of parthadhaka
Sent: May 18, 2008 12:41 AM
To: bytesforall_readers@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [bytesforall_readers] Untimely departure of Guido Sohne and Steve Cisler

Last week we were shocked to know that Guido Sohne, a software
evangelist from Accra, Ghana, left this World very untimely at the
age of 34. I didn't know Guido in person but I used to receive his
mail from different sources and forwarded a bunch of those to this
list. Give a search on `Guido Sohne' on this list and you still would
find a number of forwarded mail from all of us where his name and
work are clearly mentioned. When I was reading Ethan Zuckerman's blog
on Guido Sohne's argument of FOSS practices in Africa, I was
wondering why I didn't have a conversation with him.

As we were mourning for Guido Sohne, we got to know another kindred
spirit and great networker/activist Steve Cisler also passed away in
USA. My introduction with Steve was a bit unusual. In 1999 when there
was a demonstration against WTO in Seattle, Steve who was then
working with FirstMonday newspaper, continued to send us updates from
the spot, which were all published at Bytesforall
(http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/bytesforall/message/16). Later I
met him in a couple of occasions. Michael Gurstein may correct me if
I'm wrong, I believe he was also one of the organizers to Global
Community Network events that were organized in Spain and then in
Canada. In 2006 I had an interview with him as we both attended 15th
anniversary of `Community Technology Centre' network (CTCnet)
conference in Washington DC. We had a lots of conversation on his
offline trip to US-Maxico border, his views to community technology
centres, critical observation to existing ICT4D practices etc. For
sure, we would miss a good friend and a sane critical voice to alert
us where we do wrong and how we should change ourselves.

May their departed soul rest in peace.

Partha