'The web's potential for good,' he says, 'stems from the open,
collaborative and even communal culture it inherited from its
birthplace in academia and from the counter-culture of the 1960s,
combined with pre-industrial ingredients it has resurrected, folk
culture and the commons as a shared basis for productive endeavour.'
It is, in other words, 'a peculiar mixture of the academic, the
hippie, the peasant and the geek'.  Charlie Leadbeater, quoted in
http://alheri.blogspot.com/

--
FN * Independent Journalist http://fn.goa-india.org
Blog: http://fredericknoronha.wordpress.com
Tech links from South Asia: http://twitter.com/fn

On Sun, 2008-09-07 at 15:10 +0530, shivanjali.singh@... wrote:
> Delhi CM Sheila Dikshit inaugurated the first-of-its-kind Community
> Learning Centre, set up by NIIT to enhance Employability among youth
> in urban slums.

Interesting to see that our politicians have suddenly realised that
there is "hidden" talent in the slums. I wonder who "hid" them. I hope
they realise at least now that there are millions of "hidden" talents in
our villages. The slums themselves would not have come up if this
realisation had come earlier, if there had been a more equitable
"development". Would they realise this now? I wonder! Sixty years after
independence the country has not even been able to implement universal
primary education that was promised in the Constitution of the country.

Best
--
V. Sasi Kumar
Free Software Foundation of India
http://swatantryam.blogspot.com

On this ccTLD issue:

My two cents on the subject, the ccTLDs should not be managed by the
Government but should be managed by a public body or civil society
group that can handle the ccTLD control transparently and with
accountability.

ccTLD is not an IT Policy issue in general, its more of an keep public
things public now that countries around the world have started
realizing it. We should be well aware now that how things are managed
and badly managed when we leave them to the governments alone that is
why the Internet Governance WGIG formulated a definition involving all
three multi-stakeholders: "Governments, Private Sector and Civil
Society".

From my global experience and engagement with IG, I can share why do
private companies lobby for making governments control ccTLD's, well
in most cases, they make the Government outsource the management to
them.........thus people still don't get to control the
ccTLDs............and you can clearly see in our case with
PKNIC.........being managed as a private business and the citizens of
Pakistan have no control over its policies or pricing.....the same
would then happen for the ccTLD under Government and outsourced to a
private company.....

Our neighbouring country has a good model which is a public led model
in which a civil society group controls and disemminates ccTLDs
instead of private sector companies taking control.

I would like to invite Barrister Zahid to share his two cents on the
subject as well now that he is a member of MAG and our representative
at ICANN!

Best
Fouad Bajwa

On Sat, Sep 6, 2008 at 6:39 AM, Khalil Ahmad <khalil.ahmad@...> wrote:
> Dear Mr. Javed,
>
>
>
> ICANN has been encouraging ccTLD managers to formalize their relationship
> with ICANN by signing up agreements.  So far over 40+  ccTLD managers have
> done so.  Today Poland ccTLD manager had official exchange of letters with
> ICANN http://www.icann.org/en/cctlds/agreements.html .   IANA now only
> manages DNS root zones.  ICANN has been fully involved in ccTLD related
> issues.
>
>
>
> Recently PTA held a meeting with stakeholders from private sector.  Mr.
> Ashar Nisar and Mr. Zahid Jamil were there to represent PKNIC.  As of my
> knowledge, neither PTA and nor MOITT is overseeing PKNIC operation or its
> policies.  Mr. Ashar Nisar with his USA (California) based company Pknic
> Srs, Inc. has been running .pk ccTLD.  He is the one who makes policies,
> approves and then impose.  Pknic has been.pk registry as well as .pk
> registrar.   So no one else except Mr. Ashar Nisar has been overseeing
> Pknic.  In 2006 Mr. Zahid Jamil joined him for domain resolution services
> with his DNDRC.COM.
>
>
>
> There is very good goofy space in this area which needs immediate attention
> and should be included in National IT policy.
>
>
>
> In answer to your 2nd question, " Who would govern .pk domain. How  its
> legal, financial and regulatory ownership would be managed.", no matter who
> runs .pk registry whether private sector, public sector or government, but
> it must be regulated with policies and supervised made at Government level
> either MOITT or PTA.    Being as national asset, no one party should claim
> or should be given free hand to do whatever they wants.   So legal,
> financial and regulatory ownership should remain with Government (People of
> Pakistan).
>
>
>
> There have been efforts at PTA and MOITT but at very small level, it needs
> drastic attention and model followed by India would be ideal.
>
>
>
> Regards,
>
> -Khalil
>
>
>
> _________________
>
> khalil ahmad
>
> ceo & chairman
>
> PakNIC Private Limited | ICANN Accredited Registrar
> http://www.paknic.com/
>
> USA: 116 Salem Road, North Brunswick, NJ 08902,  USA | Ph. +1 (732) 297-8908
> | Fax. +1 (732) 297-8906
>
> Asia:  6-A, Aziz Ave. Canal Bank, Gulberg-V, Lahore 54000, PAKISTAN | Ph.
> +92 (42) 587-1197 & 98 | Fax. +92 (42) 577-5541
>
>
>
> ***This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and are
> intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are
> addressed.  This communication may represent the originator's personal views
> and opinions, which may or may not necessarily reflect those of PakNIC
> Private Limited.  If you are not the original recipient or the person
> responsible for delivering the email to the intended recipient, be advised
> that you have received this email in error, and that any use, dissemination,
> forwarding, printing, or copying of this email is strictly prohibited.  If
> you received this email in error, please immediately notify info@...
>
>
>
>
>
> From: nidu_it_policy@yahoogroups.com [mailto:nidu_it_policy@yahoogroups.com]
> On Behalf Of Javed Naushahi
> Sent: Friday, September 05, 2008 11:49 AM
> To: nidu_it_policy@yahoogroups.com; AKABANI@...
> Cc: pakgrid@yahoogroups.com; pakistanictpolicy@yahoogroups.com;
> pakistanictpolicy@googlegroups.com
> Subject: Re: [nidu_it_policy] RE: pakistanictpolicy - RE: Working Paper &
> Recommendations for the National IT Policy
>
>
>
> Dear Mr. Khalil,
>
>
>
> What would be role of pknic in IT Policy, with refernece to ICANN, WSIS and
> other Internet governance forums.
>
>
>
> Who would govern .pk domain. How  its legal, financial and regulatory
> ownership would be managed.
>
>
>
> Is there a group at PTA and MoITT overseeing these affairs..
>
> Regards,
>
>
>
> Javed Naushahi
>
> --- On Fri, 9/5/08, Khalil Ahmad <khalil.ahmad@...> wrote:
>
> From: Khalil Ahmad <khalil.ahmad@...>
> Subject: [nidu_it_policy] RE: pakistanictpolicy - RE: Working Paper &
> Recommendations for the National IT Policy
> To: nidu_it_policy@yahoogroups.com, AKABANI@...
> Cc: pakgrid@yahoogroups.com, pakistanictpolicy@yahoogroups.com,
> pakistanictpolicy@googlegroups.com
> Date: Friday, September 5, 2008, 4:12 PM
>
> Dear Adnan AoA,
>
>
>
> I think Asif Sb. is already member of our nidu_it_policy yahoogroup, if not
> can you please include his email address (AKABANI@unog. ch) so he gets all
> messages posted to the forum.  Mr. Asif's contribution to the forum would be
> very beneficial.
>
>
>
> Also just wondering, is the membership of nidu_it_policy yahoogroup only for
> MOITT WGs members or is it open to public?
>
>
>
> Rgds,
>
> -Khalil
>
>
>
>
>
> ____________ _____
>
> khalil ahmad
>
> ceo & chairman
>
> PakNIC Private Limited | ICANN Accredited Registrar
> http://www.paknic. com/
>
> USA: 116 Salem Road, North Brunswick, NJ 08902,  USA | Ph. +1 (732) 297-8908
> | Fax. +1 (732) 297-8906
>
> Asia:  6-A, Aziz Ave. Canal Bank, Gulberg-V, Lahore 54000, PAKISTAN | Ph.
> +92 (42) 587-1197 & 98 | Fax. +92 (42) 577-5541
>
>
>
> ***This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and are
> intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are
> addressed.  This communication may represent the originator's personal views
> and opinions, which may or may not necessarily reflect those of PakNIC
> Private Limited.  If you are not the original recipient or the person
> responsible for delivering the email to the intended recipient, be advised
> that you have received this email in error, and that any use, dissemination,
> forwarding, printing, or copying of this email is strictly prohibited.  If
> you received this email in error, please immediately notify info@paknic. com
>
>
>
>
>
> From: pakistanictpolicy@ googlegroups. com [mailto:pakistanict
> policy@googlegro ups.com] On Behalf Of Asif KABANI
> Sent: Thursday, September 04, 2008 6:14 AM
> To: khalil.ahmad@ paknic.com
> Cc: 'nidu_it_policy Moderator'; pakgrid@yahoogroups .com; pakistanictpolicy@
> googlegroups. com; pakistanictpolicy@ yahoogroups. com
> Subject: pakistanictpolicy - RE: Working Paper & Recommendations for the
> National IT Policy
>
>
>
> Khalil,
>
>
> Thank you for the working paper and recommendations for National IT Policy
>
>
> Please keep us in touch and posted
>
>
> With Best Regards
>
>
> Sincerely
>
>
>
> Asif Kabani
> E-mail: akabani@unog. ch
>
> kabani.asif@ gmail.com
>
> </font
> --~--~------ ---~--~-- --~------ ------~-- -----~--~ ----~
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups
> "PakistanICTPolicy" group.
> To post to this group, send email to pakistanictpolicy@ googlegroups. com
> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to pakistanictpolicy+
> unsubscribe@ googlegroups. com
> For more options, visit this group at http://groups. google.com/
> group/pakistanic tpolicy?hl= en
> -~---------- ~----~--- -~----~-- ----~---- ~------~- -~---
>
>
>
>



--

Regards.
--------------------------
Fouad Bajwa

Expanding Dr Yunus' sphere of influence...
Proposing 'usury-free' banking as social business
http://yunusphere.net/
--
FN * Independent Journalist http://fn.goa-india.org
Blog: http://fredericknoronha.wordpress.com
Tech links from South Asia: http://twitter.com/fn

http://www.dmlcompetition.net/

HASTAC
MacArthur Foundation
Digital Media And Learning

     * About
     * Participatory Learning
     * Innovation Awards
     * Young Innovator Awards
     * Guidelines
     * FAQ

     * Home
     * Contact
     * Scratchpad
     * Archive 2007
     * Winners' Hub
     * Apply


Participatory Learning
Participatory Learning

The 2008 Digital Media and Learning Competition theme is Participatory
Learning. Participatory Learning includes the many ways that learners
(of any age) use new technologies to participate in virtual
communities where they share ideas, comment upon one another's
projects, and plan, design, advance, implement, or simply discuss
their goals and ideas together. Details


News & Updates

     * Competition RFP (PDF)
       Posted September 3, 2008
     * Announcing the 2008 Competition
       (Press Release)
       Posted August 18, 2008
     * New this year: Collaborative Scratchpad
       Posted August 18, 2008
     * MacArthur Foundation Spotlight Blog
     * Competition 2007 Winners
       (Press Release)
       Posted February 21, 2008
     * "Couture Guerrilla"
       (HASTAC YouTube video, 2007)



Innovation in Participatory Learning Awards
Innovation Awards $30,000 - $250,000

Deadline: October 15, 2008

Innovation in Participatory Learning Awards support larger-scale
projects that demonstrate new modes of participatory learning in a
variety of environments, by creating new digital tools, modifying
existing ones, or using digital media in novel ways. Collaboration is
strongly encouraged. International applications are welcome from
eligible organizations. Details

Young Innovator Awards
Young Innovator Awards $5,000-$30,000

Deadline: October 15, 2008

Young Innovator Awards encourage innovators aged 18-25 to think
boldly about "what comes next" in
participatory learning and to contribute to making it happen. These
awards will help young innovators bring their visionary ideas from the
"garage" stage to implementation. Details
John Hope Franklin Center HASTAC MacArthur Foundation University of
California Humanities Research Institute

This HASTAC competition is supported by a grant from the John D. and
Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation to the University of California, in
collaboration with Duke University. The University of California
Humanities Research Institute and Duke University's John Hope Franklin
Center are the principal administering bodies for this grant on behalf
of HASTAC.

:: Site Credits :: Photo Credits :: Intellectual Property and Privacy
Policies ::
(c)2007 HASTAC Initiative Supported By The MacArthur Foundation


--
FN * Independent Journalist http://fn.goa-india.org
Blog: http://fredericknoronha.wordpress.com
Tech links from South Asia: http://twitter.com/fn

http://blog.wired.com/business/2008/09/open-source-tex.html

Open Source Textbooks Challenge a Paradigm
By Chris Snyder EmailSeptember 01, 2008 | 8:39:09 PMCategories: Books,
Open Source

080827_flatworld A small, digital book startup thinks it has a
solution to the age-old student lament: overpriced textbooks that have
little value when the course is over. The answer? Make them open
source -- and give them away.

Flat World Knowledge is the brainchild of two former textbook industry
executives who learned from the inside about the wacky economy of
textbooks.

In a nutshell, there is a huge, inelastic demand for college texts,
even though textbook prices are high. Because of this there is a lot
of piracy and a robust secondary market for textbooks -- but not for
long, because they are updated every couple of years, rendering old
editions virtually worthless.

Flat World's business plan aims to exploit the inefficiencies: Its
books are online and free. Instead of charging for content it aims to
make money by wrapping content up in "convenient" downloadable and
print wrappers and selling those, along with study aides and related
items.

Enhancing the value of the online versions is the open source
component. Students can annotate and comment in the digital margins of
Flat World's texts to share their insights, analysis and conclusions
with other students.

Digital versions of popular print textbooks have been widely available
for a while now through distribution sites like CourseSmart, which
offers around 4,500 titles and more than one-third of the most
popular-selling text book titles.

But a study released last week by the Student Public Interest Research
Groups (PIRGs) noted that subscription-based digital books are just as
unaffordable, considering that a used print book can at least be
resold for a while.

"Rather than designing the digital book to fit the [print business]
model, publishers should consider redesigning the model to fit digital
books," the PIRG report says. "In theory, this model should work,
since students tend to want print books."



"The nice thing about open content is it gives faculty full control,
creative control over the content of the book, full control over
timing, and it give students a lot more control over how they want to
consume it and how much they want to pay," says Eric Frank, who along
with co-founder Jeff Shelstad, came from a long career in the
mainstream textbook industry.

Shelstad spent 13 years at McGraw-Hill and served as editor-in-chief
before moving to Prentice Hall, where he was editorial director of
Business Publishing. Frank stepped into the industry at Thompson and
also eventually left for Prentice Hall where he worked for seven years
as acquisitions editor and director of marketing. Flat World raised
about $750,000 in angel funding last fall from investors who included
authors and university trustees and is on the verge of closing another
angel round at a similar amount.

Additional street cred comes by way of the company's "Chief Openness
Officer -- David Wiley, the founder of OpenContent.org, former
Director of the Center for Open and Sustainable Learning, and the man
often credited for bringing the phrase "open content" to its modern
usage in the late '90s.

The idea behind open textbooks began with people frustrated with the
industry, Frank says. The movement then led to non-profit aggregation
platforms like Connexions at Rice University and the Global Text
Project at the University of Georgia. But he believes they are one of
the first to turn this into a commercial venture.

"On the surface they're (traditional publishers) doing OK, but
underneath the surface there are lots of problems," says Frank. "The
internet has caused so much disruption in the distribution that there
are so many used books and international books and pirated copies out
there that after about two years, publishers have to bring out new
editions in order to capture revenue again."

Frank says the firm is also in the process of releasing a version for
Amazon's Kindle, but is working out several technical hurdles before
finalizing anything. Amazon is thought to be toying with the idea of a
Kindle marketed to the college crowd, and wired.com readers have been
somewhat vocal about the need for textbook support in the device.

Official launch is not until next January, when the company plans to
offer eight textbooks, each written for Flat World by scholars who
have also produced texts for some of the major publishing companies.
It will test its business model over the next semester in a private
beta with more than 20 U.S. universities.

In keeping with the decorum of pedagogy, there will be no advertising
on the site -- Frank says that the revenue wouldn't be significant
enough to "justify the distraction from an educational perspective."

But he's not concerned about viability or walking into a
"freeconomics" black hole.

"Our premise is that there will of course be some students who spend
nothing, they just consume the free book online, but we believe
students are consumers and they will pay for convenience if the price
is right," he says.

--
FN * Independent Journalist http://fn.goa-india.org
Blog: http://fredericknoronha.wordpress.com
Tech links from South Asia: http://twitter.com/fn

Web portal for teachers launched by President Patil
Indo-Asian News Service

New Delhi, Sep 5 (IANS) Teachers from across the country can now share
their professional ideas and thoughts on a web portal launched by
President Pratibha Patil Friday.

The portal www.teachersofindia.org was launched on the occasion of
Teachers' Day.

"The portal will offer a platform for sharing best practices and
generating discussion in teaching community," Patil said while
launching the portal.

The initial phase of the portal, developed by Azim Premji Foundation
with the National Knowledge Commission, envisages a space for teachers
to express their ideas and share their thoughts.

"It also envisages beginning of a district-wise directory of resource
organisations working in education, which will help teachers gain
access to material and people in their area," said a statement issued
by the president's office.

During the subsequent phases of the portal, resource material like
articles, policy documents, manuals, educational tools and modules
will be made available.

--
FN * Independent Journalist http://fn.goa-india.org
Blog: http://fredericknoronha.wordpress.com
Tech links from South Asia: http://twitter.com/fn

Sorry, Vickram, I fixed your post. GiGo means Garbage In, Garbage Out.
Give One Get One is abbreviated G1G1. http://wiki.laptop.org/go/G1G1

On Thu, Sep 4, 2008 at 2:48 AM, Vickram Crishna <v1clist@...> wrote:
> http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/383062729/

Thanks. I left them a note. Dual-boot XOs will NOT be available in the
US or Europe.

> Amazon will make the Give One, Get One offer, that helped kick off XO
> deliveries last year, although no price has been offered yet. The article
> guesses it will be $399 as before.
>
> In the offer, people in the Continental US

There is supposed to be a related offer in Europe, but no announcement
has been made.

> can buy an XO for $399, for each
> of which one XO will be donated to an OLPC program in some country (my guess
> is most will go to South America, where 2 countries have decided they will
> ensure every single schoolgoing child will become part of the OLPC program.

No, Peru and Uruguay are buying enough for all of their
schoolchildren. Past G1G1 donations have gone to countries that
couldn't buy their own, or were facing other severe issues: Haiti,
Rwanda, Ethiopia, Cambodia, Afghanistan, Mongolia. (I am directly
involved in administering the localization projects for Haiti and
Cambodia.) The countries to receive new G1G1 units have not been
announced. There are plenty of worthy target countries in Asia,
Africa, and elsewhere.

http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Deployments

Full funding of laptops for all children would cost about $25 billion
annually, after the promised $75 laptops appear in 2010, and would
return trillions of dollars in new economic growth.

> Vickram
> http://communicall.wordpress.com
> http://vvcrishna.wordpress.com


--
Silent Thunder [ 默雷 / शब्दगर्ज / شبدگر ج ] is my name,
And Children are my nation.
The Six Worlds are my dwelling place,
And Truth my destination.

The Kerala State IT Mission, Society for Alternative Computing and
Employment (SPACE) and Free Software Foundation of India are organising
the Free Software Free Society Conference, 2008, at Thiruvananthapuram
(Trivandrum) during December 9-11 2008. This conference can be seen to
be located at the convergence of movements such as Free Software, Free
Knowledge (Wikipedia, Open Access) and Free Culture (Creative Commons).
This is the second such conference to be hosted in Thiruvananthapuram,
the first being in May, 2005 (see http://fsfs.hipatia.net). You can find
more details at http://fsfs.in Those who are interested can register
after the registration page becomes available in a few days.

Best
--
V. Sasi Kumar
Free Software Foundation of India
http://swatantryam.blogspot.com

EU Commission Study on ICT self- and co-regulation initiatives

Hi,

The European Commission recently published a study assessing the
efficiency, effectiveness and sustainability of ICT self- and
co-regulation initiatives. The study was led by RAND Europe (Chris
Marsden <http://chrismarsden.blogspot.com/>)

The study is available from European Commission
http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/information_society/evaluation/studies/s2006_05/index_en\
.htm

The study consists of two main parts: a mapping exercise that examines
existing regulatory and co- and self-regulatory institutions and
identifies "candidate" case studies for closer analysis. And a second
phase report providing the results of 21 short case studies.

Case studies were presented in four groupings:
Internet Infrastructure and Standards (ICANN, Nominet, IETF, W3C, ICRA)
Internet Self- and Co-Regulation (IWF, INHOPE, EuroISPA, KJM, FSM)
Content and Filtering/Rating (ICSTIS, IMCB, NICAM, PEGI, ATVOD)
Emerging Self Regulation Areas (SecondLife, Creative Commons, Social
Network: Bebo, Trustmarks, London Action Plan, IGF)

Total of all phases about 1300 pages.

A clear conclusion of the report is that robust self-and co-regulatory
organisations only develop where their design and dynamics take a
multi-stakeholder approach as their basic principle. Parts already
seem dated and it wasn't written too long ago (3rd qtr 2007).

Adam
--

Regards.
--------------------------
Fouad Bajwa

On Wed, Sep 3, 2008 at 3:31 AM, Fouad Bajwa <fouadbajwa@...> wrote:
> Dear Qasim,
>
> Thank you for forwarding the list of projects funded by the National
> ICT R&D Fund. We appreciate the fact that this fund has been
> generously contributing to both academic and private sector research
> in the country and has a very strong focus on support Open Source
> Software related projects. Where there are some achievements by this
> fund, there are some significant problems we would like to take into
> critical consideration in the new IT Policy working group activities.

These are excellent. Would the National ICT R&D Fund be interested in
funding R&D for electricity and Internet for villages, with
microfinance support? This would enable a wide range of other economic
opportunities in conjunction with the wide range of extremely low-cost
computers now coming on the market or currently in development. If you
are interested, I and my colleagues can suggest many such
opportunities where we think you could profitably fund R&D.

Also, how about funding for educational software research,
development, and localization? I am involved with projects localizing
educational software into Urdu, Sindhi, Punjabi, and other languages
of the area.


> I would like to bring to notice that the time taken to approve and
> deliver the project funding supports are both outrageous and
> cumbersome. Various stakeholders of these projects funded by the
> National ICT R&D Fund have reported project proposal approvals and
> funding to take anything between 6-15 months. Project funding
> installments are paid with lags of upto 12 months in certain events
> where companies seeking the funding have already developed their
> deliverable and after that they were paid the funds.This is not an
> opportunity but a disappointment. I did not want to share these facts
> publicly earlier in case people would lose their confidence in the
> National ICT R&D Fund as well.
>
> The critical areas that I would like to recommend are:
>
> 1. Reduce the amount of scrutiny and redtapism in the process bringing
> down the time to approve and fund projects.
>
> 2. Increase the scope and outreach of the fund to Civil Society,
> Individuals and ICT Think Tanks in the country without barriers such
> as organizational affiliations, members of Universities, research
> institutions etc.

and overseas, especially among Pakistanis abroad.

> 3. National ICT R&D Funding should be an opportunity for Pakistani
> Citizens, Researchers and Scientists and not a challenge
>
> 4. The National ICT R&D Fund should immediately fund the working
> activity of the working groups making recommendations for the next IT
> Policy of Pakistan. The first meeting has already taken place in
> Lahore.
> The links of the meeting and pictures:
> http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/pakistanictpolicy/message/1405 and
>
http://www.new.facebook.com/group.php?gid=30136677675#/album.php?page=2&aid=6893\
4&id=708676200
>
> 5. Bring the fund directly under Ministry of IT without the pressure
> and pulling of PTA and any other body. Civil Society members should
> also preside on the board/committees of this fund and should not be
> 100% decided by the Government. There should be transparency and
> accountability.
>
> 6. The fund distributed should be modified to include: 30% Civil
> Society and Independent Researchers, 20% Academic Research, 20%
> Private Sector Research, 20% Public Sector Research, 10% Matching
> Grants Activity.
>
> 7. The fund should be focused on national development and industry
> innovation. Some companies have applied and been approved for projects
> that already exist in the global market and their source codes are
> free for research and companies have only duplicated the projects.
>
> I hope you understand our concerns are valid and of course you must be
> aware of them but it is time we helped to fix such issues in the
> country for the benefit of our greater good and national development.
>
> Please keep in touch.
>
> Best Regards
> Fouad Bajwa
>
>
> On Wed, Sep 3, 2008 at 10:00 AM, Qasim Sheikh
> <qasim.sheikh@...> wrote:
>> Dear Fouad,
>>
>>     At National ICT R&D Fund we understand the importance of the open source
>> phenomenon for Pakistan.  We have funded projects that are focused
>> at teaching students open source methodology as a part of software
>> engineering coursework.  Details about this project are given at
>> http://www.ictrdf.org.pk/fp-iossp.htm.
>>
>>
>>
>> Following is a list of projects that are funded by the National ICT R&D Fund
>> and focused at leveraging the open source paradigm to give a boost to the IT
>> industry and R&D in Pakistan.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> 1.      Development of Open Source Cell Library for MEMS Components Verified
>> Through Modeling and Simulation
>>
>>
>>
>> 2.      An Intelligent Secure Kernel for Next Generation Mobile Computing
>> Devices
>>
>>
>>
>> 3.      Network-Embedded Security using In-Network Packet Marking
>>
>>
>>
>> 4.      Technical Development for Automation of Banking System for
>> Microfinance Banks
>>
>>
>>
>> 5.      Clarity - Open source Enterprise Management System
>>
>>
>>
>> 6.      Adaptive English Language Teaching Tool
>>
>>
>>
>> 7.      Development of Open Source HMI
>>
>>
>>
>> 8.      Real Time MIMO and Cooperative MIMO Systems Test-bed for Wireless
>> Broadband Systems
>>
>>
>>
>> 9.      Investigating Wavelet based Video Coding and Video Conference
>> Applications
>>
>>
>>
>> 10.  Design and Development of an Open Source Enterprise Network Security
>> System
>>
>>
>>
>> 11.  Design and Implementation of the Core Components of the 4th Generation
>> Telecom Infrastructure
>>
>>
>>
>> 12.  A Bio-inspired Self-defending Security Framework for IP Multimedia
>> Subsystem (IMS)
>>
>>
>>
>> 13.  An Artificial Immune System Based General Purpose Intrusion Detection
>> System
>>
>>
>>
>> 14.  Integration of Open Source Software Projects in IT Education
>>
>>
>>
>> 15.  Characterization, Evaluation, and Development of High Performance
>> Network Services on Multi-Core Architectures
>>
>> 16.  Conversion of NGOSS Compliant, Web 2.0 Enabled Mediator, Rater and
>> Biller applications
>>
>>  With Regards
>>
>> Qasim Sheikh
>> CEO
>> National ICT R&D Fund
>> Telephone Number: +923008540838
>> url: www.ictrdf.org.pk


--
Silent Thunder [ 默雷 / शब्दगर्ज / شبدگر ج ] is my name,
And Children are my nation.
The Six Worlds are my dwelling place,
And Truth my destination.

Delhi CM Sheila Dikshit inaugurated the first-of-its-kind Community
Learning Centre, set up by NIIT to enhance Employability among youth in
urban slums.

warm regards
Shivanjali Singh
NIIT
# +91 9811991107
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------\
---

NIIT Community Learning Centre to enhance Employability among youth in
urban slums

- Delhi CM inaugurates learning centre in Tughlakabad village

New Delhi, August 30, 2008: In its endeavour to bridge the
Education-Employability gap and harness the latent talent pool existent in
urban slums-The NIIT Institute (TNI), a not-for-profit society by NIIT
promoters-has set up of the first-of-its-kind Community Learning Centre in
Delhi.

Smt. Sheila Dikshit, Honble Chief Minister of Delhi inaugurated the first
NIIT Community Learning Centre (CLC), set up in association with NGO
ABHAS, at the Tughlakabad village late last evening.

The NIIT CLC will provide relevant skills to the unemployed youth in urban
slums for making them employable for jobs in various industry sectors such
as Retail, Automobile sales, Telecommunications, Hospitality, Healthcare
etc.

Flagging off the new initiative, Delhi CM Smt. Sheila Dikshit said, 'It is
encouraging to see NIIT come forward with Community Learning Centre, for
empowering the underprivileged youth in the country. Initiatives like
these will go a long way in enabling their integration into the mainstream
and thus contribute to an overall growth of the society.'

According to various reports, the large population of underprivileged
youth residing in urban slums and semi-rural India lack vocational skills,
which renders them unemployable, even as the industry faces severe
manpower shortage.

Research has shown an increase of almost 80% in hiring needs across major
sectors such as IT, ITES, Financial Services, Retail, Media, FMCG,
Infrastructure, Manufacturing & Engineering and Telecom etc. The demand
for skilled manpower is not only in the Indian industry but the developed
world too is facing skills shortage, which is expected to generate 56
million jobs by 2020.

According to Mr. Rajendra S. Pawar, Chairman, NIIT said, ''The CLC is
another NIIT initiative to create employment for the youth in urban
slums.''

The NIIT CLC will address concerns of lack of good faculty and training
curriculum; disconnect between education & training and industry
requirements; and affordability for the underprivileged youth. CLC will
provide the youth with model educational, training and employment
services, thus leading to career-progressive jobs. This will be
accomplished through NIITs partnership with the industry, business, labor,
education and workforce development boards, the government, the
communities and the NGOs.

The NIIT CLC will offer training programs of three months to one year
duration for 10th and 12th pass students, residing in urban slums and
semi-rural areas. NIIT plans to set up 20 CLCs in the next three years, in
close proximity to slums.

NIIT CLC will offer training programs in the areas of Basic English
Communication; Grooming & Etiquette; Basic Computer and Operating System
Skills; Knowledge of Industry sector; and Industry specific skills such as
Customer Handling in Retail. NIIT will work closely with the industry to
customize training programs as per the job requirements.

NIIT CLCs will be equipped with requisite infrastructure such as computer
hardware and accessories, teaching material, furniture etc, which is
representative of a typical NIIT centre. NIIT will leverage technology to
enhance the learning experience in the CLCs and train and deploy faculty
at the centre.

The leading Global Talent Development Corporation is working with leading
retail and hospitality majors to provide job opportunities for students
trained at the CLC.

The NIIT Institute (TNI)
The NIIT Institute of Information Technology (TNI), is a not-for-profit
Society, set up by the NIIT promoters. One of TNIs missions is to
positively impact the underprivileged of the country through its
educational process. To give this a concrete shape, TNI has begun a number
of initiatives to better understand issues at the grassroots level and
build sustainable models that can be made available to the countrys
like-minded institutions and to the world at large.

The NIIT District Learning Centre launched in Chhindwara, Madhya Pradesh
last year offers skill development programs to graduates in the region,
and has received tremendous response from students and the industry. The
CLC in Tughlakabad is another initiative of TNI to harness talent from the
underprivileged society.

About NIIT
NIIT, Asias No. 1 IT trainer and leading Global Talent Development
Corporation, offers learning and knowledge solutions to 5 million students
across 34 countries.

Leading IT magazine Dataquest has conferred upon NIIT, the Top IT Training
Company Award 2007. Rated among Indias Superbrands (2003-05), NIITs
Individual Learning Business offerings include: Industry-endorsed programs
for students seeking careers in IT: GNIIT, Integrated ANIIT for Engineers
(IAE) and Advanced Technology Programs for IT professionals.

For working professionals, NIIT Imperia, Centre for Advanced Learning,
offers Executive Management Education Programmes in association with
Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) at Ahmedabad, Indore and Kolkata.

NIIT Institute of Finance Banking & Insurance (IFBI), formed by NIIT with
equity participation from ICICI Bank, offers programs for individuals and
corporates in Banking, Financial Services and Insurance.

NIIT Institute of Process Excellence Ltd., formed in joint venture with
Genpact will address the increasing demand for skilled workers in the
business & technology services industry by providing training programs in
relevant areas.

NIIT offers turnkey IT integration program for schools. NIIT has provided
computer-based learning to over 7700 government and private schools.

NIITs Corporate Learning Solutions, offers integrated learning solutions
(including strategic consulting, learning design, content development,
delivery, technology, assessment and learning management) to Fortune 500
companies, Universities, Technology companies, Training corporations and
Publishing houses.

Element K delivers learning solutions for customers and partners through a
tailored combination of catalog learning products, technology, and
services. The offerings include: vLab(R): hands-on labs, instructor-led
courseware, comprehensive e-reference libraries, technical journals, and
KnowledgeHub hosted learning management platform.

NIIT together with Element K is now the first and the best choice for
comprehensive learning solutions, worldwide.

For media queries, please contact:
Prateek Chatterjee, NIIT Limited, Ph: +91 9910201085, +91 124 4293041;
Email: prateek.chatterjee@... or
Shivanjali Singh, NIIT Limited, Ph: +91 9811991107; +91 124 4293044;
Email: shivanjali.singh@... or Visit www.niit.com
Amanpreet Singh, Brodeur India, Ph: +91 9811990205;
asingh@...

A $100 Laptop: Really.
http://www.knowprose.com/node/19532

$98 [GNU]Linux Laptop from China - The HiVision MiniNote
On YouTube
HiVision makes one of the worlds cheapest Linux laptops at $98 using a
new cheaper chipset, WiFi, 1GB flash storage, it runs Linux, 3 USB
ports, Ethernet, SDHC card reader, audio in and out. Voice-chat,
Skype, multi-tabbed Firefox browser support, Abiword for word
processing. Automatic online software updates. Their current model is
based on a public chinese low cost case mold design and is running on
a MIPS processor, they may soon also support an ARM9 with DSP as the
processor and they are showing their own nice looking case design
molds. All running on smooth Linux interfaces. In this video, I got to
borrow a review sample of the laptop overnight, and I try to show you
all the browser and other software interfaces in this extended video
review of this cheap MIPS based laptop. ARM and DSP is the way that I
hope that most cheap laptops are going to be based on in the near
future, Google will hopefully make a great Chrome browser for this
kind of Laptop and hopefully that the geniuses at OLPC soon will
announce that they will work to improve ARM and DSP based laptops in
XO-1.5 and XO-2 designs.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKQbN6tpYXw

The $98 HiVision miniNote Laptop
HiVision offers a $98 laptop that runs on Linux and features the
Dragon MIPS processor, Wi-Fi, 1GB storage, 7″ screen, 3 USB ports,
SDHC card reader, audio in/out, ethernet, and VOIP functionality. Not
too shabby for a laptop that really does run under $100.
http://www.gadgetreview.com/2008/09/the-98-hivision-mininote-laptop.html

$98 [GNU]Linux Laptop - The HiVision miniNote
HiVision makes the worlds cheapest Linux laptop at $98 using a new
cheaper MIPS based processor (perhaps the Longsoon or the Ingenic),
WiFi, 1GB flash storage, it runs Linux, has 3 USB ports, Ethernet,
SDHC card reader, audio in and out, voice-chat, skype, multi-tabbed
Firefox browser support and Abiword for word processing. Automatic and
secure online software updates. Their current model is running a
smooth and pretty snappy Linux user interface. In this video, I got to
borrow a review sample of the laptop overnight, and I try to show you
all the browser and other software interfaces in this extended video
review of this cheap MIPS based laptop. Embedded is the way that I
hope that most cheap laptops are going to be based on in the near
future, Google will hopefully make a great Chrome browser for this
kind of Laptop and hopefully that OLPC soon will announce that they
will work to improve Embedded Linux based laptops in the upcoming
XO-1.5 and XO-2 designs.
http://techvideoblog.com/ifa/98-linux-laptop-the-hivision-mininote/

--
FN * Independent Journalist http://fn.goa-india.org
Blog: http://fredericknoronha.wordpress.com
Tech links from South Asia: http://twitter.com/fn

The $100 Un-PC
Rajesh Jain Thinks The Next Billion Computer Users Hold The Key To The
Industry's Next Big Innovation.
Jason Overdorf
Newsweek Web Exclusive
Updated: 2:11 PM ET Oct 12, 2007

In a humble residential neighborhood in the south Indian city of
Chennai, Hema Malini--a quiet 13-year-old girl whose hair was braided
with jasmine flowers--switched on the family television and a curious
new device called Nova NetTV that was connected to the TV and a
keyboard. In a few seconds, the Microsoft Windows logo appeared, and
suddenly her TV was transformed into a PC. With her mother looking on
proudly, Hema fired up encyclopedia software, checked her e-mail and
Googled for a site that offers free versions of Nintendo's Mario Bros.
games.

If Rajesh Jain is successful, the NetTV, which hooks up to any
television, could be the first in a family of devices that connect the
next billion people to the Internet. Jain, 39, is cofounder and
chairman of Novatium, the Chennai-based company that makes NetTV and
NetPC, a similar product that uses a normal computer monitor. Both are
based on cheap cell-phone chips and come without the hard-disk drive,
extensive memory and prepackaged software thatadd hundreds of dollars
to the cost of regular PCs. Instead, they are little more than a
keyboard, a screen and a couple of USB ports--and use a central
network server to run software applications and store data. Novatium
already sells the NetPC for only $100--just within reach of India's
growing middle class--and Jain believes he can soon drive the price
down to $70.

Entrepreneurs, philanthropists and established computer firms have for
the better part of a decade invested millions of dollars to lower the
cost of a desktop PC and develop cheaper alternatives. Intel has made
its Eduwise laptop; AMD, a Personal Internet Communicator; Microsoft,
the FonePlus. MIT computer guru Nicholas Negroponte's Children's
Machine, now called the XO, is the most publicized recent attempt at
converting the poor into computer users. But Negroponte's idea is to
spread computers to the poor, with the help of heavy subsidies from
private and public philanthropy. His price is still about $140, too
high for India. Indeed India rejected Negroponte's offer of a million
for cost reasons. Jain's motive is different: he wants to make money.

And he knows India. Despite the country's rise as an outsourcing hub,
PCs are selling slowly--far more slowly than mobile phones or
motorbikes--because they are too expensive, too complicated to use and
too difficult to maintain. What people have been waiting for, some
experts think, is a new approach to computing that boils the essence
of Internet access down to its lowest cost--and lowest risk. Jain
plans to offer all this in lease deals that include easy-to-use
hardware, Internet connection, application software and service--for
$10 a month.

This formula could provide a long-sought bridge over the digital
divide--and may just change the way the average person thinks of
computing. The solution would open up a huge new market for Internet
service providers, starting in India but possibly spreading to other
emerging markets, a possibility that is already attracting the
attention of the world's biggest computer companies. It would become a
target for innovation on a global scale, forged by immense competition
for new customers, and that would have a big impact on the PC world in
the West. And if the winning formula turns out to be Jain's, or
something like it, it could kill the PC altogether.

Google's push into web-hosted software and Web-based data storage is
already prompting the world's software makers (including Microsoft) to
rethink a business built on selling copies of software for
installation on hard drives. As a consequence, the compulsion to
upgrade to a more powerful PC every few years is gradually
disappearing. As PC sales slow, hardware makers are looking to the
developing world as the source of future profits. But if Novatium or a
similar competitor succeeds, that market won't ever materialize. Dell,
Hewlett-Packard, Compaq and the rest will have to phase out PCs and
concentrate on devices that are similar in concept to Novatium's
NetPC. The hardware business will be dead. The real money will be in
providing the network, applications, data storage and other elements
that are even now becoming synonymous with computing. Compaq will have
to become more like Comcast.

Jain makes an unusual agent for such sweeping change. He has none of
the bombast of Oracle's Larry Ellison. He lives more like a monk than
a millionaire--though he sold his first successful venture,
IndiaWorld, for more than $100 million in 1999. Jain first got the
idea to build a low-cost computer alternative back in 2000, when he
realized Western PCs weren't getting cheap enough fast enough to serve
India's needs. He considered buying secondhand computers from abroad,
or opening cybercafés. Then he read about Oracle CEO Ellison's plans
for the so-called network computer. Maintenance and management costs
for the PC were untenable, Ellison proclaimed, and businesses would
soon save millions of dollars by putting software and data back onto
their network servers. Ellison's idea hadn't taken off, Jain decided,
because so many users in Western markets already had PCs and resisted
the change. Jain realized that India would be a better target for the
idea.

Aiming first at small and medium-size enterprises, Jain started to
explore the potential of network-based computing software at Netcore
Solutions, a company he started in 1998 (he remains its CEO). But the
hardware costs were a problem. After giving a talk in 2003 at a
conference in Bangalore, he was approached by Ashok Jhunjhunwala, a
professor at the Indian Institute of Technology in Chennai, who runs a
research lab and business incubator much like MIT's Media Lab. "The
device you're talking about, the network you need?" Jhunjhunwala told
him. "We can build it."

A few months later Jhunjhunwala and researchers at IIT came up with a
plan that builds on the "thin client" concept that has been popular in
the West for years, but only for business applications. It uses a
cheap microprocessor (not Intel or AMD's standard PC chips) and
removes the hard disk, CD/DVD drive and other costly and problem-prone
components, leaving the keyboard, screen and USB port. Easier to
maintain than regular PCs, sales of thin-client PCs to businesses are
growing at about 20 percent a year in developed nations, even as sales
of regular PCs flatten. Instead of working backward from the PC,
Jhunjhunwala pioneered a new architecture from the ground up,
replacing the expensive microprocessor with the guts of a mobile
phone--thus tapping a supercompetitive industry with enormous
economies of scale. In 2003, Jain and Jhunjhunwala cofounded Novatium,
along with Analog Devices Chairman Ray Stata, with the aim of taking
thin-client computers into the home market.

Making the computer affordable was only part of the equation, Jain
realized. It also had to be what users want: something that looks and
performs like a PC, with all the necessary software and an Internet
connection, but which is also easy to maintain and operate. Products
like the Simputer, an inexpensive, Indian-made version of the Pocket
PC launched in 2004, never took off because it didn't match potential
buyers' image of a computer. Meanwhile, people resisted purchasing
low-priced or secondhand conventional desktops because they were too
threatening--there was software to install, viruses to fight and all
manner of mysterious problems.

The device shouldn't be a stripped-down version of a PC, Jain says. It
should be entirely new machines, like the NetPC and NetTV, with
streamlined technology and a lower price. Already, Novatium can afford
to sell computing like the power company sells electricity, providing
everything you need, including Internet access, for about $10 a month.
And once production volume hits 1 million units, the cost of materials
for a NetTV will fall to $35, bringing the sale price down to $70. In
July Novatium started a commercial pilot program in Chennai with a
cable operator whose feed goes into about 1,500 homes. By the end of
December, it had 100 users. By the end of March it's expected to have
500, all of whom would pay around $10 a month. Started with only $2.5
million, Novatium has just 60 employees, but it is attracting
attention from many major players.

One reason is that Novatium machines are open to all. Unlike most thin
clients, Novatium's devices work with any network server without
requiring major modifications, whether it uses proprietary software
from Microsoft or Sun, or free software from an open-source company
like Linux. Microsoft is participating in the Chennai pilot program
because Novatium's subscription-based payment system could generate
profit in markets where most users run pirated versions of Microsoft
products. Top U.S.-based executives from Microsoft, Yahoo, AOL and
other companies have visited Hema's house and other homes wired with
the NetPC and the Nova NetTV to see how the utility computing model
could work in the home. And network server giant Sun
Microsystems--whose slogan has long been "The network is the
computer"--has already inked a deal to market the NetPC to enterprises
and schools in India beginning this year. "There's a 100 million-unit
opportunity in the next five years in India itself," Jain says.

The difference between Jain's approach and Negroponte's is stark.
Negroponte is world famous, and teamed up with Rupert Murdoch at Davos
to promote One Laptop per Child (OLPC), a program to get computers
into the hands of poor, rural users. Negroponte's XO laptop is truly
innovative in its own right: it has no moving parts--it uses flash
memory instead of a spinning hard disk--because they are prone to
failure and overheating, and it uses so little power that it can run
for hours on a car battery and can be charged by hand in a pinch. To
extend Internet access, it uses "mesh networking" technology that
turns each device into a relay that bounces the network onward.

But the XO also needs help. Though Negroponte promises he'll meet the
$100 mark by the end of 2008, today each XO costs about $140, even
with subsidized parts. AMD, for instance, offer its processors and Chi
Lin Technology supplies screens at prices below what they charge
for-profit companies. So OLPC is dependent on the kindness of wealthy
partners, and does not get great reviews for performance--at least
from rivals in the for-profit business. Microsoft's Bill Gates has
disparaged the machine as an underpowered and obsolete PC, and Intel
executives call it a "100-dollar gadget."

Novatium's approach has been to completely redesign the computer,
slashing costs while keeping the form and functions typical of a
top-end PC. Once it's set up, it doesn't look all that different from
a conventional PC--the basic box plus a keyboard and monitor. It
installs and operates as simply as a television--you plug it in and
switch it on. And the money doesn't come from government budgets or
philanthropic largesse, but from Jain's profit-oriented business
model. "We do want to serve people, but we want to be profitable
first," says Novatium CEO Alok Singh, who was hired for his experience
bringing new products to market at Cummins Auto Services Ltd.

Negroponte is critical of Novatium's approach. For one thing, he
argues that reliable networks aren't available in the rural areas
where his target users live. He's adamant that the XO's approach, in
which software resides on the PC, is better suited to India's needs.
"The [Novatium] thin-client approach is not suited for the poor or
developing [countries], because it leads to a metering economic model
and presumes a stable, omnipresent, broadband network," he said in an
e-mail. It's "a bit like buses versus bicycles. I would recommend the
bicycle for daily use."

The Novatium team makes no apologies. It is not targeting the deeply
poor rural farmers that Negroponte sees as his market. It is looking
first to make money on the urban middle class, where many people are
too poor to buy PCs but have ready access to cable and
telecommunications networks. Taking inspiration from University of
Michigan management expert C. K. Prahalad, author of "The Fortune at
the Bottom of the Pyramid: Eradicating Poverty Through Profits," Jain
says that in India's PC market there are 10 million relatively wealthy
Indians at the "top of the pyramid" who buy computers just like
consumers in developed countries. There are an additional 30 million
urban Indians at the "middle of the pyramid" and 100 million very poor
Indians at the "bottom of the pyramid." "What we are saying is how can
you dramatically bring down the entry levels for computing in this
country and make it accessible to the middle of the pyramid?" he says.
"This is the sweet spot."

Novatium, of course, has a long way to go. It needs to build a network
along the lines of those run by India's mobile and Internet service
providers. For that, the company will need to partner with telecom or
cable companies that are pushing broadband Internet access. (It is
working to line up a contract with a few small cable companies, which
if successful could lead to deals with larger broadband firms like
Airtel, Hathway, Sify, Tata Indicom and state-owned BSNL and MTNL.)
Success will bring competition from Western firms such as San Jose,
Calif. -based Wyse, which already sells some network PCs to India's IT
firms. But Wyse and the others aren't yet interested in the home
market. And Novatium has licensed its technology to Sun Microsystems
for the enterprise and education markets so Novatium can focus on
selling to home users. Jain is hoping that that head start plus a rich
offering of features--such as streaming video, video-on-demand and
voice-over-IP, which other low-cost thin-client PCs don't offer--will
give Novatium an edge for at least a few years.

Down the road, Jain envisions his device transforming the computing
landscape. "It's taken a quarter century for computer makers worldwide
to get to 700 million users," he says. "The utility and network
computing model can double that number in the next five years. That
means there's a huge opportunity for the likes of Dell, HP, Lenovo,
Intel, Microsoft and so on, and the entire existing computer value
chain. But they'll have to reinvent their businesses. They have to
look at an entirely different model." And they'll have to look to
India.
URL: http://www.newsweek.com/id/42955

--
FN * Independent Journalist http://fn.goa-india.org
Blog: http://fredericknoronha.wordpress.com
Tech links from South Asia: http://twitter.com/fn

http://slumdweller.wikispaces.com/

Most of you are aware of slum night school that we are trying to run.
These centers face difficulties in elevating the interests of the
students and populating the days with committed volunteers. Both of
these problem fuel each other and eventually the center becomes
unsustainable.

How about trying out a personal computer in the center? Will this
evoke interests from the students? How about funding a part time/full
time teacher in the center to handle the class? AID with Stri Jagruti
Samiti trying out a computer learning center in Groupanpalya. There
are few I, II PUC and 9th STD kids will be attending this center. One
of our friends from Honey well is trying to get a new PC from his
company. But, one PC is not enough. We need 2 to 3 more.

This mail is to request you to donate your old PC's and laptops that
you may be thinking to replace. Any PC or Laptop with just 256MB ram
or above and with 10GB hard disk should do the job. I already
conducted couple of classes there last two Saturdays with just 1
laptop. Yesterday(Feb 16), ten students turned up and even 2 laptop
can hardly meet out the needs to provide some computer access time to
these kids. Populating this center with few PC's will help us and the
kids to come together and organize a nice night school, I believe.

Please let me know as quickly as you can on what is possible. Also, as
usual, I would like to know who can come and handle classes on few
introduction, office, internet access,etc on computers. This center is
just behind the IBM office in Bannerghatta road.

http://slumdweller.wikispaces.com/

--
FN * Independent Journalist http://fn.goa-india.org
Blog: http://fredericknoronha.wordpress.com
Tech links from South Asia: http://twitter.com/fn

Cities are exciting. Cities are buzzing. They are alive with movement.
A rapid flow of exchange is facilitated by a meshwork of
infrastructure connections: road systems, building complexes,
information and communication technology and people networks. In this
environment, the internet has advanced to become the prime
communication medium that connects many threads across the fabric of
urban life. The increasing ubiquity of internet services and
applications has led many scholars to question the dichotomy between
cyberspace and real space. New media and information and communication
technology afford an increasingly seamless transition between mediated
and unmediated forms of interaction. Driven by curiosity, initiative
and interdisciplinary exchange, urban informatics is an emerging
cluster of people interested in research and development at the
intersection of people, place and technology with a focus on cities,
locative media and mobile technology.

http://www.new.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2493830797
--
FN * Independent Journalist http://fn.goa-india.org
Blog: http://fredericknoronha.wordpress.com
Tech links from South Asia: http://twitter.com/fn

Dear Qasim,

Thank you for forwarding the list of projects funded by the National
ICT R&D Fund. We appreciate the fact that this fund has been
generously contributing to both academic and private sector research
in the country and has a very strong focus on support Open Source
Software related projects. Where there are some achievements by this
fund, there are some significant problems we would like to take into
critical consideration in the new IT Policy working group activities.

I would like to bring to notice that the time taken to approve and
deliver the project funding supports are both outrageous and
cumbersome. Various stakeholders of these projects funded by the
National ICT R&D Fund have reported project proposal approvals and
funding to take anything between 6-15 months. Project funding
installments are paid with lags of upto 12 months in certain events
where companies seeking the funding have already developed their
deliverable and after that they were paid the funds.This is not an
opportunity but a disappointment. I did not want to share these facts
publicly earlier in case people would lose their confidence in the
National ICT R&D Fund as well.

The critical areas that I would like to recommend are:

1. Reduce the amount of scrutiny and redtapism in the process bringing
down the time to approve and fund projects.

2. Increase the scope and outreach of the fund to Civil Society,
Individuals and ICT Think Tanks in the country without barriers such
as organizational affiliations, members of Universities, research
institutions etc.

3. National ICT R&D Funding should be an opportunity for Pakistani
Citizens, Researchers and Scientists and not a challenge

4. The National ICT R&D Fund should immediately fund the working
activity of the working groups making recommendations for the next IT
Policy of Pakistan. The first meeting has already taken place in
Lahore.
The links of the meeting and pictures:
http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/pakistanictpolicy/message/1405 and
http://www.new.facebook.com/group.php?gid=30136677675#/album.php?page=2&aid=6893\
4&id=708676200

5. Bring the fund directly under Ministry of IT without the pressure
and pulling of PTA and any other body. Civil Society members should
also preside on the board/committees of this fund and should not be
100% decided by the Government. There should be transparency and
accountability.

6. The fund distributed should be modified to include: 30% Civil
Society and Independent Researchers, 20% Academic Research, 20%
Private Sector Research, 20% Public Sector Research, 10% Matching
Grants Activity.

7. The fund should be focused on national development and industry
innovation. Some companies have applied and been approved for projects
that already exist in the global market and their source codes are
free for research and companies have only duplicated the projects.

I hope you understand our concerns are valid and of course you must be
aware of them but it is time we helped to fix such issues in the
country for the benefit of our greater good and national development.

Please keep in touch.

Best Regards
Fouad Bajwa


On Wed, Sep 3, 2008 at 10:00 AM, Qasim Sheikh
<qasim.sheikh@...> wrote:
> Dear Fouad,
>
>     At National ICT R&D Fund we understand the importance of the open source
> phenomenon for Pakistan.  We have funded projects that are focused
> at teaching students open source methodology as a part of software
> engineering coursework.  Details about this project are given at
> http://www.ictrdf.org.pk/fp-iossp.htm.
>
>
>
> Following is a list of projects that are funded by the National ICT R&D Fund
> and focused at leveraging the open source paradigm to give a boost to the IT
> industry and R&D in Pakistan.
>
>
>
>
>
> 1.      Development of Open Source Cell Library for MEMS Components Verified
> Through Modeling and Simulation
>
>
>
> 2.      An Intelligent Secure Kernel for Next Generation Mobile Computing
> Devices
>
>
>
> 3.      Network-Embedded Security using In-Network Packet Marking
>
>
>
> 4.      Technical Development for Automation of Banking System for
> Microfinance Banks
>
>
>
> 5.      Clarity - Open source Enterprise Management System
>
>
>
> 6.      Adaptive English Language Teaching Tool
>
>
>
> 7.      Development of Open Source HMI
>
>
>
> 8.      Real Time MIMO and Cooperative MIMO Systems Test-bed for Wireless
> Broadband Systems
>
>
>
> 9.      Investigating Wavelet based Video Coding and Video Conference
> Applications
>
>
>
> 10.  Design and Development of an Open Source Enterprise Network Security
> System
>
>
>
> 11.  Design and Implementation of the Core Components of the 4th Generation
> Telecom Infrastructure
>
>
>
> 12.  A Bio-inspired Self-defending Security Framework for IP Multimedia
> Subsystem (IMS)
>
>
>
> 13.  An Artificial Immune System Based General Purpose Intrusion Detection
> System
>
>
>
> 14.  Integration of Open Source Software Projects in IT Education
>
>
>
> 15.  Characterization, Evaluation, and Development of High Performance
> Network Services on Multi-Core Architectures
>
> 16.  Conversion of NGOSS Compliant, Web 2.0 Enabled Mediator, Rater and
> Biller applications
>
>  With Regards
>
> Qasim Sheikh
> CEO
> National ICT R&D Fund
> Telephone Number: +923008540838
> url: www.ictrdf.org.pk
>
> On 8/29/08, Fouad Bajwa <fouadbajwa@...> wrote:
>>
>> The Ministry of IT Pakistan, P@SHA, PSEB, OSRC, HEC, Academia,
>> Researchers, Civil Society and Private Sector should learn from the
>> following Malaysian Example:
>>
>> Malaysian Government launches new initiatives for increased Open
>> Source and OpenOffice.org deployment in public sector and schools
>>
>> MAMPU Press Release
>> www.oscc.org.my
>>
>> Malaysian Government launches new initiatives for increased Open
>> Source and OpenOffice.org deployment in public sector and schools
>>
>> Chief Minister of Terengganu launches state wide pilot of
>> OpenOffice.org deployment in schools in conjuction with OSS
>> Accelerated Adoption Seminars. Awards given for best case studies of
>> successful government Open Source projects.
>>
>> Kuala Terengganu, MALAYSIA. (May 27th 2008) -- Coinciding with the
>> fourth regional OSS Accelerated Adoption Seminar this year, Malaysian
>> Administrative Modernisation and Management Planning Unit (MAMPU), the
>> Ministry of Education and the State Government of Terengganu are
>> launching initiatives for increased adoption of Open Source Software
>> in government and schools.
>>
>> The OSS Accelerated Adoption Seminars is a national initiative to
>> promote increased awareness and adoption of OSS by government
>> agencies. To encourage knowledge sharing of successful deployments,
>> MAMPU has been providing awards to the best case studies that have
>> been shared from each region. They are provided for categories of IT
>> infrastructure, business applications and desktop applications. To
>> date they have highlighted successful implementations such as the
>> Meterology Department regional network, the desktop implementation for
>> Melaka and statewide deployment of OpenOffice.org in Kedah. For the
>> East Coast states over a dozen case studies have shown successful Open
>> Source software implementations of e-government applications from
>> Pahang and Terengganu.
>>
>> OpenOffice.org in Schools Pilot lauched today by the Chief Minister of
>> Terengganu supports the increased adoption of OSS and deployment for
>> the upcoming generation of Malaysians. OpenOffie.org is an Open Source
>> software alternative for office productivity software. The pilot phase
>> in the state involves deployment to over 100 schools since January
>> 2008.
>>
>> From January 2009, all 467 schools will start using OpenOffice.org in
>> the state. It is planned that this will be expanded nationally to over
>> 300,000 PCs in schools. The savings in licensing costs, support for
>> open standards and platform neutrality and increased security from
>> threat of document viruses of this software will provide better
>> delivery of education services by students and teachers.
>>
>> Seminars highlight accelerated adoption of OSS in public sector
>>
>> The proven success of Phase I of the governments' Open Source Master
>> Plan has shown that the the adoption of OSS in the government sector
>> in several pilot projects are cost effective and provide better
>> service delivery.
>>
>> Now in Phase II, the OSS Accelerated Adoption Seminars are an
>> initiative of MAMPU to promote and highlight increased adoption of OSS
>> throughout the public sector. This seminar with over 500 attendees,
>> the final of the year for regional seminars is held in Kuala
>> Terengganu for the states of Pahang, Kelantan and Terengganu. To date
>> over 281 agencies have already adopted OSS for the provision of IT
>> services. This represents a ten-fold increase since original launch of
>> the Master Plan in 2003.
>>
>> Adoption of the open source office suite, OpenOffice.org for state
>> government agencies is now official in the states of Melaka, Kedah,
>> Pahang and Sabah. States like Melaka and Kedah have been deploying
>> OpenOffice.org and OSS since 2003. Most recently Pahang State
>> Government has issued a circular on the states intention for all state
>> agencies to migrate to Openoffice.org. Combined they have saved
>> millions in ringgit for licensing fees, expenditure now spent locally
>> to provide better public services in their respective states.
>>
>> In conjunction with the seminars, awards are given to recognise the
>> best case studies of OSS implementations for each region. Highlights
>> for the East Coast include Terengganu State Government Data Centre and
>> e-Government projects all fully utilising open source software. The
>> Terengganu State government has also setup a community training centre
>> that has trained over 20,000 state citizens with IT skills using open
>> source software on 585 Linux desktops.
>>
>> In Pahang, an online information system for Vetrinary Services
>> developed locally using OSS software has won national awards for
>> innovation. A common finding for the case studies was increased
>> security as OSS deployments of OpenOffice.org and Desktops were not
>> affected by viruses.
>>
>> The case studies also highlighted that staff were able to build their
>> skills and knowledge due to the wealth of free information and
>> tutorials associated with the OSS technologies available on the
>> Internet. Furthermore with OSS, these initiatives can be deployed and
>> developed and shared with other agencies without expensive licensing
>> costs further providing avenues for cost savings, skills and knowledge
>> sharing nationally within the public sector.
>>
>> MOE launches pilot project of OpenOffice.org deployment in schools
>>
>> The Ministry of Education with the support of MAMPU and the state
>> government of Terengganu, also launched the pilot project for the
>> deployment of OpenOffice.org in schools. The pilot starts with the
>> deployment of OpenOffice.org in over 100 schools in the State of
>> Terengganu. These include both urban and rural schools.
>>
>> To date most school administrators and staff in the state have already
>> been trained on the use of OpenOffice.org. Over the next 2 years, the
>> Ministry of Education plans to build on this initiative and deploy
>> OpenOffice.org in over 300,000 PCs in schools throughout the country.
>>
>> The project is being implemented with the support of the Terenganu
>> State Education Department with commitment and financial support from
>> the State Government of Terengganu through the Implementation
>> Committee chaired by B. En. Ahmad Razif bin Abdul Rahman the director
>> for the Science, Technology and Human Resources Committee for the
>> State of Terengganu. The implementaiton of this project hopes to
>> achieve increased knowledge sharing and innovation for computer users
>> with the optimum license and minimal cost.
>>
>> About OSCC, MAMPU
>>
>> Malaysian Administrative Modernisation and Management Planning Unit
>> MAMPU's Open Source Competency Centre is first and single point of
>> reference for support and guidance in the implementation of Open
>> Source Software in the Public Sector. OSS Initiative is a cabinet
>> decision. The Malaysian Administrative Modernization and Management
>> Planning Unit, (MAMPU) was directed to study the feasibility of
>> implementing OSS in the Malaysian Government Agencies.
>>
>> In response to the directive, MAMPU has prepared a Memorandum entitled
>> "Proposal on OSS Implementation in the Public Sector of Malaysia". The
>> proposal recommendations were tabled by MAMPU and endorsed by the
>> Malaysian Government on 19 June 2002. OSS implementation in the Public
>> Sector will be carried out concurrently with the building of necessary
>> infrastructure such as technical support and human resource reskilling
>> and development. However, changes will be introduced in stages to
>> ensure that there is least disruption to the services offered by the
>> Public Sector and that change is managed well.
>>
>> About Ministry of Education
>>
>> The Malaysian Ministry of Education objective is to develop a
>> world-class quality education system which will realise the full
>> potential
>> of the individual and fulfill the aspiration of the Malaysian nation.
>> It oversees all primary and high school education in Malaysia.
>>
>> http://www.moe.gov.my/tayang.php?laman=utama&unit=utama&bhs=en
>>
>> About Terengganu State Government
>>
>> The Terengganu State Government is comprised of the Chief Minister and
>> elected State Assembly which governs the state of Terengganu.
>>
>> Terengganu is a sultanate and constitutive state of federal Malaysia.
>> The state is also known by its Arabic honorific, Darul Iman ("Abode of
>> Faith"). The coastal city of Kuala Terengganu which stands at the
>> mouth of the broad Terengganu River is both the state and royal
>> capital as well as the largest city in Terengganu.
>>
>> About OpenOffice.org
>>
>> OpenOffice.org provides everything most people need in an office
>> productivity suite. It is stable, reliable, and robust, built up over
>> twenty years' development. It is actively developed, with several
>> releases every year. The main components of the OpenOffice.org Suite
>> are the Writer wordprocessor; the Calc spreadsheet; Impress for
>> presentations; Draw for graphics; and the Base database.
>>
>> OpenOffice.org uses the OpenDocument Format OASIS Standard (ISO/IEC
>> 26300) as well as supporting legacy file formats such as Microsoft
>> Office, and is available on major computing platforms in over 80
>> languages. OpenOffice.org software is provided under the GNU Lesser
>> General Public Licence (LGPL) and may be used free of charge for any
>> purpose, private or commercial.
>>
>> http://marketing.openoffice.org/press_kit.html
>>
>> Additional Resources
>>
>> Open Source Case Study Awards
>> http://www.oscc.org.my/content/view/194/128/
>>
>> Open Source Case Studies on OSCC Knowledge Bank
>> http://knowledge.oscc.org.my/case-studies/malaysian-case-studies
>>
>> Malaysian OpenOffice.org adoption wiki
>>
>>
http://knowledge.oscc.org.my/solution-areas/desktop/OpenOffice.org/openoffice-ad\
option
>>
>> Media Contact
>>
>> OSCC MAMPU
>> contact [21@] oscc . org . my
>> Ph: 603 8319 1200
>> Fax: 603 8319 3206
>>
>> Malaysia's schools get OpenOffice.org
>> URL: http://www.zdnetasia.com/news/software/0,39044164,62045435,00.htm
>>
>> Archive
>>
>>
>> http://blog.harisfazillah.info/2008/08/malaysian-government-launches-new.html
>>
>>
>
>
>
> --
> With Regards
>
> Qasim Sheikh
> CEO
> National ICT R&D Fund
> Telephone Number: +923008540838
> url: www.ictrdf.org.pk



--

Regards.
--------------------------
Fouad Bajwa

Hi All,

The government has released a draft version of a Policy on Open standards
for e-Governance. It is presently open for Public review.

Please find the policy at the link below-
http://egovstandards.gov.in/Policy_Open_Std_review

The policy seems to have some really good points like-
5.1) Mandatory Characteristics:
5.1.1)Selected Standard should be Royalty Free for life time of the standard.
5.1.2)Selected Standard should be developed in a collaborative and consensus
manner and not led by a single agency or a small closed group of interested
parties
5.1.3)Selected Standard should be recursively open; They shall not use
unpublished extensions

However we really do need to look at it with greater detail and discuss
the same.

I have also attached the policy with this email.

Thanks,
Vinay Sreenivasa
IT for Change
vinay@...
91-98805-95032

September 4, 2008. Appropriate IP System Touted For Local
Science-Based Industry In Islamic Nations

By Wagdy Sawahel for Intellectual Property Watch Growth of
intellectual property rights depends on the level of technological
development and most Islamic countries are seen as marginalised and
scientifically lagging least-developed countries. This has led some
experts in the regions to call for a system-wide approach to make IP
rights supportive to local knowledge-based industry with low
innovation capacity and avoid its negative effects including
restrictive access to new knowledge as well as the high price of new
technologies imposed by a strong IP regime.

Link to the article: http://www.ip-watch.org/weblog/index.php?p=1209

--
FN * Independent Journalist http://fn.goa-india.org
Blog: http://fredericknoronha.wordpress.com
Tech links from South Asia: http://twitter.com/fn

-------- Forwarded Message --------
From: vinay@...
Subject: Draft policy on Open standards for e-Gov in India -Open for
Public review
Date: Wed, 3 Sep 2008 07:15:52 -0700 (PDT)

Hi All,

The government has released a draft version of a Policy on Open standards
for e-Governance. It is presently open for Public review.

Please find the policy at the link below-
http://egovstandards.gov.in/Policy_Open_Std_review

The policy seems to have some really good points like-
5.1) Mandatory Characteristics:
5.1.1)Selected Standard should be Royalty Free for life time of the standard.
5.1.2)Selected Standard should be developed in a collaborative and consensus
manner and not led by a single agency or a small closed group of interested
parties
5.1.3)Selected Standard should be recursively open; They shall not use
unpublished extensions

However we really do need to look at it with greater detail and discuss
the same.

I have also attached the policy with this email.

Thanks,
Vinay

As of now, using the Internet is taught as part of the IT curriculum. In
the tenth standard, the children are expected to use the Internet to
collect information for doing their project work. As part of this, email
also appears as a service available on the Net. They are also expected
to learn to do a Google search, collect information and store them for
later use. Consequently, they are also expected to know about pdf, jpeg,
etc. file formats.

Best
Sasi

On Tue, 2008-09-02 at 19:18 +0530, Ananya Guha wrote:
> This is great news, but the internet training should consist of a
> module, by which they have access to sites, which will make them
> interactive and creative. The misuse of the internet is a dangerous
> portent these days, and even sites like Orkut etc, could lead them
> astray. A crash course on cyber laws could be effective.
>
> Ananya S Guha.
>
>
>
--
V. Sasi Kumar
Free Software Foundation of India
http://swatantryam.blogspot.com