ICT4D – Importance of Mapping

One of the major themes of this academic semester for me has consistently been technology, even outside of ICT4D. There are so many new applications and functionalities of technical devices that I hadn’t even considered before. More importantly, as someone who doesn’t necessarily consider herself a “techy” or particularly tech savvy, I’ve realized that there is still a good amount of work that I can do to promote the effective implementation and use of ICTs for development purposes. One specific example is mapping. Maps are such a basic concept that I was shocked to learn about their importance and the number of crowdsourced mapping tools and techniques that have been so vital in recent emergencies. For this reason, I’d like to focus this week’s blog post on my perspective of mapping.

 

In addition to ICT4D I’ve been involved with a new organization called Women in Technology (WIT) as well as learning technical skills for my own personal development. At the more local level of development, I am interested in furthering my knowledge of mapping by taking a GIS course next with Julie Hernandez. Mapping is not only important to development internationally but plays a large role locally as well. As Greg’s presentation showed us, food security in New Orleans is one such issue that has benefitted from mapping projects. ICT4D has additionally highlighted the importance of mapping before, during and after emergency situations. As social media is on the rise, tools such as Google’s ‘People Finder’ are becoming more widely accepted and made use of.

 

Overall, I can see mapping playing a large role in my future career whether I decide to go into international development, public health or some combination of the two. Not only is this important in organizing people or determining the need of development projects but mapping is also a useful way to research and organize data from a community. It presents a visual image that can sometimes be more helpful depending on the situation. I’m very glad that this was a part of the ICT4D curriculum as it is a very significant factor in technological as a development tool.

ICT4D Professional Profile: Jared Cohen

Jared Cohen is a Renaissance man in the world of technology. He’s an author, a geopolitical advisor, the director of Google Ideas, and a Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, in addition to having served on the staffs of both Condoleezza Rice and Hilary Clinton. He’s also just 31 years old. Condi Rice said of Cohen, “He would use his position at Policy Planning to begin to integrate social media into our diplomatic tool kit. That would pay off handsomely some years later, when Twitter and Facebook became accelerants of democratic change in the Middle East.” In addition to playing an instrumental role as an advisor of US policy in Iran and throughout the Middle East, Cohen was on the ground in the 2011 Egyptian revolution during Mubarak’s overthrow, presumably as an on-the-ground orchestrator of revolutionary social media. He also played an important role in keeping Iran’s Twitter service open during the 2009 protests that took place in the country, of which he was an adamant supporter.

For those unfamiliar with Google Ideas, the project is a think tank started by Google in 2010 with a focus on technology and global initiatives. Ideas also deals with governance problems within weak and failing governments. Interestingly enough, Google considers Ideas a part of its business operations rather than a philanthropic appendage, despite its focus on technology applications within the development sector. As a director, Cohen’s primary aim has been to apply technological strategies to healthcare and other sectors within the developing world. On a related note, Cohen led several delegations under Hillary Clinton in the hopes of setting up partnerships between technology executives and stakeholders in countries like Syria, Iraq and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. What a guy.

ICT4D Professional Spotlight: Anca Mosoiu

“Anca Mosoiu’s vision for a world of accessible technology tools compelled her to create the Tech Liminal principles and workshop. After graduating from MIT with a computer science degree, she returned to her hometown of Oakland at the right time to participate in the Silicon Valley high-tech boom”

 

Tech Liminal’s Anna Mosoiu.
Photo Credit: Wanda Hassig

ICT4D is often something we consider only in the sense of   uplifting and empowering small villages in the most remote of locations however ICT4D is happening constantly at all levels and regions of society. In the past, tech developer, Anca Mosoiu has devoted a vast amount of effort to developing technology in the city of Oakland, California.

 

Tech Liminal is a company dedicated to improving tech assistance among other businesses by operating a technology hotspot & salon based in Oakland, the heart of the Silicon Valley. Her work is credited with assisting in the development of the Silicon Valley as the technology hub it is today.

Philosophy of Optimism

Anca’s work has always been driven by an inner sense of optimism.

“ ‘To me the information age is like being at the beginning of the industrial age’ so much opportunity. But opportunity is restricted to those who have knowledge and resources. By putting the pieces together explaining Twitter, for example ‘you start leveling the playing field.’ ”

In addition to “leveling the playing field,” Anca’s work helps small, local businesses gain the technology skills necessary to make their work more efficient and as a result save money and expand their capacities. Although this is not the type of development work that we typically consider, the major tech giants and leaders that emerge from such efforts have begun to make large strides in development abroad as well. Unfortunately, the progress of development is heavily reliant on funding available which often times comes from the non-profit sector. As the CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) field grows, more opportunities to begin and manage development programs and opportunities will develop as well. Sometimes ICT4$ is a necessary step before ICT4D can take place.

Google+ Community Leaders Program

Another example of development working with a similar philosophy is Google plus’ Community Leaders Program. This program trains people to assist small businesses and local leaders with basic technical skills that can help them further their horizons. New Orleans has a program dedicated specifically to technology development within the city if anyone is interested in getting involved.

Social Media and Violence

It is almost universally agreed upon that individuals and groups have a right to their freedom of expression and freedom of the press. These freedoms are essential to a strong civil society and are critical in any democracy. Social media is very obviously intertwined with these freedoms, as it provides an outlet for individuals to connect, communicate, and express their voices and opinions.

There are many positive benefits to social media. Here at Tulane, we get emails of every crime reported in the nearby area. In the greater New Orleans area, we have gotten text messages with “water boil advisories” when the water is unsafe to drink. These benefits have been seen on a global scale as well. The Zapatista group in Mexico was able to spread their message through the use of the Internet, and gained a lot of international attention, thereby holding the Mexican government accountable to their demands. Social media was critical in the organization and mobilization of individuals in the Arab Spring, and helped shape democratic ideas globally.

However, social media is not always used for the greater good, as exemplified recently in Myanmar. Until recently, Myanmar was under military rule, where there was tight censorship and limited access to telecommunication technologies. This ensured that the vast majority of citizens in Myanmar remained “in the dark” about what was truly happening in their country. The International cites a publication of the UN Human Development Index with figures regarding ICTs in Myanmar: in 2010, one of every 100 citizens owned a computer, less than 300 owned mobile phones, and only 13% had electricity. It currently ranks as the second to last country in the world for Internet connectivity.

However, with the new leadership of President Thein Sein, this is all beginning to change. The President hopes to implement reforms to allow for more freedom of expression. The government plans to provide mobile access to the majority of the population by 2015. Moreover, last month, Google Chairman Eric Schmidt visited Myanmar to launch the new page www.google.com.mm. However, since that original visit, Schmidt has had pessimistic predictions for the future of the Internet in Myanmar.

He recently posted on his Google+ page the following quote.

As the police state has withdrawn, always present religious tensions have erupted with burning of homes and some murders. With popular support, the government then responded with the Army to restore order. In the same way, we are entering a dangerous period for the Internet in Myanmar. What happens when a religious group falsely claims damages from others.. will the Army be sent in too? The country cannot even agree on a press freedoms law for the newspapers, and freedom of political speech is a one year old concept.

The group that has largely been oppressed and had severe violence inflicted on them recently are the Rohingya people, an Indo-Aryan ethnic group. Many in the country have used social media to organize against this group. The International, writes that “the newfound access to social media has been blamed for the swift increase in violence”. The Myanmar case demonstrates an example of where social media has caused extraordinary violence and oppression.

Of course, there is a flip side to this — the group Anonymous has used Twitter to expose what they call a genocide of the Rohingya people. The hashtag #RohingyaNOW was hit a peak of 24,000 tweets per hour. The Daily Beast posted an article on this, for further reading.

Energy and Cost Effectiveness in the Cloud

When discussing the benefits of cloud computing, we talked about it being cheaper than other options, such as buying external hardwear, etc. However, what we did not delve deeply into was the macro cost effectiveness of cloud computing, often with the added bonus of it being better for the environment. For example, as Google expands its service, it created “Google Apps for Government,” which focuses on providing a secure and efficient cloud server for government agencies to utilize.

Benefits that it advertises include the decreased amounts of infrastructure that needs to be built to house a data center. It also allows less maintence of said centers, which lead to monthly costs such as electricity, air conditioning to maintiain the equiptment, and water for cooling the systems. The elimination of all these costs leads to huge amounts of savings, which makes the cost of “Google Apps for Government” itself negligible in comparison.

Another way that these Google apps minimize environmental and cost impacts is through a decrease in the need for travel. This service offers efficient video and digital interfacing, so that it can decrease the need for travel. This is a huge cast saver, as well as helping the environment as it decreases the harmful greenhouse gasses that are released when flying or driving.

Overall, Google Apps for Government seems to be a useful way in utilizing the cloud to save money, help the environment, and allow the government to address its consituents concerns to release less carbon. Google seems to be leading the field in this focus on adapting the cloud for specific fields, and it is an innovative way to make money and improve efficency at the same time.

Google Crisis Response and Hurricane Sandy

As we all know, social media played a huge role in preparing/educating the public for Hurricane Sandy. After doing a little more research, I found out about a feature on Google called Google Crisis Response. Google Crisis Response makes information regarding natural disasters and humanitarian crises more accessible. For example, the Crisis Response features satellite imagery of the disaster area, outreach, Google Person Finder, and other programs created with the intent of organizing disaster response resources and information. Not only is this feature (Crisis Response) available in the US, but it is also available worldwide in many different languages. I was particularly intrigued and impressed with the Person Finder- a web application used to ‘connect friends and loved ones following a disaster.’  The Crisis Map is used to display the storm paths, shelter locations, and power outages (just to include a few). All of the Crisis Response applications/features seem very beneficial for aiding those affected by a natural disaster. For Hurricane Sandy, I found their Crisis Map for “Superstorm Sandy.” The Crisis Map included a special NYC map and a more main map encompassing a broader area. Gas Stations were an especially important feature on the maps- as the map indicated via legends whether or not gas was available/ inventory was low/ or completely out. It also had legends for shelter and recovery centers (Red Cross, FEMA, etc). The map included many other things as well, please click on this link to check it out yourself!

Crisis Map_Sandy

ICT4D Professional Profile: Daniel Duke Odongo

Daniel Duke Odongo got his start in the ICT4D field when he was an intern for Google between July and September of 2011. He was responsible for many initiatives within Uganda and had several lead roles on some projects. One of these activities was that he built the ground for relevant products to cater to local content and needs. Another project he worked on while with Google was that he engaged Uganda’s prospective users and supported the Google Uganda office in a number of tasks relevant to Google and its mission within Africa. He is a frequent user of twitter, LinkedIn, Google+ as well as several other sites which are moving Uganda towards the future of ICT4D capabilities.

After completing this internship, Odongo started working for Code Sync as a Strategic Partnerships Lead. He started working there in September 2011 and currently still holds this position. His main responsibilities are “identifying areas and priority business level interests that the team could venture and invest in mobile and web application development to satisfy user needs.” As he has been doing this for 8 months or so, he has definitely begun to gain some very valuable knowledge and experience in the field of ICT4D and technology know-how in general. Code Sync is a 5-man team of tech-savvy developers looking to revolutionize the mobile application industry in Uganda. While they may have a long way to go in order to accomplish all their lofty goals, the passion and commitment these 5 men, chiefly led by Odongo, have shown is the first and most important step towards changing the mobile phone world within Uganda.

In addition to this job at Code Sync, Odongo is also currently an intern for Google Africa and has been since January 2012. Before accomplishing all this, however, Odongo studied at Makerere University receiving a degree in Software Engineering. Makerere University is the oldest and one of the most prestigious universities in all of East Africa. Because of this experience, he is currently one of the leaders for something called Google Technology User Group (GTUG) Kampala Chapter. On the group’s website they describe themselves as “Google Technology User Groups (GTUGs) are user groups for people who  are interested in Google’s developer technology; everything from the Android and App Engine platforms, to product APIs like the YouTube API and the Google Calendar API, to initiatives like OpenSocial.” Odongo is the University Relations Lead on this particular project. Odongo brings a wealth of passion and knowledge to this team through his experience working with Google as an intern on two separate occasions. He provides strategy and developer support to a number of project teams.

A Lesson in Marketing for ICTs

Technology platforms are now easier than ever to create. That means fewer obstacles and less concerns regarding acquiring the right technology to implement them. However, developers instead face new challenges, like attracting participants to join an alternative social network, especially when it is competing with top dogs like Facebook and Google+. One of the biggest challenges facing these developers and their emerging platforms is competition with the popularity of the already main stream platforms that are of the same type and the marketing techniques that brand a company and are, hence, essential to wide-spread notoriety that determines overall success. This is a huge hurdle that students (from left to right on the picture below) Raphael Sofaer, Ilya Zhitomirskiy, Dan Grippi, and Max Salzberg from NYU faced when launching their new social network platform called Diaspora.

The four creators of the social network generated the platform as a result of an accumulated frustration from the master of all social networks, Facebook. Fed up with the ads, the lack of privacy, and the overall decentralization of the program, they set out to create their own that would ensure the privacy of its users and the limitation of third party interventions. Raising money for the initiative was easier than the three of them had anticipated. In a NYT article Dan Grippi recounts “We were shocked…For some strange reason, everyone just agreed with this whole privacy thing.” But they experienced an abrupt delay in 2010 when the platform was released and membership was less than impressive. Regardless of how improved and additionally protected the program was or the added efficiency it offered to the user, they didn’t have the brand name, professionals, or face to make membership sore like (Google+) did when it was released only a few months later.

Marketing techniques are playing an increasingly large role in the success of new technologies, especially when it comes to social networks whose purpose revolves around the participation of members and the convenience of program in which groups of members belong to the same one. Simply, you want to be where all your friends are and will therefore join or stick with the one you see advertised most often or attributed to the biggest names in the sector (like the brand Google that already has a huge member base and positive feedback from members, or Mark Zuckerberg, who had an entire movie made after him and was the first to develop any like social network in the field).  People who use networks like Diaspora are thus most likely to stay where there friends are, only enticed to switch when whole networks of their friends and family transfer at the same time, which is routinely uncommon. Thus, the lack in fame, title, and/or brand put Diaspora at a disadvantage from the beginning.

The same NYT article from above tried to tag them as the “Four Nerds” from NYU but this title was neither impressive nor catchy. Had they established some kind of promotion pitch before releasing the network, maybe it would have had more of an initial impact. But for now, and until they can amp up a compelling marketing strategy, the network will have to rely on its development investors and its 100,000 members, according to a business article of The Daily Beast (compared to FB’s 750 million members, just to put the number into perspective) to spread the word one user at a time.

Dodd backtracks, says anti-piracy bill SOPA is ‘dead’ and ‘gone’

As the Internet and other technologies grow and expand, privacy concerns are brought to attention.  In the past year, the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) has been one of the biggest topics of debate in the U.S.  While Hollywood is concerned about their revenues decreasing from online piracy, the majority of Internet users are more concerned about their privacy that could essentially be taken away if SOPA were too pass and be implemented.

Fear no more, because the latest news is that the SOPA act is “dead and gone.”  Chris Dodd, former senator and current chairman of the Motion Picture Association of America, originally suggested that legislation be reworked for another round in Congress, but he has now taken that idea back and regrets to have to say that SOPA is no more.  Although, there has been talk about negotiations on new language for the anti-piracy bill, nothing more has developed.

Privacy concerns have always been an important issue in the U.S.where we base our values off freedom.  This was exemplified greatly on “Internet Blackout Day,” the protest led by Google and other Internet companies.  The online protest majorly contributed to the House and Senate’s decision to pull SOPA from its calendars.  These actions not only show how much we value our privacy on the Internet, but that the Internet can be an effective source even in regards to legislation.  I believe that SOPA is just the start of Internet trials and tribulations, because it is so mainstream and hard to regulate.  While our privacy can be breached easily on the web, we still have much control over what personal information of ours is out there.

http://thehill.com/blogs/hillicon-valley/technology/221201-dodd-appears-to-accept-end-of-sopa

Keen’s “How Our Mobile Phones Became Frankenstein’s Monster”

In Andrew Keen’s CNN article, he discusses how mobilizing, yet immobilizing, mobile phones have become to the human race as both the power of technology and the power of our dependency grows exponentially.

Personally, I believe myself to be a victim of technology, as I am physically unable to leave a room without my iPhone attached to my hand.  I check email, communicate with teachers and peers, contact my family in the northeast, submit homework, use social networking sites, google whatever random topics pop into conversation, and utilize a plethora of other functions of the phone.  This seems great in theory—having communication and information at, literally, the palm of my hand, but how does this affect our human capital?

At the Mobile World Congress, there has been much talk about “personal empowerment” via mobile technology, but Keen believes that this is actually personal disempowerment as we rely more and more on external intelligences.

Primarily, cell phones operate via waves.  This exposes us to radiation that could be causing cancer.  Secondly, our mobile phones act as tracking devices, with bank account information, the ability to “check-in” to locations, and records of emails, conversations, and SMS messages.  For those who thought the information the Internet has about them was scary, imagine what would happen if the records of cell phones records were exploited.  Product’s such as Apple’s Siri are practically indistinguishable from the human brain, as they express facts, emotions, reasoning, and converse accurately in response to how we prompt them to.

Our mobile devices can provide us with audio entertainment, interactive games, videos, and in the case of Google’s Project Glass, they can alter the world around us in a virtual reality.  Keen claims that virtual reality will become so mobile that we will be able to wear it under our skin in the future.  At what point do we merge with technology and become one?  When do we accept that our mobile devices or computers have become extensions of our brains?  How does this affect our brain power?

President Obama presented a “Do Not Track” legislation and the information-collecting practices of major technology companies are being actively investigated.

Keen ends by stating that “All the coercively seductive new products unveiled in Barcelona in the next few days are just phones.  They can’t make us younger, richer, more viral, or more intelligent.  And they certainly don’t empower us.  The real sense of empowerment comes from re-establishing our mastery over our mobile devices.”

http://edition.cnn.com/2012/02/28/opinion/mobile-frankenstein-keen/index.html?hpt=hp_c2

http://edition.cnn.com/TECH/mobile-world-congress/2012/