The song ICT4D is abstract and obstructive

Real demand for ICT should not depend on massive advertisement on the part of telecommunication companies but more from investments in education and capacity building as more people may begin utilising ICTs, and ICT Ministries. And oh yes, may also think about the need for national ICT policies, and strategies, define the roles of the public, and private sectors, and civil societies in regards the revolution ICT is causing. Only then can ICT become nutritious for holistic development in Uganda, South Sudan, and Africa. A phrase has been edited to suit Salam Taki.

The title of the blog article was inspired by an article published in the The Monitor website and authored by one Mr. Aramanzan Madanda. Read his article published on the 16th May 2008 entitled ICT hype is a joke. A phrase in that article was the subject for the fore mentioned edit. The motivation for writing this article comes after reading a counter argument article in the same media by a one student of Msc. Information Technology for Management, Conventry University, a Mr. Ivan Kahangire's article. And there was this urge to weigh claims with a Salam Taki article alleging ICT for development is hocus pocus. Treachery of the highest order ...' published published Monday, March 31, 2008 under a title Rocking the Boat.

Mr. Aramanzan Madanda has read widely and knew his trade. Had the chance to listen to him and will say, was he just being at times in the same lambda with Salam Taki? ICT4D song is really pathetic. Like a wild beast tearing through a forest, here and there left up right down. It is like singing a song one doesn't understand but should love all the same and all the time and yet sings it so loudly. It is ICT. While the soon-to-be permanently head damaged PHD holder was discussing competition among telecommunication companies in Uganda and was irked as to why these corporations were obsessed with identifying with star musicians, he soon fell into singing the auld usually sung loud song dna banjuka tu ict njakunoba i4ict song. It is also broken here that ICT4D was crap.

ICT on their own are merely gadgets, an industry and less worth to bring about solutions and the development being sought. Thus the mantra, a hocus pocus, ICT4D is deemed crap. However, when ICT is systematically integrated with sciences, people, and domains like health, education, medicine, etc, ICTs will be seen to cause much cherished holistic developments and solutions and at that point we should no longer hype ICTs are causing the development but a system causing development. Such should be the light in which ICTs contribute to development.

ICT hype is a joke didn't go well with Ivan and so our Msc. IT for Management fellow was drawn in and he drew the dagger: ICT is a key tool for development. Lets understand it this way: Like dancing to a tune so compelling that one just has to go a dance school just to learn how to dance it best. One books a break off to display what one has learnt so far if anywhere but on the big platform open to a critiquing. Salam Taki don't head that way. We shan't. So lets instead welcome and salute the learning process. Ivan, Kije, ay, horro, ay, agandi, ndimarungi. Welcome bro. Lets critique.

Ivan, ICT4D is a ride. We are yet to come to terms with its nitty gritties. Salam Taki hopes that ICT4D shall eventually become ICT in development. It is like Space conceiving beautiful kittens we may label informatics or e -*, where, "*" could be domains such as commerce, health, banking, citizenship, education, governance, journalism, name it but all components in a development. Oh shall we?

Note
Space is the name of a cat of a blogger, the 24th Comrade . Space recently gave birth to three beautiful kittens. The phrase Space was therefore used figuratively to illustrate the relationship as in the cat giving forth kittens. ICT, for instance (and health) brings about e-health or health Informatics.

Henry Owera is a blogger whose blogging exercises are Information Society, ICT, informatics, mass media, new media, social media, information economy, e-citizenship, e-governance, policies, and strategies. He blogs on Uganda, Southern Sudan and Africa.
Blogging at URL http://www.owerahbits.blogspot.com/
Email: owerah@gmail.com Skype: owerah14

The ICT department in their own world: Why Information systems will fail!

ICT / IT Departments are simply the new players in many institutions in Africa, Uganda, Southern Sudan and world over. This department is being introduced into some institutions with inadequate knowledge as to what ICTs ought to be doing and without knowledge that along came a new management challenge, task and a culture. Many times the expensive and modern ICTs and the internet have only been introduced for reading e-mails, browsing the internet and to replace the donkey old type writer and the other aspects of integrating ICT into management and the management of the new resource is neglected by top management. ICTs are hardly integrated into other every day businesses activities and neither is it manned effectively. Will we ever realise the potential of Informatics in Africa, Uganda, Southern Sudan and in the south?

Has nobody noticed that the juicy ICT / IT department seem to live in their own world in relationship to other organisational departments? I have! I say "I have!" because I am making a very tamed as opposed to a wild allegation. The ICT / IT department hardly complements management. Whereas human resources, financial resources, knowledge resources and logistical resources were being overseen and directly managed by top management, information and ICTs or ITs are proving unique to manage - so we delegate its management to a Generation X guru! A who? "Those people of IT"

Many have noted and I have also observed and agreed that something amiss is happening, reflected in a functional and systems line of thought and have come to some agreement with the self:

These departments haven't been tamed by top management. The entire institution and the ICT / IT department are therefore lead from behind by young computer geeks and professionals who unfortunately are not in top management. When it comes to the IT / ICT department, top management is unfortunately at the mercy of these geeks. The geeks speak a unique tongue that management has no choice but to follow.

Talk of lack of Hybrid Management. Top Management is inadequate when it comes to properly managing the ICT / IT department let alone lead in integrating ICTs to better organisational performance. As a result, the information, ICT / IT department is many a times (mis)managed through delegation, outsourcing, hope and merciful wishes to "computer specialists" - Let those who know IT better manage the department for us - and there begins the unchecked mismanagement of Information Systems, ICT / IT departments and projects. Do we get to know why Information Systems, and projects will fail us in one way or another? Do we? Oh yes! We lack Hybrid management! So who is to blame? (Mis)managers! Who bears the blame? The (mis)managers too! If the ICT / IT department is lucrative, do we have an idea of the cost of having it mismanaged?

Have I presented a grave situation in your institution? Do you want it tamed? Are you in East Africa or Southern Sudan? Will you aspire to become a hybrid manager? No!?
You may contract me also, or else kiss bye bye to your career because you will be retrenched and archived if you don't join the new breed of managers called Hybrid Managers!

So what the fuss a Hybrid Manager?

"A person with strong technical skills and adequate business knowledge or vice versa .... hybrids are people with technical skills able to work in user areas doing a line job, but adept at developing and implementing IT application ideas" - David J. Skyrme

Join the club because you will know the difference between Management Information Systems and Information Systems Management and that you badly need both of them to operate in this age. Manage ICTs. Make ICTs work for you, learn Information Literacy. Reduce on the failure rates of ICT Projects / Information Systems. Understand ICTs. Borrow a Civilisation!

The first victims in the information society

Unique definitions and understandings of what an Information Society is. What is this information society that the WSIS 2006 couldn't even think of defining? Where are the [information] Scientists we have ignored in the information Society and age? I sought some answers from Google about what an Information Society is thus: define:information Society And here are some picks and my comment about those definitions are in bold:

That Information Society is:
A society in which economic and cultural life is critically dependent on information and communications technologies. Popularised in Europe by the 1994 Bangemann report on 'Europe and the global information society'. Similar to the NII and GII concepts but focusing less on technology, more on uses.
www.christlinks.com/glossary2.html

Christlinks.com's definition is an ICT only definition void of the substance called Information! Unfortunately, this is perhaps the driving force behind the ICT4D movements, Telecentre Movements and indeed the force behind the recent WSIS and reckless borrowed civilisations in ICTs.

An information society is one which the creation, distribution and manipulation of information is becoming a significant economic and cultural activity. The knowledge economy is its economic counterpart whereby wealth is created through the economic exploitation of knowledge.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information_society

This definition is ICT Shy of the reality of our age. With Wikipedia, this definition may change! Perhaps Wikipedia shouldn't be relied upon for any definition !

A society in which information becomes the main product or essential to other products, with a recognition that organizations success depends on the ability to exploit information, and most workers depend on information flow to perform their jobs. In practice, information is heavily dependent on computerised processes and the internet.
www.csa.com/hottopics/internet/gloss.php

CSA.COM's definition cometh closest! Although With the high convergence of ICTs in a computer, ICTs are more than Computers only!
However this is my buy for a definition of Information Society

A type of society in which information and information access plays a central role, economically, socially and individually. Governments are making efforts to bring countries into this era.
mobileman.projects.supsi.ch/glossary.html

Another ICT shy definition!

Now what is the Information Society working definition of different motives, countries', and organisations', definitions? Isn't Europe's information society unique from Africa's for instance? Must Uganda's, Southern Sudan's, West and South's definition be one?
Individual infrastructures in terms of GDPs, education, literacy, human demography, industralisation, science and technology, rural vs urban, basics for life and think of the level of their Information Society.
I repeat: Where are the Information Scientists we have ignored in the information Society and age?

An urgent call to have information literate citizens - Part 2

We need a skill to safe guard the citizens of the information society. It is called Information literacy. I too feel Information literacy is urgently needed for that age they call the an Information Age, and the Knowledge Economy! Gullible is also word in English language! I haven't agreed to a scholarly definition of Information Literacy, but let us look at information in the context of our times. There is too much information all around. The more information we get, the less knowledge we seem to derive, the more we get confused, the more we realise our senses and brains are inadequate in sustaining understanding and causing wisdom proportional wisdom! If this post is too lengthy to complete, try Gullible.info and tell us something!

My blogging clarification of Information Literacy is that skill needed in the information age for reason to and how to get, where to receive, how to share, and knowing the motive, context, and possible outcome of consuming that package bundled in what is called in information. I will not give any other definition but will refer you to other attempts towards defining Information Literacy. Definition 1, 2, and a Site, otherwise you may also want to Google the internet for a definition of Information Literacy. Lets continue!

By information I mean that which through a communication we receive, makes us have knowledge (I correct, Not Wisdom yet!). I hate to define information. It is as vague as differentiating it from Information, communications, misinformation, and disinformation!
It is as abstract defining information as it is a defining what is God! You only come miles close but never get to the epicenter! Too many opinions and hard choices to make. Yet we must seek meaning. And thank God I must mistrust every religion! Lord where are you? Help me understand.

Let it be put another way: Everything you read, hear or otherwise lets it be known to you mind, soul, and brain through a communication, education system or as information you consumed are hardly pure! You consumed a mixture of truths, lies and facts and falsehoods, imaginations and fiction, thoughts and adulterated, distorted history! Information, communication, and education, socialisation and interactions have purposes! There is a motive behind every information and communication you receive, send, forward and share! In the information age, you are interacting with a billions squared possibilities.

At borrowed civilisations, allow someone to be one of your knights in the information society and age! Ok? Oh yes! Thank you your worship! Did I hear you say you too! Ah! Otherwise revisit the site always to know what tickles this blogger and and combine synergies with the blogger when ever need arises! Let me remind you of the route again: http:www.owerahbits.blogspot.com You can't get lost! You may ask Google, and other search engines. Ask for Henry Owera or Borrowed Civilisations. Or anything to do with what is happening in the information society especially in Uganda and Southern Sudan.
You have just consumed my motive in that nutshell!

But why the fuss about information literacy now? Because we apparently are living at a time where there is a precious commodity termed information! These have been influenced by factors such as a more aggressive capitalist market, a communication revolution causing more social interactions of cultures, knowledge economy, attempts for control of resource, and virtualisation of realities!

The world has become tinier and we must face the realities of the information society, and the information age. FUDs (i.e Fear Uncertainty and Doubts) mostly in businesses, Propaganda, Big Lies (employed for politics, imperialism and maybe religion) sheer shared imaginations, and fiction are here with us. These can't bring about human development the majority need! Who will clarify information to you?

People in Africa, Uganda and South Sudan and other people with similar realities must survive, become more knowledgeable, participate in the information society like other people but are being bombarded and hindered by an avalanche of information, some worthless, evil, misleading and corrupt information. Information literacy skills are urgently need and these must be entrenched in education systems if the quagmire in Southern Sudan, Uganda, Africa and other worlds are to be wiped out!

An urgent call to have information literate citizens - Part 1

I am perturbed by some erroneous information that could, in this case, effectively cripple Uganda's prestigious institution, Makerere University her challenges withstanding. What is true however is that Makerere University, Uganda and Africa need to adjust itself for the challenges of the Information age: Misinformations, and Disinformations.
We badly need information literate citizens so that we may not be swayed by issues found on the internet - this site not excluded!

Let me tackle this: Makerere University has been ranked # 54 in Africa by WeboMetrics and in the past weeks, Ugandan newspapers have not only rechoed the said ranking, but also screamed and agreed to an untrue position about Makerere University - declining and in relation to other African univerities and world Universities - 54th best in Africa and 6,429th in the world! But what does the rank mean?

Objectives of the Webometrics Ranking (WR)
Webometric indicators are provided to show the commitment of the institutions to Web publication. If the web performance of an institution is below the expected position according to their academic excellence, university authorities should reconsider their web policy, promoting substantial increases in the volume and quality of their electronic publications.

The message is clear: Webometrics measured Makerere Univerity's commitment to web publication. Period. #54!? The lay information illiterate citizen could take it that Makerere University is not top in Africa for higher education. Webometrics robots might not know that Makerere University has two domain names asevidenced at URLs www.mak.ac.ug and www.makerere.ac.ug, that www.fcit.ac.ug, www.iph.ac.ug and www.idi.ac.ug which are different domains but true websites of faculties and institutes at Makerere University. The truth is that the rank #54 measured something different and not Makerere's quality of education.

The Ag. PRO of Makerere University highlighted some issuses though couldn't live upto the age.
Here are other issues and reasons why #54:

1. Makerere University has two domain names: .mak.ac.ug and .makerere.ac.ug. Which one was used to measure the web presence of MUK? Which is domain is official?
   
2. Makerere university is being represented by several unique domain names like: .fcit.ac. ug, idi.ac.ug, dicts.ac.ug, .iph.ac.ug, .... Were these taken into account as being part of Makerere University's web publishing sites?
   
3. Makerere University has no Webstrategy, no domain name policy or the domain name / website managment is poor if not both. Makerere University needs only one domain name.
   
4. Makerere University's academicia are publishing else where and not at the university's website as a matter of policy. We need that policy.
   
5. A bulk of Makerere University's publishing is still on hard copies and for donors! Improve on the e-publishing bit too!
   
6. ...
   

One thing for sure, Makerere Univerity is still shining academically but in need of proper institutional administration and ICT streamlining for a better web presence! Ugandans need not despair that the university is nose diving in its quality of education. It is a fact that Makerere University is undergoing management challenges! Where is MUBS for instance!? Where is Makerere University Business School in relation to Makerere University as an institution in the above arguements!

Diclaimer: Henry Owera is only an alumnai of Makerere Univerity, and not its Public Relations Officer.

Borrowed Civilisations

ICT is the way to go! ICT!? Yes ICT. Information and Communication Technologies or Information Communications Technology aka Information Technology. ICT, the cousin to Informatics, Information Systems, Information Science, Information Engineering, Computer Science, and all the hype around it! However, ICTs are foreign to the bulk that make African cultures. True! Africa must not only adopt, absorb, concot phrases to refer to ICTs and related concepts but also be prepared to embrace and use ICTs in everyday businesses and activities.

Absorbing a foreign technology is like borrowing a leaf from a foreign civilisation! It can not be easy.This is the context I dwell in. The Information Age version of Uganda, Southern Sudan and indeed Africa. I therefore feel the following skills are badly needed in order for Africa to benefit from this borrowed civilisation called ICT: Information Literacy and then Computer /ICT literacy. I conquer with the following definitions from the National Forum on Information Literacy:

"Information Literacy is the ability to know when there is a need for information, to be able to identify, locate, evaluate, and effectively use that information for the issue or problem at hand. "

Information Literacy is primarily my training in Library and Information Science.

"Computer Literacy: The ability to use a computer and its software to accomplish practical tasks."

Computer Literacy is a vital component of my primary training. I use computers to accomplish my information literacy tasks. To me, this is Informatics! Informatics is achieving an Information service task using a computer.

Were I to combine my Informatics with some training in an information domain such as the health domain to accomplish a health service task, then I would be into Health Informatics!

I wish somebody could throw some light on these borrowed civilisations called ICTs, Informatics and Information Sciences!

Confused in the Information Age

Two things can never be the same! Information Science and Informatics can not be the same! The avalanche of information and terminologies in the Information Society, Information Age and related academic university offerings could have created a mist in understanding the development of the age! What is what!?

I, be but one information professional, feel that Information Science and Informatics is one such mist! I sought some answers from a colleague a colleague, fellow collegian and professional and a friend working as the Librarian at the Institute of Infectious Disease. What is the difference between Informatics and Information Science? Can the task of all librarians at a Medical instute be termed Health Informatics?

From the Wiki Answers, I begged for an answer! I paused a question to the WikiAnswer thus: What is the difference between Information Sciences and Informatics!

Please Answer this question by clicking the New Wiki Question generated! Anselm thanks for your in put!