EASLIS+FCIT=$*!~!

EASLIS is an acronynm for the East African School of Library and Information Science, while FCIT is Faculty of Computing and Information Technology. Why shouldn't these faculties merge! Here is a slightly edited and blog version of my contribution to an online listserv discussion of "Information Professionals" in Uganda on the future of EASLIS at Makerere University.

A merger with FCIT would suffocate and eventually kill EASLIS. There is too much hype about everything ICTs as evidenced by FCIT'$ ambitiou$ li$t of cour$e$. Please no merger whatsoever between EASLIS and FCIT!

FCIT is for technology, e-data and with a gluttonous appetite for a hands-on-technologies! FCIT's prodcuts are yet to realise full potential in everyday Ugandan businesses! Let them wait and merge with Faculty for Engineering and Technology' particularily the Electrical / Electronic unit. We shall find them there. The hype surrounding the majority of FCIT courses should be allowed to rest here! I have also noted that FCIT graduates hate to handle information, are inadequate in professional information handling and communications and hate documents.

Many FCIT courses ideal to EASLIS professional can be found as international cerifications from Microsoft, Novel / Linux, Macromedia suite, Oracle, CompatiA+ and even CISCO. These are readily available and can be studied in other institutions anywhere not necesarrily at FCIT but even on self pace study! FCIT becomes a poor choice for a merger with EASLIS. EASLIS can do without.

My buy is a School of Information Science and Communication Studies, Makerere University.
Information Science covers up for the information technology shy Library Science. Here, therefore are the premises for which I support a merger with Mass Communication department! An EASLIS graduate will pretend to do what a Mass Communication graduate does and while a Mass Communication graduate assumes to perfom the tasks of an EASLIS professional! We are cousin disciplines to an extent. A merger is ideal.We are processing, producing and communicating products using information technologies primarily for human consumption. I dare add, we would be the ideal synergy of professionals in guiding the nation in the the Information age and the communication revolution. We would complete the Information Literacy training together!

Having studied BLIS at EASLIS (2000-2003), got confused in the midst of the Information era and blundered by studying CCNA at the then Institute of Computer Studies, toyed with the idea of a Msc. Information Systems at FCIT, I finally came to agree that surely Msc. Information Science is better that anything in FCIT for among reasons, its long term strategic skills and its similarities to Mass Communication, Public Relations, and journalism or technical wrting as EASLIS puts it.

EASLIS (/ Mass Communication merger) can however collaborate with FCIT in the areas of Informatics, systems analysis and designs so as to give a meaningful application of Information Technologies for development.

Mayflies! Here is an opportunity for you!

The sun may be great but of recent, the same sun that sets in the West, chose to set at noon. I must give note: These are trying moments for a citizen of the age in Uganda. Two notable gallant sons of Uganda have died and were buried in a space of a week! RIP Hon. Eng. Dr. Okullo Epak. RIP PS Brigadier General Noble Rwaboni Mayombo.

But then there was the Labour day! May the first. I must make quality gains for my services. I chose to observe the last Labour day by setting some terms!

• Do things myself!? Always and should! Yes! Because I can and can learn!
• Available for Non Profit jobs? Yes! Every thing to do with NGOs, Programmes, Projects, Information, Communication, Information Technology, PR, knowledge Management and of recent M&E. Ask for my CV.
  
• Private Professional Consultancy? Yes! Here are some terms:

What - Information and Communication, PR, Systems, and research.
When - Then, Now, whenever and forever.
Where - Uganda, Southern Sudan, and East African region for 2007-2008
Yes!? Okay! Email me!

• Jobs without pay! Maybe! I am a professional! Pay me for my professional services.
  
• Voluntary position? I will always weigh!
  
• Job without Terms of Services nor defined Terms of Reference! Never! Did You hear me scream!? No!? Ok! NEVEEEEERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR ... Did you hear me! Oh Thank you! I fell shouldn't retard my professional development ever!
  
• Period

PICTURE Africa! Ugandan Bloggers and the Danish Factor

PICTURE Africa
PICTURE Africa is an acronym for Poverty and Information and Communication Technology in Urban and Rural East Africa. PICTURE Africa is a three year study in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and Rwanda. It is being funded by the IDRC. On Monday the 23rd April 2007, I met Kathleen Diga, from the International Development Research Centre IDRC. Katheen is the person behind the blog Picture Africa. Discussions were centred on issues regarding a communication strategy for the PICTURE Africa Project. We, later attended a joint meeting of teams from PICTURE Africa Project and Research ICT Africa (RIA) before finalising with PICTURE Africa Country team members. True! A Communication strategy has to be developed and implemented! Some pictorials at her post.

Ugandan bloggers
On Sunday, I had the chance to meet some faces behind the Ugandan blogsphere and the Danish students doing a documentary on Ugandan bloggers. Thanks to Dennis Matanda of the Call for the African Recolonisation fame.
Dennis was the idea behind the romantic atmosphere at Joglo, paid all the swine meat bills and accompanyment! A big thank you Dennis! Bloggers! Hips don't lie! Ugandan bloggers, FDC and UPC bloggers inclusive - I don't see the NRM bloggers!, love their bottle, love to flirt, have fun, chat, smoke and locate the g' spot! A blogger is about to fix or marry another in Uganda! A Ugandan tribe is being developed! Ugandan bloggers shall be a force to reckon with!

I left early. I had to! I had to babies sit! And now I say bye bye to the Danes. Come back again! The documentary! Thank you Ugandan bloggers who were there: S.A.G.E , Country boyi, I have left Copenhagen for Uganda! Feed me, love me, never leave me Carlo All sweetening hats who came Rumbling and Rubbish, you should also meet this Robert Mugabe's Zimbabwean Dennis Matanda!

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!