Archivo de diciembre 2006
Scholarpedia, the free peer reviewed encyclopedia written by scholars from all around the world.
Scholarpedia feels and looks like Wikipedia - the free encyclopedia that anyone can edit. Indeed, both are powered by the same program - MediaWiki. Both allow visitors to review and modify articles simply by clicking on the edit this article link.
However, Scholarpedia differs from Wikipedia in some very important ways:
* Each article is written by an expert (invited or elected by the public).
* Each article is anonymously peer reviewed to ensure accurate and reliable information.
* Each article has a curator - typically its author -- who is responsible for its content.
* Any modification of the article needs to be approved by the curator before it appears in the final, approved version.
Herein also lies the greatest differences between Scholarpedia and traditional print media: while the initial authorship and review processes are similar to a print journal, articles in Scholarpedia are not frozen and outdated, but dynamic, subject to an ongoing process of improvement moderated by their curators. This allows Scholarpedia to be up-to-date, yet maintain the highest quality of content.
Scholarpedia feels and looks like Wikipedia - the free encyclopedia that anyone can edit. Indeed, both are powered by the same program - MediaWiki. Both allow visitors to review and modify articles simply by clicking on the edit this article link.
However, Scholarpedia differs from Wikipedia in some very important ways:
* Each article is written by an expert (invited or elected by the public).
* Each article is anonymously peer reviewed to ensure accurate and reliable information.
* Each article has a curator - typically its author -- who is responsible for its content.
* Any modification of the article needs to be approved by the curator before it appears in the final, approved version.
Herein also lies the greatest differences between Scholarpedia and traditional print media: while the initial authorship and review processes are similar to a print journal, articles in Scholarpedia are not frozen and outdated, but dynamic, subject to an ongoing process of improvement moderated by their curators. This allows Scholarpedia to be up-to-date, yet maintain the highest quality of content.
30/12/06: 2006: Year in Review
Cultura Libre is a small group, but highly effective organization. We have made huge strides in 2006. The Community Network pilot project in Lima (Peru) is near completion and will provide rural families with access to telecommunications services in their communities for the first time. The CD Libre (Compilation CD of content licensed under Creative Commons Peru) project is ready and will be released in January. We have made significant inroads at The Open Business Project, our first incubated business in Peru. We are incubating The Peruvian Pirate Party. All this on a very limited budget.
In 2006 we win the Software Freedom Day 2006 competition in the category: Best plan for FOSS deployment project on new server for community benefit. The Community Network project has been awarded by Motorola del Peru and Telefonica del Peru. The products developed by The Open Business Project have been awarded by Coca Cola del Peru and INDECOPI (The National Institute for the Defense of Competition and the Protection of Intellectual Property).
In 2006 we win the Software Freedom Day 2006 competition in the category: Best plan for FOSS deployment project on new server for community benefit. The Community Network project has been awarded by Motorola del Peru and Telefonica del Peru. The products developed by The Open Business Project have been awarded by Coca Cola del Peru and INDECOPI (The National Institute for the Defense of Competition and the Protection of Intellectual Property).
Any initiative that uses ICT as a tool for attaining development goals, for example, improving health care or education – falls under the umbrella term of ‘ICT for development (ICT4D)’.
In November 25 Tech Laureates were honoured at the Tech Museum Awards in Silicon Valley, for using technology to benefit humanity in innovative ways. But not all ICT4D projects are so successful. In fact, since the late 1980s, the sector has been characterised more by project failure than success. Over time a body of knowledge and culture of information dissemination has developed, enabling those in the sector to improve the likelihood of project success by avoiding mistakes, and building on the pioneering work of others. Many case studies have been conducted on ICT4D projects to identify best practices and lessons learned. Drawing on the case study series by Bridges.org, a few of the common best ICT4D practices are described here.
In November 25 Tech Laureates were honoured at the Tech Museum Awards in Silicon Valley, for using technology to benefit humanity in innovative ways. But not all ICT4D projects are so successful. In fact, since the late 1980s, the sector has been characterised more by project failure than success. Over time a body of knowledge and culture of information dissemination has developed, enabling those in the sector to improve the likelihood of project success by avoiding mistakes, and building on the pioneering work of others. Many case studies have been conducted on ICT4D projects to identify best practices and lessons learned. Drawing on the case study series by Bridges.org, a few of the common best ICT4D practices are described here.
Individuals and organisations from Latin America and the Caribbean may apply for grants to develop innovative media projects as part of a $5 million competition launched by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.
The Knight Brothers 21st Century News Challenge will fund projects which use new methods to help citizens expand connections in their communities. Applications are available on line at http://www.knightfdn.org/ until 31 December 2006. Individuals, organisations and businesses are invited to apply.
"This initiative is a great opportunity for journalists and non-journalists throughout the Americas who want to create new forms of communication to serve their communities, taking advantage of new technology," said Rosental Calmon Alves, director of the Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas at the University of Texas at Austin.
The Knight Foundation may spend as much as $25 million in the next five years in its search for innovative news experiments. "The use of Internet and other digital technologies throughout the hemisphere has grown extremely quickly, and there is a lot of creativity in the Americas to create new projects," Alves said. "For the many people who have a good idea, this could be the chance to get funding to start the project."
The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation promotes journalism excellence worldwide and invests in the vitality of U.S. communities where the Knight brothers owned newspapers. The Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas was created in August 2002 thanks to a donation from the Knight Foundation.
For more information, please visit http://www.knightfdn.org/
The Knight Brothers 21st Century News Challenge will fund projects which use new methods to help citizens expand connections in their communities. Applications are available on line at http://www.knightfdn.org/ until 31 December 2006. Individuals, organisations and businesses are invited to apply.
"This initiative is a great opportunity for journalists and non-journalists throughout the Americas who want to create new forms of communication to serve their communities, taking advantage of new technology," said Rosental Calmon Alves, director of the Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas at the University of Texas at Austin.
The Knight Foundation may spend as much as $25 million in the next five years in its search for innovative news experiments. "The use of Internet and other digital technologies throughout the hemisphere has grown extremely quickly, and there is a lot of creativity in the Americas to create new projects," Alves said. "For the many people who have a good idea, this could be the chance to get funding to start the project."
The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation promotes journalism excellence worldwide and invests in the vitality of U.S. communities where the Knight brothers owned newspapers. The Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas was created in August 2002 thanks to a donation from the Knight Foundation.
For more information, please visit http://www.knightfdn.org/
The Stockholm Challenge GKP Awards 2007 is a new prize, launched by Global Knowledge Partnership (GKP) and the Stockholm Challenge. It is designed as an integral part of the Stockholm Challenge 2008 and will open in four of the ordinary six ICT4D categories: Culture, Economic Development, Education and Public Administration. The Stockholm Challenge GKP Awards 2007 opens on 1 January 2007 and will be accessible both from the Stockholm Challenge web site and from the GKP Portal.
The new award will focus on the role of Multi-Stakeholder Partnerships in ICT for development and all Stockholm Challenge 2008 applicants in the respective categories will be eligible for the Stockholm Challenge GKP Awards 2007. Applicants will be required to fill in an additional section of the application form with questions related to their set-up as a Multi-Stakeholder Partnership. The Awards will close for entries on 31 August 2007, while applications remain in the Stockholm Challenge which closes on 31 December 2007.
The twelve selected finalists, three in each category, will be sponsored to attend the 3rd Global Knowledge Conference, An Event On The Future, in Kuala Lumpur from 11-13 December 2007 in order to exhibit their projects, to network and to be celebrated as finalists and possibly winners during the Stockholm Challenge GKP Awards 2007 Ceremony. The winners will also be sponsored to participate in the Stockholm Challenge Week and the Stockholm Challenge Award Night in May 2008.
The new award will focus on the role of Multi-Stakeholder Partnerships in ICT for development and all Stockholm Challenge 2008 applicants in the respective categories will be eligible for the Stockholm Challenge GKP Awards 2007. Applicants will be required to fill in an additional section of the application form with questions related to their set-up as a Multi-Stakeholder Partnership. The Awards will close for entries on 31 August 2007, while applications remain in the Stockholm Challenge which closes on 31 December 2007.
The twelve selected finalists, three in each category, will be sponsored to attend the 3rd Global Knowledge Conference, An Event On The Future, in Kuala Lumpur from 11-13 December 2007 in order to exhibit their projects, to network and to be celebrated as finalists and possibly winners during the Stockholm Challenge GKP Awards 2007 Ceremony. The winners will also be sponsored to participate in the Stockholm Challenge Week and the Stockholm Challenge Award Night in May 2008.
This is a compilation of 14 case studies on the successful deployment of free and open source software (FOSS) in select projects from Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe and Latin America. In each case study, the reason for choosing to use FOSS together with the development, implementation and impact of the FOSS applications are discussed. The benefits obtained and challenges encountered, as well as any valuable lessons learned are also highlighted.
The United States government bears great responsibility for keeping our environment clean and Americans healthy and safe. And while science is rarely the only factor in public policy decisions, this input should be objective and impartial.
In recent years, however, scientists who work for and advise the federal government have seen their work manipulated, suppressed, distorted, while agencies have systematically limited public and policy maker access to critical scientific information. To document this abuse, the Union of Concerned Scientists has created the A to Z Guide to Political Interference in Science.
In recent years, however, scientists who work for and advise the federal government have seen their work manipulated, suppressed, distorted, while agencies have systematically limited public and policy maker access to critical scientific information. To document this abuse, the Union of Concerned Scientists has created the A to Z Guide to Political Interference in Science.
17/12/06: We Are Smarter Than Me
The central premise of We Are Smarter Than Me is that large groups of people ("We") can, and should, take responsibility for traditional business functions that are currently performed by companies, industries and experts ("Me").
Be an author of the first networked book on business. Together we will write the book on how the emergence of community and social networks will change the future rules of business. Collaborate with authors from MIT, Wharton, and thousands of professionals from around the world. See your name in print when the book is published next fall by Pearson Publishing.
Be an author of the first networked book on business. Together we will write the book on how the emergence of community and social networks will change the future rules of business. Collaborate with authors from MIT, Wharton, and thousands of professionals from around the world. See your name in print when the book is published next fall by Pearson Publishing.
16/12/06: We-Think: the power of mass creativity
Google is paying close on £900m for Youtube, a profitless business little more than a year old. Wikipedia continues to draw more traffic than much more established media brands, employing hundreds more people. Open source programmes such as Linux insistently chip away at corporate providers of proprietary software. Immersive multi user computer games, such as Second Life, which depend on high levels of user participation and creativity are booming. Craigslist a self help approach to searching for jobs and other useful stuff is eating into the ad revenues of newspapers. Youth magazines such as Smash Hits have been overwhelmed by the rise of social networking sites such as MySpace and Bebo. What is going on?
We-Think: the power of mass creativity is about what the rise of the likes of Wikipedia and Youtube, Linux and Craigslist means for the way we organise ourselves, not just in digital businesses but in schools and hospitals, cities and mainstream corporations. My argument is that these new forms of mass, creative collaboration announce the arrival of a society in which participation will be the key organising idea rather than consumption and work. People want to be players not just spectators, part of the action, not on the sidelines.
We-Think: the power of mass creativity is about what the rise of the likes of Wikipedia and Youtube, Linux and Craigslist means for the way we organise ourselves, not just in digital businesses but in schools and hospitals, cities and mainstream corporations. My argument is that these new forms of mass, creative collaboration announce the arrival of a society in which participation will be the key organising idea rather than consumption and work. People want to be players not just spectators, part of the action, not on the sidelines.
10/12/06: VoIP or the Voice Infrastructure Freedom: Building communication alternatives in Developing Regions
IT +46 announces the release of a new guide to support the spread of low-cost communications in the poorest parts of the world. This free guide to Voice over IP, available in four major languages, is an effort to disseminate the use of telephony over the Internet in developing regions.
The 40-page guide targets both technical and non-technical readers. The first part presents the essentials of telephony over the Internet. For those interested in the more technical details, hands-on guidelines and configuration files are included in the second part. The examples provide essential background to build your own low-cost telephony system.
The last part demonstrates three realistic scenarios of how Voice over IP can be deployed in rural communities in developing regions. The scenarios cover how to build a local telephony system and how to connect it to other voice networks. Through these scenarios, you will learn how your own local VoIP network, built with inexpensive equipment, can link to the traditional telephony network and other voice networks anywhere on the Internet.
The booklet "VoIP-4D Primer, Building Voice Infrastructure in developing regions" is written by IT +46, a Swedish consultancy company focusing on innovative usage of IT technology in the developing world.
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IT+46 anuncia la entrega de una nueva guía que pretende fomentar el uso de las comunicaciones de bajo coste en las zonas más pobres del planeta. La guía de Voz sobre IP es de difusión gratuita y está disponible en cuatro idiomas. Este trabajo es un esfuerzo por diseminar el uso de la telefonía a través de la Internet en regiones en desarrollo.
La guía de 40 páginas está destinada tanto a lectores con conocimientos técnicos como a aquellos que tengan curiosidad por entender los principios de funcionamiento de la voz IP. La primera parte introduce las elementos fundamentales que hacen posible una comunicación de voz por Internet. La segunda parte esta dirigida a aquellos que quieran tener más detalles incluidos algunos consejos prácticos y ficheros básicos de configuración. En esta sección incluimos una descripción de los conocimientos necesarios para poner en marcha tu propio sistema de telefonía de bajo coste.
La última parte de la obra ilustra tres escenarios reales de cómo se puede usar la voz IP en comunidades rurales y como conectar tu sistema de telefonía de bajo coste a la red de telefonía tradicional y a la Internet.
El libro “VoIP para el desarrollo, una guía para crear infraestructura de voz en regiones en desarrollo” es una obra de IT+46, una consultora sueca que trabaja en el uso innovador de las nuevas tecnologías de la información en países en desarrollo.
The 40-page guide targets both technical and non-technical readers. The first part presents the essentials of telephony over the Internet. For those interested in the more technical details, hands-on guidelines and configuration files are included in the second part. The examples provide essential background to build your own low-cost telephony system.
The last part demonstrates three realistic scenarios of how Voice over IP can be deployed in rural communities in developing regions. The scenarios cover how to build a local telephony system and how to connect it to other voice networks. Through these scenarios, you will learn how your own local VoIP network, built with inexpensive equipment, can link to the traditional telephony network and other voice networks anywhere on the Internet.
The booklet "VoIP-4D Primer, Building Voice Infrastructure in developing regions" is written by IT +46, a Swedish consultancy company focusing on innovative usage of IT technology in the developing world.
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IT+46 anuncia la entrega de una nueva guía que pretende fomentar el uso de las comunicaciones de bajo coste en las zonas más pobres del planeta. La guía de Voz sobre IP es de difusión gratuita y está disponible en cuatro idiomas. Este trabajo es un esfuerzo por diseminar el uso de la telefonía a través de la Internet en regiones en desarrollo.
La guía de 40 páginas está destinada tanto a lectores con conocimientos técnicos como a aquellos que tengan curiosidad por entender los principios de funcionamiento de la voz IP. La primera parte introduce las elementos fundamentales que hacen posible una comunicación de voz por Internet. La segunda parte esta dirigida a aquellos que quieran tener más detalles incluidos algunos consejos prácticos y ficheros básicos de configuración. En esta sección incluimos una descripción de los conocimientos necesarios para poner en marcha tu propio sistema de telefonía de bajo coste.
La última parte de la obra ilustra tres escenarios reales de cómo se puede usar la voz IP en comunidades rurales y como conectar tu sistema de telefonía de bajo coste a la red de telefonía tradicional y a la Internet.
El libro “VoIP para el desarrollo, una guía para crear infraestructura de voz en regiones en desarrollo” es una obra de IT+46, una consultora sueca que trabaja en el uso innovador de las nuevas tecnologías de la información en países en desarrollo.
08/12/06: Free Culture Argentina: Manifesto V 1.0
MANIFIESTO POR LA LIBRECULTURA: "parte del movimiento por la liberación de la cultura en todas sus formas". V 1.0
manifestamos que:
'Compartir la cultura' es algo vital, constructivo y muy positivo tanto para los autores como para la sociedad toda. En 'librecultura' creemos que es necesario separar tajantemente la engañosa confusión entre la 'cultura' y sus 'industrias culturales'. Creemos que la 'cultura' que nos constituye en comunidad es el reservorio de nuestra identidad común, la fuente de nuestra creatividad y el espacio de innovación y producción de conocimiento.
Afirmamos que la 'cultura' es infinitamente más valiosa, profunda y diversa que la 'industria cultural' que produce 'bienes de consumo' y enormes ganancias concentradas en unas pocas corporaciones comerciales. Buscamos la libre circulación de bienes y obras intelectuales. Queremos proteger la posibilidad de que cualquier persona pueda expresarse, ser artista, desarrollar su arte y emprender sin necesidad de tener contactos con algunos 'dueños' de las industrias culturales.
Reconocemos que la creatividad vive en los 'autores' y se desarrolla a través de redes sociales distribuidas. Queremos construir una sociedad donde se dé a estos 'creadores' el merecido crédito, la necesaria valoración y la justa retribución por su producción. Sabemos que para lograrlo es necesario preservar los modelos distribuidos, las arquitecturas abiertas, trasnsparentes y de pares con que Internet y otras redes sociales se han desarrollado a nivel mundial.
En la actualidad existen nuevas amenazas tecnológico-legales que clausuran la cultura y restringen las formas de libre expresión intelectual. En 'librecultura' creemos necesario desarrollar un marco análitico que pueda identificar y alertarnos de estas nuevas amenazas. Al igual que ocurrió en otros momentos históricos, las luchas vuelven a enfocarse sobre la 'liberación' o la 'apropiación' de bienes y medios de producción de valor.
A lo largo de la historia muchos de estos bienes y medios han sido llamados genéricamente como 'bienes comunes'. Sin embargo, a diferencia del cercamiento sobre las 'tierras comunes', los bienes amenazados esta vez no tienen sólo una calidad material. Hoy la tensión política se da sobre la 'liberación / apropiación' de 'bienes intelectuales comunes' que pertenecen de forma incluyente a los seres humanos por su condición de tal.
manifestamos que:
'Compartir la cultura' es algo vital, constructivo y muy positivo tanto para los autores como para la sociedad toda. En 'librecultura' creemos que es necesario separar tajantemente la engañosa confusión entre la 'cultura' y sus 'industrias culturales'. Creemos que la 'cultura' que nos constituye en comunidad es el reservorio de nuestra identidad común, la fuente de nuestra creatividad y el espacio de innovación y producción de conocimiento.
Afirmamos que la 'cultura' es infinitamente más valiosa, profunda y diversa que la 'industria cultural' que produce 'bienes de consumo' y enormes ganancias concentradas en unas pocas corporaciones comerciales. Buscamos la libre circulación de bienes y obras intelectuales. Queremos proteger la posibilidad de que cualquier persona pueda expresarse, ser artista, desarrollar su arte y emprender sin necesidad de tener contactos con algunos 'dueños' de las industrias culturales.
Reconocemos que la creatividad vive en los 'autores' y se desarrolla a través de redes sociales distribuidas. Queremos construir una sociedad donde se dé a estos 'creadores' el merecido crédito, la necesaria valoración y la justa retribución por su producción. Sabemos que para lograrlo es necesario preservar los modelos distribuidos, las arquitecturas abiertas, trasnsparentes y de pares con que Internet y otras redes sociales se han desarrollado a nivel mundial.
En la actualidad existen nuevas amenazas tecnológico-legales que clausuran la cultura y restringen las formas de libre expresión intelectual. En 'librecultura' creemos necesario desarrollar un marco análitico que pueda identificar y alertarnos de estas nuevas amenazas. Al igual que ocurrió en otros momentos históricos, las luchas vuelven a enfocarse sobre la 'liberación' o la 'apropiación' de bienes y medios de producción de valor.
A lo largo de la historia muchos de estos bienes y medios han sido llamados genéricamente como 'bienes comunes'. Sin embargo, a diferencia del cercamiento sobre las 'tierras comunes', los bienes amenazados esta vez no tienen sólo una calidad material. Hoy la tensión política se da sobre la 'liberación / apropiación' de 'bienes intelectuales comunes' que pertenecen de forma incluyente a los seres humanos por su condición de tal.
01/12/06: "Aplicaciones Sociales de las TICs"
FreeCulture.org tiene el agrado de invitarlos a participar en el conversatorio sobre "Aplicaciones Sociales de las TICs".
El evento se realizara este Viernes 1 de Diciembre de 5pm-8pm en la Sala B102 de la Facultad de Ciencias e Ingenieria en el Campus PUCP.
Programa
5:00 - 5:30 Presentacion del Informe Acceso Universal en Latinoamerica
5:30 - 6:30 Conversatorio sobre Aplicaciones Sociales de las TICs
6:30 - 7:30 Presentacion de Microsoft Educacion
7:30 - 8:00 Conclusiones
El equipo de FreeCulture.org celebra de antemano su participación en este evento.
INGRESO LIBRE
El evento se realizara este Viernes 1 de Diciembre de 5pm-8pm en la Sala B102 de la Facultad de Ciencias e Ingenieria en el Campus PUCP.
Programa
5:00 - 5:30 Presentacion del Informe Acceso Universal en Latinoamerica
5:30 - 6:30 Conversatorio sobre Aplicaciones Sociales de las TICs
6:30 - 7:30 Presentacion de Microsoft Educacion
7:30 - 8:00 Conclusiones
El equipo de FreeCulture.org celebra de antemano su participación en este evento.
INGRESO LIBRE
