WSISBlogs.org

The Letter to Bankole and Mark

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 10:10 GMT

16 March 2010

The Senate President/The Speaker of the House,
National Assembly,
Three Arms Zone,
Abuja.

Dear Sir,

Nigerian Youths Say Enough is Enough!

We are a coalition of Nigerian youth leaders, and we are drawn from a diverse pool – young professionals, entrepreneurs, artists, activists, celebrities, journalists, students, amongst others – and we are drawn from across the country, regardless of religion, tribe, location or social status.

We are not the usual stereotype energetic, agitated youth: we are respectable, we are responsible, but above all, we are determined to change our country positively. Many of us are going to be the leaders of the key sections of Nigeria’s society, economy and politics in the near future; in fact some of us already are.

And for the first time ever, such a diverse group of youths is marching to the National Assembly, the home of our Constitution. We have come on a peaceful protest rally to the Nigerian Legislature so that today will be marked in history as the day when a new generation of young Nigerians decided that enough is enough.

Too much in our country has gone so terribly bad, and the blame for this lies squarely on the shoulders of politicians, government and ‘leaders’ who have placed power play, narrow interest and self aggrandisement over and above the welfare and development of Nigerians.

Even after the dark years of military rule, a decade of democracy has now convinced us that if care is not taken, new oppressors are always waiting in the wings, eager to replace conquered ones. Our civilian governments have taken us for granted too often over the last 10 years, over-promising and under-delivering.

We have been cursed with a leadership that has sorely lacked integrity, patriotism, passion, good faith and compassion; a leadership that would rather feed their bellies and egos rather than solve problems. They are ruining our future, they are set to hand over to us a destroyed country and a failed state, and we say NO to that. We have had enough. And enough is truly enough.

We have therefore resolved to actively participate in the battle for the soul of Nigeria . This march is only the first step in a series of many geared step towards creating the conditions for a Nigeria that will no longer make breaking news on CNN.

Our demands for now are the 4 critical areas where we require urgent intervention to secure the future:

1. The Jos situation makes it clear that the Nigerian state is incapable of securing the lives and limbs of its citizens. How can we have a government and security agencies and people can just go in the dead of the night and slaughter hundreds of women and children? This is in addition to a litany of unsolved murders and wanton kidnappings. Enough is enough! We demand an urgent overhaul of the security and intelligence apparatus in our country: the heads, the structures and the people that power the structures need to go, and they need to go now.

2. The promise of 6000 megawatts was flagrantly broken and up until now, there has been no roadmap presented to the public on how we intend to keep the promise and #lightupnigeria. We need electricity at the very least from any responsible government and demand that within the month, the government gives a realistic, practical plan to solving this perennial power problem.

3. The invisible presidency of Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and the subsequent disrespect of the constitution show us that the power structure of the country is skewered against the interest of the people and that there is no respect for the constitution. Politicians must realise that the constitution is sacrosanct, over and above any party constitution or the agreements of any unconstitutional forum. We also demand that President Yar’Adua should resume, resign or be removed so that Nigerians know who their leaders are, and the cabal usurping the Presidency can finally be dislodged.

4. We demand electoral reform. The Uwais report has been lying between the executive and the legislature for months now, and now election timetables have been released. How can we be planning for any kind of serious minded election working with the same corrupt system that both President Yar’Adua and the international community has condemned? Whilst the Uwais Report is imperfect, it contains solid resolutions that will change our electoral landscape. We demand that all its recommendations be passed and implemented before the next elections.

Nigerians aged below 35 constitute more than 70 percent of the population and we are putting you on notice that we intend to begin to use this power. This is only the first of many steps we are going to be taking to ensure that our ‘leaders’ take us seriously. We will continue to rally, to organise and to mobilise young people in an unprecedented way from now till the next elections - through voters registration, party primaries, and the general elections. Please note these:

1. We will come out to vote massively this time around, we will be watching closely and we will not leave election centres until all votes our counted.
2. Anyone who rigs elections this time around will have themselves to blame. Young people across the country – from the North to the South – will be coming out in their millions and they will strongly resist any attempt to rig.
3. We will have zero tolerance for electoral violence across the country.
4. Politicians must declare their manifesto and their clear and practical plans to solve major problems in their constituencies. ‘Ghana-must-go’ politics is over. No manifesto and no plan, no votes. We will make sure of that.
5. Young people will be mobilised to vote only those politicians who were not part of corruption, unconstitutionality and stood for integrity and clear development goals since this dispensation started. Any other person who was part of this old system will be shocked by the embarrassment we will churn out to them next year.

We want a country where infrastructure work, where politicians are committed to the common good, where opportunities for its citizens are fair and possible.

We grew up hearing ourselves addressed as the “leaders of tomorrow,” and now we have realised that it is time they rose to take our destinies into our hands, if we want to stand any chance of witnessing that much-touted “tomorrow.”

Enough is enough. Nigerian youths say enough is enough. We have had enough! We are taking our future in our hands – and we will neither falter nor stop. This journey has just begun!

God bless Nigeria .

Yours Faithfully,

EnoughisEnough Coalition
www.enoughisenoughnigeria.com
info@enoughisenoughnigeria.com

Global Internet Freedom and the U.S. Government

Sun, 14 Mar 2010 18:18 GMT

Over the past two weeks I've testified in both the Senate and the House on how the U.S. should advance "Internet freedom." I submitted written testimony for both hearings which can be downloaded in PDF form here and here. Full transcripts will become available eventually but meanwhile you can click here to watch the Senate video and here to watch the House video. In both hearings I advocated a combination of corporate responsibility through the Global Network Initiative backed up by appropriate legislation given that some companies seem reluctant to hold themselves accountable voluntarily; revision of export controls and sanctions; and finally, funding and support for tools, and technologies and activism platforms that will counter-act suppression of online speech.

Lawmakers are moving forward to support research and technical development. February 4th Rep. David Wu [D-OR] and Rep. Frank Wolf [R-VA] introduced the Internet Freedom Act of 2010, which would establish an Internet Freedom Foundation. The bill's core section reads:

(a) ESTABLISHMENT OF THE INTERNET FREEDOM FOUNDATION. - The National Science Foundation shall establish the Internet Freedom Foundation. The Internet Freedom Foundation shall -
(1) award competitive, merit-reviewed grants, cooperative aggreements, or contracts to private industry, universities, and other research and development organizations to develop deployable technologies to defeat Internet suppression and censorship; and
(2) award incentive prizes to private industry, universities, and other research and development organizations to develop deployable technologies to defeat Internet suppression and censorship.
(b) LIMITATION ON AUTHORITY. - Nothing in this Act shall be interpreted to authorize any action by the United States to interfere with foreign national censorship in furtherance of law enforcement aims that are consistent with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

Whoever runs this foundation will have their work cut out for them in sorting out its strategies, goals, and priorities - and dealing with a great deal of thorny politics. The Falun Gong-affiliated Global Internet Freedom Consortium have been arguing that they were unfairly passed over for recent State Department grants which were given to other groups working on different tools that help you get around Internet blocking - "circumvention tools" as the technical community call them. For the past year they've been engaged in an aggressive campaign to lobby congress and the media to ensure they'll get a slice of future funds. (For examples of the fruits of their media lobbying effort see here, here, and here).

But the unfortunate bickering over who deserves government funding more than whom has distracted attention from the larger question of whether circumvention on its own is sufficient to defeat Internet censorship and suppression of online speech. In his recent blog post, Internet Freedom: Beyond Circumvention my friend and former colleague Ethan Zuckerman warns against an over-focus on circumvention: "We can’t circumvent our way around internet censorship." In short, he summarizes his main points:

- Internet circumvention is hard. It’s expensive. It can make it easier for people to send spam and steal identities.
- Circumventing censorship through proxies just gives people access to international content – it doesn’t address domestic censorship, which likely affects the majority of people’s internet behavior.
- Circumventing censorship doesn’t offer a defense against DDoS or other attacks that target a publisher.

While circumvention tools remain worthy of support as part of a basket of strategies, I agree with Ethan that circumvention is never going to be the silver bullet that some people make it out to be, for all the reasons he outlines in his blog post, which deserves to be read in full. As Ethan points out, as I pointed out in my own testimony, and as my research on Chinese blog censorship published last year has demonstrated, circumvention does nothing to help you access content that has been removed from the Internet completely - which is the main way that the Chinese government now censors the Chinese-language Internet. In my testimony I suggested several other tools and activities that require equal amount of focus:

Tools and training to help people evade surveillance, detect spyware, and guard against cyber-attacks.
Mechanisms to preserve and re-distribute censored content in various languages.
Platforms through which citizens around the world can share "opposition research" about what different governments are doing to suppress online speech, and collaborate across borders to defeat censorship, surveillance, and attacks in ad-hoc, flexible ways as new problems arise during times of crisis.

As Ethan puts it:

- We need to shift our thinking from helping users in closed societies access blocked content to helping publishers reach all audiences. In doing so, we may gain those publishers as a valuable new set of allies as well as opening a new class of technical solutions.

- If our goal is to allow people in closed societies to access an online public sphere, or to use online tools to organize protests, we need to bring the administrators of these tools into the dialog. Secretary Clinton suggests that we make free speech part of the American brand identity – let’s find ways to challenge companies to build blocking resistance into their platforms and to consider internet freedom to be a central part of their business mission. We need to address the fact that making their platforms unblockable has a cost for content hosts and that their business models currently don’t reward them for providing service to these users.

Which brings us to the issue of corporate responsibility for free expression and privacy on the Internet. I've been working with the Global Network Initiative for the past several years to develop a voluntary code of conduct centered on a set of basic principles for free expression and privacy based on U.N. documents like the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and other international legal conventions. It is bolstered by a set of implementation guidelines and evaluation and accountability mechanisms, supported by a multi-stakeholder community of human rights groups, investors, and academics all dedicated to helping companies do the right thing and avoid making mistakes that restrict free expression and privacy on the Internet.

So far, however, only Google, Microsoft, and Yahoo have joined. Senator Durbin's March 2nd Senate hearing focused heavily on the question of why other companies have so far failed to join, what it would take to persuade them to join, and if they don't join whether laws should be passed that induce greater public accountability by companies on free expression and privacy. He has written letters to 30 U.S. companies in the information and communications technology (ICT) sector. He expressed great displeasure in the hearing with most of their responses, and further disappointment that no company (other than Google which is already in the GNI) even had the guts to send a representative to testify in the hearing. Durbin announced that he will "introduce legislation that would require Internet companies to take reasonable steps to protect human rights or face civil or criminal liability.” It is my understanding that his bill is still under construction, and it's not clear when he will introduce it (he's been rather preoccupied with healthcare and other domestic issues, after all). Congressman Howard Berman (D-CA), who convened Wednesday's House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing is also reported to be considering his own bill. Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), the ranking Republican at that hearing, made a plug for the Global Online Freedom Act of 2009, a somewhat revised version of a bill that he first introduced in 2006.

I said at the hearing that the GNI probably wouldn't exist if it hadn't been for the threat of Smith's legislation. I was not, however, asked my opinion on GOFA's specific content. Since GOFA's 2006 introduction I have critiqued it a number of times (see for example here, here, and here). As the years have passed - especially in the past year as the GNI got up and running yet most companies have still failed to engage meaningfully with it - I have come to see the important role legislation could play in setting industry-wide standards and requirements, which companies can then tell governments they have no choice but to follow. That said, I continue to have concerns about parts of GOFA's approach. Here is a summary of the current bill written by the Congressional Research Service (I have bolded the parts of concern):

5/6/2009--Introduced.
Global Online Freedom Act of 2009 - Makes it U.S. policy to: (1) promote the freedom to seek, receive, and impart information and ideas through any media; (2) use all appropriate instruments of U.S. influence to support the free flow of information without interference or discrimination; and (3) deter U.S. businesses from cooperating with Internet-restricting countries in effecting online censorship. Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) the President should seek international agreements to protect Internet freedom; and (2) some U.S. businesses, in assisting foreign governments to restrict online access to U.S.-supported websites and government reports and to identify individual Internet users, are working contrary to U.S. foreign policy interests. Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to require assessments of electronic information freedom in each foreign country. Establishes in the Department of State the Office of Global Internet Freedom (OGIF). Directs the Secretary of State to annually designate Internet-restricting countries. Prohibits, subject to waiver, U.S. businesses that provide to the public a commercial Internet search engine, communications services, or hosting services from locating, in such countries, any personally identifiable information used to establish or maintain an Internet services account. Requires U.S. businesses that collect or obtain personally identifiable information through the Internet to notify the OGIF and the Attorney General before responding to a disclosure request from an Internet-restricting country. Authorizes the Attorney General to prohibit a business from complying with the request, except for legitimate foreign law enforcement purposes. Requires U.S. businesses to report to the OGIF certain Internet censorship information involving Internet-restricting countries. Prohibits U.S. businesses that maintain Internet content hosting services from jamming U.S.-supported websites or U.S.-supported content in Internet-restricting countries. Authorizes the President to waive provisions of this Act: (1) to further the purposes of this Act; (2) if a country ceases restrictive activity; or (3) if it is the national interest of the United States.

My biggest concern has to do with the relationship GOFA would create between U.S. companies and the U.S. Attorney General. If the AG is made arbiter of whether content or account information requested by local law enforcement is for "legitimate law enforcement purposes" or not, that means the company has to share the information - which in the case of certain social networking services may include a great deal of non-public information about the user, who his or her friends are, and what they're saying to each other in casual conversation. Letting the U.S. AG review the insides of this person's account would certainly violate that user's privacy. It also puts companies at a competitive disadvantage in markets where users - even those who don't particularly like their own government - would consider an overly close relationship between a U.S. service provider and the U.S. government not to be in their interest. Take this hypothetical situation for example: An Egyptian college student decides to use a social networking site to set up a group protesting the arrest and torture of his brother. The Egyptian government demands the group be shut down and all account information associated with it handed over. In order to comply with GOFA, the company shares this student's account information and all content associated with that protest group with the U.S. Attorney General. What is the oversight to ensure that this information is not retained and shared with other U.S. government agencies interested in going on a fishing expedition to explore friendships among members of different Egyptian opposition groups? Why should we expect that user to be ok with such a possibility?

Another difficult issue to get right - which gets even harder with the advent of cloud computing - is the question of where user data is physically housed. The Center for Democracy and Technology,(PDF), Jonathan Zittrain and others have discussed some of the regulatory difficulties of personally identifiable information and its location. In 2008 Zittrain wrote:

As Internet law rapidly evolves, countries have repeatedly and successfully demanded that information be controlled or monitored, even when that information is hosted outside their borders. Forcing US companies to locate their servers outside IRCs [Internet Restricting Countries] would only make their services less reliable; it would not make them less regulable.
If the goal of GOFA is to discourage US companies from violating human rights, then it will probably be successful. But if the goal of the Act is to make the Internet more free and more safe, and not just push rights violations on foreign companies, then more must be done.

Then there is the problem of Internet Restricting Country designations themselves. I have long argued that it is problematic to divide the world into "internet restricting countries" and countries where we can assume everything is just fine, not to worry, no human rights concerns present. First of all I think that the list itself is going to quickly turn into a political and diplomatic football which will be subject to huge amounts of lobbying and politics, and thus will be very difficult to add new countries to the list. Secondly, regimes can change fast: in between annual revisions of the list you can have a coup or a rigged election whose victors demand companies to hand over dissident account information and censor political information, but companies are off the hook - having "done nothing illegal." Finally, while I am not drawing moral equivalence between Italy and Iran I do believe there is no country on earth, including the United States, where companies are not under pressure by government agencies to do things that arguably violate users' civil rights. Policy that acknowledges this honestly is less likely to hurt U.S. companies in many parts of the world where the last thing they need is for people to be able to provide "documentary proof" that they are extensions of the U.S. government's geopolitical agendas.

Therefore a more effective, ethically consistent and less hypocritical approach to the three problems I've described above would be to codify strict global privacy standards absolutely everywhere U.S. companies operate. Companies should be required by law to notify all users anywhere in the world in a clear, culturally and linguistically understandable way (not by trained lawyers but by normal people), exactly how and where their personally-identifying information is being stored and used and who has access to it under what circumstances. If users are better informed about how their data is being used, they can use better judgment about how or whether to use different commercial services - and seek more secure alternatives when necessary, perhaps even using some of the new tools and platforms run by non-profit activist organizations that Congress is hoping to fund. Congress could further bolster the privacy of global users of U.S. services by adopting something akin to the Council of Europe Privacy Convention.

Regarding censorship: again, as the Internet evolves further with semi-private social networking sites and mobile services we need to make sure that the information companies are required to share with the U.S. government doesn't end up violating user privacy. I am doubtful that government agenices in some of the democracies unlikely to be put on the "internet restricting countries" list can really be trusted not to abuse the systems of censorship and intermediary liability that a growing number of democracies are implementing in the name of legitimate law enforcement purposes. Thus on censorship I also prefer global standards. There is real value in making companies retain internal records of the censorship requests that they receive all around the world in the event of a challenge in U.S. court regarding the lawfulness of a particular act of censorship - a private right of action in U.S. court which GOFA or its equivalent would potentially enable. It's also good to make companies establish clear and uniform procedures for how they handle censorship requests, so that they can prove if challenged in court that they are only responding to requests made in writing through official legal channels, rather than responding to requests that have no basis even in local law, despite claiming vaguely to the public that "we are only following local law." Companies should be required to exercise maximum transparency with users about what is being censored, at whose behest, and according to which law exactly. Congress could, for example, mandate that the Chilling Effects Clearinghouse mechanism or something similar should be utilized globally for all content takedowns.

Twitter Weekly Updates for 2010-03-14

Sat, 13 Mar 2010 21:00 GMT

RT @BankyW: Off to do some motivational speaking/mentoring for the Kano Youth, with British Council. Wish me luck! :: Thanks for doing that! #
Few, committed, young but ready for change! Youth from across Nigeria meet with Tunde Bakare #SaveNigeria http://tweetphoto.com/13581447 #
RT @Motofe: RT: @gbengasesan Youth across Nigeria with Tunde Bakare #SaveNigeria few is not enough :: This is only 1 of many other ‘fews' #
Just leaving Channels TV after Rubbin' Minds and ‘Maga No Need Pay' is playing right now on Channels. http://tweetphoto.com/13588205 #
RT @Sokleva: Watched it and I loved every bit! Let's MARCH there!!! @gbengasesan :: Yes boss!!! If not now, when; if not us, who? 9th & 16th #
JOS! Why? When I was growing up, I read about how apples and Corn Flakes came from you, so I dreamt of settling down there. #enoughisenough #
The Save Nigeria Group protest walk is on Wednesday, March 10 and not Tuesday. Please check http://www.savenigeriagroup.com for more details #
Just read Tolu Ogunlesi's “Young People Power” @ http://is.gd/9WvTK. True, “Enougha Enougha”! 10th @ Aso Rock, 16th @ NASS. #enoughisenough #
RT @donestyc: @gbengasesan amazing article that inspires the reader. God willing, I will be there this time#Enoughisenough :: See you there #
Yinka, an Ajegunle.org graduate (now an intern at PIN), is working the phones for ‘Maga No Need Pay'. 9ja TV/radio, thanks for the airplay! #
Even domestic goats and run-away ostritches react when oppressed. Why do superior beings stay silent in the midst of suffering? #SaveNigeria #
Read this report about legislators' action on cybercrime: http://is.gd/9XMrI. After Wednesday's rally, we'll be discussing cybercrime @ NASS #
Another interesting report on Next (http://is.gd/9XQjR) about Ajegunle. Thanks for mentioning his name, he'll hear from us at Ajegunle.org! #
RT @MrSawyerr: 300 soldiers to welcome the President. None to prevent the slaying of 500 souls in Jos. :: Mr. Jonathan, share the good luck! #
Good news for our Ajegunle.org ladies on International Women's Day. Commonwealth grant approved for their eLearningAfrica2010 participation! #
Every religious leader who preaches prosperity without discussing posterity has not been sent by the God (s)he claims to serve! #Savenigeria #
O God of creation/Direct our noble cause/Guide our ‘leaders' right/HELP OUR YOUTH THE TRUTH TO KNOW… Silence isn't golden! #EnoughIsEnough #
@ugonwosu & I on our way to a meeting with a UK guest, UK Dep High Commissioner, UKTI staff & Ajeromi LGA officers in Ajegunle #Ajegunle.org #
New Health Centre and High Court Complex under construction in Ajegunle. If only Local Gov'ts could do their http://tweetphoto.com/13777725 #
Great! 8 #Ajegunle.org graduates met Nick Baird, UK Deputy High Commissioner and UKTI's Moji and PIN met with LG chairman/VC on partnership. #
Interesting conversation with the founder of GistCaster, another microblogging platform for the Nigerian space. http://gistcaster.com #
The events of the last few months, and days, have shown the need to save ourselves - or we perish! #enoughisenough http://twitpic.com/17kc1x #
Once again, today, Nigerians stage a protest in the capital city of Abuja to demand an end to shameful living. #enoughisenough #SaveNigeria #
If Nigeria fails, your job, investments and other interests become history. Do what you can to #SaveNigeria and declare that #EnoughIsEnough #
The #SaveNigeria rally is gathering numbers at the Unity Fountain in Abuja. A picture: #EnoughIsEnough http://tweetphoto.com/13881830 #
Another picture update from the #SaveNigeria rally. http://tweetphoto.com/13883089 #
The rally leaves the Unity Fountain for the National Assembly. Police lines along the way, the crowd sings a http://tweetphoto.com/13883865 #
There's a police blockade preventing protesters from going towards Aso Rock villa, the seat of the presidency http://tweetphoto.com/13885002 #
Just ran into a friend from High School, Wole Oni. The last time I saw him was in 1994! #SaveNigeria http://tweetphoto.com/13885314 #
Secretary to the Fed. Gov't, Yayale Ahmed, is here to address us. Crowd is shouting ‘ole' (thief) & ‘no more http://tweetphoto.com/13885691 #
Dr. Tunde Bakare presents the #SaveNigeria group's demands to the government representative, Yayale Ahmed. http://tweetphoto.com/13885998 #
Yayale praising the protest as “an expression of democracy in Nigeria” after being greeted by “ole” and “wey http://tweetphoto.com/13886243 #
Yayale leaves without answering the “where is Yaradua” question, earning more shouts of “ole, ole, ole!” (thi http://tweetphoto.com/13886379 #
Students of Obafemi Awolowo University (ever active, and yes I'm a biased alumnus) leaving for Ife after the http://tweetphoto.com/13886651 #
The protest has moved to the National Assembly, asking to see the Speaker of the House of Reps., Dimeji Banko http://tweetphoto.com/13887092 #
It's a wrap, and though NASS denied entry with uniformed men at the gate, quite a number remain here. http://tweetphoto.com/13888535 #
Quite an irony, I can't gain entrance into the House of Assembly venue of the ‘cybercrime committee' meeting. All routes have been blocked! #
The crowd refuses to leave the gate, a policeman tells me he's tired but happy to see 9ja stand up. RIP, Caba http://tweetphoto.com/13889283 #
Protester creates scene, crying. “He used to be my president”. Others console him, “another president will be http://tweetphoto.com/13889543 #
Crowd disperses, police enjoy cold water after guarding the gate in the sun. Irony: water provided by a prote http://tweetphoto.com/13890272 #
Pro-Yaradua rally underway at the gate of the National Assembly. Someone posed for a close-up. http://tweetphoto.com/13893890 #
Crans Montana Forum is now on twitter! Follow @cmontanaforum to get updates on activities and opportunities. For more details: http://cmf.ch #
RT @234next: Abuja/Nigeria - The Federal Executive Council meeting has been canceled to be reconvened when the Acting President deems fit #
As Nigerian youths take the campaign for change to the streets March 16, expect live updates via twitter. http://is.gd/abI8S #enoughisenough #
RT @kabissa: @gbengasesan add to the Kabissa database (thanks @oreoluwa for sharing) :: #enoughisenough is now pending at http://is.gd/acm8n #
Desmond Tutu tells Amanpour on CNN, “we are overwhelmed with the things you show”, while explaining why he wrote the new “Made for Goodness” #
Why do you want me to list all visas issued over a 3-year period? And I have to write it out, one after another Check the passport, sufi! #
RT @segundemuren: #VoteorDie :: If not now, when? If not us, who? On Tue., March 16, we march. After that, we rock the vote! #enoughisenough #
Just read Tolu Ogunlesi's piece, “We will fight for the soul of Nigeria”, on CNN. If not now, when? #enoughisenough. http://bit.ly/c9r1LH #
Even Prof. Iwu(ruwuru) knows how important March 16 is; INEC will release 2011 elections' timetable on the day Nigerian Youth storm Abuja! #
Finally caught ‘Maga No Need Pay' on radio myself; playing right now on Wazobia 95.1 #
“It's time for us to stop BEING the disasters, and to start being part of the solutions”- @BankyW in “Hell is empty…” http://bit.ly/d3L2nK #
On March 16, we hit the streets. After that, we join forces to plot the #2011 take-over. Then we register, vote and protect! #enoughisenough #
Just did a video at the Junior Achievement Nigeria office as part of the organization's 10th anniversary. Exc http://tweetphoto.com/14119088 #
RT @TaiwoOlayinka: Playing Maga No Need Pay inside a Cyber Cafe in Ajegunle. :: Tell them, and let them know how ICT training worked for you #
Thanks to a call from @ugonwosu, I'm watching ‘Maga No Need Pay' on PrimeTime TV on AIT as I send this tweet. Cool! Really cool #
On my way to #Ajegunle for the new and improved @ajegunledotorg Alumni Meeting. New updates, positive peer pressure, elections. C'est bon! #
New excos elected, far-reaching discussions on program efficiency, announcement of competition winners and more. It's a wrap @ajegunledotorg #

House of Representatives hearing today: The Google Predicament and U.S. Cyberspace Policy

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 07:28 GMT

I'm back on Capitol Hill today to testify in the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee. My full written testimony submitted for the record is here. The hearing will be webcast live on the House Foreign Relations Committee website here, and I believe the video will be archived on that page as well.

Yesterday members of the House launched an Internet Freedom Caucus and the Senate will be launching one as well later this month. Later this week I will write up my thoughts about Washington's recent flurry of activity on "Internet Freedom," including various efforts at legislation, funding to fight censorship and surveillance, and voluntary industry codes like the Global Network Initiative (with which I am actively involved). Meanwhile, here are the details of today's hearing:

Full Committee

Howard L. Berman (D-CA), Chairman

The Google Predicament:
Transforming U.S. Cyberspace Policy to Advance Democracy, Security, and Trade

You are respectfully requested to attend the following open hearing of the Full Committee to be held in Room 2172 of the Rayburn House Office Building.

Date Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Time 10:00 AM

Location Room 2172 of the Rayburn House Office Building

witnesses Nicole Wong, Esq.
Vice President and Deputy General Counsel
Google, Inc.

Ms. Rebecca MacKinnon
Visiting Fellow
Center for Information Technology Policy
Princeton University
Cofounder of Global Voices Online

Mr. Robert W. Holleyman, II
President and CEO
Business Software Alliance

Larry M. Wortzel, Ph.D.
Commissioner
U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission

Note Hearing has been rescheduled from an earlier date of February 10, 2010.

Search Committee Site

Twitter Weekly Updates for 2010-03-07

Sat, 06 Mar 2010 20:00 GMT

It's really great to know that ‘Maga No Need Pay' is now listed as a favourite video (”Our staff picks”) on Daily Motion http://is.gd/9orOI #
RT @adechuks: @gbengasesan What is ashoka really all abt? :: It's a global fellowship of leading social entrepreneurs. Visit http://www.ashoka.org #
IBB's “national outlook makes him the right person to lead the country @ this critical point”? Dem don come again! Not in 2011! #SaveNigeria #
RT @savenigeria: Our website is now LIVE! Please visit us at http://is.gd/9rbYJ today! Thanks. (Please re-tweet) #SaveNigeria #
For intuitive job search/career tips, visit http://jobberman.com. Connect with @Jobbermandotcom on twitter and FaceBook (http://is.gd/9rqQz) #
IBB, fiile! Don't even touch it. If they ask you, just say NO. If they don't ask you, just stay at the hilltop. By the way, Dele says hello! #
Any website that has information about voters' registration, etc? INEC website's still in Year 2007, with #2011Elections only 13 months away #
RT @LagosTwestival: Welcome to Twestival 2010 in Lagos, Nigeria http://yrn.me/?tw5d9 @nigeria20 @qubestreet @startupsnigeria @gbengasesan #
RT @Tosyn: #np Maga No Need Pay - @Omawumi @BankyW @MI_Abaga :: @rooftopmcs @wordsmith234 @bezidakula @sokleva @modele_b4h @cobhamsasuquo #
RT @Bankymoore: @gbengasesan kindly forward me d mail. I need a lot of inspiration about d Naija project! :: See http://is.gd/9xuoX #
RT @N4Change: @gbengasesan Would you mind sharing snippets of that message on N4C's platform? Email? :: Please see http://is.gd/9xuoX #
“Time for us to show some action, and show our leaders that enough is enough!” Join the action @ http://is.gd/9xuoX #enoughisenoughnigeria #
FINALLY, Nigerian youths act! Join thousands of others as we march to the National Assembly on March 16. #enoughisenough #whereisyaradua #
We pretended all was well. We watched others talk. We did our own talking. It's time to reclaim Nigeria! Join the ACTion: http://is.gd/9AgZa #
Are you a young Nigerian? Do you want a better Nigeria? Where will you be on March 16, 2010? Join us in Abuja! Sign up at http://is.gd/9AgZa #
RT @RedstratNigeria: Mar 16 is date young Nigerians ‘ll make their voices heard #weneedfuel #lightupnigeria #whereisyaradua #enoughisenough! #
“System-change: Market dynamics, public policy/industry norms, inclusion, business-social congruence and global culture” -Bill Carter/Ashoka #
RT @twestival Awesome to have @LagosTwestival join us this year! :: March 25 is the day. Lagos is the place! Details at http://is.gd/9Gchm #
We either sail or not, no patch-patch! 10th March for EXCOF meeting (http://is.gd/9GI9g) and 16th for NASS (http://is.gd/9GI9h) #SaveNigeria #
At 2100 CAT tonight, #Ashoka will welcome new Fellows selected in 2008 and 2009 (across West Africa) to the family. C'est bon! @ashokatweets #
Ashoka says welcome to the family, it's an exciting opportunity! Now the work continues. http://www.ashoka.or http://tweetphoto.com/13254152 #
Ashoka says “welcome to the family”, what an exciting opportunity! Work continues. http://ashoka.org/gsesan http://tweetphoto.com/13254152 #
Goodbye, hot Ouagadougou, hello Accra. Hated the Air Burkina delay (and tactics) but dinner must be in Lagos tonight, ahead of tomorrow! #
The “Crans Montana Forum of New Leaders for Tomorrow” will be launched this April. Glad to be part of it! Press release: http://is.gd/9Miwg #
Just Launched: Jobberman Community - Have your
say @ http://www.jobberman.com/community #jobs #internships #career #nigeria @jobbermandotcom #
“Times like this require people to stand up for Nigeria so they can go to bed at night to say, ‘I've done my best for my fatherland'” -Abati #
The problem with an acting leader who owes his “opportunity” to a cabal is that he will lack the spine to truly act in the people's interest #
Let's face it, we are now used to things that should embarrass human beings in the 21st century! How much longer? Unfold those hands, abeg! #
RT @davtaiwo:but who's ready to say the truth:: Those days are over! Either we speak the truth or not, we'll expire someday. We choose truth #
Just read “Yar'Adua: Of smoke and mirrors” by Reuben Abati. Excellent summary of what's truly going on in Nigeria. http://is.gd/9O58t #
I consider it a huge honour to receive the ICT Award of Excellence in the National Ass. of Computer Science Students' Hall of Fame. Thanks #

Nigerian Youth March on Abuja!

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 10:54 GMT

#weneedfuel #lightupnigeria #whereisyaradua #enoughisenough!

Fellow Young Nigerians,
Did you know that in Nigeria , young people are in the majority? Did you know that young people below 35 make up more than 70 per cent of the population? That means that we have the power to actually make things happen!
So how come we are doing nothing about the many problems that have hit our nation in the past few months? Is it enough to make noise on Facebook, Twitter, websites, BBMs, blogs and others where no one is listening? How come it is the Wole Soyinkas, the Femi Falanas and the Tunde Bakares that are fighting for us? Why do we allow ourselves to be branded as the do-nothing generation?
We are going to borrow a quote from the youth wing of the Save Nigeria Group: How can we be so talented individually and yet so disillusioned and disdained collectively? We all know the reason – we have been told a lie that we cannot do anything about the status quo because the cabal is too strong.

We have become cynics and complainers rather than change agents. But the time to “siddon look” is over… Will you stand up and counted or will you stay bound to the tyranny of the present? We have made our choice. We want our country back. And we must get it. It is time for our voices t o be heard, and heard loud and long.
Therefore we are organisating a first-of-its-kind rally right there at the seat of power in Abuja . However, this rally is unique because it will be completely powered by young people – young professionals, young celebrities, students, activists etc. We want history to record that this was the point that the young people in Nigeria began to drive fear into the hearts of our leaders and began to make change happen. It is going to be a MASSIVE rally of hundreds of young Nigerians from across the country saying #enoughisenough!

We invite you to sign up to join this rally now if you are angry about Nigeria .

DATE: TUESDAY, 16 MARCH 2010

VENUE: NATIONAL ASSEMBLY, ABUJA

RALLY TIME: 11AM

OUR DEMANDS: 1) End the fuel scarcity now! 2) Solve the electricity problem! 3) We want to see our president and we want all those who have been involved in the grand cover up around him to be investigated, arrested and brought to book!

If you want to be part of this movement, register on www.whereisyaradua.com now. The registration form is there, and further information and updates are there.

To get any further information, send a mail to info@whereisyaradua.com and info@thefuturenigeria.com.

There are cynics who will say it cannot work and nothing will change. They lie! Our history shows that civil disobedience has worked and has forced change. Added to that, after this rally, other activities are planned to keep the government on their toes. However this massive rally to make a statement is the first step.

This is our country; our duty; our future.
Join this movement now!
SIGNED:
Toyosi Akerele (Rise Networks), Audu Maikori (Chocolate City), Chude Jideonwo (The Future Project), Tolu Ogunlesi (NEXT Newspapers) Amara Nwakpa (Light Up Nigeria), Adesubonmi Plumptre, Segun Demuren (EME Music), Al Kassim Abdulkadir, Omena Daniels, Shade Ladipo (Avienti), Bisola Edun (Tae), Alex Yangs (Testify Music), Abimbola Ayorinde, Jibola Ayana Olubiyi, Wale Ewedemi, Cheta Nwanze, Ohimai Amaize (Youth Media Intitiative), Alex Yangs (Testify Music), Adebola Williams (The Future Project), Ijeoma Okeagu (White Rabbit Concepts), Stanley Vito Achonu, Balkiss Adesokan (Green Nigeria), Aziza Uko, Shade Ladipo (Avienti), Michaela Moye, Onomarie Uriri (BrookStone Consult), Ifedigbo Nze Sylva, Emilia Asim-Ita (The Future Project), Gbenga Sesan (Paradigm Initiative Nigeria), amongst others.

Culled from http://www.thefuturenigeria.com/where-is-the-outrage

Live from the Senate on Tuesday: hearing on global Internet freedom

Sun, 28 Feb 2010 23:19 GMT

At 10:00am Eastern Standard Time on Tuesday I will be testifying in my first Senate hearing. Each witness gets five minutes to make an oral statement, followed by Q&A. We were also invited to provide longer written testimony for the record.

Click here to view my written testimony as a web page, or you can download the PDF here.

Here's the formal announcement from the committee website:

“Global Internet Freedom and the Rule of Law, Part II”

Senate Judiciary Committee
Subcommittee on Human Rights and the Law

DATE: March 2, 2010
TIME: 10:00 AM
ROOM: Dirksen-226

OFFICIAL HEARING NOTICE / WITNESS LIST:

February 23, 2010

NOTICE OF SUBCOMMITTEE HEARING

The Senate Committee on the Judiciary, Subcommittee on Human Rights and the Law, will hold a hearing entitled "Global Internet Freedom and the Rule of Law, Part II" on Tuesday, March 2, 2010 at 10:00 a.m. in Room 226 of the Senate Dirksen Office Building.

Chairman Durbin will preside.

By order of the Chairman

Witness List

Hearing before the
Senate Committee on the Judiciary
Subcommittee on Human Rights and the Law

on

"Global Internet Freedom and the Rule of Law, Part II"

Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Dirksen Senate Office Building, Room 226
10:00 a.m.

Panel I
Michael H. Posner
Assistant Secretary for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor
U.S. Department of State
Washington, DC

Daniel J. Weitzner
Associate Administrator for the Office of Policy Analysis and Development
National Telecommunications and Information Administration
U.S. Department of Commerce
Washington, DC

Panel II
Nicole Wong
Vice President and Deputy General Counsel
Google Inc.
Mountain View, CA

Louis Riley
Vice President and Assistant General Counsel
McAfee Inc.
Plano, TX

Rebecca MacKinnon
Visiting Fellow at the Center for Information Technology Policy
Princeton University
Princeton, NJ

Omid Memarian
Iranian Blogger

San Francisco, CA

Twitter Weekly Updates for 2010-02-28

Sat, 27 Feb 2010 20:00 GMT

@Hillsong it is this morning! Tonight, all roads lead to the @BasketMouth_ 100% show at the O2 arena - another proof that Maga No Need Pay! #
@temiladesesan & I are hanging out with @bankymoore, @kayodeafolabi. Discussing Nigeria, politics, Diaspora, etc. We need all hands on deck! #
Technology Times' Outlook 2010 started in Lagos today, and you can follow the live webscast at http://www.ustream.tv/channel/outlook-2010 #
Tomorrow @ #Outlook2010: ePayment, OEM & ICT Interest Groups' forums. On Thursday, it'll be Journalism/New Media, Internet & Web 2.0 forums #
Just read “Universities to get anti cyber crime and terrorism clubs” at http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/News/5530253-147/story.csp #
#ngotools :: NGOConnect Africa provides a social workspace for NGOs and everyone that wants to engage with them. http://ngoconnectafrica.org #
Hello Lagos! Back in time for the #Outlook2010 Web 2.0 Forum at MUSON Centre today. French aviation strike almost upset LHR-LOS flight plans #
The best time to plant a Web 2.0 tree in Nigeria was 5 years ago, but the next best time is now. Or lock in on a tree with desired fruit. #
Web 2.0 dots are connecting in Nigeria: actors, mainstream media, support opportunities, etc. BarCamp 2010 holds May 22… plan to be there! #
RT @pystar: @gbengasesan I definately would be there. How can one be a sponsor? :: Please contact Shittu @possicon or possicon[at]yahoo.com #
Attention #VentureCapitalists: There's a lot of activity that should catch your attention in Nigeria. The best time to show interest is now! #
RT @naijawebgeek: Social Media Nigeria conference continues 2day, expecting @gbengasesan #smcnigeria Yinka Olaito on.. :: Web 2.0/Cybercrime #
Glad to know that @rotexonline, a changemaker with an impressive track record, is now Executive Director of Digital Peers International! #
Read a mail today that may signal the beginning of mainstream change action by Nigeria's Generation Y. On point! Enough is enough, really! #
RT @Inonesaint: @gbengasesan … D nigerian waters need God in active form! :: God's active form is you and I, the 70% who've been quiet! #
Just got off the phone with an #Ajegunle.org graduate with keen interest in providing ushers/usherettes for events. Chei, I love what we do! #
The ability to stay still and just breathe in the midst of pressures (news, work, learning drive, demands, responsibilities, etc) is golden! #
Almost at the airport for one of those trips I can't wait to see it's end. 3 connections, all within West Africa We need a good regional! #
OBJ is on this flight to Accra. The politician that he is, he walked down the aisle bowing to everyone, as if to say: I'm sorry about Yardie #

Twitter Weekly Updates for 2010-02-21

Sat, 20 Feb 2010 20:00 GMT

To others across the world who see today as another opportunity to reaffirm their love to those who matter most to them, happy #Valentine's #
Watching Valentine's Day with Temi. Not sure I've seen a cinema room this packed. It'd better be worth losing our usual back row seat #
Ajegunle.org has anounced a call for new applications. Help spread the word so we can have more role models like Esther http://yrn.me/?lr9h0 #
Now that Lagos radio/TV stations have Maga No Need Pay CDs/VCDs, please call in and request for the song/video. Update on other cities soon. #
We will commend the Nigerian telecommunications' industry regulator, NCC, for using twitter after @NgComCommission posts much-needed tweets. #
The world is listening. First, it was the ‘Paris Loves Maga No Need Pay' video. This Wednesday, we discuss MISSPIN on Radio Australia Today! #
2010 brings lots of collaboration and competition to the Nigerian Web 2.0 space. Lovely! Check http://naijapulse.com vs http://kukurooku.com #
New online gaming experience with a difference, Evoke is a crash course in changing the world! See http://urgentevoke.com. More details soon #
To gain momentum, identify future prospects, we engage in focused discussions on Nigeria's Web 2.0 space at Outlook 2010. http://is.gd/8vyiz #
Discussing the #MISSPIN campaign with Phil Kafcaloudes on Radio Australia Today right now. http://is.gd/8BG75. Just played Maga No Need Pay! #
He asked his mentor, “What's your eMail address sir?” “omosetan_omoyose@mosafejo.com,” he replied. “Can you please spell ‘underscore' sir?” #
Speaking at the Engineers Without Borders Research Conference at the Royal Academy of Engineering today. @temiladesesan speaking too. #EWBUK #
Listening to some students discuss their research into the use of mud bricks and wondering again about research-practice disconnects. #EWBUK #
Everyone on my panel is talking about research in various African countries. Very welcome, but African actors need to take the driver's seat #
London loves ‘Maga No Need Pay'. Just showed the audience the VCD and will hand out few copies. BTW, buzz if you saw the video on Silverbird #
#lightupnigeria today! See advocacy video: http://bit.ly/ds3jL3. Spread the word. No be like dis e suppose be! Abeg RT #
Work hard. Make your life count. Let your sphere of influence feel your impact. But also, make sure you take breaks to reconnect with life. #

Google Buzzkill

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 07:04 GMT

The launch of Google Buzz, the new social networking service tied to GMail, was a fiasco to say the least. Its default settings exposed people's e-mail contacts in frightening ways with serious privacy and human rights implications. Evgeny Morozov, who specializes in analyzing how authoritarian regimes use the Internet, put it bluntly last Friday in a blog post: "If I were working for the Iranian or the Chinese government, I would immediately dispatch my Internet geek squads to check on Google Buzz accounts for political activists and see if they have any connections that were previously unknown to the government."

According to the BBC, the Buzz development team bypassed Google's standard trial and testing procedures in order to launch the product quickly. Apparently, the company only tested it internally with Google employees and failed to test the product with a more diverse range of users who are more likely to have brought up the issues which were so glaringly obvious after launch. Google has apologized and moved to correct the most eggregious privacy flaws, though problems - including security issues - continue to be raised. PC World has a good overview of Buzz's evolution since launch.

Meanwhile, damage has been done not only to Google's reputation but also to an unknown number of users who found themselves and their contacts exposed in ways they did not choose or want. Exposing vulnerable users without their knowledge or choice even for a few hours can potentially have irreversible consequences. While Google is scoring some points around the tech policy world for reacting quickly and earnestly to the strident user outcry, the Electronic Information Privacy Center (EPIC) has filed an official complaint with the FTC, and that Canada's Privacy Commissioner has expressed disappointment and asked Google to explain itself.

Earlier this week I asked people in my Twitter network how they're feeling about Buzz after the fixes they've made. Some are now reassured but others aren't. For example, Joseph Lorenzo Hall wrote:

@rmack totally lost me for good.. I just can't believe that they won't do it again. It will have to be very useful/different to get me back

Some are leaving GMail altogether. Judson Dunn reported:

@rmack my boyfriend deleted his long time gmail account for good :(

I was so concerned about exposing people in my GMail network during the first week after launch that I stayed off Buzz entirely until Monday afternoon. By then I felt that the worst privacy problems had been fixed, and I understood well enough how to tweak the settings that I could at least go in without doing harm to others. After playing with it a bit and poking around I posted some initial observations and invited the people in my network to respond. There are still plenty of issues - some people who claimed in Twitter that they had turned off Buzz are still there, and I think Buzz should make it easier for people to use pseudonyms or nicknames not tied to their email address if they prefer. From Beijing, Jeremy Goldkorn of the influential media blog Danwei responded: "I like the way Buzz works now, and it seems to me that the privacy concerns have been addressed."

I've noticed that some Chinese Buzz users have been using it to post and discuss material that has been censored by Chinese blog-hosting platforms and social networking sites. If Buzz becomes useful as a way to preserve and spread censored information around quickly, it seems to me that's a plus as long as people aren't being exposed in ways they don't want. My friend Isaac Mao wrote:

It's more important to Chinese to make information flowing rather than privacy concern this moment. With more hibernating animals in cave, we can't tell too much on the risks about identity, but more on how to wake up them.

Buzz has unleashed some potentials on sharing which just follows my Sharism theory, people actually have much more stuff to share before they realize them.

But I agree with any conerns on privacy, including the risks that authority may trace publishers in China. It's very much possible to be targeted once they were notified how profound the new tool is.

The "Great Firewall" is already at work on Buzz, at least in Beijing. While most people seem to be able to access Buzz through GMain on Chinese Internet connections, numerous people report from Beijing that at least some Google profiles - including mine and Isaac's - are blocked, though people in Shanghai and Guangzhou say they're not blocked. Others in China report having trouble posting comments to Buzz, though it's unclear whether this is a technical issue with Buzz or a Chinese network blocking issue, or some strange combination of the two.

It will be interesting to see how things evolve, and whether activists in various countries find Buzz to be a useful alternative to Facebook and other platforms - or not. Whatever happens, I do think that Google fully deserves the negative press it has gotten and continues to get for the thoughtless way in which Buzz was rolled out. There are senior people at Google whose job it is to focus on free expression issues, and others who work full time on privacy issues. Either the Buzz development team completely failed to consult with these people or were allowed to ignore them. I am inclined to believe the former instead of the latter, based on my interactions with the company through the Global Network Initiative and Google's support for Global Voices. Call me biased or sympathetic if you want, but I don't think that the company made a conscious decision to ignore the risks it was creating for human rights activists or people with abusive spouses - or anybody else with privacy concerns. However, if we do give Google the benefit of the doubt, then the only logical conclusion is that in this case, something about the company's management and internal communications was so broken that the company was unable to prevent a new product from unintentionally doing evil. Nick Summers at Newsweek thinks the problem is broader:

Google is so convinced of the righteousness of its mission statement that it launches products heedlessly. Take Google Books—the company was so in thrall with its plan to make all hardbound knowledge searchable that it did not anticipate a $125 million legal challenge from publishers. With Google Wave, engineers got high on their own talk that they had invented a means of communication superior to e-mail—until Wave launched and users laughed at its baffling un-usability. Last week, with Buzz, Google seemed so bewitched by the possibilities of a Google-y take on social networking that it went live without thinking through the privacy implications.

Whatever the case may be in terms of Google's internal thinking or intentions, we have a right to be concerned. Too many of us depend on Google for too many things. They have a responsibility to netizens around the world to develop more effective mechanisms to ensure that the concerns, interests, and rights of the world's netizens are adequately incorporated into the development process.

I'd very much like to hear your ideas for how netizens' concerns around the world - particularly from at-risk and marginalized communities who have the most to lose when Google gets things wrong - might be channeled to Google's development teams and product managers. Rather than wait for Google to figure this out, are there mechanisms that we as netizens might be able to build? Are there things we can proactively do to help companies like Google avoid doing evil? Can we help them to avoid hurting us - and also help them to maximize the amount of good they can do?

Events on Google, China and Internet freedom - two videos

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 12:11 GMT

After Hillary Clinton's Internet Freedom speech on January 21st, I participated in a follow-up panel discussion. While the panel video does not appear to have been posted on the State Dept. website, somebody has pointed out that it was posted here on CNet. I'm embedding it below (please be patient, it may load slowly):

While I'm at it, here is the video of a panel discussion held at the New America Foundation the day before:

BPN 1420 eBook becomes political item

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 14:27 GMT

At last, the issue of Value Added Tax on eBooks is taken serious. Throughout Europe there is a difference between the VAT on printed books and eBooks. The printed books have the low tariff and buyers pay the high tariff for eBooks. Recently in Spain the discussion was started up; now Dutch EU parliamentarians Sophie in 't Veld and Marietje Schaake request the EC to take action, as is clear from

BPN 1419 Eat your heart out, Roger Fidler

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 05:17 GMT

The presentation of the Apple iPAD is a milestone for the newspaper publishers, regardless of the actual gadget. For it is years ago – to be exact from 1991 – that the newspaper company Knight Ridder sponsored a new media lab to develop the newspaper of the future. Head of the New Media Lab was Roger Fidler. One of the outcomes of the lab activities was the Electronic Tablet. The Electronic

BPN 1418 Holy tweet, wireles communication with heaven

Sun, 24 Jan 2010 08:24 GMT

A smile came to my face, when I read the news item that the Roman Catholic pope Benedict XVI had been admonishing priests to start using internet, start writing blogs and start twittering. So far this pope has not really stimulated the nouveautees, but he seems to be serious now. As I studied theology/philosophy at Notre Dame Seminary in New Orleans (La.) years ago from 1966 till 1970, I have of

BPN 1417 Grilling an old hand

Thu, 14 Jan 2010 08:15 GMT

This afternoon Ms Neelie Kroes, the EU commissioner designate for the Digital Agenda, will be grilled by the European Parliament, said the headline. This sounded alarming, but does she have to fear anything? First of all it is not het first grilling session. When she was appointed to be the EU Commissioner for Competition, she was grilled for the first time. Critical questions were fired at her

BPN 1416 Colour screen and video on ereader

Fri, 08 Jan 2010 08:02 GMT

It is coming, the colour screen and video on an ereader. So far ereader have black/white screens and are slow in internet representation. The Eindhoven based company Liquavista, a Philips Research spin-off, is now showing a colour screen and video at CES in Las Vegas thanks to the technology of electrowetting. Electrowetting looks like the e-Ink technology. They both work without backlightning

BPN 1415 Content, community and commerce

Thu, 07 Jan 2010 05:26 GMT

It is CES-time. The Consumer Electronics Show has opened in Las Vegas. So it is time for the announcements. Google tried to steal the thunder with its smart phone from Apple, which is rumoured to announce the iSlate, a multimedia tablet, functioning as movie screen, iPOD and as ereader. And the ereaders will be obvious in the stream of press releases. Amazon came with a press release for the

typetext

Thu, 31 Dec 2009 17:01 GMT

We wish you a prosperous and healthy New Year

BPN 1414 Offical stats on 2009 Dutch ereader and ebook sales

Wed, 30 Dec 2009 07:33 GMT

In The Netherlands the year 2009 will be recorded in the annals as the year that electronic book finally made it in the consumer market. The figures are now official: - 12.000 ereaders sold; - 60.000 ebooks sold; - 5 ebooks per ereader. Of course those figures can hardly compete with the US figures in general and the Amazon figures in particular. Amazon sells 150.000 units on a normal day. In

BPN 1413 The unwrap party of my Bebook Mini

Thu, 24 Dec 2009 10:55 GMT

This week it was the last week to order an ereader for the company. I had a perfect working iLiad of the first series, but during one of my presentations on ebooks and ereaders, I handed it around and received it back broken. The screen was gone. I had had such a failure before and had to pay a hefty 250 euro (I had paid 650 euro for it to buy) to get the screen repaired. To pay another 250 euro

BPN 1412 Ereaders will drop under 150 euro

Fri, 18 Dec 2009 01:00 GMT

The year is almost over and looking back I am impressed by the inroads made by ereaders and electronic books. Of course Kindle had made impressive inroads already, but only in the US. And now the fight for market share has begun. Barnes & Noble launched the Nook. In neighbouring Canada a new entrant Kobo is starting up dotted with 16 million US by amongst others Borders. But in Europe, Amazon.com

BPN 1411 KPN misses the broad picture by focussing on FTTC

Thu, 17 Dec 2009 01:00 GMT

Yesterday, The Dutch incumbent telco KPN published its mid term strategy on broadband in The Netherlands. The strategy is neither fish, meat nor good red herring and is most concerned with returns in the mid term. The Australian telecom consultancy Budde Comm criticised the strategy, saying KPN’s focus on FttC misses the broader picture. The Netherlands remains one of the few countries in

BPN 1410 Internet kills off Teletext UK

Wed, 16 Dec 2009 07:29 GMT

Today is the last day for Teletext UK. From now on the Brits will have check the arrival and departure times for planes on their computer or IPTV screens. Only special services like subtitling and the results of horse race betting will be available on analogue screens and can not be moved interactively. This will be the real end to teletext on UK television. Teletext had already been given up by

BPN 1409 The Future of Futurism

Tue, 15 Dec 2009 14:29 GMT

Illustrations: Images of Balla, Doble and Lorenzi This morning I placed the announcement on the Future of Futurism, a paper presented at the “Generative Art 2009” Conference held at the Polytechnical School of Milano from 15 to 17 December, 2009. This afternoon I received the abstract of the paper, written by Rick Doble, an American photographer, Marcella Giulia Lorenzi, an Italo-Canadian

Non-commercial announcement

Tue, 15 Dec 2009 05:11 GMT

An American Photographer (Rick Doble), an Italo-Canadian Artist-Researcher (Marcella Giulia Lorenzi) and an Italian Scientist (Mauro Francaviglia) come together in a project at the crossroad of Art & Science, in the framework of the European “Culture Program” Project SCIENAR. At exactly 100 years after its birth in Milano, 1909, Futurism is revisited in an exhibition and an installation based

BPN 1408 EU27: Internet access and use in 2009

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 05:26 GMT

In the EU27, 65 pct. of households1 had access to the internet during the first quarter of 2009, compared with 60 pct. during the first quarter of 2008, and 56 pct. had a broadband internet connection in 2009, compared with 49 pct. in 2008. These data published by Eurostat, the Statistical Office of the European Communities, represent only a small part of the results of a survey on Information

BPN 1407 Nine years on: WorldOnline and its banks did mislead investors

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 01:00 GMT

Last weekend I was in Paris for a meeting. I don't think it is fun to be in Paris. People there get too many tourists to be nice and earn their money with unfriendliness. But during that weekend a long awaited ruling was published by the Dutch High Court on a cause celebre: WorldOnline (WOL).The Dutch ISP WorldOnline (WOL) and the two banks ABN AMRO and Goldman Sachs have misled the investors,

BPN 1406 Europrix 09 winners (7)

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 01:00 GMT

Category: Digital Video & AnimationsCategory winner: deconstruct – a stereoscopic experimentProduced by: Tina BraunCountry: GermanyThis digital video animation investigates the throbbing pulse of New York throughout the course of a day. Using stereoscopy as a tool to build the landscape into a 3 Dimensional representation, “Deconstruct” highlights the frantic nature of the city in a novel format,

BPN 1405 Europrix 09 winners (6)

Sun, 29 Nov 2009 01:00 GMT

Category Interactive Installationsakustisch – sound producing multitouch gesturesProduced by: Balz RittmeyerCountry: Switzerland‘akustisch’ is a new approach to producing, controlling and manipulating digital sound. Designed to allow digital performers maximum gestural expression, akustisch’s multitouch surface eliminates the need for traditional electronic music ‘controllers’ such as knobs and

BPN 1404 Eurorpix 09 winners (5)

Fri, 27 Nov 2009 01:00 GMT

Catgorie: Content Tools & Interactive DesigncmsboxProduced by: Adrian Lienhard Andrea Brühlmann Christoph Wysseier Christian Lauener Felix Hofmann Genc Rashiti Jan Beco Nik Lutz Simon Raess Stefan ReichhartCountry: SwitzerlandTaking web authoring to a new level, cmsbox combines the latest web technology with an elegant yet simple interface concept. Unlike existing products, cmsbox enables users

BPN 1402 Europrix 09 winners (4)

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 01:00 GMT

Categorie: Interactive Computer GraphicsClavilux 2000Produced by: Jonas HeuerCountry: GermanyThe Clavilux 2000 is an audiovisual instrument enabling reactive visualization of piano music in realtime. Via a connected computer vvvv patch, music played on the full 88-key digital piano with midi output is translated into a 2 or 3D permanent visual representation on a vertical projection above the

BPN 1401 Europrix 09 winners (3)

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 01:00 GMT

Category: GamesMonospaceProduced by: Daniel LutzCountry: SwitzerlandCreated for the iPhone or iPod Touch, Monospace is a puzzle game requiring players to think in 2 and 3D dimensions. Its goal lies in maneuvering a blue box within a cube, in order to eliminate surrounding white boxes. But it’s not as simple as all that: not only are there rules governing how and when the boxes can be shifted,

BPN 1400 Europrix 09 winners (2)

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 08:28 GMT

Category: Mobile ApplicationsMobileDocProduced by: Gerald Madlmayr Andreas JaklCountry: AustriaLife is becoming mobile in more than one way in emerging market countries; not only do more and more citizens own mobile phones – people are now on the move like never before. And this leads to busy roads, where traffic safety is low, and accidents a regular occurrence. Mobile Doctor has been designed

BPN 1399 Europrix 09 winners (1)

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 01:00 GMT

Category: Online/Web projectsThe Cordless Show ‘Online Music Show’Produced by: Dominic Dadson, Matthew Dadson, Aylwin Steele, Joe NewmanCountry: United KingdomUp-and-coming musicians need no longer struggle to get recognized, thanks to this internet-based video music show. The Cordless Show creates a platform for unsigned British singers, MCs, bands and musicians of all genres to showcase their

BPN 1398 Europrix 2009 winners

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 00:38 GMT

(c) Sjoerd Wanrooij, 2009The Utrecht development team of the Nintendo game Swords & Soldiers has been awarded the award in the category games, but also the allover award of the Europrix 2009. Besides this Dutch entry the project Donkeypedia project received the award in the category Online/Web projects. The awards were handed out on the Gala night of the Europrix 2009 in Graz (Austria). More than

clouds and concrete

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 15:06 GMT

clouds and concrete, originally uploaded by andycarvin.

BPN 1397 Dutch government: new approach to copyright on internet

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 01:00 GMT

The Dutch government is seeking a new approach to copyright on internet. Two main measures are forthcoming: abolishing a surcharge on physical media and a ban on downloading content from an illegal source. Other measures are a better supervision of collecting societies and an improvement in the position of authors and artists. The measures are a reaction to the recommendations of parliamentary

That Photo Sure Makes Your Email Scam More Believable

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 13:15 GMT

That Pic Sure Makes Your Email Scam More Believable, originally uploaded by andycarvin.

I just got this email in my in box. It's obvious scam mail, of course, but I love how they've added a stock photo of global office workers to make it more convincing that a "British finance security company" needs my assistance in processing $35.5 million.

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 08:27 GMT

providing quality name brand sports gear such as Patagonia fleece jackets, The North Face apparel and Under Armour clothing.

The Vasa

Tue, 22 Sep 2009 10:50 GMT

Video I shot today of the Swedish royal ship Vasa, which sunk off Stockholm during its maiden voyage in 1628. It was salvaged in 1961 and was processed for years using water and preservative chemicals until it was given a new home at Stockholm's Vasa Museum. It's the best preserved 17th century ships in the world, and one of my all-time favorite museums.

Did The Twitter Fail Whale Inspire This Children's Book?

Mon, 14 Sep 2009 07:18 GMT

Was this children's book inspired by the Twitter fail whale?, originally uploaded by andycarvin.

I was at a bookstore in Pittsburgh a few days ago and saw a book called Billy Twitters And His Blue Whale Problem in the children's section. Given that Twitter shows a picture of a whale being lifted up by birds - The Fail Whale - whenever it crashes, I wonder if this book was inspired by that art. The book was published in June 2009, well after the Fail Whale was well established as an Internet meme. Anyone got the scoop on this one? Alas, I was too busy chasing Kayleigh up and down the aisles to get her to sit down and read it with me. :-)

Madonna Flips Off CNN.com Readers

Sat, 18 Jul 2009 07:31 GMT

Why Did CNN Use This Pic of Madonna Giving the Bird?, originally uploaded by andycarvin.

I wonder what CNN.com was going for when they selected this photo of Madonna to accompany their story about someone getting killed in a concert stage construction accident. -andy

Our Dear Sweet Winnie, 1999-2009

Sat, 13 Jun 2009 13:43 GMT

Our Dear Sweet Winnie, 1999-2009, originally uploaded by andycarvin.

This morning, we had to put Winston, our dear sweet orange tabby, to sleep.

Not long after we adopted him at the age of two, they told us he had an enlarged heart and would probably never make it to five years old. That was eight years ago.

We came very close to losing Winnie a year ago and knew we were on borrowed time, so the last year has truly been a blessing. That doesn't make it any easier, though; when we woke up this morning we thought it was going to be just another day. But at it turned out, it wasn't.

This picture was taken about three weeks ago. It was the very last picture we took of him at home. It really captures how sweet and loving a kitty he was. We'll always remember him like this.

Right now we are simply devastated, but know we've been blessed to have him a part of our family for the last eight years. He was, and will forever remain, a member of our family. He was one of our boys.

Goodbye Winnie; we love you.

Dizzy and Winnie, Best Buddies

Sat, 16 May 2009 15:52 GMT

Dizzy and Winnie, Best Buddies, originally uploaded by andycarvin.

It took us eight years to get a really good dual portrait of the cats, but we finally got it.

Shriner on a Segway

Sat, 07 Mar 2009 15:12 GMT

Shriner on a Segway, originally uploaded by andycarvin.

The Shriners were in full force at the 2009 Alexandria St. Patrick's Day Parade today. Some of them were in little cars, but I wasn't expecting to see any of them to be riding a Segway. If the Dead Kennedys ever get back together, they'll have to use this one for an album cover. :-)

And yeah, I know it's not St. Patrick's Day yet. I think they do the parade the first Saturday in March. -andy

DiploFoundation is opening applications for the IGCBP 2009

Fri, 23 Jan 2009 04:31 GMT

Like each year, Diplofoundation is looking for new interesting and interested people to take part in their Capacity Building Program for Internet Governance. You can find more details in this link . Keep in mind that the deadline is : 11 February 2009...

Gigapan Photo of the Inauguration

Thu, 22 Jan 2009 14:16 GMT

I was hoping to take a Gigapan panorama photo of the Inauguration but unfortunately my credentials weren't good enough to set up a tripod. Fortunately, photographer David Bergman had the right credentials, and took this extraordinary photo:

The entire photo is nearly 1.5 gigapixels in size. Be sure to zoom in closer and closer to experience the full effect. Learn more about how David took it on his blog or check out the full screen version on the Gigapan website.

Congratulations on getting the photo, David. I'd really hoped to do it myself so I'm glad at least one other Gigapanner got to do it. -andy

Comparing the Scale of Gaza & Israel to DC, Baltimore and New York

Sat, 03 Jan 2009 14:41 GMT

As Israel's ground troops enter Gaza after more than a week of bombardment, it's worth spending a moment getting a sense of the geographic scale of the region, particular for those of us in the US who aren't used to the scale of smaller countries.

First, here's a map of Gaza and Israel. Gaza is in the bottom left corner of the map, surrounded by the small red border, and Jerusalem is near the top right. The larger red border on the right side represents the demarcation between Israel and the West Bank. The image was taken in Google Earth at an altitude of 125.19 kilometers.

Next, let's look at the DC-Baltimore area at the same scale. DC is near the center of the map, while Baltimore is near the top right of the picture.

Last, we've got the greater New York City area, also taken at the exact same scale of the Gaza and DC maps. Manhattan is in the center left, while the western end of Long Island dominates the rest of the image.

NPR Science Desk Flavor Tripping Party

Fri, 05 Dec 2008 10:50 GMT

Watch the Video

Yesterday, the NPR Science Desk hosted a "flavor-tripping party," in which you suck on a West African berry known as miraclefruit and see how it affects your tastebuds. For example, lemons tasted like the sweetest lemonade you've ever tasted, while horseradish was extraordinarily sweet. Watch and see how we react to different foods.

Formats available: mp4, mobile

NPR Holiday Road Race 2008