From andycarvin at yahoo.com Mon Jun 18 09:12:44 2007 From: andycarvin at yahoo.com (Andy Carvin) Date: Mon, 18 Jun 2007 06:12:44 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [DDN] testing the list Message-ID: <179931.27707.qm@web43146.mail.sp1.yahoo.com> Hi everyone, The list has been unusually quiet for more than a week. Hopefully it's due to people being on summer holidays, but I just wanted to post a message to be sure it wasn't a technical problem. There's no need to reply to this message, though feel free to start up a conversation. :-) andy ------------------------ Andy Carvin andycarvin at yahoo com www.andycarvin.com www.pbs.org/learningnow ------------------------ From andycarvin at yahoo.com Thu Jun 28 15:49:48 2007 From: andycarvin at yahoo.com (Andy Carvin) Date: Thu, 28 Jun 2007 12:49:48 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [DDN] another list test - please don't reply Message-ID: <776073.4301.qm@web43141.mail.sp1.yahoo.com> Hi everyone, It appears that TakingITGlobal may have fixed the list. No, we haven't been quiet due to a summer holiday; the list server crashed. Assuming I get this email back in a timely manner, I'll start dealing with the other messages in the queue. Sorry for the molasses. andy ps - please don't reply to this post. thanks... ------------------------ Andy Carvin andycarvin at yahoo com www.andycarvin.com www.pbs.org/learningnow ------------------------ From asif at studynook.com Tue Jun 26 11:09:16 2007 From: asif at studynook.com (asif at studynook.com) Date: Tue, 26 Jun 2007 11:09:16 -0400 Subject: [DDN] INFRASTRUCTURE BARRIERS In-Reply-To: <00d601c79d9e$c0d44980$427cdc80$@org> References: <00d601c79d9e$c0d44980$427cdc80$@org> Message-ID: <02b501c7b803$f8b199f0$0301a8c0@PAM> I am interested to know that when supplies are found for African Countries and infrastructure such as roads are barriers, how have they resolved the problem. What is the solution to getting the materials to the people in rural Africa? How does this take place successfully? Who do they get the help from? Certainly not their own Governments. Please let me know since I need to get items into Burundi. Thank You. Asif http://www.trainerspod.com/CMS http://www.trainerspod.com/community http://www.trainerspod.com/info Please consider the environment before printing this message. DISCLAIMER: This email is intended solely for the addressee. It may contain private and confidential information. If you are not the intended addressee, please take no action based on it nor show a copy to anyone. In this case, please reply to this email to highlight the error. Opinions and information in this email that do not relate to the official business of the company of this e-mail account shall be understood as neither given nor endorsed by the company. We have taken steps to ensure that this email and any attachments are virus-free, but we do advise that the recipient should check that the email and its attachments are actually virus free. This is in keeping with good computing practice. From bruce at newnetworks.com Thu Jun 7 00:16:25 2007 From: bruce at newnetworks.com (Bruce Kushnick) Date: Thu, 07 Jun 2007 04:16:25 -0000 Subject: [DDN] Teletruth to Massachusetts: Where's the 330, 000 fiber optic lines or the $5 billion? Message-ID: Teletruth News Alert--- June 7th, 2007 Testimony in Front of the Massachusetts Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities And Energy. Where's the 330,000 Fiber Optic Lines or the $4-$5 Billion? To read the entire testimony: http://www.newnetworks.com/matestimony.htm To read our original MA fiber optic complaint. http://newnetworks.com/Masscomplaintsummary.html America is 15th in the world in broadband based on two reputable international organizations, the ITU and OCED. And the reason for America?s abysmal showing is that Verizon failed to deploy the fiber optic services it had promised the state and the FCC and state failed to hold then accountable. We request that the state immediately start an investigation into the failure of Verizon to build a fiber optic network in Massachusetts with the majority of the communities completed by 2010, even though company collected over $1 billion by 1999 ? about $4 -$5 billion by 2007. It cost the state more than $110 billion over the last decade in new business opportunity and economic growth and almost $2 billion in higher cable rates because competition failed to materialize. Without the audits we suggest, it is impossible to know how much money the state?s residential and business customers have paid for fiber optic services they never received. Cable Franchise? If our analysis is accurate, then the state should first get what was already paid for deployed with the same specifications or better, than what is being proposed with new deregulations. Verizon?s FiOS is a crippled network which is not open to competition and Verizon would like to deploy these networks without state obligations, as if they were no longer a utility but a free-market monopoly of the state?s PSTN ? That?s public switched telephone network. They want to pick and choose who gets served ? the new digital divide --- and supply less services than the current cable franchises in terms of public access stations. Worse, it is 2007 and America does not have the capability to compete with other industrialized nations where the phone companies actually delivered 100 mbps services in both directions for less than the cost of DSL. FiOS is also inferior to what was proposed by Verizon in 1992, when the standard speed for broadband was 45mbps in both directions. Background: In 1999, I testified in front of the DTE pertaining to Verizon (NYNEX/Bell Atlantic/New England Telephone) Massachusetts? proposal to enter the long distance markets. After examining the issues of telecommunications and broadband in Massachusetts, it became clear that NYNEX/MA was out to deceive the public pertaining to broadband deployment. By 1999 it cost the state over $1 billion dollars in extra fees, higher phone rates and tax perks. We even filed a complaint, which went unanswered, which I submit as part of this testimony. Appendix One. It is also online at: http://newnetworks.com/Masscomplaintsummary.html To summarize using Verizon's own statements: It was clear that Verizon had made serious commitments to Massachusetts residents that it would deploy a fiber optic-based broadband service, capable of 45mbps in both directions as well as handle 400-800 channels. This was to be delivered to 330,000 homes and have the majority of the state completed by 2010. Verizon claimed it would start ?immediately? in 1995, and to date, there is no sign of anything ever being created. These commitments were outlined in a) press statements, releases, annual and state reports, b) filings at the FCC, and c) state submissions for alternative regulations. Here's Verizon's own words: [FCC 95-50 Order and Authorization, released 3/6/95] "On July 8, 1994, NYNEX filed two (Section 214) applications ... to provide video dialtone service in Massachusetts ... proposes a system that will pass approximately 334,000 homes and businesses." "NYNEX proposes to deploy hybrid fiber optic and coaxial (HFC) broadband networks that will provide advanced voice, data, and video services, including interactive video entertainment, multimedia education and health care services. The allocation plan provides for the offering of 21 analog channels, all but one of which will be used for over-the-air broadcast programming services, and, depending on compression rates, between 400 an 800 digital channels." ?NYNEX plans to deploy this type of network to the majority of its customers by the year 2010." An outline of this plan was part of Verizon?s 1994 state pitch for alternative regulations, where the company would no longer be regulated by the original ?rate-of-return?, which examined profits but deregulated through alternative regulations where the company could earn a great deal more, as well as speed up depreciation and a host of other financial perks. Here?s the Verizon submission: http://www.newnetworks.com/massfiberfailurepage2.htm There was even a plan of who would be wired. The Patriot Ledger quoted NYNEX spokesman Kenneth Horne describing a very specific plan: "In Massachusetts, NYNEX plans to begin the new service in Somerville, Revere and Winthrop, then move to Brookline, Cambridge and neighborhoods in Boston, including Roxbury, Brighton, Beacon Hill and the Back Bay ." Throughout the Verizon Territory. It is now clear that deceptive statements were made to game the regulatory commissions and state legislatures, not to mention federal regulators and politicians. Bell Atlantic/NYNEX had pitched all 13 states with almost identical plans starting in 1992. In recent testimony in front of the New York Broadband Advisory Committee, created by the NY City Council, we presented a series of original documents that Verizon had made massive claims to rewire their entire territory. Testimony: http://www.teletruth.org/brooklynbroadband.htm Here?s some links to the original documents. * Verizon claimed in 1993 it would be rolling out ?fiber to the curb? - NYNEX 1993 Annual Report. http://www.newnetworks.com/nynexfibercurb1993.htm * Verizon claimed it would have 1.5-2 million lines installed by 1996. (This included Massachusetts? 330,000 lines.) NYNEX 1993 Annual Report http://www.newnetworks.com/nynex2millionlines1993.htm * Verizon claimed it would have 8.75 million homes wired by 2000, and its plan was to go to each state to get ?incentives to invest in new technologies?-- 1993 Bell Atlantic Annual Report. http://www.newnetworks.com/bellatlantic1993fiberplans.htm * 45Mbps: Here?s the New Jersey Timeline, 100% competed by 2010, with broadband defined as high definition video capable of 45mbps in both directions. (It is still part of state law.) http://www.newnetworks.com/nj45mbpspar1.htm In fact, this was a nationwide scandal. Here?s our Harvard's Nieman Foundation for Journalism Watchdog article: Where?s that broadband fiber-optic access?, March 14, 2006 http://www.niemanwatchdog.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=Ask_this.view&askthisid=1 86 The Secret: It couldn?t be built. Worse, if you examine what was being promised in statements made, and what can now be delivered in 2007 ? it is clear that the commitments could never be fulfilled at the time as the equipment that Verizon had stated would be used in this endeavor didn?t work as advertised nor cost anywhere near the cost models Verizon submitted in multiple states. Massachusetts outcome. After the ink was dry on the state alternative regulation in 1995, by 1996, the company simply stopped the plans and by 1999, it was clear that the failure to deploy made Verizon over $1 billion in excess profits and tax perks, an estimated $4-$5 billion by 2007, and it continues today ? as the rates were never returned to the original regulation or the monies refunded. According to the Bell companies? research, if broadband was deployed the entire economy would grow by $500 billion annually ? or $5.5 trillion in the US. Since 1996, that would mean that it cost Massachusetts over $110 billion over the last decade in new business opportunity and economic growth. AT&T and Verizon also claim that an extra $82 billion was spent by households because there was no cable competition to lower cable rates. Thus, the failure to deploy cost Massachusetts about $2 billion in higher cable rates. There are other problems we found since 1999. ? DSL was a bait and switch ? DSL runs over the old copper wiring and did not require ?alternative regulations? to fund it. It was considered an inferior service to fiber-based services in 1992. ? The long distance business was able to cross-subsidize its costs as it could use the local phone service revenues, advertising and perks to pay most of the freight. FiOS and Cable franchising: Verizon?s FiOS is a crippled product. It is closed to competition, and right now the phone companies want to pick and choose who does and does not get wired -- the new digital divide. Also, comparing the deployments current specifications, it is slower than what was promised in 1992 and it is not competitive worldwide, as other countries are already offering 100 Mbps services for the price we pay right now for DSL. See: http://www.newnetworks.com/fioslightspeed.htm Next Steps: Audit the Books, Investigate Our Claims. We hear rumors that Governor Patrick is proposing new telecom taxes. This would be a big mistake. Besides the monies we list in our original complaint, it is now clear that there are many other areas of financial harms that should be investigated. We have highlighted these issues in our FCC Comments on broadband: http://www.teletruth.org/docs/FCCcustomerfunding.doc a) Audit the phone bills for mistakes ? in DC, Verizon overcharged the city by $10.4 million http://www.newnetworks.com/DCAuditRefundEstimate.htm b) Audit the missing equipment that has been added to the phone rates. FCC audits of NYNEX showed that 20% of the equipment in the network was missing. As we show, billions of dollars of missing equipment was added to rates per state. In New York, the PSC report found $634 million and that was only ? of the potential added to rates. We filed a complaint in MA which was ignored pertaining to this issue: NY Audit: http://www.teletruth.org/docs/NYplantdoc10309.pdf c) A COPY OF THE NEW YORK (MASSACHUSETTS DTE) COMPLAINT. http://www.newnetworks.com/fccauditcomplaintny.html d) Audit for ?cross-subsidization? of the other lines of business, including DSL, long distance and wireless. NASUCA, the National Association of State Utility Consumer Advocate found that billions have been added to rates for non-local services, such as DSL and long distance, both interstate products. http://www.nasuca.org/newsroom/NASUCA%20Separations%20Comments%20PR.pdf e) Audit the other expenses added to rates ? from the executive expenses to the lobbying costs. California found that $1.94 billion had been added to rates. http://www.cpuc.ca.gov/PUBLISHED/COMMENT_DECISION/29330.htm#P948_207131 f) Remove ALL of the utility perks the company enjoys, from free use of the valuable 411 networks or the use of the mailing lists, or free rights of way. In summary, Verizon?s plans are NOT a utility-based product but ownership for private use of whatever they want to build. This is contrary to the billions already collected for open, ubiquitous services. And it isn?t their money. Deregulation should not be profit center when the public interest is harmed. Think of it this way The state hires a firm to create a new highway. The contractor not only just refurbishes the old roads but now wants ownership of whatever they build or connect to, and have exclusive rights to these networks ? thus not allowing some cars to get on, or charging fees to others. And the roads will only go where the company has deemed profitable, with no obligations to serving everyone. Massachusetts should be a technological wonder. Massachusetts should be leading the world, not trying to manage how the utility is going to stymie that leadership. Bruce Kushnick www.teletruth.org bruce at teletruth.org From dave at ctcnetchicago.org Fri Jun 8 12:11:47 2007 From: dave at ctcnetchicago.org (Dave Chakrabarti) Date: Fri, 08 Jun 2007 16:11:47 -0000 Subject: [DDN] I make no profit, therefore I suck Message-ID: <10B5C020-2706-436E-AED2-36F002E205D2@ctcnetchicago.org> Greetings, list folk, At the NetSquared conference recently, there was a comment made by a venture capitalist that "Some nonprofits just suck". This was partially attached to a discussion of nonprofit sustainability models, with a very large portion of participants taking it for granted that "sustainability" meant charging for services. There is an entrenched view that foundation grant funding and other donations can never be "sustainable", and that there must be a return on services offered that eventually sustains the organization financially. I responded to much of this. There's a synopsis on the Nonprofiteer: http://nonprofiteer.typepad.com/the_nonprofiteer/2007/06/ dear_nonprofite.html#comment-72142198 (thanks, Nonprofiteer, for the kind words). The continuing debate lives here: http://www.tacticalphilanthropy.com/ 2007/05/some_nonprofits.html#comment-71226258 and here: http://www.tacticalphilanthropy.com/2007/06/ philanthropic_c.html#comment-72140764 ...and other comment threads on the Tactical Philanthropy site and elsewhere. Coming under fire for offering services for free, by nonprofit funders who do not seem to understand the difference between "mission- driven" and "profit-driven", forces me to suggest that we, as a sector, need to develop stronger language regarding these issues. Most of all, we need to work towards a different model of sustainability, so that we can pose alternate definitions when a potential funder equates "sustainability" with a system based on marginal returns for services offered. So my question is: "How do we measure sustainability if we're mission- focused (nonprofit) instead of profit-focused (for profit)?". And related: "How do we communicate the difference to the venture capitalist, foundation, and other donor communities who we're hoping will support our work?". In both cases, by "we" I mean all of us mailing list denizens, not our organization in particular. Responses appreciated. Backup on Tactical Phil would be awesome (I think I'm outnumbered). Dave. ------------------------ Dave Chakrabarti Director of Programs Grassroots.org From deborah_elizabeth_finn at post.harvard.edu Wed Jun 27 10:24:17 2007 From: deborah_elizabeth_finn at post.harvard.edu (Deborah Elizabeth Finn) Date: Wed, 27 Jun 2007 10:24:17 -0400 Subject: [DDN] Just for fun In-Reply-To: <3228c2a50706270722h63835ef2k725c90f97e90b8ca@mail.gmail.com> References: <3228c2a50706270535s720a4cb0ucf6f253211c39eab@mail.gmail.com> <3228c2a50706270722h63835ef2k725c90f97e90b8ca@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <3228c2a50706270724m533eaea9x2f1e6a91c385ace9@mail.gmail.com> Dear DDN Colleagues, Please check out this web site, which was created to provide some comic relief for NPO/NGO technology workers: LOLnptech Captioned photographs are eagerly solicited from the worldwide community of digital divide activists! Please feel free to email them to . Best regards from Deborah Deborah Elizabeth Finn Boston, Massachusetts, USA deborah_elizabeth_finn at post.harvard.edu www.cyber-yenta.org Recommended reading: "Universal Declaration of Human Rights" From Jennifer.Staple at aya.yale.edu Sat Jun 9 00:11:41 2007 From: Jennifer.Staple at aya.yale.edu (Jennifer Staple) Date: Sat, 09 Jun 2007 04:11:41 -0000 Subject: [DDN] CALL FOR ABSTRACTS - International Development Conference at Yale Message-ID: <466A43B9.6080903@aya.yale.edu> Please forward widely * Unite For Sight Fifth Annual International Health Conference Building Global Health For Today and Tomorrow **April 12-13, 2008* *Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut http://www.uniteforsight.org/conference/2008 * Join 2,000 conference attendees and 130 speakers for a stimulating conference. Keynote Addresses By Dr. Jeffrey Sachs and Dr. Sonia Sachs And More Than 130 Featured Speakers *Call For Abstracts *- DEADLINE JULY 15, 2007 - http://uniteforsight.org/conference/2008/abstracts.php *Register For Conference* - EARLY BIRD RATE ($35 Students, $60 All Others) Increases After June 15th - http://uniteforsight.org/conference/2008/registration.php REGISTER BY JUNE 15TH TO SECURE LOWEST RATE *Who should attend?* Anyone interested in international health, public health, international development, medicine, social entrepreneurship, eye care, nonprofits, philanthropy, microfinance, bioethics, anthropology, health policy, advocacy, and public service. *Keynote Addresses* * *Jeffrey Sachs, *PhD, Director of Earth Institute at Columbia University; Quetelet Professor of Sustainable Development, Professor of Health Policy and Management, Columbia University; Special Advisor to Secretary-General of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon * *Sonia Sachs, *MD, MPH, Health Coordinator, Millennium Villages *Featured Speakers (Confirmed Thus Far)* * Greg Allgood, PhD, Director, Children's Safe Drinking Water, Procter & Gamble * Michele Barry, MD, FACP, Professor of Medicine and Global Health Director, Office of International Health; Chief, General Medicine Firm, Yale University School of Medicine * Georges Benjamin, MD, Executive Director, American Public Health Association * Susan Blumenthal, MD, MPA, Former US Assistant Surgeon General, Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Georgetown School of Medicine and Tufts University Medical Center * Neil Boothby, EdD, Professor of Clinical Population and Family Health; Director, Program on Forced Migration and Health, Mailman School of Public Health * Harry S. Brown, MD, Founder, Surgical Eye Expeditions (SEE) International * Donald Budenz, MD, MPH, Professor of Ophthalmology, Epidemiology, and Public Health, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine * Michael Cappello, MD, Professor of Pediatrics and Epidemiology and Public Health; Director, Program in International Child Health; Co-Director, International Adoption Clinic, Yale University School of Medicine * Emily Moore and Mark Carlson, PhD, Adjunct Professor, Sociology, San Diego State University * James Clarke, MD, Ophthalmologist and Medical Director, Crystal Eye Clinic, Ghana * Margaret Duah-Mensah, Ophthalmic Nurse, Crystal Eye Clinic, Ghana * Susan Hall Forster, MD, Associate Clinical Professor, Department of Medical Studies, Department of Ophthalmology, Yale School of Medicine; Chief, Ophthalmology, Yale University Health Services * Michael Gyasi, MD, Ophthalmologist and Director of the Bawku Eye Care Program, Ghana * Leon Herndon, MD, Associate Professor of Ophthalmology, Duke University Eye Center * Ibrahim Jabr, Interim President, International Trachoma Initiative * Dean Karlan, PhD, President and Founder of Innovations for Poverty Action; Assistant Professor of Economics, Yale University * Zachary Kaufman, MPhil in International Relations; DPhil Candidate in International Relations, University of Oxford; JD Candidate, Yale University Law School * Kaveh Khoshnood, PhD, Assistant Professor in Public Health Practice, Division of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health * Doug Lawrence, Vice President/General Manager, BD Medical - Ophthalmic Systems * Tshepo Mbalambi, BSc, Med Sci, MBcHB Candidate, University of Ghana School of Medicine * Mini Murthy, MD, MPH, MS, Assistant Professor, Department of Behavioral Science and Community Health, Program Director Global Health, New York Medical College School of Public Health * Edward O'Neil Jr, MD, Founder, Omni Med; Author, Awakening Hippocrates: Primer on Health, Poverty, and Global Service, and A Practical Guide to Global Health Service * Cliff OCallahan, MD, PhD, Pediatric Faculty, Middlesex Hospital Family Practice Program; Chair, AAP Section on International Child Health * Elijah Paintsil, MD, Associate Research Scientist, Department of Pediatrics, Yale School of Medicine * Matthew Paul, MD, Danbury Eye Physicians and Surgeons * Steven C. Phillips, MD, MPH, Medical Director, Global Issues and Projects, Exxon Mobil Corporation * Louis Pizzarello, MD, MPH, Secretary General, International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness * Thomas Quinn, MD, Director, Johns Hopkins Center for Global Health * Nathan Radcliffe, MD, Glaucoma Service at New York Eye & Ear Infirmary * Ian Rawson, MD, CEO/Directeur General, Hopital Albert Schweitzer Haiti * William Reese, President and CEO, International Youth Foundation * Ilya Rozenbuam, MD, GANY Glaucoma Fellow, New York Eye and Ear Institute * Lisa Russell, MPH, Filmmaker * Sarwat Salim, MD, Ophthalmologist * Werner Schultink, MD, Chief Child Development and Nutrition, UNICEF * Bruce Shields, MD, Professor of Ophthalmology, Chairman Emeritus, Department of Ophthalmology, Yale University School of Medicine * Peter Singer, MD, Professor of Clinical Medicine; Chief, Clinical Endocrinology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California * Kari Stoever, Senior Program Officer, Neglected Tropical Diseases, Sabin Vaccine Institute * Robert Farris Thompson, PhD, Col. John Trumbull Professor of the History of Art, Yale University * Jamie Lachman and Tim Cunningham, Clowns Without Borders * Satya Verma, OD, FAAO, Director, Community Eye Care, Pennsylvania College of Optometry * Seth Wanye, MD, Ophthalmologist, Eye Clinic of Tamale Teaching Hospital, Ghana From mmaranda at afcn.org Wed Jun 27 14:46:12 2007 From: mmaranda at afcn.org (Michael Maranda) Date: Wed, 27 Jun 2007 13:46:12 -0500 Subject: [DDN] Keep the Core Neutral Message-ID: <3feff8d60706271146t3ddef3d2h2967622103699a11@mail.gmail.com> From: http://keep-the-core-neutral.org/join The *Keep The Core Neutral Coalition* is committed to protecting freedom of expression and innovation in domain name policy at ICANN. This means basing gTLD-approval policy on criteria of only a technical/operational and related nature, and refraining from embedding any particular national, regional, moral, or religious policy objectives into global ICANN policy. http://keep-the-core-neutral.org/join From pshapiro at his.com Wed Jun 27 10:18:01 2007 From: pshapiro at his.com (Phil Shapiro) Date: Wed, 27 Jun 2007 10:18:01 -0400 Subject: [DDN] getting middle school students involved Message-ID: <1182953881.468271997423f@webmail2.his.com> hi Digital Divide Network community, one of my supervisors asked me to write up some of the community projects i'm involved with to share with some visitors who are coming by today. here is the write up i did. http://tinyurl.com/2haekb hope this might be of help to others on this list who are exploring this facet of community development. to my mind, the collaborative creation of rich media content is where a vortex of community development can take place. phil -- Phil Shapiro pshapiro at his.com http://www.his.com/pshapiro/briefbio.html http://philsrssfeed.blogspot.com http://www.his.com/pshapiro/stories.menu.html "Wisdom starts with wonder." - Socrates "Learning happens through gentleness." From snbeach at cox.net Sat Jun 9 10:06:26 2007 From: snbeach at cox.net (Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach) Date: Sat, 09 Jun 2007 14:06:26 -0000 Subject: [DDN] Teacher 2.0 Message-ID: <010701c7aab0$5b8d6e70$6501a8c0@sherry> I just finished a marathon real-time blogging session at an interesting conference in New York, titled "Teacher 2.0 - Developing the 21st Century Workforce." http://www.edustat.com/ I was representing the Center for Teaching Quality at the meeting. Nitin Julka, David DeSchryver and I blogged about many of the presentations, really fast! I also got to meet quite a few VIPs, including John Bailey, Senior Program Officer - National Initiatives Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; NBA star Kevin Johnson; Ken Kay Founder and Chairman, Infotech Strategies and President, Partnership for 21st Century Skills; and the highlight- former Xerox chairman David T. Kearns. This was without a doubt one of the best conferences I have ever attended. If you ever get the chance to go-- take it. Check a few of the posts out and leave a comment or two on the site as well! http://www.edustatblog.com/?author=16 I look forward to learning from your comments. Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach 21st Century Collaborative http://www.21stcenturycollaborative.com Educational Blog http://21stcenturylearning.typepad.com Resource Wiki http://21stcenturylearning.wikispaces.com/ From andycarvin at yahoo.com Fri Jun 29 14:43:52 2007 From: andycarvin at yahoo.com (Andy Carvin) Date: Fri, 29 Jun 2007 14:43:52 -0400 Subject: [DDN] Asking the presidential candidates about the digital divide Message-ID: <468552E8.5050109@yahoo.com> Hi everyone, Last night I got to attend the Democratic presidential debate at Howard University, which was hosted by PBS. Following the debate, I managed to track down several of the candidates to ask them their positions on the digital divide. Most of them didn't give me much more than a sound bite, but it was still interesting. Bill Richardson probably had the broadest perspective on the subject, while Chris Dodd and Dennis Kucinich focused on ubiquitous broadband and laptops for kids. Mike Gravel offered some terse comments on keeping the Internet free and putting computers in our classrooms. The text of what they said is now on my PBS blog. I'll also put together a video of their comments soon. Hopefully, I'll be able to ask the Republican candidates about the digital divide at the next PBS debate, which will take place at the end of September. http://urltea.com/vgg -- ------------------------------ Andy Carvin andycarvin (at) yahoo . com http://www.andycarvin.com http://www.digitaldivide.net http://www.pbs.org/learningnow ------------------------------ From cnd at knowprose.com Fri Jun 29 01:00:09 2007 From: cnd at knowprose.com (Taran Rampersad) Date: Fri, 29 Jun 2007 01:00:09 -0400 Subject: [DDN] I make no profit, therefore I suck In-Reply-To: <10B5C020-2706-436E-AED2-36F002E205D2@ctcnetchicago.org> References: <10B5C020-2706-436E-AED2-36F002E205D2@ctcnetchicago.org> Message-ID: <468491D9.9010008@knowprose.com> Dave, It just falls to how they measure success. To them, it's dollars. To others, it means other things. I'm a big fan of non-profits letting go of the hand which holds them down, and there may be models for such things. Oddly enough, it may be a matter of ditching the non-profit status and creating a business that creates the appropriate value. Don't worry about the rich guys. I'm sure that they'll find something else to invest in or bet on. The question must be asked: Their money or your mission: Which is more valuable? Dave Chakrabarti wrote: > Greetings, list folk, > > At the NetSquared conference recently, there was a comment made by a > venture capitalist that "Some nonprofits just suck". This was > partially attached to a discussion of nonprofit sustainability > models, with a very large portion of participants taking it for > granted that "sustainability" meant charging for services. There is > an entrenched view that foundation grant funding and other donations > can never be "sustainable", and that there must be a return on > services offered that eventually sustains the organization financially. > > I responded to much of this. There's a synopsis on the Nonprofiteer: > http://nonprofiteer.typepad.com/the_nonprofiteer/2007/06/ > dear_nonprofite.html#comment-72142198 > (thanks, Nonprofiteer, for the kind words). > > The continuing debate lives here: http://www.tacticalphilanthropy.com/ > 2007/05/some_nonprofits.html#comment-71226258 > > and here: http://www.tacticalphilanthropy.com/2007/06/ > philanthropic_c.html#comment-72140764 > > ...and other comment threads on the Tactical Philanthropy site and > elsewhere. > > Coming under fire for offering services for free, by nonprofit > funders who do not seem to understand the difference between "mission- > driven" and "profit-driven", forces me to suggest that we, as a > sector, need to develop stronger language regarding these issues. > Most of all, we need to work towards a different model of > sustainability, so that we can pose alternate definitions when a > potential funder equates "sustainability" with a system based on > marginal returns for services offered. > > So my question is: "How do we measure sustainability if we're mission- > focused (nonprofit) instead of profit-focused (for profit)?". > > And related: "How do we communicate the difference to the venture > capitalist, foundation, and other donor communities who we're hoping > will support our work?". > > In both cases, by "we" I mean all of us mailing list denizens, not > our organization in particular. > > Responses appreciated. Backup on Tactical Phil would be awesome (I > think I'm outnumbered). > > Dave. > > ------------------------ > Dave Chakrabarti > Director of Programs > Grassroots.org > > > _______________________________________________ > DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list > DIGITALDIVIDE at digitaldivide.net > http://digitaldivide.net/mailman/listinfo/digitaldivide > To unsubscribe, send a message to digitaldivide-request at mailman.edc.org with the word UNSUBSCRIBE in the body of the message. > > -- Taran Rampersad Presently in: San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago cnd at knowprose.com http://www.knowprose.com Pictures: http://www.flickr.com/photos/knowprose/ "Criticize by creating." ? Michelangelo "The present is theirs; the future, for which I really worked, is mine." - Nikola Tesla From cnd at knowprose.com Fri Jun 29 01:01:28 2007 From: cnd at knowprose.com (Taran Rampersad) Date: Fri, 29 Jun 2007 01:01:28 -0400 Subject: [DDN] Social business & Capitalism In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <46849228.9010909@knowprose.com> Grameen is apparently a government funded project from what I last read. Cleverly done, but... marketed under a different name. Deborah Phelan wrote: > I am researching for an article I am writing for Global Progress and seeking > some suggesstions on social business enterprises which are relying on a > capitalist model to alleviate poverty. So far, I have info for Grameen, > GAIN, OneWorld, Barefoot College,Equity for Africa, Unilever... I've found > some research on the underlying philosophy behind the idea -- looking at > Global Issues, WiserEarth, REDF... > -- Taran Rampersad Presently in: San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago cnd at knowprose.com http://www.knowprose.com Pictures: http://www.flickr.com/photos/knowprose/ "Criticize by creating." ? Michelangelo "The present is theirs; the future, for which I really worked, is mine." - Nikola Tesla From DWX at cbsnews.com Sat Jun 30 07:20:05 2007 From: DWX at cbsnews.com (Walker, Danna) Date: Sat, 30 Jun 2007 07:20:05 -0400 Subject: [DDN] Recycling in Montgomery County, Md. Message-ID: DDN Community: FYI CPCUG Project Reboot - an authorized computer recycler/refurbisher licensed by Microsoft is a project of the CPCUG (Capital PC User's Group and a 501-c-3). CPCUG Project Reboot, a non-profit organization recognized by the Board of Education for Distinguished Service to Public Education. Project Reboot has closed the digital divide for hundreds of lower income people in Montgomery County each year. Volunteers clean, repair, and program donated computers. Mostly retirees, with many former engineers, the volunteers are incredible, toiling away in a Santa's workshop type setting or scavenging our County's dump to find spare parts! Families pay just $5 for the cost of Reboot's agreement with Microsoft to install its software. In the past two years, Project Reboot has brought almost 400 computers to MCPS students and families, disabled soldiers at Walter Reed and others. CPCUG Project Reboot volunteers work with Community Ministries, MCPS, Child Welfare, Linkages to Learning and many other Montgomery County groups to distribute donated, refurbished computers to needy individuals & families who have been referred by approved agencies. Instead of ending up in our solid waste system, the computers find a great new home. CPCUG Project Reboot accepts Pentium II computers and higher, 15"+ color monitors, plus inkjet or laser printers and unopened software. Computers and equipment may be dropped off at 101 Fleet Street, Rockville. CPCUG Project Reboot is open most (non-holidays) Mondays (2:00 to 6:00 PM) and Wednesdays (10:00 AM to 4:00 PM). Sharon Strauss (Julia's mom) Reboot friend From FRoehm at skokielibrary.info Thu Jun 28 17:46:45 2007 From: FRoehm at skokielibrary.info (Frances Roehm) Date: Thu, 28 Jun 2007 16:46:45 -0500 Subject: [DDN] getting middle school students involved In-Reply-To: <1182953881.468271997423f@webmail2.his.com> Message-ID: Thanks for sharing Phil! We're just exploring audio and video with our middle and high school students and are looking forward to adding the content to YouTube and to our TeenTalk blog: http://skokietalk.info/teentalk They are an amazing resource. Eager to learn. Full of great ideas. And pure joy to work with. Fran Frances E. Roehm SkokieNet Librarian Skokie Public Library phone: 847.324.3173 fax: 847.673.7797 email: froehm at skokielibrary.info **** SkokieNet : Celebrating 10 Years of Making Connections, Building Community in Skokie, Illinois! **** ******** SkokieNet http://www.skokienet.org ******** -----Original Message----- From: digitaldivide-bounces at digitaldivide.net [mailto:digitaldivide-bounces at digitaldivide.net] On Behalf Of Phil Shapiro Sent: Wednesday, June 27, 2007 9:18 AM To: digitaldivide at digitaldivide.net Subject: [DDN] getting middle school students involved hi Digital Divide Network community, one of my supervisors asked me to write up some of the community projects i'm involved with to share with some visitors who are coming by today. here is the write up i did. http://tinyurl.com/2haekb hope this might be of help to others on this list who are exploring this facet of community development. to my mind, the collaborative creation of rich media content is where a vortex of community development can take place. phil -- Phil Shapiro pshapiro at his.com http://www.his.com/pshapiro/briefbio.html http://philsrssfeed.blogspot.com http://www.his.com/pshapiro/stories.menu.html "Wisdom starts with wonder." - Socrates "Learning happens through gentleness." _______________________________________________ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list DIGITALDIVIDE at digitaldivide.net http://digitaldivide.net/mailman/listinfo/digitaldivide To unsubscribe, send a message to digitaldivide-request at mailman.edc.org with the word UNSUBSCRIBE in the body of the message. From MKinyua at amrefhq.org Fri Jun 29 01:04:11 2007 From: MKinyua at amrefhq.org (Kinyua Martin) Date: Fri, 29 Jun 2007 08:04:11 +0300 Subject: [DDN] Social business & Capitalism Message-ID: Have a look at the Acumen Fund website at http://www.acumenfund.org/ Martin AMREF -----Original Message----- From: digitaldivide-bounces at digitaldivide.net [mailto:digitaldivide-bounces at digitaldivide.net] On Behalf Of Deborah Phelan Sent: Wednesday, May 30, 2007 8:50 PM To: The Digital Divide Network discussion group Subject: Re: [DDN] Social business & Capitalism I am researching for an article I am writing for Global Progress and seeking some suggesstions on social business enterprises which are relying on a capitalist model to alleviate poverty. So far, I have info for Grameen, GAIN, OneWorld, Barefoot College,Equity for Africa, Unilever... I've found some research on the underlying philosophy behind the idea -- looking at Global Issues, WiserEarth, REDF... Wading through the sheer quantity of development projects with an eye towards assessing if they actually are utilizing this model as opposed to knowing the lingo to present themselves in a favorable light is quite difficult. I've found some dissection to Hudson Institute's Recent report on the expanding role of the private sector in foreign aid and am also interested in some informed comment on this report. I would appreciate information on any projects, organizations I might not yet be aware of as well as feedback on those I have mentioned above. Thanks for any assistance. Deborah On 5/27/07, jc at coyotecommunications.com wrote: > > Women Empowerment via ICTs > > 'You teach us and we can do it' - This was the overwhelming response > of the 20 odd women from the rural areas of Gujarat, who attended the > workshop organised by Self Employed Women Association (SEWA) > (http://www.sewa.org/) along with UNDP, held in Delhi, India on 30-31 > March 2007. Over two days, the workshop delved on the critical aspects > of how ICTs can empower women to address issues of poverty and > livelihood challenges. We heard evocative stories of how women from > the most backward areas of the country had broken the boundaries of > illiteracy, caste and social backwardness to independently raise their > social and economic status. > > http://www.i4donline.net/articles/current-article.asp?articleid=1161&typ =Rendezvous > > > (I have *nothing* to do with this initiative) > > <><><><><><><><><><><><><> > Jayne Cravens, MSc > jc "at" coyotecommunications "dot" com > > Nonprofits/Civil Society -- Resources & Services > www.coyotecommunications.com/ > > International Development Work & Studies > www.coyotecommunications.com/development > <><><><><><><><><><><><><> > _______________________________________________ > DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list > DIGITALDIVIDE at digitaldivide.net > http://digitaldivide.net/mailman/listinfo/digitaldivide > To unsubscribe, send a message to digitaldivide-request at mailman.edc.orgwith the word UNSUBSCRIBE in the body of the message. > _______________________________________________ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list DIGITALDIVIDE at digitaldivide.net http://digitaldivide.net/mailman/listinfo/digitaldivide To unsubscribe, send a message to digitaldivide-request at mailman.edc.org with the word UNSUBSCRIBE in the body of the message. From morgan at memeshift.com Fri Jun 29 11:09:28 2007 From: morgan at memeshift.com (Morgan Sully) Date: Fri, 29 Jun 2007 08:09:28 -0700 Subject: [DDN] Non-big company internet service provider in San Francisco? Message-ID: Hello list, I recently moved to San Francisco and am looking for a local internet service provider that is NOT AT&T, Verizon, Comcast or Time Warner. I support net neutrality and I want my money to go towards something for the benefit of all (or at least not to the benefit of the few). Does anyone know of any reputable internet service providers in the Bay Area? Thanks in advance, M Ps. Dave Chakrabarti and Xavier Leonard ? are you on this list? -- Morgan Sully Online Community Organizing New Media Strategies Electronic Music www.memeshift.com From morgan at memeshift.com Fri Jun 29 15:47:48 2007 From: morgan at memeshift.com (Morgan Sully) Date: Fri, 29 Jun 2007 12:47:48 -0700 Subject: [DDN] getting middle school students involved In-Reply-To: <1182953881.468271997423f@webmail2.his.com> Message-ID: Hey Phil, I also came across ScrapBlog - which is an online application that can combine audio, video, images and text to make little scrapbooks which can then be shared - it integrates with many other media hosting services (it integrates with Photobucket, facebook, Flickr, and youtube plus few other image hosting services...) http://www.scrapblog.com m On 6/27/07 7:18 AM, "Phil Shapiro" wrote: > hi Digital Divide Network community, > > > one of my supervisors asked me to write up some of the community projects > i'm > involved with to share with some visitors who are coming by today. > > here is the write up i did. > > http://tinyurl.com/2haekb > > hope this might be of help to others on this list who are exploring > this facet of community development. > > to my mind, the collaborative creation of rich media content is where > a > vortex of community development can take place. > > phil -- Morgan Sully Online Community Organizing New Media Strategies Electronic Music www.memeshift.com From sjha at vsnl.com Fri Jun 29 00:41:11 2007 From: sjha at vsnl.com (Satish Jha) Date: Fri, 29 Jun 2007 00:41:11 -0400 Subject: [DDN] Social business & Capitalism In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <94d7347e0706282141n5c471935o20ee2f29ffde6b43@mail.gmail.com> I would like to think that one of the earliest efforts was made by Tarahaat.com in India in 1999 and it was sponsored by Development Alternatives and supported by the consulting firm James Martin & Co India. eChoupal, perhaps one of the most successful efforts in terms of size and scope followed suit. Hindustan Lever (Indian Unilever) tried a similar approach called Shakti. For reasons of management and leadership eChoupal won the journey. Similarly, Drishtee, eHealthcare etc managed to get some revenues and generated a lot of hope and continue to progress but have yet to reach a critical mass despite over $1 Million investment in Drishtee. SKS is perhaps teh second most successful, next only to eChoupal and has to be credited for ramping up to a turnover exceeding $50M annual in micro-credit space. Satish Jha www.digital-partners.org On 5/30/07, Deborah Phelan wrote: > > I am researching for an article I am writing for Global Progress and > seeking > some suggesstions on social business enterprises which are relying on a > capitalist model to alleviate poverty. So far, I have info for Grameen, > GAIN, OneWorld, Barefoot College,Equity for Africa, Unilever... I've > found > some research on the underlying philosophy behind the idea -- looking at > Global Issues, WiserEarth, REDF... > > Wading through the sheer quantity of development projects with an eye > towards assessing if they actually are utilizing this model as opposed to > knowing the lingo to present themselves in a favorable light is quite > difficult. > > I've found some dissection to Hudson Institute's Recent report on the > expanding role of the private sector in foreign aid and am also interested > in some informed comment on this report. > > I would appreciate information on any projects, organizations I might not > yet be aware of as well as feedback on those I have mentioned above. > > Thanks for any assistance. > > Deborah > > > On 5/27/07, jc at coyotecommunications.com > wrote: > > > > Women Empowerment via ICTs > > > > 'You teach us and we can do it' - This was the overwhelming response > > of the 20 odd women from the rural areas of Gujarat, who attended the > > workshop organised by Self Employed Women Association (SEWA) > > (http://www.sewa.org/) along with UNDP, held in Delhi, India on 30-31 > > March 2007. Over two days, the workshop delved on the critical aspects > > of how ICTs can empower women to address issues of poverty and > > livelihood challenges. We heard evocative stories of how women from > > the most backward areas of the country had broken the boundaries of > > illiteracy, caste and social backwardness to independently raise their > > social and economic status. > > > > > http://www.i4donline.net/articles/current-article.asp?articleid=1161&typ=Rendezvous > > > > > > (I have *nothing* to do with this initiative) > > > > <><><><><><><><><><><><><> > > Jayne Cravens, MSc > > jc "at" coyotecommunications "dot" com > > > > Nonprofits/Civil Society -- Resources & Services > > www.coyotecommunications.com/ > > > > International Development Work & Studies > > www.coyotecommunications.com/development > > <><><><><><><><><><><><><> > > _______________________________________________ > > DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list > > DIGITALDIVIDE at digitaldivide.net > > http://digitaldivide.net/mailman/listinfo/digitaldivide > > To unsubscribe, send a message to > digitaldivide-request at mailman.edc.orgwith the word UNSUBSCRIBE in the body > of the message. > > > _______________________________________________ > DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list > DIGITALDIVIDE at digitaldivide.net > http://digitaldivide.net/mailman/listinfo/digitaldivide > To unsubscribe, send a message to digitaldivide-request at mailman.edc.orgwith the word UNSUBSCRIBE in the body of the message. > -- _________________________________ https://www.linkedin.com/in/satishjha