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科技改變社會數位原生代掀波

praskrishna — 2011-04-02T10:22:26Z

The Chinese press published an article on Digital Natives.

8月16日到18日，原生代工作坊（Digital Natives）將在中研院舉辦數位，關注年輕世代如何運用科技改變社會，荷蘭的國際發展組織、印度的網路與社會研究中心，以及台灣關心資訊社會實踐的研究機構與民間組織，將一起探索數位原生代的全球現象。

數位原生代工作坊的主要提問是，為何數位原生代變成理解當代的一個重要的範疇？我們認為什麼樣的人是數位原生代？我們認為數位原生代在浮現的資訊社會中，扮演著什麼樣的角色？我們該如何將科技實踐，整合到我們這個時代的政治關懷中？

年輕世代的力量
荷蘭Hivos人道發展合作組織（the Humanist Institute for Development Cooperation）知識計畫召集人史傳密拉（Josine Stremmelaar）表示，Hivos知識計畫的目的，是希望結合在地與全球力量，關注社會與災害議題。

史傳蜜拉認為，過去沒有足夠的知識，讓在地與全球的組織作分享，如果無法處理知識快速流通及傳播，無法面對層出不窮的全球問題。

Hivos數位原生代計畫主持人簡森（Fieke Jansen）指出，全球年輕人運用科技，為社會做出貢獻，有些年輕人運用Facebook串連社會力量，表達年輕人對社會議題的憤怒與重視，她希望藉由工作坊，讓年輕人有更深入的討論，以及為過去行動作整理與分享。

科技與社會的關係
印度網際網路社會中心研究主任尼善‧沙（Nishant Shah），希望透過數位原生代計畫，讓年輕人瞭解自己，認識人際關係，也瞭解自己在社會上的位置。

尼善‧沙認為，數位原生代涵蓋就學的年輕人，也包括進入產官學界的年輕人，不同的領域透過科技促成社會的改變。2010 年，全世界的年輕人將達到12億人，其中有85％居住在開發中國家。這些年輕人潛能的開發，彼此的互相串連，將帶來社會的重組。

在中研院即將舉辦的工作坊將有16個國家，28 位與會者從微觀家庭到政治的各種脈絡中，來討論「數位原生代回應」的政治、影響與歷程，以及瞭解年輕人如何用科技改變現況，科技如何形塑人與人的新關係。

Pad.ma公共近用數位媒體典藏計畫共同創辦人馬荷卓（Namita A. Malhotra），她同時也是facilitator工作坊引導員。馬荷卓經營數位媒體典藏計畫，她希望透過紀錄片或影片的方式，來紀錄社會變動，也紀錄民眾如何用社會力量來對抗法律、社會跟言論審查。馬荷卓跑過的國家包括泰國、緬甸、印尼、印度等，透過影片紀錄不同國家情況，這次工作坊也會播出其中一部紀錄片。

開拓文教基金會李士傑表示，開拓文教基金會致力於讓資訊科技變成社會改變的關鍵力量，積極推廣全球資訊網給公民社會、非政府組織使用，這次與荷蘭、印度一同舉辦國際數位原生代工作坊，希望分享經營網路論壇，構想民間議題與對話的經驗，這次工作坊結合數位原生代國際浪潮，將國際關注的焦點與支持力量與台灣分享交流。

Pad.ma公共近用數位媒體典藏計畫共同創辦人馬荷卓（Namita A. Malhotra），將在數位原生代工作坊放映關於民眾力量對抗全球的影片。

Read the original

For more details visit https://cis-india.org/news/digital-natives-china

科技改變社會數位原生代計畫

praskrishna — 2011-04-02T10:22:00Z

The Chinese language press covered the Digital Natives workshop in Taipei.

8月16日到18日，原生代工作坊（Digital Natives）將在中研院舉辦數位，關注年輕世代如何運用科技改變社會，荷蘭的國際發展組織、印度的網路與社會研究中心，以及台灣關心資訊社會實踐的研究機構與民間組織，將一起探索數位原生代的全球現象。

荷蘭Hivos人道發展合作組織（the Humanist Institute for Development Cooperation）知識計畫召集人史傳密拉（Josine Stremmelaar）表示，Hivos知識計畫的目的，是希望結合在地與全球力量，關注社會與災害議題。

史傳蜜拉認為，過去沒有足夠的知識，讓在地與全球的組織作分享，如果無法處理知識快速流通及傳播，無法面對層出不窮的全球問題。

Hivos數位原生代計畫主持人簡森（Fieke Jansen）指出，全球年輕人運用科技，為社會做出貢獻，有些年輕人運用Facebook串連社會力量，表達年輕人對社會議題的憤怒與重視，她希望藉由工作坊，讓年輕人有更深入的討論，以及為過去行動作整理與分享。

尼善‧沙認為，數位原生代涵蓋就學的年輕人，也包括進入產官學界的年輕人，不同的領域透過科技促成社會的改變。2010 年，全世界的年輕人將達到12億人，其中有85％居住在開發中國家。這些年輕人潛能的開發，彼此的互相串連，將帶來社會的重組。

在中研院即將舉辦的工作坊將有16個國家，28 位與會者從微觀家庭到政治的各種脈絡中，來討論「數位原生代回應」的政治、影響與歷程，以及瞭解年輕人如何用科技改變現況，科技如何形塑人與人的新關係。

Pad.ma公共近用數位媒體典藏計畫共同創辦人馬荷卓（Namita A. Malhotra），她同時也是facilitator工作坊引導員。馬荷卓經營數位媒體典藏計畫，她希望透過紀錄片或影片的方式，來紀錄社會變動，也紀錄民眾如何用社會力量來對抗法律、社會跟言論審查。馬荷卓跑過的國家包括泰國、緬甸、印尼、印度等，透過影片紀錄不同國家情況，這次工作坊也會播出其中一部紀錄片。

開拓文教基金會李士傑表示，開拓文教基金會致力於讓資訊科技變成社會改變的關鍵力量，積極推廣全球資訊網給公民社會、非政府組織使用，這次與荷蘭、印度一同舉辦國際數位原生代工作坊，希望分享經營網路論壇，構想民間議題與對話的經驗，這次工作坊結合數位原生代國際浪潮，將國際關注的焦點與支持力量與台灣分享交流。

Pad.ma公共近用數位媒體典藏計畫共同創辦人馬荷卓（Namita A. Malhotra），將在數位原生代工作坊放映關於民眾力量對抗全球的影片。

Read the original in echinanews.com

For more details visit https://cis-india.org/news/digital-natives-chinese-press

‘UID is being forced’

praskrishna — 2011-04-02T12:20:18Z

CIS feels that the UID project is forced on the citizens.

The Centre for Internet and Society on Wednesday said the UID project — Aadhaar — is being forced on the citizens. Speaking to reporters, the centre’s executive director Sunil Abraham said: “The 16-digit UID number will be mentioned on the driver’s license, PAN card, ration card and voter’s identity card with other important data. It is not transparent. Since the UID database is available online, hackers can easily obtain vital information.’’

Read the article in the Times of India

For more details visit https://cis-india.org/news/UID-is-forced

‘Right to Read’ campaign launched - Fighting against copyright regulations

radha — 2011-04-02T14:54:34Z

To highlight the issues faced by persons with print disability – those deprived of Indian books due to unfriendly copyright regulations – a group of organisations launched the Right To Read (R2R) campaign on September 26 - an article by L Subramani, Sep 28th, Bangalore, Deccan Herald.

The campaign, jointly launched by the Bangalore-based Centre for Internet and Society (CIS), Daisy Forum of India (DFI), bookbole.com and Inclusive Planet, kickstarted at Loyola College in Chennai on Saturday.

“This campaign was part of the World Blind Union’s (WBU) global campaign,” said Nirmita Narasimhan, Programme Manager, CIS. “We are asking all the organisations to lend their support to our initiative.”

The campaign comes at a time when the Indian government is preparing to consider changes to the copyright law, which it failed to implement two years ago after disability rights campaigners objected to the proposal to make books and other print materials be made in an “exclusive” format.

Nirmita said that this would also be an occasion for activists to urge Government of India to throw its weight behind a WBU treaty tabled at the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) asking for a global copyright regulation that takes into account the needs of persons with print disabilities.

“The treaty is coming up for discussion at Geneva (WIPO's head quarters) in December,” Nirmita said and added: “Right now only three Latin American nations are supporting it. Since India has the largest number of persons with print disability, which includes the visually challenged, persons with autism and children with learning difficulties, our support would likely tilt the balance in favour of the treaty.” Now, the campaign will be gradually taken to other parts of the country, said Rahul Cherian from Inclusive Planet. A signature campaign and distribution of a declaration supporting accommodation of persons with print disability in copyright laws will also be held as part of the campaign.

Link to article in Deccan Herald

For more details visit https://cis-india.org/news/2018right-to-read2019-campaign-launched-fighting-against-copyright-regulations

‘Right to read’ campaign launched (The Hindu)

radha — 2011-04-02T14:52:56Z

An article in The Hindu, 29th September, on the 'Right to Read' campaign, launched on 26th Sept, in Loyola College, Chennai

CHENNAI: About 100 National Service Scheme (NSS) volunteers from various colleges in the State kick-started a ‘right to read’ campaign at Loyola College recently. The aim of the campaign is to make books accessible to persons with disabilities.

The speakers, who included the visually challenged, persons with low vision and dyslexia, said the Copyright Act did not allow persons with print impairments to convert reading matter using assistive technologies to accessible formats. Dipendra Manocha, executive committee member of World Blind Union, said: “We need organisations, individuals and volunteers to contribute and create accessible books.”

Nirmitha Narasimhan, programme manager of the Centre for Internet and Society felt access to information would ensure a better contribution by the visually challenged to society. “It is not that we are insensitive. The suggestion for amendments to the Copyright Act has not yet been incorporated,” she said.

Writer Sreekumar Varma, who inaugurated the campaign, recalled his experience as a scribe during his days as a lecturer. C.P. Chandrasekar, treasurer, National Association for the Blind, and Loyola College Principal Albert Muthumalai spoke.

Link to the article in The Hindu

For more details visit https://cis-india.org/news/2018right-to-read2019-campaign-launched-the-hindu

‘Piracy is now a mainstream political phenomenon'

praskrishna — 2011-04-02T07:44:40Z

“Piracy has become a mainstream political phenomenon,” said Sunil Abraham, executive director of the Centre for Internet and Society in the city. The piracy that he was referring to was not the piracy of the high seas but the piracy of intellectual property.

Mr. Abraham was speaking at the ‘Resource mela and meet of documentary centres' at the Centre for Education and Documentation (CED). The three-day mela ended on Sunday.

He argued that the process of documentation was a political matter. The theme of his talk was on the tussle between knowledge in the public domain versus its restriction by copyright. Mr. Abraham explained that documentation centres can have four positions vis-à-vis intellectual property restrictions.

The first position could be to agree with the existing law on intellectual property and defend the interests of those who own those rights.

A second position could be to acknowledge the usefulness of copyright laws while balancing it with the interests of the creator, entrepreneur, consumer and the general public. This balancing act is being further pushed by three important global campaigns — the right of persons with disabilities to read, the right of student communities to bypass certain copyright restrictions, and the necessities of archivists and librarians.

Moving to the other side of the spectrum, a third position that documentation centres can have is a ‘position of openness' by supporting only freely licensed intellectual property material. The extreme position that can be taken is to dismiss all the laws that exist around intellectual property and freely “pirate” knowledge.

‘No longer shameful'

Arguing from this position, Mr. Abraham said that it was no longer shameful to be known as a “pirate” today. “There are elected members of parties advocating piracy in certain European countries such as Sweden and even in the European Union.”

Mr. Abraham openly advised documentation centres not to greatly concern themselves with copyright issues in their work, as in India no two lawyers would agree on copyright laws while very few cases of copyright infringement actually came up in Indian courts.

He concluded his talk by indicating that there was no global model that could be applied to intellectual property rights “as there is no model that works for everyone everywhere”.

The resource mela was intended to be a multi-dimensional sharing centred around a national network of documentation centres called DCM. The programme was organised by Akshara, Aalochana and CED.

Read the original article in the Hindu

For more details visit https://cis-india.org/news/piracy-political-phenomenon

‘Learn from failed UK NIR project’

praskrishna — 2011-04-01T15:12:12Z

The new government in the UK recently scrapped its decade-long work spending millions of pounds on establishing the National Identity Registration (NIR) number simply because it realised it wasn't workable. This article by Madhumita was published in the Deccan Chronicle on March 22, 2011.

There might just be a lesson in this for India that has begun the ambitious Unique Identification (UID) project. The fact, experts says, is that the technology to make this project work successfully in India, that is attempting to cover the largest biometric registry in the world so far, does not exist, at the moment.

According to Dr Ian Brown, senior research fellow at the Oxford Internet Institute, University of Oxford, there was very little evidence that the NIR in UK met the objectives it laid for the initiative. Dr Brown, who has worked extensively on privacy with regard to biometrics, asserted that in the area of privacy and trust there was already a lot of distrust among citizens concerning identity registration. Additionally the UK government losing the CDs that contained information of 25 million people, led to the debate of data breach, a major issue for India concerning the UID.

“The reasons behind the need for the card included politically popular goals that varied depending on the demands of that political moment. From anti-terrorism to reducing social security fraud, identification fraud, illegal immigration and creating a sense of community, the UK government's response was thin when it came to checking for evidence on the project successfully meeting these objectives. If it was for the largest argument of fitting into the wider perspective of criminal justice and security, then studies have shown that cost-effective measures such as streetlights managed to reduce crime by 30 per cent as against surveillance cameras that reduced crime a mere three per cent in the UK,” stated Dr Brown during a lecture at IISc.

India too has argued the same reasons of terrorism and security along with literacy and eradicating poverty. But where is the evidence that one cannot breach this system? Asked advocate Malavika Jayaram.

Prashant Iyengar of the Centre for Internet and Society (CIS) reiterating this stated that there was no guarantee that an individual's information would be safeguarded. The general consensus was that nobody is opposed to the UID, just its current form.

UK’s NIR disaster

The introduction of the UK’s National Identity Register (NIR) scheme was much debated, and various degrees of concern about the scheme were expressed by human rights lawyers, activists, security professionals and IT experts, as well as politicians.

Many of the concerns focused on the databases which underlie the identity cards rather than the cards themselves.

Biometrics consists of methods for uniquely recognizing humans based upon one or more intrinsic physical or behavioral traits. In computer science, in particular, biometrics is used as a form of identity access management and access control.

It is also used to identify individuals in groups that are under surveillance. India is undertaking an ambitious mega project (the Multipurpose National Identity Card) to provide a unique identification number to each of its 1.25 billion people.

Read the original in the Deccan Chronicle here

For more details visit https://cis-india.org/news/failed-uk-nir-project

ಚರ್ಚೆ: ಕನ್ನಡದಲ್ಲಿ ವಿಜ್ಞಾನ ಹಾಗು ತಂತ್ರಜ್ಞಾನ ಕುರಿತ ಬರವಣಿಗೆ (Discussion: Writing Science and Technology in Kannada)

sachia — 2011-08-20T22:28:28Z

ಭಾನುವಾರ, ಮಾರ್ಚ್ ೨೯ ರಂದು ಸಂಪದ ತಂತ್ರಜ್ಞರ ತಂಡ ಹಾಗು ಸೆಂಟರ್ ಫಾರ್ ಇಂಟರ್ನೆಟ್ ಎಂಡ್ ಸೊಸೈಟಿ ಜೊತೆಗೂಡಿ "ಕನ್ನಡದಲ್ಲಿ ವಿಜ್ಞಾನ ಹಾಗು ತಂತ್ರಜ್ಞಾನ ಬರಹ" ಕುರಿತ ಚರ್ಚೆ ಕಾರ್ಯಕ್ರಮ ಇಟ್ಟುಕೊಂಡಿದ್ದರು. ಈ ಬರಹ ಕಾರ್ಯಕ್ರಮದ ವರದಿ. ಕನ್ನಡ, ಭಾರತದ ಹಲವು ಭಾಷೆಗಳಂತೆ ತಂತ್ರಜ್ಞಾನ, ವಿಜ್ಞಾನ ಮಾಹಿತಿ ಶೇಖರಿಸಿಡಲು ತುಂಬ ಕಡಿಮೆ ಬಳಕೆಯಾಗುತ್ತಿದೆ. ಹೀಗಿರುವಾಗ ಕನ್ನಡ ಭಾಷೆಯನ್ನು ಮಾಹಿತಿ ಸಂಗ್ರಹಿಸಿಡಲು, ವಿಜ್ಞಾನ ತಂತ್ರಜ್ಞಾನ ಕುರಿತ ವಿಷಯಗಳನ್ನು ಹಂಚಿಕೊಳ್ಳಲು ಬಳಸುವಾಗ ಏನೇನು ತೊಂದರೆ ಅಡಚಣೆಗಳನ್ನು ಎದುರಿಸುತ್ತೇವೆ ಎಂಬುದರ ಸುತ್ತ ಚರ್ಚೆ ನಡೆದಿತ್ತು. ಕಾರ್ಯಕ್ರಮದ ಸವಿವರ ವರದಿ ಲೇಖನದಲ್ಲಿದೆ.

ನಮ್ಮದೇ ಸಮುದಾಯದವರನ್ನು ತಲುಪುವುದು ತುಂಬ ಕಷ್ಟ ಎನ್ನುವುದು ನಿಜವಾದ ಸಂಗತಿ. ನಾವೆಲ್ಲ ಬೆಳೆದು ಬಂದ ಜಗತ್ತು ಈಗ ನಮ್ಮನ್ನೆಲ್ಲ ಹತ್ತಿರ ತಂದಿರುವ ಅದೇ ಭಾಷೆಯ ಸುತ್ತ ಪೋಣಿಸಿದ್ದು. ಹೀಗಾಗಿಯೇ ನಾವುಗಳು ಇಲ್ಲಿದ್ದೇವೆ, ನಮ್ಮ ಕೆಲಸಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಬಳಸುವ ಭಾಷೆ ಬೇರೆಯದ್ದಾದರೇನು, ನಮ್ಮ ಭಾಷೆಯ ನಂಟು ಬಿಟ್ಟಿಲ್ಲ! ಸೂಕ್ಷ್ಮ ರೇಖೆಯಂತಿರುವ ಈ "ಭಾಷೆ" ಎಂಬ ಬಂಧ ಬೇರೆ ಬೇರೆ ಆಸಕ್ತಿ, ಬೇರೆ ಬೇರೆ ಅಭಿಪ್ರಾಯಗಳ ಬುತ್ತಿಯನ್ನು ಕಟ್ಟಿ ತರುವ ನಮ್ಮನ್ನೆಲ್ಲ ಅದು ಹೇಗೆ ಹಿಡಿದಿಟ್ಟಿದೆ ಎಂಬುದು ಒಮ್ಮೊಮ್ಮೆ ಆಶ್ಚರ್ಯ ಹುಟ್ಟಿಸುತ್ತದೆ.
ಕಾರ್ಯಕ್ರಮದ ದಿನದಂದು ಕಂಡುಬಂದ ಮುಖಗಳು ಸಂಖ್ಯೆಯ ಲೆಕ್ಕದಲ್ಲಿ ನಮಗೆ ಕೊಂಚ ಬೇಸರ ಮೂಡಿಸಿದರೂ, ಆ ದಿನ "ಕನ್ನಡದಲ್ಲಿ ವಿಜ್ಞಾನ ಹಾಗು ತಂತ್ರಜ್ಞಾನ ಕುರಿತ ಬರವಣಿಗೆ"ಯ ಸುತ್ತ ಒಂದು ಉತ್ತಮ ಚರ್ಚೆ ನಡೆದದ್ದು ಖುಷಿ ಕೊಟ್ಟಿತು. ಉದ್ದೇಶ ಇದ್ದದ್ದು ಹೀಗೆ ಬರೆಯಲು ಇಂಟರ್ನೆಟ್ ಬಳಸುವುದು ಹೇಗೆ? ಮತ್ತು ತದನಂತರ ಇಂಟರ್ನೆಟ್ಟಿನಿಂದ ಹೊರಗೆ, ಇಂಟರ್ನೆಟ್ ವ್ಯಾಪ್ತಿಯಿಲ್ಲದೆಡೆಗೆ ಅದನ್ನು ವಿಸ್ತರಿಸುವುದು ಹೇಗೆ ಎನ್ನುವುದರ ಸುತ್ತ. ಚರ್ಚೆ ನಡೆದದ್ದು ಭಾನುವಾರ ೨೯, ೨೦೦೯, ಸೆಂಟರ್ ಫಾರ್ ಇಂಟರ್ನೆಟ್ ಎಂಡ್ ಸೊಸೈಟಿ, ಕನ್ನಿಂಗ್ಹಾಮ್ ರೋಡಿನಲ್ಲಿ.

ಅಂದು ನಾವು ಕನ್ನಿಂಗ್ಹಾಮ್ ರೋಡಿಗೆ ಹೊರಟು ನಿಂತಾಗ ನಮಗದು 'ಮತ್ತೊಂದು ಭಾನುವಾರ'. ಆದರೂ ಎಷ್ಟು ಜನ ಬರುತ್ತಾರೋ, ಯಾರು ಯಾರು ಬರುವರು ಎಂಬ ಕುತೂಹಲ ನಮಗೆ! ನಾವುಗಳು ಎಲ್ಲರಿಗೂ ಆಮಂತ್ರಣ ಕಳುಹಿಸಿದ್ದೇ ಕೊಂಚ ತಡವಾಗಿ! ಕಾರ್ಯಕ್ರಮದ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ತಿಳಿಸಲು ಒಂದು ವಾರ ಕೂಡ ಇರಲಿಲ್ಲ. ಅದಕ್ಕೆ ಸೇರಿಕೊಂಡಂತೆ ಮೂರು ದಿನ ರಜೆ ಬೇರೆ - ಯುಗಾದಿ, ಶನಿವಾರ ಮತ್ತು ಭಾನುವಾರ!

ಆದರೆ ಆ ಭಾನುವಾರ ವಿಶೇಷ ದಿನವೆನಿಸಿದ್ದು ಹೌದು. ನಮ್ಮ ನೆಚ್ಚಿನ ವಿಷಯಗಳು - ತಂತ್ರಜ್ಞಾನ, ಕನ್ನಡ ಇವುಗಳೊಡನೆ - ಅಂತರ್ಜಾಲ ಕೂಡ ಬೆರೆತದ್ದಲ್ಲದೆ ಅವುಗಳ ಕುರಿತು ಉತ್ತಮ ಚರ್ಚೆ ನಡೆದದ್ದು ನಮ್ಮೆಲ್ಲರ ಮನಸ್ಸಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಅಚ್ಚಾಗಿ ಉಳಿಯುವ ನಿಮಿಷಗಳು.

ಮೊದಲ ಅವಧಿ ಕನ್ನಡದಲ್ಲಿ ತಂತ್ರಾಂಶಗಳು ಹಾಗು ಅದರ ಸುತ್ತ ಇರುವ ತಂತ್ರಜ್ಞಾನದ ಕುರಿತು ಬರೆಯುವ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಮಾತುಕತೆ ಎಂಬುದಾಗಿತ್ತು ನಮ್ಮ ಉದ್ದೇಶ. ನಾನು ಕೊಟ್ಟ ಒಂದು ಪುಟ್ಟ ಪೀಠಿಕೆಯ ನಂತರ ಪತ್ರಕರ್ತ ಗೆಳೆಯರಾದ ಇಸ್ಮಾಯಿಲ್ ಚರ್ಚೆ ಪ್ರಾರಂಭಿಸಿದರು, ಚರ್ಚೆ ತಂತ್ರಾಂಶಗಳ ಕುರಿತು ಹೇಗೆ ಬರೆಯುವುದು ಎಂಬುದರ ಸುತ್ತ ನಡೆಯಿತು. ಹಲವು ವಿಷಯಗಳು ಚರ್ಚೆಗೆ ಬಂದವು. ತೀರ ಗ್ರಾಂಥಿಕವಾದ ಅನುವಾದ ಮಾಡಬೇಕಿಲ್ಲ ಎಂಬ ವಿಷಯವನ್ನು ಇಸ್ಮಾಯಿಲ್ ಕೂಡಲೆ ಪ್ರಸ್ತಾಪಿಸಿದರು. ಈಗಾಗಲೇ ಬಳಕೆಯಲ್ಲಿರುವ ಕೆಲವು ಪದಗಳು ಅವು ಇದ್ದಂತೆಯೇ ಬಳಸಬಹುದು ಎಂಬ ವಿಷಯವನ್ನು ಮುಂದಿಟ್ಟರು. ಅತಿಯಾದ ಸಂಸ್ಕೃತ ಬಳಸಿ ತಂತ್ರಜ್ಞಾನದ ಪದಗಳನ್ನು ಅನುವಾದ ಮಾಡುವ, ಹೊಸ ಹೊಸ ಪದಗಳನ್ನು ರಚಿಸುವ ಮನೋಭಾವ ಪ್ರಶ್ನಿಸಿದರು. ಅದೇ ಸಮಯ ಹಳೆಗನ್ನಡ ಬಳಸಿಯೂ ಹೀಗೆಯೇ ಮಾಡಲಾಗುತ್ತಿರುವ ಮತ್ತೊಂದು extreme ಕುರಿತು ಗಮನ ಸೆಳೆಯುವ ಎಂದಿದ್ದೆ - ಅಷ್ಟರೊಳಗೆ ಚರ್ಚೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಮತ್ತಷ್ಟು ದನಿ, ಅಭಿಪ್ರಾಯಗಳು ಬೆರೆತು ಮಾತುಕತೆ ಮುನ್ನಡೆದು ಹೋಗಿತ್ತು. ಒಟ್ಟಾರೆ, ಪರ್ಯಾಯ ಪದಗಳಿಲ್ಲದ ಸಮಯ, ಗೊಂದಲ ಮೂಡಿಸುವಂತಹ ಪದಗಳಿರುವ ಸಮಯ, ಆಗಲೇ ಬಳಕೆಯಲ್ಲಿರುವ ಇಂಗ್ಲೀಷ್ ಪದಗಳನ್ನೇ ಬಳಸುವುದು ಎಂಬ ವಿಷಯಕ್ಕೆ ಬೆಂಬಲ ಸಿಕ್ತು. ಚರ್ಚೆ ನಡೆಯುತ್ತಿದ್ದ ಸಮಯ ಕಳೆದ ಚುನಾವಣೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಬಿಜೆಪಿಯ "Feel Good Factor" ಕನ್ನಡಕ್ಕೆ ಅನುವಾದಗೊಳ್ಳುವಾಗ ಪತ್ರಿಕೆಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಏನೆಲ್ಲ ಅನಾಹುತಕ್ಕೀಡುಮಾಡಿತ್ತು, ಏನೆಲ್ಲ ಗೊಂದಲ ಹುಟ್ಟುಹಾಕಿತ್ತು ಎಂಬ ವಿಷಯ ಪ್ರಸ್ತಾಪವಾಯಿತು. ಓದುಗರಿಗೆ ಸರಿಯಾಗಿ ಅರ್ಥವಾಗದೇ ಇದ್ದದ್ದಷ್ಟೇ ಅಲ್ಲ, ಆಗ ಪತ್ರಕರ್ತರು ಬರೆದ ವಿಷಯ ಓದುಗರಿಗೆ ಸರಿಯಾಗಿ ತಲುಪದೇ ಹೋಗಿತ್ತು ಕೂಡ. ಈ ವಿಷಯ ಈಗ ನಗಣ್ಯವೆನಿಸಬಹುದು, ಆದರೆ ಮಾಹಿತಿ ತಲುಪಿಸುವಾಗ ಈ ಚಿಕ್ಕ ಸಮಸ್ಯೆಯೂ ಪ್ರಮುಖ ವಿಷಯವಾಗಬಹುದು.

ನಂತರ ತಂತ್ರಜ್ಞಾನ ಕುರಿತು ಬರೆಯುವಾಗ ಮತ್ತೆ ಮತ್ತೆ ಎದುರಾಗುವ ತೊಂದರೆಗಳು, ಬರೆಯುವ ಉತ್ಸಾಹವನ್ನೇ ಹೋಗಲಾಡಿಸುವಂತಹ ತೊಂದರೆಗಳು - ಈ ಕುರಿತು ಚರ್ಚೆ ಮುಂದುವರೆಯಿತು.

ಇಸ್ಮಾಯಿಲ್ ಹಾಕಿದ ಪ್ರಶ್ನೆ: "ಪ್ರೊಜೆಕ್ಟರನ್ನು ಕನ್ನಡದಲ್ಲಿ ಏನಂತ ಕರೆಯುತ್ತೀರಿ?" ಬರವಣಿಗೆಯ ಮೂಲ ಉದ್ದೇಶದ ಕುರಿತು ಗಮನ ಹರಿಸಬೇಕಾದ ಅವಶ್ಯಕತೆ, ಭಾಷೆಯನ್ನು 'ಶುದ್ಧ'ವಾಗಿಟ್ಟುಕೊಳ್ಳುವುದಕ್ಕಿಂತ ಮುಖ್ಯವಾದದ್ದು ಎಂಬುದನ್ನು ಒಪ್ಪುವಂತೆ ಮಾಡಿತ್ತು.

ನಡುವೆ ಕೆಲವು ಸ್ವತಂತ್ರ ತಂತ್ರಾಂಶಗಳ ಕುರಿತು, ಅದರಲ್ಲಿ ಕನ್ನಡವನ್ನು ಬಳಸುವ, ಕನ್ನಡದಲ್ಲಿ ಅದನ್ನು ಬಳಸುವ ಕುರಿತು ಚರ್ಚೆ ನಡೆಯಿತು.

ನಾಗೇಶ ಹೆಗಡೆಯವರು ಮಧ್ಯಾಹ್ನದ ಅವಧಿಗೆ ಜೊತೆಗೂಡಿದರು, ಚರ್ಚೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಪಾಲ್ಗೊಂಡರು. ಕನ್ನಡದಲ್ಲಿ ತಂತ್ರಜ್ಞಾನ ಹಾಗು ವಿಜ್ಞಾನ ಬರಹಗಳನ್ನು ಚರ್ಚಿಸುವಾಗ ನಾಗೇಶ ಹೆಗಡೆಯವರ ಹೆಸರಿಲ್ಲದೆ ನಡೆಯದು. ಸ್ವತಃ ಅವರೇ ಚರ್ಚೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಭಾಗವಹಿಸಿದ್ದು ಒಂದು ಅಪೂರ್ವ ಕ್ಷಣ.

ಕನ್ನಡ ಪ್ರಭದ ಕಾರ್ಯನಿರ್ವಾಹಕ ಸಂಪಾದಕರಾದ ರವಿ ಹೆಗಡೆ ಕೂಡ ಎರಡನೇ ಅವಧಿಯ ಚರ್ಚೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಪಾಲ್ಗೊಂಡರು. ಎರಡನೆಯ ಅವಧಿ ಕನ್ನಡದಲ್ಲಿ ಪರಿಸರದ ಸುತ್ತ ಬರೆಯುವ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಮಾತುಕತೆಯಿಂದ ಪ್ರಾರಂಭವಾದದ್ದು. ಅಲ್ಲಿಂದ ಚರ್ಚೆ ಡೇಟ ಸೆಂಟರುಗಳು ಗ್ಲೋಬಲ್ ವಾರ್ಮಿಂಗಿಗೆ ಎಷ್ಟು ಕಾಣಿಕೆ ನೀಡುತ್ತಿದೆ ಎನ್ನುವಲ್ಲಿಂದ ಗೂಗಲ್ ವರೆಗೂ ಮುಟ್ಟಿತು. ಅಂತರ್ಜಾಲ ಬಳಸುವವರ ಪ್ರೈವೆಸಿಗಿರುವ ತೊಂದರೆಗಳ ಕುರಿತು ಚರ್ಚೆ ನಡೆಯಿತು. ಆ ನಂತರ ಆರ್ ಟಿ ಐ (ರೈಟ್ ಟು ಇನ್ಫರ್ಮೇಶನ್ ಆಕ್ಟ್) ಕುರಿತ ಚರ್ಚೆ ನಡೆಯಿತು. ಕನ್ನಡದಲ್ಲಿ ಆರ್ ಟಿ ಐ ಕುರಿತ ಮಾಹಿತಿ, ಸಹಾಯ ಪುಟಗಳ ಅಗತ್ಯವಿರುವ ಕುರಿತು ಚರ್ಚೆ ನಡೆಯಿತು. ತದನಂತರ ಸ್ವತ್ರಂತ್ರ ತಂತ್ರಾಂಶಗಳಾಗಿ ಲಭ್ಯವಿರುವ ಪರ್ಯಾಯ ಆಯ್ಕೆಗಳ ಕುರಿತು ಮಾತುಕತೆ ನಡೆಯಿತು. ಗ್ನು/ಲಿನಕ್ಸ್ ಹಾಗು ಅದರಲ್ಲಿ ಕನ್ನಡದ ಸುತ್ತ ಲಭ್ಯವಿರುವ ತಂತ್ರಾಂಶಗಳು, ಪದ್ಮ (ಕನ್ವರ್ಶನ್ ಮಾಡಲು ಬಳಸಬಹುದಾದ ತಂತ್ರಾಂಶ) ಹಾಗು ಉದಯೋನ್ಮುಖ ಬರಹಗಾರರಿಗೆ, ಪತ್ರಕರ್ತರಿಗೆ ಉಪಯೋಗವಾಗಬಹುದಾದ ಕೆಲವು ಪ್ಲಗಿನ್ನುಗಳು - ಇವುಗಳ ಕುರಿತು ಚರ್ಚೆ ನಡೆಯಿತು. ಕೊನೆಗೆ ಕಂಪ್ಯೂಟರನ್ನು ಪ್ಲಾನೆಟೋರಿಯಂನಂತೆಯೇ ಮಾಡಿಬಿಡುವ ಸ್ಟೆಲೇರಿಯಂ ಎಂಬ ತಂತ್ರಾಂಶದ ಕುರಿತು ಚರ್ಚೆ ನಡೆಯಿತು - ಒಂದು ದೃಶ್ಯಾವಳಿ ಕೂಡ ಇತ್ತು (ಸ್ಟೆಲೇರಿಯಂ ಒಂದು 'ಸ್ವತಂತ್ರ' ತಂತ್ರಾಂಶ).

ಚರ್ಚೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ನಾಗೇಶ ಹೆಗಡೆಯವರು ಹಲವು ಪ್ರಮುಖ ವಿಷಯಗಳನ್ನು ಮುಂದಿಟ್ಟರು. ಬರವಣಿಗೆ ಹೊಸ ರೂಪದಲ್ಲಿ ಬರುತ್ತಿರಬೇಕು, ಹೊಸ ನೆಲೆಗಳನ್ನು ಕಂಡುಕೊಂಡು ಮುಂದುವರೆಯುತ್ತಿರಬೇಕು, ಹಳತನ್ನು ಅಥವ ಮತ್ತೊಬ್ಬರ ಬರವಣಿಗೆ ಶೈಲಿಯನ್ನು ನಕಲು ಮಾಡುವಂತಿರಬಾರದು ಎಂಬುದರ ಕುರಿತು ಅವರು ಹೇಳಿದ ಮಾತುಗಳು ನನ್ನ ನೆನಪಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಅಚ್ಚುಳಿದದ್ದು. ತಂತ್ರಜ್ಞಾನದ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಬರೆಯುವುದಷ್ಟೇ ಅಲ್ಲ, ಅದರ ಬಳಕೆ (ಹೇಗೆ, ಎಲ್ಲೆಲ್ಲಿ ಇತ್ಯಾದಿ), ಅದರಿಂದಾಗುವ ಬೆಳವಣಿಗೆಗಳು, ತೊಡರುಗಳು - ಈ ಕುರಿತು ಬರೆಯುವುದು ಕೂಡ ಅಷ್ಟೇ ಮುಖ್ಯ ಎಂದರು. ರವಿ ಹೆಗಡೆಯವರು ಬ್ಲಾಗುಗಳು ಸಾಂಪ್ರದಾಯಿಕ ಮಾಧ್ಯಮ ಮುಟ್ಟುವ ಎಷ್ಟೋ ಓದುಗರನ್ನು ಮುಟ್ಟುವುದಿಲ್ಲ ಎಂಬುದರ ಕುರಿತು ತಿಳಿಸುತ್ತ ಅಂತರ್ಜಾಲದಲ್ಲಿ ಬರೆಯುವವರು ಹೆಚ್ಚು ಹೆಚ್ಚು ಸಾಂಪ್ರದಾಯಿಕ ಮಾಧ್ಯಮಗಳಲ್ಲಿ, ಟಿವಿ, ಪುಸ್ತಕ ಇತ್ಯಾದಿಗಳಲ್ಲೂ ತಂತ್ರಜ್ಞಾನ ಹಾಗು ವಿಜ್ಞಾನ ವಿಷಯಗಳ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಬರೆದು ಮಾಹಿತಿ ಹಂಚಿಕೊಳ್ಳಬೇಕು ಎಂದರು. ಅಂತರ್ಜಾಲದ ಸಾಮರ್ಥ್ಯ ಬಳಸಿ ಹೇಗೆ ಸಮುದಾಯ ಹೊಸ ಹೆಜ್ಜೆಗಳನ್ನಿಟ್ಟು ಬದಲಾವಣೆಗಳನ್ನು ತರಬಹುದು, ಇಲ್ಲಿಂದ ಪ್ರಾರಂಭಿಸಿ ಹೊರನಡೆದು ಹೇಗೆ ರಾಜ್ಯದ ಎಲ್ಲ ಭಾಗಗಳನ್ನು ಮುಟ್ಟಬಹುದು ಎಂಬುದರ ಕುರಿತು ಸಹ ಚರ್ಚೆ ನಡೆಯಿತು. ಈ ರೀತಿಯ ಸಮುದಾಯ ಪ್ರಯತ್ನಗಳು ಹೆಚ್ಚು ದೂರ ಅನಿಸಲಿಲ್ಲ ನಮಗೆ - ಅಂದು ಜೊತೆಗೂಡಿದ್ದ ನಮ್ಮಲ್ಲಿ ಹಲವರಿಗೆ ಇತರರ ಪರಿಚಯವಾದದ್ದು ಕೂಡ ಅಂತರ್ಜಾಲದ ಮೂಲಕವೇ... 'ನಮ್ಮ ಭಾಷೆ' ಎಂಬ ಒಂದು ಆಸಕ್ತಿಯ ಸುತ್ತ ಹೆಣೆದು.
ಅಲ್ಲದೆ ಈಗಾಗಲೇ ಹಲವು ಸಮುದಾಯ ಪ್ರಯತ್ನಗಳು ಅಂತರ್ಜಾಲದಲ್ಲಿ ಪ್ರಾರಂಭಗೊಂಡು ಹೊರಗಿನ ಜನರಿಗೂ ತಲುಪುತ್ತಿರುವುದು.

ಚರ್ಚೆ ಅನೌಪಚಾರಿಕವಾಗಿ ಪ್ರಾರಂಭವಾದದ್ದಲ್ಲದೆ ಹಾಗೆಯೇ ಮುಗಿದದ್ದು ನಮಗೆಲ್ಲ ಒಂದು ರೀತಿಯ ಆಶ್ಚರ್ಯ, ಖುಷಿ ತಂದಿತು. ಕಾರ್ಯಕ್ರಮಗಳು, ಮಾತುಕತೆ ಎಂದರೆ ಎಂದಿನಂತೆ ಕೆಲವರ ಮಾತು - ಇನ್ನುಳಿದವರು ಕುಳಿತು ಕೇಳಿಸಿಕೊಳ್ಳುವುದು ಎಂಬಂತೆ. ಆದರೆ ಈ ದಿನದ ಮಾತುಕತೆ ವಿಭಿನ್ನವಾಗಿದ್ದು, ಎಲ್ಲರಿಗೂ ತಮ್ಮ ಅಭಿಪ್ರಾಯ ಮಂಡಿಸುವ ಸ್ವಾತಂತ್ರ ನೀಡಿತು. ಅಲ್ಲದೆ, ನಮ್ಮ ಮನಸ್ಸಿನ ಮುಂದೆ ಹಾದೂ ಹೋಗಿರದಂತಹ ಕೆಲವು ವಿಷಯಗಳು ಮತ್ತೊಬ್ಬರ ಮಾತಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಕೇಳಿಬಂದಾಗ ಉಪಯೋಗವಾಗುವ ಸಾಧ್ಯತೆಗಳು ಇಲ್ಲಿದ್ದವು. ಇದನ್ನೆಲ್ಲ ಸಾಧ್ಯವಾಗಿಸಿದ ಸೆಂಟರ್ ಫಾರ್ ಇಂಟರ್ನೆಟ್ ಎಂಡ್ ಸೊಸೈಟಿಯವರಿಗೆ ಎಷ್ಟು ಥ್ಯಾಂಕ್ಸ್ ಹೇಳಿದರೂ ಸಾಲದು. ಕಾರ್ಯಕ್ರಮ ನಡೆಸಲು ಜಾಗ ಕೊಟ್ಟಿದ್ದಲ್ಲದೆ ಮಧ್ಯಾಹ್ನದ ಊಟ, ಬೆಳಗಿನ ಕಾಫಿ ಮುಂತಾದವುಗಳನ್ನೂ ಅವರೇ ವಹಿಸಿಕೊಂಡಿದ್ದರು! ಇಷ್ಟೆಲ್ಲ ಪ್ರೋತ್ಸಾಹ ನೀಡುವುದಲ್ಲದೆ ಕಾರ್ಯಕ್ರಮ ಮುಕ್ತ, ಸ್ವತಂತ್ರ ಹಾಗು ಸಾಂಪ್ರದಾಯಿಕವಲ್ಲದಂತೆ ನಡೆಸುವಲ್ಲಿ ಇವರ ಸಹಕಾರ ಮರೆಯಲಾಗದ್ದು. ಒಂದು ರೀತಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಕಾರ್ಯಕ್ರಮ ಸಾಧ್ಯವಾದದ್ದು ಇವರಿಂದಲೇ.

ಅಂದು ಭಾಗವಹಿಸಿ ಚರ್ಚೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಪಾಲ್ಗೊಂಡ ಎಲ್ಲರಿಗೂ ವಂದನೆಗಳು, ಅಭಿನಂದನೆಗಳು. ಮುಂದೊಮ್ಮೆ, ಮತ್ತೊಮ್ಮೆ ಕಾರ್ಯಕ್ರಮ ಇಟ್ಟುಕೊಂಡಲ್ಲಿ ಇಲ್ಲೇ ಅದರ ಕುರಿತು ಬರೆದು ನಿಮಗೆ ತಿಳಿಸುತ್ತೇವೆ. ಈ ಬಾರಿ ಕಾರಣಾಂತರಗಳಿಂದ ಭಾಗವಹಿಸಲಾಗದವರು ಆಗ ಪಾಲ್ಗೊಳ್ಳಬಹುದು. ನವ ಚಿಗುರಾಗಿ ಹಳೆ (ಬೀರ್ ಅಲ್ಲ) ಬೇರಿನ ನಂಟು ಬಿಡದೆ ಹೊಸತನ್ನು ಕಾಣುತ್ತ ಹೊಸ ಹೆಜ್ಜೆ ಇಡೋಣ, ಒಟ್ಟಾಗಿ!

-- Hari Prasad Nadig

Hari Prasad Nadig is an independent software developer and consultant specialising in GNU/Linux and web based development. He is a sysop and bureaucrat at Kannada Wikipedia, and was also an active editor starting from its initial version in September 2004. In 2005, he started Sampada, a community of Kannada speaking people; he is also the founding member of Sampada Foundation.

For more details visit https://cis-india.org/events/event-blogs/writing-science-and-technology-in-kannada

ಕೃಷಿ ಸಂಪದ - ಇ-ಮ್ಯಾಗಜೀನ್ ಬಿಡುಗಡೆ

radha — 2011-08-02T07:15:54Z

ಪರಿಸರ ಬರಹಗಾರ ನಾಗೇಶ್ ಹೆಗಡೆ ಅವರು ಕಂಪ್ಯೂಟರಿನ ಸ್ವಿಚ್ ಒತ್ತಿ ಪರದೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಡಿಜಿಟಲ್ ಪುಟ ಬೆಳಗಿ "ಕೃಷಿ ಸಂಪದ" ಇ-ಮ್ಯಾಗಜೀನನ್ನು ಇಂಟರ್ನೆಟ್ ಲೋಕಕ್ಕೆ ಅರ್ಪಿಸಿದರು.

"ನಮ್ಮ ಪಾರಂಪರಿಕ ಜ್ಞಾನವನ್ನು ರಕ್ಷಿಸಲಿಕ್ಕಾಗಿ ಮಾಹಿತಿ ತಂತ್ರಜ್ಞಾನ ಮತ್ತು ಸಂವಹನದ ತಂತ್ರಜ್ಞಾನವನ್ನು ಸಮರ್ಥವಾಗಿ ಬಳಸಿಕೊಳ್ಳಬೇಕಾಗಿದೆ. ಇಂಟರ್ನೆಟ್ನಲ್ಲಿ ಪ್ರಕಟವಾಗುವ ಇ-ಮ್ಯಾಗಜೀನಗಳು ಈ ನಿಟ್ಟಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಪ್ರಧಾನಪ್ರಾತ್ರವಹಿಸಬಲ್ಲವು. ಅದಕ್ಕಾಗಿ ಕನ್ನಡದ ಮೊದಲ ಕೃಷಿ ಇ-ಮ್ಯಾಗಜೀನ್ "ಕೃಷಿ ಸಂಪದ" ವನ್ನು ಇಂದು ಬಿಡುಗಡೆ ಮಾಡಲು ಸಂತೋಷವಾಗುತ್ತಿದೆ" ಎಂಬ ಮಾತುಗಳೊಂದಿಗೆ ಪರಿಸರ ಬರಹಗಾರ ನಾಗೇಶ್ ಹೆಗಡೆ ಅವರು ಕಂಪ್ಯೂಟರಿನ ಸ್ವಿಚ್ ಒತ್ತಿ ಪರದೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಡಿಜಿಟಲ್ ಪುಟ ಬೆಳಗಿ "ಕೃಷಿ ಸಂಪದ" ಇ-ಮ್ಯಾಗಜೀನನ್ನು ಇಂಟರ್ನೆಟ್ ಲೋಕಕ್ಕೆ ಅರ್ಪಿಸಿದರು.

ನಲವತ್ತು ವರುಷಗಳ ಮುಂಚೆ ಯು.ಎಸ್.ಎ ದೇಶದ ಗಗನಯಾತ್ರಿಗಳು ಚಂದ್ರನ ನೆಲದಲ್ಲಿ ಪ್ರಪ್ರಥಮ ಭಾರಿ ಪಾದಾರ್ಪಣೆ ಮಾಡಿದರು. ಇಡೀ ಜಗತ್ತು ಆ ಘಟನೆಯನ್ನು ಕಾತರದಿಂದ ನಿರೀಕ್ಷಿಸುತ್ತಿತ್ತು. ಮಾನವನೊಬ್ಬ ಚಂದ್ರನ ಮೇಲಿಟ್ಟ ಪುಟ್ಟ ಹೆಜ್ಜೆ ಮನುಕುಲದ ವೈಜ್ಞಾನಿಕ ಪ್ರಗತಿಯ ಪಯಣದ ಪರ್ವತ ಹೆಜ್ಜೆ. ಆ ಕ್ಷಣದಲ್ಲಿ ಭೂಲೋಕದ ಜನರೆಲ್ಲ ಸಂಭ್ರಮಿಸಿದ್ದರು. ಅದೇ ಸಂದರ್ಭದಲ್ಲಿ ಯು.ಎಸ್.ಎ ದೇಶದ ಮಿಲಿಟರಿ ಇನ್ನೊಂದು ಬೃಹತ್ ಯೋಜನೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಮುಳುಗಿತ್ತು - ರಷ್ಯಾ ದೇಶದಿಂದ ಪರಮಾಣು ಬಾಂಬ್ ದಾಳಿ ನೆಡೆದರೆ, ಯು.ಎಸ್.ಎ ದೇಶದ ಸರಕಾರ, ಸೇನಾಪಡೆಗಳು ಹಾಗು ವೈಜ್ಞಾನಿಕ ಪ್ರಗತಿಗೆ ಸಂಬಂಧಿಸಿದ ಅಗಾಧ ಮಾಹಿತಿಯನ್ನು ರಕ್ಷಿಸುವ ಯೋಜನೆ ಅದಾಗಿತ್ತು. ಅದಕ್ಕಾಗಿ ನಾಲ್ಕು ಬೇರೆ ಬೇರೆ ಸ್ಥಳಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಇರಿಸಿದ ಕಂಪ್ಯೂಟರ್ ಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಶೇಖರಿಸಿಟ್ಟರು. ಒಂದು ಕಂಪ್ಯೂಟರ್ ಬಾಂಬ್ ದಾಳಿಯಿಂದ ನಾಶವಾದರೂ ಉಳಿದ ಮೂರು ಕಂಪ್ಯೂಟರ್ಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಅಗಾಧ ಮಾಹಿತಿ ಸುರಕ್ಷಿತವಾಗಿ ಉಳಿದಿರುತ್ತಿತ್ತು. ಈ ಪ್ರಾಜೆಕ್ಟಿಗೆ ಅರ್ಪಾನೆಟ್(ARPANET) ಎಂದು ಹೆಸರಿಡಲಾಗಿತ್ತು.ಇದುವೇ ಮುಂದೆ ಇಂಟರ್ನೆಟ್ ಆಗಿ ಬೆಳೆಯಿತು. ಇಂದು ಕನ್ನಡದ ಮಟ್ಟಿಗೆ ಅದೇ ರೀತಿಯ ಸಂಭ್ರಮ. ಕೃಷಿ ಹಾಗು ಗ್ರಾಮೀಣರಂಗಗಳ ಅಗಾಧ ಮಾಹಿತಿಯನ್ನು ಡಿಜಿಟಲ್ ರೂಪದಲ್ಲಿ ಸಂಗ್ರಹಿಸಿಡುವ ಮಹಾತ್ವಾಕಾಂಕ್ಷೆಯ "ಕೃಷಿ ಸಂಪದ" ಯೋಜನೆ ಅನಾವರಣಗೊಂಡದ್ದು ನಾವೆಲ್ಲ ಹೆಮ್ಮೆ ಪಡಬೇಕಾದ ಬೆಳವಣಿಗೆ ಎಂದು ನಾಗೇಶ್ ಹೆಗಡೆಯವರು ಅಭಿಪ್ರಾಯಪಟ್ಟರು.

ಸಾವಿರಾರು ಕನ್ನಡ ಅಭಿಮಾನಿಗಳು ಸದಸ್ಯರಾಗಿರುವ ಇಂಟರ್ನೆಟ್ ಸಮುದಾಯ "ಸಂಪದ". ಇದರದೇ ಒಂದು ಭಾಗವಾದ ಕೃಷಿ ಸಂಪದದ ಹೊಸದೊಂದು ಯೋಜನೆ "ಕೃಷಿ ಸಂಪದ" ಎಂಬ ಇ-ಮ್ಯಾಗಜೀನ್. ಇದು "ಕ್ರಿಯೇಟೀವ್ ಕಾಮನ್ಸ್" ಲೈಸೆನ್ಸ್ ನಲ್ಲಿ ಪ್ರಕಟವಾಗುತ್ತಿರುವ ಪ್ರಥಮ ಕನ್ನಡದ ಇ-ಮ್ಯಾಗಜೀನ್. ಆದ್ದರಿಂದ ಇದರಲ್ಲಿರುವ ಕಂಟೆಂಟನ್ನು (ಬರಹಗಳು, ಪೊಟೋಗಳು ಇತ್ಯಾದಿ) ಯಾರುಬೇಕಾದರೂ "ಇದ್ದದ್ದು ಇದ್ದ ಹಾಗೆ" ಮರುಬಳಕೆ ಮಾಡಬಹುದು. ಅಂದರೆ ಲಾಭರಹಿತ ಉದ್ದೇಶಗಳಿಗಾಗಿ ಮರುಪ್ರಕಟಿಸಬಹುದು ಅಥವಾ ಪ್ರತಿಗಳನ್ನು ತೆಗೆದು ಆಸಕ್ತರಿಗೆ ಹಂಚಬಹುದು ಎಂದು "ಸಂಪದ" ತಂಡದ ಪರವಾಗಿ ಹರಿಪ್ರಸಾದ್ ನಾಡಿಗ್ ಆರಂಭದಲ್ಲಿ ತಿಳಿಸಿದರು.

ಇದೇ ಸಂದರ್ಭದಲ್ಲಿ ಕೃಷಿ ಸಂಪದದ ಸಂಪಾದಕರಾದ ಅಡ್ಡೂರು ಕೃಷ್ಣರಾವ್ ರವರು, ಕೃಷಿ ಹಾಗು ಗ್ರಾಮೀಣ ಬದುಕಿನ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಕಾಳಜಿಯಿರುವ ಎಲ್ಲರಿಗೂ ವೇದಿಕೆ ಒದಗಿಸುವ ಉದ್ದೇಶದಿಂದ ಇ-ಮ್ಯಾಗಜೀನ್ ಅನ್ನು ಆರಂಭಿಸಲಾಗಿದೆ ಎಂದು ತಿಳಿಸಿ, ಇದರ ಉದ್ದೇಶಗಳನ್ನು ವಿವರಿಸಿದರು.

ಬೆಂಗಳೂರಿನ "ಕೃಷಿ ತಂತ್ರಜ್ಞರ ಸಂಸ್ಥೆ" ಯಲ್ಲಿ ನೆಡೆದ ಕಾರ್ಯಕ್ರಮದಲ್ಲಿ ಹಲವಾರು ಆಸಕ್ತರು ಭಾಗವಹಿಸಿದ್ದರು. "ಕೃಷಿ ಸಂಪದ" ಬಿಡುಗಡೆಯ ಬಳಿಕ ಜರುಗಿದ ಸಂವಾದದಲ್ಲಿ ಚುರುಕಿನ ಪ್ರಶ್ನೋತ್ತರ ಜರುಗಿತು. ಕಾರ್ಯಕ್ರಮ ಸೆಂಟರ್ ಫಾರ್ ಇಂಟರ್ನೆಟ್ & ಸೊಸೈಟಿ, ಸಂಪದ ಹಾಗು ಕೃಷಿ ತಂತ್ರಜ್ಞರ ಸಂಸ್ಥೆ - ಇವರ ಸಹಯೋಗದಲ್ಲಿ ಆಯೋಜಿಸಲಾಗಿತ್ತು.

ಇ-ಮ್ಯಾಗಜೀನ್ ಪ್ರತಿಯನ್ನು ಕೃಷಿ ಸಂಪದದ ತಾಣದಿಂದ ಡೌನ್ ಲೋಡ್ ಮಾಡಿಕೊಳ್ಳಬಹುದಾಗಿದೆ: http://krushi.sampada.net

ನಿಮ್ಮ ಅನಿಸಿಕೆ ಇತ್ಯಾದಿಗಳನ್ನು ಕೃಷಿಸಂಪದ ತಂಡಕ್ಕೆ ಇ-ಮೈಲ್ ಮೂಲಕ ಕಳುಹಿಸಿ ಕೊಡಬಹುದಾಗಿದೆ: krushi@sampada.net

For more details visit https://cis-india.org/internet-governance/blog/c95cc3cb7cbf-cb8c82caaca6-c87-caeccdcafcbec97c9cca8ccd-caccbfca1cc1c97ca1cc6

નિશાંત શાહ: ડિજિટલ પેઢીનો ઉદય

praskrishna — 2011-08-04T10:31:25Z

‘ડિજિટલ નાગરિક’ તેમને કહેવામાં આવે છે જેણે સામાન્ય જનજીવનમાં ડિજિટલ ટેક્નોલોજીના પ્રવેશ થઈ ગયા બાદ જન્મ લીધો છે. ડિજિટલ નાગરિકો દરેક જગ્યાએ છે. હવે સમય આવી ગયો છે કે આપણે એ જાણવાનો પ્રયાસ કરીએ કે આ લોકો કોણ છે, તેઓ શું કરી રહ્યા છે, તેઓ પોતાના અંગે શું વિચારે છે અને કેવી રીતે તેઓ કશું પણ જાણ્યા વગર આપણા ભવિષ્યને નવો આકાર આપવાનું કામ કરી રહ્યા છે.

એક નવા પ્રકારની ‘ડિજિટલ નાગરિકતા’નો ધીમે-ધીમે ઉદય થઈ રહ્યો છે. ડિજિટલ ટેકનિક આપણી નવી પેઢીના સામાજિક ડીએનએનો એક ભાગ બની ચૂકી છે. આ પેઢીએ ટેક્નોલોજીની દુનિયામાં જ જન્મ લીધો હોવાથી તેમનો તેની સાથેનો સંબંધ તેમની અગાઉની પેઢી જેવો નથી. દુનિયાના ઘણા બધા લોકોને અસર કરનારી ઓગસ્ટની એક ઘટના જાણવા જેવી છે. તેઓ જ્યારે પોતાનાં કમ્પ્યૂટરો,પીડીએ, આઈપેડ અને લેપટોપ પર ઓનલાઈન થયાં ત્યારે તેમને અહેસાસ થયો કે તેમની વાતચીત,ગપ્પાંબાજી, ચેટિંગ, શેરિંગ સહિતની અનેક બાબતોની તાસીર કોઈ પણ જાતની પૂર્વ સૂચના વગર રાતોરાત બદલાઈ ગઈ છે.

એક નાનકડા પરિવર્તને અનેક આયામો ખોલી નાખ્યાં છે. દુનિયાના કરોડો લોકો માટે દોસ્તી કરવાનો, સંબંધ બનાવવાનો, વ્યવસાયિક નેટવર્કની સ્થાપના કરવાનો, મનોરંજનનો, યાદોનો સંગ્રહ કરવાનો અને એક-બીજા સાથે આપ-લેનું માધ્યમ બનેલી વેબસાઈટ ફેસબુકે પોતાના પ્રાયવસી સેટિંગમાં એક નાનકડું પરિવર્તન કરીને અનેક લોકોને નવી સુવિધા પૂરી પાડી છે. જેના દ્વારા તેઓ જ્યાં ઇચ્છે ત્યાં ‘જિયો ટેગ’ (એક એવી પ્રણાલિ જેના દ્વારા ફોટા, વીડિયો, વેબસાઈટ જેવા વિવિધ મીડિયા કે આરએસએસ ફીડમાં ભૌગોલિક ઓળખના ડેટાને જોડી શકાય છે) નો ઉપયોગ કરી શકે છે.

બદલાઈ રહેલી દુનિયામાં આ પ્રકારની સુવિધાઓ મહત્વની બની રહી છે. ડિજિટલ નાગરિકો વચ્ચે આ બાબતો ચર્ચા અને કેટલીક વખત અફવાનો વિષય પણ બની જતી હોય છે, જેની પાછળ ચર્ચા કરવામાં યુવાનો પોતાની ઘણી ઊર્જા ખર્ચી નાખે છે. વેબદુનિયામાં તમને એવા અનેક લોકો મળી જશે જે ટિન ફોઈલની ટોપી પહેરીને ફરતા હોય છે અને નવા માધ્યમમાં જૂની માન્યતાઓ અંગે વાતો કરતા હોય છે. તેમને માટે આ નવી ટેકનિકલ સુવિધાઓનો અર્થ છે રોજિંદા જીવનના અનુભવો અને વિચારોને એક-બીજા સાથે વહેંચવાનો વધુ એક નવો વિચાર.

‘જિયો-ટેગિંગ’ જેવી સુવિધાઓનો ઉપયોગ કરતા લોક વાસ્તવિક જીવન અને કલ્પનાઓની સરહદોને એક-બીજા સાથે મિલાવી દેવાનું પસંદ કરે છે. આપણામાંથી ઘણા લોકો એવા હશે જેમને આ બધી બાબતો વિચિત્ર લાગે એમ છે. તેઓ વિચારશે કે આ પ્રકારની પ્રતિક્રિયાઓનું શું કારણ છે? છેવટે લોકો આટલી સામાન્ય બાબતોમાં કેમ રસ દાખવે છે? આ પ્રકારની ફાલતું બાબતો માટે લોકોને સમય ક્યાંથી મળે છે? જે લોકો ડિજિટલ દુનિયાથી અપરિચિત છે કે જેમને તેની સાથે કોઈ સંબંધ જ નથી, તેમની સામે હું માથું નમાવ્યા સિવાય કશું કરી શકું તેમ નથી.

પરંતુ પોતાનો ઘણો બધો સમય ફેસબુક, માયસ્પેસ અને ટ્વિટર જેવી સોશિયલ નેટવર્કિંગ સાઈટ પર વિતાવનારા, ગેમ્સ રમતા, બ્લોગ લખતા કે બીજાના બ્લોગ પર પોતાનો અભિપ્રાય વ્યક્ત કરતા, પોતાના ફોટો એકાઉન્ટને અપડેટ કરતા રહેતા અને પોતાની ડિજિટલ ઓળખને વધુ વિસ્તારતા રહેતા ‘ડિજિટલ નાગરિકો’ માટે આ તમામ બાબતો અત્યંત મહત્વની છે.

કદાચ તમારામાંથી ઘણા લોકોએ આ અગાઉ ‘ડિજિટલ નાગરિકતા’ અંગે સાંભળ્યું નહીં હોય, પરંતુ આ કોઈ કપોળ કલ્પિત વાત નથી. ‘ડિજિટલ નાગરિક’ તેમને કહેવામાં આવે છે જેણે સામાન્ય જનજીવનમાં ડિજિટલ ટેક્નોલોજીના પ્રવેશ બાદ જન્મ લીધો છે. આ કારણે તે કમ્પ્યૂટર, ઇન્ટરનેટ, મોબાઈલ ફોન, એમપીથ્રી જેવી ટેક્નિકલ સુવિધાઓથી સંપૂર્ણપણે વાકેફ છે. સામાન્ય રીતે ૧૯૭૦ બાદ જન્મેલાને ડિજિટલ પેઢી કહેવામાં આવે છે, પરંતુ ૨૧મી સદીની માહિતી ક્રાંતિમાં ઊછરેલી પેઢી માટે આ વ્યાખ્યા ફિટ બેસે છે.

‘ડિજિટલ નાગરિકતા’ શબ્દનો સૌ પ્રથમ ઉપયોગ માર્ક પ્રેન્સ્કીએ વર્ષ ૨૦૦૧માં પોતાના પુસ્તક ‘ડિજિટલ નોટિંગ્સ, ડિજિટલ ઇમિગ્રન્ટ્સ’માં કર્યો હતો. ડિજિટલ નાગરિકોનાં સામાજિક ગુણસૂત્રોમાં જ આ ટેક્નોલોજી સમાઈ ચૂકી છે. તેની સાથે નવી પેઢી એટલી વણાયેલી છે કે તેમને તે કૃત્રિમ ઉપકરણ નથી લાગતાં. આ ટેક્નોલોજી તેમની જીવનશૈલીનો એક ભાગ બની ચૂકી છે. ‘ડિજિટલ નાગરિકતા’ના સૌથી મોટી ઉંમરના સભ્યો તે છે જેમણે પોતાની ઉંમરના ત્રણ દાયકા પાર કરી દીધા છે.

જ્યારે સૌથી નાની ઉંમરના તેમને કહેવાય જેમણે તાજેતરમાં જ દુનિયાને જાણવા-સમજવાની શરૂઆત કરી છે. શક્ય છે કે દુનિયાનાં અનેક મહત્વનાં દસ્તાવેજોમાં હજુ તેમના નામનો સમાવેશ પણ થયો ન હોય. ડિજિટલ નાગરિકો દરેક જગ્યાએ છે. કદાચ તેઓ એવી માહિતીઓ અને જાણકારીઓના સ્ત્રોત છે જેમને આપણે વિકીપીડિયા પર વાંચીએ છીએ.

ડિજિટલ નાગરિકો સંપૂર્ણ રીતે નવી ટેક્નોલોજીમાં ઊતરી ચૂકેલા છે, નિપુણ છે. તેમને માટે ભૌતિક દુનિયામાંથી આભાસી-કાલ્પનિક દુનિયામાં પહોંચી જવું ડાબા હાથનો ખેલ છે. સમય અને સ્થળની મર્યાદાઓ તેમના માટે કોઈ અર્થ નથી રાખતી. તેઓ ધીમે-ધીમે, ચુપચાપ પરંતુ નિરંતરતાની સાથે આપણી દુનિયાની રૂપરેખાઓને બદલી રહ્યા છે. આ ‘ડિજિટલ નાગરિક’ આપણી દુનિયાના સ્થાયી નાગરિક છે અને હવે તેમની વાતો પર ધ્યાન આપવાનો સમય આવી ગયો છે. આપણે એ જાણવાનો પ્રયાસ કરીએ કે આ લોકો કોણ છે, તેઓ શું કરી રહ્યા છે, તેઓ પોતાના અંગે શું વિચારે છે અને કેવી રીતે તેઓ કશું પણ જાણ્યા વગર આપણા ભવિષ્યને નવો આકાર આપવાનું કામ કરી રહ્યા છે.

નિશાંત શાહ, લેખક સેન્ટર ફોર ઇન્ટરનેટ એન્ડ સોસાયટીના સંશોધન ડાયરેક્ટર છે.

This column on Digital Natives by Nishant Shah appeared in the Gujarati newspaper Divya Bhaskar

For more details visit https://cis-india.org/digital-natives/blog/digital-native-in-divya-bhaskar

Zuckerberg's Plan Spurned as India Backs Full Net Neutrality

praskrishna — 2016-02-15T02:18:54Z

Facebook Inc.’s plans for expansion in India have suffered a major setback.

The article by Adi Narayan and Bhuma Srivastava was published in Bloomberg on February 8, 2016. Pranesh Prakash was quoted.

Telecom regulator bans differential Internet data plans
Facebook had lobbied India to approve its Free Basics plan

After the company spent months lobbying the country to accept its Free Basics service -- a way of delivering a limited Internet that included Facebook, plus some other tools, for no cost -- India’s telecom regulator ruled against any plans from cellular operators that charge different rates to different parts of the Web.

Telecom operators can’t offer discriminatory tariffs for data services based on content, and aren’t allowed to enter into agreements with Internet companies to subsidize access to some websites, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India said in a statement Monday. Companies violating the rules will be fined, it said.

“This is the most extensive and stringent regulation on differential pricing anywhere in the world,” Pranesh Prakash, policy director at the Centre for Internet and Society, said via phone. “Those who suggested regulation in place of complete ban have clearly lost.”

With this decision, India joins countries such as the U.S., Brazil and the Netherlands in passing laws that restrict telecom operators from discriminating Internet traffic based on content. It is a big blow to Facebook’s Internet sampler plan known as Free Basics, which is currently offered in about three dozen countries including Kenya and Zambia, none of which come close to the scale or reach that could’ve been achieved in India.

With 130 million Facebook users, 375 million people online, and an additional 800 million-plus who aren’t, India is the biggest growth market for the social network, which remains blocked in China.

Facebook said in a statement that it’s “disappointed with the outcome.”

Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg said the decision won’t cause Facebook to give up on connecting people to the Internet in India, “because more than a billion people in India don’t have access to the Internet.” The company will continue to focus on its other initiatives, like extending networks using satellites, drones and lasers.

Freebies Curtailed

The rule will put an end to prepaid plans that offered free access to services such as Google searches, the WhatsApp messaging application and Facebook. These packages were popular with low-income users by giving them an incentive to get online, said Rajan Mathews, director general of the lobby group Cellular Operators Association of India.

“These types of plans were being used by operators to meet the policy goals of connecting one billion people,” Matthews said. “With these gone, the government needs to tell us what alternatives are there.”

The regulator’s decision comes after months of public lobbying by Facebook for India to approve Free Basics, which allows customers to access the social network and other services such as education, health care, and employment listings from their phones without a data plan.

Free Basics was criticized by activists who said it threatened net neutrality, the principle that all Internet websites should be equally accessible, and could change pricing in India for access to different websites.

The regulator, which had sought stakeholders’ views, said it was seeking to ensure data tariffs remain content agnostic. Operators will have six months to wind down existing differential pricing services.

Google Unaffected

“Anything on the Internet can’t be priced based on content, applications, source and destination,” R.S. Sharma, the regulator’s chairman, told reporters in New Delhi. Some Internet companies’ plans to offer free WiFi at public venues, like Google Inc.’s project with Indian Railways, are not affected by this ruling, he said.

For Free Basics, one or two carriers in a given country offer the package for free at slow speeds, betting that it will help attract new customers who’ll later upgrade to pricier data plans. In India, Facebook had tied up with Reliance Communications Ltd., though the service was suspended in December as the government solicited comments from proponents and opponents.

Since the government’s telecommunications regulator announced the suspension, Facebook bought daily full-page ads in major newspapers and plastered billboards with pictures of happy farmers and schoolchildren it says would benefit from Free Basics. Zuckerberg has frequently made the case himself via phone or newspaper op-eds, asking that Indians petition the government to approve his service.

Entrepreneurs, business people and activists took to Twitter to share their views after the decision came out on Monday.

“Great to see TRAI backing #NetNeutrality,” Kunal Bahl, founder of Snapdeal.com, one of India’s biggest e-commerce sites, said. “Let’s keep the Internet free and independent.”

For more details visit https://cis-india.org/internet-governance/news/bloomberg-adi-narayan-bhuma-srivastava-february-8-2016-zuckerberg-plan-spurned-as-india-backs-full-net-neutrality

Zuckerberg's India Backlash Imperils Free Global Web Vision

praskrishna — 2016-01-06T14:51:42Z

When Facebook's co-founder proposed bringing free Web services to India, his stated aim was to help connect millions of impoverished people to unlimited opportunity. Instead, critics have accused him of making a poorly disguised land grab in India's burgeoning Internet sector. The growing backlash could threaten the very premise of Internet.org, his ambitious, two-year-old effort to connect the planet.

The blog post by Bhuma Shrivastava was published by NDTV on January 4, 2016. Pranesh Prakash gave inputs.

Indian authorities are circumspect because the Facebook initiative provides access to only a limited set of websites -- undermining the equal-access precepts of net neutrality. The telecommunications regulator is calling for initial comments by Jan 7, extending the deadline from today, on whether wireless carriers can charge differently for data usage across websites, applications and platforms.

Losing this fight could imperil Facebook's Free Basics, which allows customers to access the social network and select services such as Messenger and Microsoft's Bing without a data plan.

"The India fight is helping shape debates elsewhere," said Pranesh Prakash, policy director at the Centre for Internet and Society, a Bangalore-based non-profit advocacy group. "Activists in other countries such as Brazil, Venezuela and Colombia are watching this debate and will seize the momentum created in India."

Zuckerberg's argument for free Web access is based in part on Deloitte research showing that for every 10 people who are connected to the Web, one is lifted out of poverty and one job is created.

Facebook argues that by giving people free access to a small slice of the Internet, they will quickly see the value in paying for the whole thing. Zuckerberg has said his biggest challenge in connecting people to the Web isn't access to cellular networks, but a social hurdle: he needs to prove to people who have never been online that the Internet is useful.

"Who could possibly be against this?" Zuckerberg wrote in an impassioned op-ed in the Times of India this week. "Surprisingly, over the last year there's been a big debate about this in India."

Zuckerberg's pleas underscore what's at stake. Facebook already attracts 1.55 billion people monthly, or about half of the Internet-connected global population. To keep growing, the world's largest social network needs to get more people online. Hence the billions of dollars Facebook is spending on projects to deliver the Web to under-served areas via drones, satellites and lasers. And Internet.org, which now spans 37 nations.

India, as the world's second most populous nation, is arguably the most important piece of Zuckerberg's Free Basics strategy. But the opposition is fierce. Critics note that the Facebook service doesn't offer Web favorites such as Google's search. Facebook has said it would be open to adding more features from competitors, but critics are skeptical of giving the social-networking giant such influence on the Internet.

Critics also say that by offering a limited swath of the Internet at comparatively slow speeds, the company is creating a diluted version of the Web. That could stifle innovation by causing disadvantages for Indian startups building rival apps, or allow Facebook and its telecommunications carrier-partners to act as Internet gatekeepers.

In a sign of the importance he attaches to the issue, Zuckerberg on Tuesday called one of India's most prominent entrepreneurs to make his case.

One97 Communications, the mobile payments startup backed by Alibaba Group Holding, is one of several tech companies that have come out against Facebook's plans.

"We are totally against telcos preferring one developer over another," One97 founder Vijay Shekhar Sharma said in a phone interview before that call. "We are asking for access neutrality. We are hoping that all startups will be treated equally."

Sonia Dhawan, a spokeswoman for One97's payment website Paytm, said the call took place but didn't describe the conversation further. Sharma wasn't available for further comment.

Facebook is now scrambling to drum up support. It's started a "Save Free Basics In India" campaign, asking Indian users to support "digital equality" by filling out a form that shoots an e-mail to regulators. That also has the effect of sending notifications to user's friends unless they opt out.
Facebook has also taken out full-page advertisements, including one featuring a smiling Indian farmer and his family who the ads say used new techniques to double his crop yield.

While countries such as the Philippines have embraced Free Basics, India has been "the outlier and more challenging," Chris Daniels, vice president of Internet.org, said in a Dec. 26 chat on Reddit.

For more details visit https://cis-india.org/internet-governance/news/ndtv-bhuma-shrivastava-january-4-2016-zuckerberg-india-backlash-imperils-free-global-web-vision

Zuckerberg

praskrishna — 2015-10-18T11:54:26Z

Zuckerberg

For more details visit https://cis-india.org/home-images/Zuckerberg.png

Zothan Mawii - COVID-19 and Relief Measures for Gig Workers in India

Zothan Mawii (Tandem Research) — 2020-05-19T05:41:57Z

CIS is cohosted a webinar with Tandem Research on the impact of the COVID-19 response on the gig economy on 9 April 2020. It was a closed door discussion between representatives of workers' unions, labour activists, and researchers working on gig economy and workers' rights to highlight the demands of workers' groups in the transport, food delivery and care work sectors. We saw this as an urgent intervention in light of the disruption to the gig economy caused by the nationwide lockdown to limit proliferation of COVID-19. This is a summary of the discussions that took place in the webinar authored by Zothan Mawii, a Research Fellow at Tandem Research.

Re-posted from Tandem Research (April 14, 2020)

List of Participants

Aayush Rathi, Ambika Tandon and Tasneem Mewa, The Centre for Internet and Society, India (Co-organisers)
Zothan Mawii, Iona Eckstein and Urvashi Aneja, Tandem Research (Co-organisers)
Aditi Surie, Indian Institute for Human Settlements
Astha Kapoor, Aapti Institute
Dharmendra Vaishnav, Indian Delivery Lions (IDL)
Janaki Srinivasan, International Institute of Information Technology, Bangalore
Kaveri Kaliyanda, The University of Sussex
Pradyumna Taduri, Fairwork Foundation
Rakhi Sehgal, Independent researcher
Shaik Salauddin, Indian Federation of App-based Transport Workers (IFAT)
Simiran Lalvani, Independent researcher
Tanveer Pasha, Ola, Taxi 4 Sure and Uber Drivers and Owners’ Association (OTU)
Vinay Sarathy, United Food Delivery Partners’ Union (UFDPU)

What relief measures do gig workers need during this pandemic?

The coronavirus pandemic has the world in its grips, and exposed the fragility of our economic systems and societal structures. The ensuing lockdown and physical distancing measures put in place by states to control the spread of the virus has impacted citizens differently and largely along class lines. While white collar workers remain relatively insulated as they work from home and have their essentials delivered, it has laid bare the vulnerabilities faced by India’s largely informal workforce. Since announcing the lockdown and the exodus of migrant workers from cities, the central and state governments in India have announced a number of relief measures for workers. However, those working on on-demand platforms have been excluded, while relief measures announced by a few platforms are inadequate to provide meaningful protection, leaving workers to fall at the cracks. Tandem Research and the Centre for Internet and Society (CIS) hosted a webinar on 9th April with a group of union leaders and researchers to draft a charter of demands for platforms and government to ensure better protection for gig workers.

We heard from 4 union leaders about the situation facing workers on the ground and the shortcomings of the measures platforms claim to be taking to ensure their workers' safety and protection. This piece recaps some of the issues that were uncovered during the meeting.

Tanveer Pasha, President of Ola, Taxi 4 Sure and Uber Drivers and Owners’ Association (OTU) and Shaik Salauddin, President of the Indian Federation of App-based Transport Workers (IFAT) pointed out that while Ola Cabs and Uber claim to have instructed drivers on safety and hygiene measures and provided personal protective equipment (PPE), in reality their efforts have been wanting. The unions themselves have been conducting these awareness drives while IFAT purchased masks for drivers in Telangana. On-demand food delivery services have also not provided workers with any PPE, although they have been deemed essential workers and must continue to interact with customers and restaurants as they go about their tasks.

High on the list of concerns facing gig workers was income security and the security of their jobs once the lockdown is lifted. Transportation companies Uber and Ola cab have suspended services although some drivers in Bengaluru, working with OTU have pivoted to delivering essential goods or transporting healthcare workers. The number of orders on on-demand food delivery services has dropped drastically too. Gig workers are earning little to no money during this time and have little recourse to savings or other safety nets.

Unions are demanding that workers are paid a sum of money to tide them over during this time, which can be paid back to the platforms without interest. Unions argue that the commissions charged by platform companies can be used to cover these costs and even call for a reduction in the commission after the lockdown is lifted so that workers can recover financially.

Ola Cabs and Zomato have started funds to support their workers, taking donations from the public and from management, but workers are yet to see the benefits of the funds. With little transparency or clarity as to how these funds will operate, unions and workers are left wondering if this is solely a publicity move on the part of platforms. No announcements have been made regarding these funds - who is eligible for the fund? What are the criteria workers will have to meet to receive funds? Will workers have to pay the amount back to the platforms? If yes, will it carry interest? Will workers’ ratings or the hours they’ve logged on the app be used to determine their eligibility?

The government announced a moratorium on EMI and loan repayments, and has directed the RBI to set guidelines. Some state governments have also announced waivers on house rent payments. While these measures should have eased the pressure on gig workers, that hasn’t been the case - informal lenders and non banking financial companies (NBFC) have continued to ask workers for payments, flouting the RBI guidelines. In the absence of enforcement from the government, gig workers are unable to reap the benefits of directives designed to relieve the financial pressure they are currently under.

Delivery workers find themselves in a double bind - they have been deemed essential workers by the government and on-demand services remain up and running. However, with few restaurants remaining open and few orders coming in, they are forced to work long hours for little money, and in risky conditions as roads remain deserted because of the lockdown. Dharmender Vaishnav (Indian Delivery Lions) and Kaveri Kaliyanda (PhD scholar, University of Sussex) raised pertinent questions over the classification of delivery workers as essential workers - Who are the workers essential for? At what personal cost to their health and safety must delivery workers continue to serve the interests of platforms and their middle class customer base? This categorisation also allows on-demand food delivery companies to absolve themselves of the responsibility for ensuring workers receive wages - they can claim services continued to operate and shift the blame onto workers for not logging in. Many of the workers who have gone back to their native towns and villages are anxious that their accounts will be deactivated for not logging in.

These issues facing gig workers will be drafted into a set of demands for platforms and government to provide relief. However, many questions remain unanswered. While these measures may address the hardships gig workers face in the short term, it doesn’t address long standing issues that characterise this line of work. The precarity of gig workers stems from the marginal space they occupy in the labour market. As ‘partners’ or ‘independent contractors’, they are not entitled to social protection measures from the government nor are platforms obliged to provide them. Unlike construction workers or domestic workers-who are also informal workers but enjoy recognition of an organised body and some legislative protections-they remain largely invisible to policymakers and government. Getting gig workers this type of recognition will be crucial to ensure their wellbeing. In Karnataka, there are efforts underway to introduce regulations similar to California’s AB5 bill that recognises gig workers as employers eligible for state and employer sponsored benefits. Gig workers have been included in the draft Code on Social Security. However, regulating platforms to make them more accountable and safeguarding worker welfare is long overdue. It is especially urgent at this time - the economic repression that will follow is likely to push more young jobseekers to the platform economy as a stop gap solution in the absence of suitable employment. The conditions of work platforms engender are far from ideal and should not become the model for jobs in the future.

For more details visit https://cis-india.org/raw/zothan-mawii-covid-19-and-relief-measures-for-gig-workers-in-india

Zomato hack: You need to enhance online security with a password manager

praskrishna — 2017-05-23T15:54:50Z

Hacking incident at Zomato underlines need to employ different passwords for different accounts.

The article by Sanjay Kumar Singh was published in the Business Standard on May 23, 2017.

Recently, food-tech company Zomato suffered a security breach where 17 million user records were stolen, including email addresses and passwords. Such hacking incidents can have wider consequences, including, in the gravest of scenarios, financial losses. They emphasise the need for people to adopt newer protection mechanisms, such as password managers.

In Zomato's case, the passwords are said to be hashed, which means they were converted into unintelligible characters. However, experts say that depending on the hashing protocol used, hashes can be re-engineered to generate the password.

The hacking of one account can have wider ramifications. "By hacking one account, hackers get access to your email ID and password. To save themselves the bother of remembering many passwords, users often use the same password in all their accounts. So, the hackers get access to your email and other accounts. Sometimes, they use your email account to reset the passwords in your other accounts," explains Shomiron Das Gupta of NetMonastery, a threat management provider. He adds that people often store sensitive information, including their net banking and credit card numbers and passwords within their email accounts. Also, on a website like Amazon, you can only view the last four digits of your credit card number. Other websites may not blur this information, in which case hackers would get access to this and other sensitive information.

Experts recommend you create complex passwords and use different ones for different accounts. Since generating complex passwords and remembering them all is difficult, you should use a password manager. Some of the good ones are LastPass, 1Password, Dashlane and TrueKey.

Password managers can generate long and complex passwords that are difficult to replicate. They also remember on your behalf the passwords on all the sites and apps you use. Also, hackers sometimes steal passwords by inserting a malware that copies keystrokes. Since a password manager inputs the password, you don't have to type them in, thereby doing away with the risk of your keystrokes being captured and stolen.

A password manager is a secure vault that stores all your passwords. You get access to the vault with a master password. Instead of remembering many passwords, you have to remember just one.

Browsers like Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox also offer password managers. However, if you wish to use your password manager across browsers and apps, use a third-party one like those mentioned above. And while a password manager that is stored locally is safer, one that is cloud-based is more convenient, since you can use it across devices having internet connection. Password managers also offer two-factor authentication. They either send a password to your phone or generate it on your device. Unless your device also gets stolen, the password manager is difficult to break into.

As for whether password managers are themselves safe, experts concede they are a prime target for hackers who know that the information stored within will be valuable. "The password manager is safe provided you set a strong master password. Your password should have at least 13 characters of which two should be small, two should be in capital, two should be random numbers, and two should be special characters. Using a word that is not there in the dictionary will enhance its strength. Keep changing your master password every three-six months," says Udbhav Tiwari, policy officer at the Centre for Internet and Society, Bengaluru. Since their primary job is to provide security, most password managers do have strong security practices, he adds.

Most password managers offer a free account but you have to pay to use their advanced security features.

For more details visit https://cis-india.org/internet-governance/news/business-standard-sanjay-kumar-singh-may-23-2017-zomato-hack-you-need-to-enhance-online-security-with-a-password-manager