The Centre for Internet and Society
https://cis-india.org
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Mobile Tech 4 Social Change
https://cis-india.org/events/mobile-tech-4-social-change
<b>Mobile Tech 4 Social Change, Bangalore camp is a one-day event and is an exploration of mobile technology to advance social development and social change goals.</b>
<p>Mobile Tech 4 Social Change Camps are local events for people passionate about using mobile technology for social impact and to make the world a better place.</p>
<p><strong>Mobile Tech 4 Social Change Camp in Bangalore includes: </strong></p>
<ul><li>interactive discussions about mobile tech for social good,<br /></li><li>hands-on-demos of mobile apps and tools,<br /></li><li>collaborations about ways to use, deploy, develop and promote mobile technology in health, advocacy, economic development, environment, human rights, and citizen media</li></ul>
<p>Participants for Mobile Tech 4 Social Change barcamps include nonprofits, mobile application developers, researchers, donors, intermediary organizations, and mobile operators.</p>
<p><strong>In short, Mobile Tech 4 Social Change Bangalore Camp is: </strong></p>
<ul><li>A one-day event in Bangalore on September 4, 2009</li><li>An exploration of mobile technology to advance social development and social change goals</li><li>Participatory and interactive</li><li>Open to anyone with passion and interest in the topic</li></ul>
<ul></ul>
<p><strong>Participants</strong></p>
<ul><li>YOU - register today! </li></ul>
<p><strong>Cost</strong></p>
<ul><li>Mobile Tech 4 Social Change camps are grassroots events. We are charging a small fee for this event that is used to offset costs for breakfast and lunch as well as supplies for the camp. If this cost constitutes a huge barrier for you attending, please be in touch so that we can work something out! </li></ul>
<h1><strong>Planners and Sponsors</strong></h1>
<p>Mobile Tech 4 Social Change Bangalore is organized by the following organizations. We are very grateful for this collaboration and support. </p>
<p><img src="http://www.cis-india.org/logo.png" alt="" height="130" width="295" /><img src="http://mobileactive.org/files/images/wlpfulllogo.jpg" alt="" height="123" width="251" /><img src="http://momoamsterdam.files.wordpress.com/2007/04/logo_mobilemonday_hi_res_color.jpg" alt="" height="51" width="130" /> India<img src="http://mobileactive.org/files/images/mobileactivefile73.jpg" alt="" height="168" width="357" /><br /></p>
<p>If you want to be an angel and sponsor this community-supported event, we would love to hear from you!</p>
videos
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<p>
For more details visit <a href='https://cis-india.org/events/mobile-tech-4-social-change'>https://cis-india.org/events/mobile-tech-4-social-change</a>
</p>
No publisher
radha
Internet Governance
2011-04-05T04:32:26Z
Event
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ICTs for Improving Agriculture and Rural Livelihoods
https://cis-india.org/events/icts-for-improving-agriculture-and-rural-livelihoods
<b>CIS is co-hosting a talk by Mr. Michael Riggs (FAO) covering the topic on Information and Communication Technology and
e-Agriculutre and how Rural Livelihoods and Agriculture can benefit from ICTs. </b>
<p>CIS is co-hosting a lecture on ICT for improving Agriculture and Livelihood in the Rural areas, by Mr. Michael Riggs, who is currently an Officer (Knowledge and Information Management) with the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations), Rome.</p>
<p><img class="image-inline image-inline" src="FAOemblem_en.gif/image_preview" alt="FAO" height="206" width="160" /></p>
<p><strong>Brief Introduction of Mr. Michael Riggs: </strong><br />As FAO's Information and Knowledge Management Officer, Mr. Riggs is resposible for initiating and managing collaborations with partners around the Asia-Pacific region to improve sustainable development through the application of modern information and technology. Mr. Riggs has championed the regional e-Agriculture community (<a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="http://www.e-agriculture.org/"><u>www.e-agriculture.org</u></a>) and also manages the regional implementation of FAO's internal knowledge and information exchange strategies, particularly preserving institutional memory and adopting standards for digital information exchange. </p>
<p>Prior to his current post with the FAO, Mr. Riggs has held the following positions:</p>
<ul><li>Information Management Specialist with FAO </li><li>Information Dissemination and Management consultant at APHCA </li><li>Director, New Business Development at Green Cross Corporation.</li></ul>
<p>Mr. Riggs has advanced degrees in both economics and organizational management and specialises in:</p>
<ul><li>Knowledge sharing methods and tools </li><li>Catalyzing communities of practice and international collaboration </li><li>Conceptualizing and communicating new ideas </li><li>Information surveys </li><li>Building individual and organizational capacity in ICT4D </li></ul>
<p> </p>
<strong>VIDEO</strong>
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<p>
For more details visit <a href='https://cis-india.org/events/icts-for-improving-agriculture-and-rural-livelihoods'>https://cis-india.org/events/icts-for-improving-agriculture-and-rural-livelihoods</a>
</p>
No publisher
radha
Internet Governance
2011-10-21T06:48:23Z
Event
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On the Internet, how much is too much?
https://cis-india.org/news/on-the-internet-how-much-is-too-much
<b>The Hindu carried a piece on 05/08/2009, discussing the Avinash Kashyap / defamation of the President case.</b>
<h2>On the Internet, how much is too much?</h2>
<p>Deepa Kurup</p>
<p> </p>
<p>BANGALORE (05/08/2009): As many as 9,740 website links are thrown up when running a search with a phrase ridiculing the Indian President on the popular search engine Google. Of these, at least a few hundred websites host content that criticise the first citizen, often in harsh terms; one even hosts a game on flash player where you can fling virtual tomatoes on the President’s portrait. The Internet is inundated with such attacks, arguably offensive and hurtful, on several public personalities.</p>
<p>Last week a Bangalore-based engineering student Avinash Kashyap was arrested for allegedly posting “obscene content” about the President on the Internet under Section 469 of the Indian Penal Code (forgery for purpose of harming reputation). Later, he was released on bail. Police sources said the message was objectionable and not “obscene or pornographic”, as reported in some sections of the media. Two unsubstantiated versions did the rounds: the student had hacked into an official government website, and posted on her behalf: “I am a rubber stamp”. The second story is that Avinash created an online profile under her name and posted the same.</p>
<h3>SC refusal</h3>
<p>Using the web to rant, make unwarrantable allegations or defame an individual is offensive, to say the least. However, those who campaign for a non-invasive Internet argue that laws are often misused to target individuals and stifle dissenting voices. Recently, the Supreme Court refused to quash criminal proceedings against a student, Ajith D. He had been prosecuted for creating an anti-Shiv Sena community on Orkut. Ajith had argued that he merely started the community, and also pleaded that his life would be under threat if he had to appear in a Maharashtra court. “Anything that is posted on the Internet goes to the public... you are a computer student and you know how many people access Internet portals,” the court said, adding that he will have to explain his conduct in a court of law.</p>
<h3>Debate</h3>
<p>This observation has triggered a debate among net users and academics who differ on the private — and public — nature of web space. Those who advocate boundless Internet freedom point to incidents in 2007 and 2008 where a political party consistently clamped down on individuals that criticised it, often resorting to violence and vandalism. But were these isolated cases? Or can the Rama Sene — seen beating up women in a pub in Mangalore — use defamation laws against the retaliatory and witty Pink Chaddi campaign that spread though a social-networking site?</p>
<p>The Internet, unlike traditional media, is complicated for various reasons, one of them being that it is difficult to accurately trace the author of a particular posting. Gurumurthy of the IT for Change, a non-profit organisation, feels that Internet norms have to be evolved. “The Internet is global, and the laws also must be. The real solution can be a global public policy process, which is being considered at the Internet Governance Forum (a UN body),” he says.</p>
<p>The Indian IT Act, as it stands today, is being criticised as restrictive. Sunil Abraham of the Centre for Internet and Society says the law is “unclear and over-expansive”. “If you are an individual blogger, a law like this could have a chilling effect on creativity and free speech. You could call this a scare tactic: by making examples of a few people and scaring people from doing what could be normal web activities like forwarding a joke,” Mr. Abraham explains.</p>
<p>The other argument is that technology and email gateways are seldom fool-proof. Lakshman Kailash, a software professional arrested in August 2007 for allegedly defaming Maratha king Shivaji by uploading an “offensive picture” on a social networking site, says “better clarity and awareness on laws is critical today”.</p>
<p>For no fault of his, he spent 50 days in jail because the Internet Service Provider made a mistake in tracking his IP (Internet Protocol) address. “I later decided to go public though this meant prolonging the agony for my family, because there is no awareness and accountability in the net space,” he says.</p>
<p>“I will never condone offending someone on the Internet — but if authorities want to keep the laws strict, then they must create awareness among users. Perhaps, websites can be asked to moderated content,” Mr. Kailash says.</p>
<h3>Laws of the land</h3>
<p>Google and such websites act in accordance with the laws of the land. Moreover, these IP addressed can be manipulated and a random cruise through websites or social networks reveal that the next offensive message is just a few clicks away.</p>
<p>As Mr. Kailash points out, thousands of bloggers continue to air their opinions, often extreme and offensive, oblivious to the repercussions. It is time they pause to think about the possible consequences, before going ahead with their blogging.</p>
<p>© Copyright 2000 - 2009 The Hindu</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
For more details visit <a href='https://cis-india.org/news/on-the-internet-how-much-is-too-much'>https://cis-india.org/news/on-the-internet-how-much-is-too-much</a>
</p>
No publisher
pranesh
Internet Governance
2011-04-02T15:19:33Z
News Item
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Measuring the effectiveness of online activism
https://cis-india.org/news/measuring-the-effectiveness-of-online-activism
<b>Article by Sruthi Krishnan in The Hindu, 21 June 2009</b>
<p><em>There
are forms of social activism, which are not looked upon favourably </em></p>
<hr noshade="noshade" /><em>
<p>After the Iran elections, social networking sites are used by supporters of Opposition candidate</p>
<p>For the success of an online campaign, the power of the message also counts</p>
</em>
<hr noshade="noshade" />
<p>CHENNAI: Sit-ins and police arrests. Placards hoisted high and
slogans rippling through the crowds. Pamphlets distributed at the dead
of night. It was called activism and is still called that — just that
the cat and mouse game with the Big Brother has a binary code
underlying it.</p>
<p>Social activism in the world of Web 2.0 follows most of the rules of
the real world. But the nature of the medium does have an impact on the
message, and the jury is still out on how effective activism is online.</p>
<p>After the Iran elections, social networking sites are being used
extensively by supporters of Mir Hossein Mousavi, who has challenged
the validity of the elections. As the Iranian government has placed
restrictions on the traditional media, the supporters have sought
refuge in the electronic world.</p>
<p>If you search for #IranElection, which is the tag on Twitter, a
messaging service, for any update related to the Iran elections, there
are minute-by-minute posts by users around the globe. The effects of
this decentralised campaign are manifold.</p>
<p>“This raises the awareness of the issues among the people who may
not have been exposed to these issues because of the space constraints
of traditional media,” says Sunil Abraham, director-policy, Centre for
Internet and Society, Bangalore. “It encourages activists on the ground
in Iran because it clearly demonstrates global solidarity.” The
increased transparency also has a pre-emptive effect by making it more
difficult for states and corporations to engage in repressive
activities without attracting international condemnation.</p>
<p>But there are forms of social activism online, which are not looked upon favourably.</p>
<p>Campaigns urging you to ‘Click on this link and eradicate world
hunger’ lead to an oxymoronic state of sedentary activism or
‘slacktivism.’ Evgeny Morozov, a fellow at the Open Society Institute
at New York, has coined this term to describe “feel-good online
activism” that has no political or social impact. On the one hand, it
will be easy to dismiss the click-to-participate campaigns as being
useless. But they could attract people who would have normally not
bothered with the issue. Mr. Morozov concludes that the only way to
resolve the debate is by surveying campaigns to analyse impact.</p>
<p>“As far as I know, there are no such studies. But there is anecdotal
evidence that clicks on a Web 2.0 system can lead to deeper engagement
with social campaigns,” says Mr. Abraham. He cites the example of
Michael Geist of the University of Ottawa, who was able to get some
members of the Fair Copyright for Canada Facebook group (with over
90,000 members) to raise questions during open houses called by
Canadian Members of Parliament. Thanks to this campaign, the government
backed down from legislating anti-consumer intellectual property laws,
he says.</p>
<p>For the success of an online campaign, the power of the message also
counts. Here, Mr. Abraham refers to the Pink Chaddi campaign. “It did
not directly respond to the arguments of the Ram Sene. It used humour
to mock the fundamentalists into irrelevance.”</p>
<p>Though there is no clear path to an effective online campaign, the
successes have demonstrated the potential of the medium that promises
to connect millions with a click. But just as a message can grow
stronger as it reaches more people, it can also be spread wafer-thin
and lose significance.</p>
<em>
</em>
<p>
© Copyright 2000 - 2009 The Hindu</p>
<p>-----</p>
<p>To read the original article on the website of The Hindu, please <a class="external-link" href="http://www.hindu.com/2009/06/21/stories/2009062154641300.htm">click here</a>.</p>
<p>
For more details visit <a href='https://cis-india.org/news/measuring-the-effectiveness-of-online-activism'>https://cis-india.org/news/measuring-the-effectiveness-of-online-activism</a>
</p>
No publisher
sachia
Internet Governance
2011-04-02T15:56:15Z
News Item
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Using Social Media for Mobilisation
https://cis-india.org/events/using-social-media-for-mobilisation
<b>Panel discussion with Dina Mehta and Peter Griffin</b>
<div>For some time now, blogs, facebook and other forms of social
media have been used extensively for rallying people around an issue or
a cause. However, what makes some of these campaigns more successful
than others? Does the workability of social media for mobilisation
depend on the manner in which information is designed
and/or disseminated? </div>
<div> </div>
<div>This panel brings together two well-known names
from the world of social media, Dina Mehta and Peter Griffin, to
explore "meme engineering" and understand what makes some forms of use
of social media more effective than others.</div>
<div> </div>
<h3><strong>Speakers</strong></h3>
<div> </div>
<div>Dina Mehta i<span class="Apple-style-span">s
a founder and Managing Director of Mosoci India. She has spent twenty
years specializing in qualitative research and ethnography. She is at
the forefront of technology trend research in India and works with a
global portfolio of companies; including learning journeys, and
immersions for innovation teams. She brings her unique perspective to
understanding the emerging social aspects of new technology and the
impact of new media on youth and mobility. Her work has led her to
study the impact of technology in rural markets, follow trend-setting
youth in urban settings, dig deep into motivations and possible
triggers across a wide range of demographic and psychographic groups,
explore and identify underlying value propositions and key
drivers/barriers in several categories.</span></div>
<div> </div>
<div>Peter Griffin is a well-known blogger and has been
involved with a number of collaborative projects, including the
South-East Asia Earthquake and Tsunami blog (also known as
TsunamiHelp), MumbaiHelp, Think Bombay, and the WorldWideHelp group and
its associated projects. All of these project have been concerned with
bringing together the web and free tools on one hand, and concerned web
natives and public goodwill on the other, to assist in disaster relief.
Peter is also the co-founder, joint editor and co-moderator of the
writing community, Caferati. He is currently associated with a national business magazine in the capacity of editor, special features.<br />
<h3>Time and Date</h3>
<p>Friday, 19 June, 2009; 6.30-8.00 pm</p>
<h3>Venue<br /></h3>
<p>Centre for Internet and Society, No. D2, 3rd Floor, Sheriff Chambers,
14, Cunningham Road, Bangalore - 560052</p>
<h3>Map <br /></h3>
<p>For a map, please click <a class="external-link" href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=centre+for+internet+and+society+bangalore&jsv=128e&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=61.070016,113.203125&ie=UTF8&cd=1&latlng=12988395,77594450,9857706471034889432&ei=5QXRSKLrNYvAugPX4YSAAg">here</a>.</p>
</div>
<p> </p>
<p>
For more details visit <a href='https://cis-india.org/events/using-social-media-for-mobilisation'>https://cis-india.org/events/using-social-media-for-mobilisation</a>
</p>
No publisher
sachia
Internet Governance
2011-04-05T04:33:30Z
Event
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International Communication Association Pre-Conference on 'India and Communication Studies'
https://cis-india.org/news/ica-preconference
<b>Sunil Abraham, Director-Policy, CIS, is to take part in a panel discussion on 'Media, Technology, and Governance' at the International Communication Association Pre-Conference on 'India and Communication Studies' on 21 May 2009, 1.00-2.15 pm. </b>
<p> </p>
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<p><strong>PRECONFERENCE #2</strong><br /><br />Sponsored
by the Center for Global Communication Studies, Annenberg School for
Communication, University for Pennsylvania, and Centre for Culture,
Media & Governance, Jamia Millia Islamia University, New Delhi</p>
<p>Title: India and Communication Studies</p>
<p>Time: Wednesday, May 20, 13:00 – 19:00 and<br /> Thursday, May 21, 8:00 – 17:00</p>
<p>Limit: 50 persons</p>
<p>Cost: $100.00USD (Includes refreshment breaks, lunch and reception)<br /> $50.00USD Students</p>
<p><strong>Organizers:</strong></p>
<p>• Monroe Price, Director, Center for Global Communication Studies,
Annenberg School for Communication, University of Pennsylvania<br />• Biswajit Das, Director, Centre for Culture, Media & Governance, Jamia Millia Islamia University, New Delhi<br />• Aswin Punathambekar, Assistant Professor, Communication Studies, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor<br />• Radhika Parameswaran, Associate Professor, School of Journalism, Indiana University, Bloomington</p>
<p><strong>Overview:</strong></p>
<p>India plays an increasingly important role in the processes of
globalization, including the global production of culture and the
communications technology industry. At the same time, the field of
communication studies in India is expanding. Yet there is no Indian
Communications Association and little in the way of considered and
formal review of contributions to the field. </p>
<p>This pre-conference is an effort to create a new coherence and a new
salience for this subject by mapping the area of communication and
culture studies in India; to strengthen ties among leading and emerging
scholars and institutions in India and elsewhere; to develop and
cultivate a research agenda for the field; and to explore the creation
of an Indian Communication Studies Association.</p>
<p>The pre-conference will take place over 2 days. The first day will
be dedicated to paper presentations from emerging scholars on a diverse
range of issues, including media and cultural representations, gender,
minorities, issues of nationalism and culture, and structural questions
of governance. </p>
<p>The second day will be centered around three panels, which will
address the development of communication studies in India; issues of
technology, governance and development; and a discussion of scholarship
about India. The organized panels will draw from academia, business,
civil society, and government/policy-making circles.<br />Schedule for India and Communication Studies ICA Pre-Conference:</p>
<p><br /><strong>May 20 (Day One):</strong></p>
<p>13.00 – 13.15 Opening Remarks, Monroe Price and organizers<br />13.15 – 14.30 Paper presentations: Session 1<br />14.30 – 15.45 Paper presentations: Session 2<br />15.45 – 16.00 Break<br />16.00 – 17.15 Paper presentations: Session 3</p>
<p>Moderators for paper sessions: TBC</p>
<p>17.30 – 19.00 Reception for pre-conference participants and guests</p>
<p><br /><strong>May 21 (Day Two):</strong></p>
<p>8.00 – 9.00: Breakfast for pre-conference participants</p>
<p>9.00 – 10.15 Opening Keynote Discussion -- India and Cultural Pathways: Reflections on Identity, History and Scholarship:</p>
<p>The opening keynote will address the history of communications/media
studies in and about India, placing it in the broader context of global
communication studies and globalization and international relations.</p>
<p>• Biswajit Das, Centre for Culture, Media & Governance, Jamia Millia Islamia University<br />• Radhika Gajjala, Bowling Green University<br />• Sevanti Ninan, Honorary Secretary, The Media Foundation (TBC)<br />• Arvind Singhal, University of Texas (TBC)<br />• Daya Thussu, University of Westminster</p>
<p>Moderator: Monroe Price, Center for Global Communication Studies, Annenberg School for Communication, University of Pennsylvania</p>
<p>10.15 – 10.30 – Coffee Break</p>
<p>10.30 -- 11.45 Panel One: The Complex Challenge of Developing Communications Studies in India</p>
<p>This panel will seek to begin mapping the intellectual network of
scholars that has informed communications scholarship in and about
India. Panelists will discuss the history and development of "Indian"
communication studies, including the approaches taken towards this
subject; the competition between production and commercial goals and
theoretical study; and the institutional and other pressures and
challenges encountered by emerging programs..</p>
<p>• Biswajit Das, Centre for Culture, Media & Governance, Jamia Millia Islamia University<br />• Vinod Pavarala, University of Hyderabad<br />• Anjali Monteiro, Tata Institute of Social Sciences<br />• Atul Tandon, MICA<br />• Peng Hwa Ang, MICORE</p>
<p>Moderator: Noshir Contractor, Northwestern University</p>
<p>11.45 – 13.00 –Lunch</p>
<p>13.00 – 14.15 Panel Two: "Media, Technology & Governance"</p>
<p>This panel will be approached through cases as presented by the
panelists. It seeks to (a) open the door to the growing work on the IT
industry and ICT for Development; and (b) outline a tighter set of
analytics to encourage a stronger connection between academic research
& public policy in India.</p>
<p>• David Page or William Crawley (TBC), Media South Asia Project, Institute of Development Studies, Sussex University, UK<br />• Victoria Farmer, Department of Political Science and International Relations SUNY-Geneseo<br />• Steve McDowell, Department of Communication, Florida State University <br />• Sunil Abraham, Director (Policy), Centre for Internet & Society, Bangalore<br /> <br />Moderator:
Vibodh Parthasarathi, Associate Professor, Centre for Culture, Media
& Governance, Jamia Millia Islamia University</p>
<p>14.15 – 14.30 Coffee Break</p>
<p>14.30 – 15.45 Panel Three: Nodes of Contact: How to Map Scholarship about India</p>
<p>This panel aims to map the intellectual patterns and trajectories in
media and communications scholarship on India. Panelists will address
specific areas within communications research--gender and
interdisciplinarity, new media, diaspora, television, and media
production and reception--to chart and analyze the theoretical and
empirical terrain that scholars have covered, and to suggest new and
productive directions for future research.</p>
<p>• Radha Hegde, Department of Media, Culture, and Communication, New York University<br />• Shanti Kumar, Department of Radio-Television-Film, The University of Texas at Austin<br />• William Mazzarella, University of Chicago<br />• Ananda Mitra, Department of Communication, Wake Forest University <br />• Hemant Shah, School of Journalism & Mass Communication, University of Wisconsin-Madison</p>
<p>Moderator: Radhika Parameswaran, School of Journalism, Indiana University</p>
<p>15.45 – 16.15 Concluding Remarks and Wrap-up</p>
<p>This last part of the ICA Pre-Conference Program will feature open discussion and commentary from the organizers and audience.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><em>For more information about this pre-conference, please contact Susan
Abbott, Associate Director, Center for Global Communication Studies: <a href="mailto:sabbott@asc.upenn.edu">sabbott@asc.upenn.edu</a></em></p>
-----<br /><br /><a class="external-link" href="http://www.icahdq.org/conferences/2009/india.asp">Click here</a> to read this information on the ICA website. <br />
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<p>
For more details visit <a href='https://cis-india.org/news/ica-preconference'>https://cis-india.org/news/ica-preconference</a>
</p>
No publisher
sachia
Internet Governance
2011-04-02T15:56:35Z
News Item
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Online Interest in Advani Rises
https://cis-india.org/news/online-interest-in-advani-rises
<b>Article by Sruthi Krishnan in the Hindu, 15 May 2009, quoting CIS Research Director Nishant Shah</b>
<p>Online interest in BJP leader L.K. Advani reached its highest point
in the last 12 months when a slipper was thrown at him. The data on
Google Trends, an application that shows how often a search term has
been sought for on Google over time, also shows that the interest in
Mr. Advani’s name rose steadily as the general elections approached.</p>
<p>Contrary to what many consider as just another activity on the
Internet, searching is the “backbone of cyberspace,” says Nishant Shah,
Director (Research), Centre for Internet and Society, Bangalore. .</p>
<p>The search for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh shows a peak in July
2008 in the last 12 months, corresponding to the UPA Government winning
the trust vote. That the interest in searching for public personalities
closely mirrors news interest in the outside world is undeniable, says
Mr. Shah. “The Internet is not as much a broadcast media as a
search-and-find media.” Hence, in this context, the Internet acts as a
“reference book” rather than a “best seller,” he says.</p>
<p>In the last 12 months, the political event that fired up Google in
India was the launch of Praja Rajyam, coinciding with a spike in the
search for actor Chiranjeevi’s name. This was the highest among the
search history in the last 12 months of the ten most searched
politicians in India on Google – a list released by Google recently.</p>
<p>The list includes Mr. Advani, Mr. Singh, Uttar Pradesh Chief
Minister Mayawati, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and Congress
general secretary Rahul Gandhi.</p>
<p>However, Mr. Shah cautions that in an emerging information society
like India, an increase in online search for a particular name or event
may not imply that it is popular across the country. “Given the limited
amount of internet access and the almost homogeneous user group that
has interactive access to being online, it means that within that
particular class-language group, a certain event or person is gaining
popularity.”</p>
<p>The analysis by Google Trends also shows that most of the searches
for Mr. Chiranjeevi were made in Telugu, compared to English.</p>
<p>While Hyderabad is where the actor’s name was searched the most
number of times, the top 10 cities includes San Jose and Houston in the
United States.</p>
<p>Interestingly, Sanjay Dutt, the other actor in the list, generated the highest volume of searches in Pakistan.</p>
<p>-----</p>
<p>Read the article at the Hindu website <a class="external-link" href="http://www.hindu.com/2009/05/15/stories/2009051559330400.htm">here</a>.</p>
<p>
For more details visit <a href='https://cis-india.org/news/online-interest-in-advani-rises'>https://cis-india.org/news/online-interest-in-advani-rises</a>
</p>
No publisher
sachia
Internet Governance
2011-04-02T15:58:08Z
News Item
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Internet, Transparency and Politics
https://cis-india.org/events/internet-transparency-and-politics
<b>Talk by Barun Mitra</b>
<p>The 2009 general elections in India have been
preceded by various initiatives that seek to provide information to the
voters about candidates contesting the elections. The aim of providing
this information is to help voters to make 'informed choices' when
casting their votes. This talk is being organized in the context of the
research that CIS-RAW fellow Zainab Bawa is carrying out on "Internet,
Transparency and Politics". Why has the Internet become an important
space for publishing information that is streamlined for facilitating
interaction between citizens and the state? What is the impact of
making such information available to citizens? How does it transform
their relationship with political actors and government agencies?
Simultaneously, how are elected representatives and political parties
responding to these 'transparency' initiatives?</p>
<h3><strong>Speaker</strong></h3>
<p>Barun Mitra is the Director of
Liberty Institute, a think-tank based in Delhi. He has conceptualized
EmpoweringIndia.org to enable voters to cast their votes thoughtfully
during the elections and to use the information on the site to hold
their elected representatives accountable after they have been voted
in. Barun Mitra also writes on issues of environment, health, trade and
democracy in publications such as The Mint, Economic Times and Business
Standard.</p>
<h3>Time and Date</h3>
<p>Wednesday, 15 April 2009; 5.00-6.30 pm</p>
<h3>Venue<br /></h3>
<p>Centre for Internet and Society, No. D2, 3rd Floor, Sheriff Chambers,
14, Cunningham Road, Bangalore - 560052</p>
<h3>Map <br /></h3>
<p>For a map, please click <a class="external-link" href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=centre+for+internet+and+society+bangalore&jsv=128e&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=61.070016,113.203125&ie=UTF8&cd=1&latlng=12988395,77594450,9857706471034889432&ei=5QXRSKLrNYvAugPX4YSAAg">here</a>.</p>
<p>
For more details visit <a href='https://cis-india.org/events/internet-transparency-and-politics'>https://cis-india.org/events/internet-transparency-and-politics</a>
</p>
No publisher
sachia
Internet Governance
2011-04-05T04:36:59Z
Event
-
Technology and the Mediation of Place
https://cis-india.org/events/technology-and-the-mediation-of-place
<b>Talk by Emma Ota</b>
<p>When mediated space surrounds us and our sense of place is increasingly
constructed through technology, how do we locate ourselves? Challenging
notions of location and locality, Emma Ota will present an overview of
two years of research into the mediation of place through technology
and the developments of media art in Asia.</p>
<p>We carry many
locations with us, virtual, physical, psychological and cultural
locations which have a complex relation to each other; this
presentation will consider the impact of new media upon the
construction of these locations and how they interact with each other,
as these technologies increasingly become part of the reality of our
located experience, no longer separate apparatus, not merely a portal
to elsewhere but part of our encounter of place.</p>
<p>When identity,
community and culture are formulated upon mediated experiences we are
led back to Benjamin’s discussion of the loss of aura, debating what
meaning can still lie in the original; yet, arguably, such an original
state has never existed, all phenomena encountered and assimilated
through one form of mediation or another. But to be mediated is to
transform and, as Heidegger has demonstrated, technology presents an
enframing of its content, which may lead to new revealings but also a
loss of that which lies beyond the frame. We have perhaps reached a
stage where we can no longer comment upon mediated localities, but must
turn to the localities of mediation.</p>
<p>These are just some of
the critical debates which Ota has been investigating in her research.
While pursuing theoretical research into this topic, Ota has also
followed studies in Japan, Korea, China, Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore
and Indonesia in an examination of new media art provision and
development in East/South East Asia. Interviewing artists, curators,
theorists etc. over the course of a year, a large body of documentation
has been accumulated which will be presented as a small glimpse into
the new media condition of the region.</p>
<h3>Speaker</h3>
<p>Emma Ota
is a curator and researcher based in Tokyo, the Director of Dislocate,
Project for Art, Technology and Locality, and a Researcher at Musashino
Art University, Department of Visual Imaging and Sciences. Her
practices focus upon media arts and international exchange. She has
worked for the media arts organization Trampoline, based in Germany and
the UK and co-curated the Radiator Festival for Art and Technology in
2005. She initiated the project Traversing Territories, fostering
collaboration between students and young artists in Japan and the UK
(which has since continued annually). In 2006 she established the
project Dislocate for art, technology and locality which brings
together international artists and experts in the discussion and debate
of the role of new media in relation to our surrounding environment.</p>
<p>Ota
is guest curator at Ginza Art Lab, an independent artist run space and
was also co-curator of Space Rabi Adesso, Koenji in 2008. Ota is highly
concerned with promoting international cross-cultural communication
between children and is co-founder of Inter-play, an organization which
runs collaborative workshops and projects between children in Japan and
other countries around the world.</p>
<p>Other projects have included
‘The Moon’, a groundbreaking contemporary art exhibition of Japanese
and UK artists held in the historic gardens of Kodaiji Temple, Kyoto,
and ‘A Gift to Those who Contemplate the Wonders of Cities and the
Marvels of Travelling’, an artist in residency exchange project with
participant artists Erika Tan (UK) and Mio Shirai (Japan).</p>
<p>As a
researcher Ota is investigating the development of media arts in Asia
and its relation to specific social and cultural contexts, in
particular ideas of place, these investigations have led her to China,
Korea, India, Vietnam, Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia. For more
information please see <a class="external-link" href="http://www.dis-locate.net">www.dis-locate.net</a> and <a class="external-link" href="http://www.eonsbetween.net">www.eonsbetween.net</a>.</p>
<p>
For more details visit <a href='https://cis-india.org/events/technology-and-the-mediation-of-place'>https://cis-india.org/events/technology-and-the-mediation-of-place</a>
</p>
No publisher
sachia
Internet Governance
2011-04-05T04:37:18Z
Event
-
Bloggers battle India's supreme court over prosecution for internet threats
https://cis-india.org/news/bloggers-battle-indias-supreme-court-over-prosecution-for-internet-threats
<b>Article by Randeep Ramesh in the Guardian, 26 February 2009</b>
<div id="content">
India's
supreme court is facing the wrath of the country's bloggers over the
prosecution of a student because of anonymous comments published on a social networking group he created.<br /><br />
<div id="article-wrapper">
<p>The
computer science student, named as Ajith D, was arrested over
allegations that death threats had been posted on his "anti-Shiv Sena"
group on Google's networking site, Orkut. The 20-year-old also faces
charges of criminal intimidation and hurting religious sentiments.</p>
<p>The
Shiv Sena (Army of Shiv) is a political party that made its name in the
1990s for populist policies that were anti-Muslim and favoured locals
over outsiders. Its leader, Bal Thackeray, has been quoted as admiring
Hitler.</p>
<p>Mumbai police had been monitoring the site since the Sena
staged violent protests against Orkut for carrying anti-party
statements, vandalising cybercafes across Mumbai. Officers contacted
federal authorities in Delhi before bringing charges.</p>
<p>In
response, the lawyer representing the student asked the supreme court
to quash the case, saying his client had published nothing provocative.
However India's chief justice, KG Balakrishnan, refused the application
saying: "We will not do that. Anything that is posted on the internet
goes to the public. The internet is open to the world."</p>
<p>The case
highlights how India, the world's largest democracy, deals with the
thorny issue of freedom of speech on the internet. A law about to
arrive on the statute books places the onus for publishing material on
the web, not on hosts of the material, such as Google's Orkut service,
but on individuals who create blogs and websites.</p>
<p>"The difficulty
here is that my client did not make the threats. He simply set up a
community group and left it unmoderated," Jogy Scaria, Ajith's lawyer,
said. "He only created the anti-Shiv Sena site."</p>
<p>Orkut is one of
India's most popular social networking sites and many bloggers vented
their fury online. "I am not able to gather how it is possible that
bloggers can be hit with libel and criminal suits on the basis of
anonymous postings on their websites," wrote one on Ekawaaz-One Voice.</p>
<p>Lawrence Liang, India's foremost authority on freedom of speech on the internet, wrote about the case on Kafila.org.</p>
<p>"When
organisations like the Shiv Sena start using defamation laws, it smacks
of chutzpah to me … What other way can we describe the bizarre
situation of the violence-prone macho men, who suddenly run around
screaming about the violation of their legal rights and the slurring of
their reputation?"</p>
<p>India's constitution guarantees freedom of
expression as long as this does not extend to libel, national security,
contempt and a broad category of public morality – which includes
"hurting religious sentiments".</p>
<p>Pranesh Prakash of Bangalore's Centre for Internet and Society, a thinktank specialising in web civil
rights, said the internet had allowed "everyone to become a publisher
but not the awareness of what responsibilities of a publisher. The way
the law is dealing with it is highly problematic."</p>
<p>-----</p>
<p>To read the article at the Guardian website, click <a class="external-link" href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/feb/26/blog-court-india-website">here</a>.</p>
</div>
</div>
<p>
For more details visit <a href='https://cis-india.org/news/bloggers-battle-indias-supreme-court-over-prosecution-for-internet-threats'>https://cis-india.org/news/bloggers-battle-indias-supreme-court-over-prosecution-for-internet-threats</a>
</p>
No publisher
sachia
Internet Governance
2011-04-02T16:17:48Z
News Item
-
DigiActive Meetup
https://cis-india.org/events/technology-for-activism
<b>Chilling for Digital Activism--Meeting with Mary Joyce</b>
<p>Are
you interested in using the Internet and mobile phones as part
of a campaign for political and social change? Do you have a story to
share about your own experience using these tools? CIS invites you to an informal interaction with Mary Joyce, co-founder of <a href="http://digiactive.org/" target="_blank">DigiActive.org</a>,
an organization dedicated to promoting digital activism around the
world. </p>
<p><span class="nfakPe">Mary</span> <span class="nfakPe">Joyce</span> <span class="nfakPe">is</span> the co-founder of DigiActive.org, was also New Media Operations Manager for
Barack Obama's presidential campaign, and has been a master's
student at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and a Research
Assistant for the Internet and Democracy Project at the Berkman Center
for Internet and Society. <span class="nfakPe">Mary</span> also works as a consultant in the field of technology and social change. </p>
<h3>Time and Date</h3>
<p>Thursday, 26 February, 2009; 4.00-5.30 pm</p>
<h3>Venue<br /></h3>
<p>Centre for Internet and Society, No. D2, 3rd Floor, Sheriff Chambers,
14, Cunningham Road, Bangalore - 560052</p>
<h3>Map <br /></h3>
<p>For a map, please click <a class="external-link" href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=centre+for+internet+and+society+bangalore&jsv=128e&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=61.070016,113.203125&ie=UTF8&cd=1&latlng=12988395,77594450,9857706471034889432&ei=5QXRSKLrNYvAugPX4YSAAg">here</a>.</p>
<p><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></p>
<p>
For more details visit <a href='https://cis-india.org/events/technology-for-activism'>https://cis-india.org/events/technology-for-activism</a>
</p>
No publisher
sachia
Internet Governance
2011-04-05T04:40:21Z
Event
-
The Internet and Illusions of Space and Liberty
https://cis-india.org/events/the-internet-and-illusions-of-space-and-liberty
<b>Talk by Kiran Sahi</b>
<p>The Centre for Internet and Society invites you to a talk by Kiran Sahi on 'The Internet and Illusions of Space and Liberty'. Kiran will use this
talk as an opportunity to look at the parallels that can be drawn
between the spatial elements of the mind, corporal physical space, and
the virtual domains of the internet. Reflecting on
the roles of these parallel domains, we can discuss how dissident
elements within society, traditionally found in geographical
wildernesses, have found new opportunities for freedom in the realms
of the internet. The talk will also explore the idea of
the internet as a heterotopia, a safe space for displaced realities,
and the pressures which make it adopt a panoptic structure.</p>
<h3>Speaker <br /></h3>
<p>Kiran
Sahi is is a designer and educator working from his home in a village
north of Bangalore. His work involves presenting and interpreting
the changing socio-political geography of his locality for teachers
and students visiting from international academic institutions and
education authorities. He also advises on local education development
projects. Kiran works as a consultant design faculty, teaching materials
and sculptural design, and runs a ceramic studio that produces large
scale ceramic murals for public spaces. His previous work has
involved exploring cultural narratives and their visual
representations. He has been interested in exploring the
possibilities of a collaborative community based business involving
professional designers and local craftsmen. <br /></p>
<h3>Time and Date</h3>
<p>Saturday, 7 March, 2009; 5.00-6.30 pm</p>
<h3>Venue<br /></h3>
<p>Centre for Internet and Society, No. D2, 3rd Floor, Sheriff Chambers,
14, Cunningham Road, Bangalore - 560052</p>
<h3>Map <br /></h3>
<p>For a map, please click <a class="external-link" href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=centre+for+internet+and+society+bangalore&jsv=128e&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=61.070016,113.203125&ie=UTF8&cd=1&latlng=12988395,77594450,9857706471034889432&ei=5QXRSKLrNYvAugPX4YSAAg">here</a>.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
For more details visit <a href='https://cis-india.org/events/the-internet-and-illusions-of-space-and-liberty'>https://cis-india.org/events/the-internet-and-illusions-of-space-and-liberty</a>
</p>
No publisher
sachia
Internet Governance
2011-04-05T04:40:05Z
Event
-
Digital Empowerment Foundation--Internet Governance Forum Workshop, 5 December 2008, Hyderabad
https://cis-india.org/news/digital-empowerment-foundation-internet-governance-forum-workshop-5-december-2008-hyderabad
<b>CIS Director (Policy) Sunil Abraham will be a panelist at a workshop on Low Cost Sustainability Access to be held at the Internet Governance Forum 2008.</b>
<p>CIS Director (Policy) Sunil Abraham will be a panelist at a workshop on Low Cost Sustainability Access to be held at the Internet Governance Forum 2008. The workshop is organised by the Digital Empowerment Foundation and the Internet and Mobile Association of India, in association with Internet Society and Intel. It will be held on December 5, 2008, from 14:30 – 16:00.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
For more details visit <a href='https://cis-india.org/news/digital-empowerment-foundation-internet-governance-forum-workshop-5-december-2008-hyderabad'>https://cis-india.org/news/digital-empowerment-foundation-internet-governance-forum-workshop-5-december-2008-hyderabad</a>
</p>
No publisher
sachia
Internet Governance
2011-04-02T16:16:28Z
News Item