Bloggers' Notes From Web2forDev Conference

Web2forDev (www.web2fordev.net) is the first conference on participatory web for rural development, which took place from 25-27 September 2007 in Rome, Italy. Bloggers who were covering the event included African journalists who were blogging both in English and French at the Web2forDev blog (http://http://blog.web2fordev.net/).

Brenda Zulu, a journalist, author of several iConnect Articles, and blogger from Zambia asked participants what they learnt on Day Zero. "I asked people about what they learnt on Day Zero Web2.0fordev conference and what they where going to take home."

Prince Deh GINKS Assistant Network Coordinator, Ghana
I am planning to host local language videos and translate the text in English because I realise that many people get my stories and information from the blog. Video blogging has enhanced my knowledge and sharing skills.As you see people are attracted by video and they want to see and hear at the same time. I have learnt how to use delicious, wikis and tagging. One thing is that if you don’t tag your work not so many people will read about it.

William Eziniwa Nwangwu, Nigeria
Regional Center for Information Science, Lecture
I have been wondering why Web 2.0? Isn’t it a new word for an old thing?I have discovered how it is being used and sometimes it worries me as an academician. Some Universities in the USA have banned students giving reference to wikis as one of their sources of researched information. In wikis who is the author? Is the information peer reviewed? In my institution I limit the reference of wiki copies.

She also covered the session on video blogging for rural communities in Africa, Vlogging: amplifying voices of rural communities in Africa?

Chris Kgadima posted a podcast of his interview with SANGOnet ICT Services Manager, Matthew de Gale. Matthew talks about Citizen Journalism project designed to promote the use of Web 2.0 bu rural communities in Africa:

Togolese multimedia journalist, Noel Tadégnon, posted a video of his interview with Kuami Ahiabenu from Ghana about empowering journalists with online tools, “Making a case for online training.”

Holly Ashley, the Assistant Editor, Participatory Learning and Action, wrote about from Ugandan web 2.0 pioneers.

Ethan Zuckerman shared some highlights and his overall impressions:

Kwame Ahiabenu from the International Institute for ICT in Journalism (PenPlusBytes) in Accra, Ghana, makes a persuasive case for the importance of basic tools in online education. His team offers free online trainings for journalists on how to incorporate IT into their journalistic practice and better use IT tools for reporting. The courses are offered via email, and while they encourage the use of fairly complex online tools, they’re accessible to anyone who can participate in the email lists, which helps explain their popularity with users throughout Africa, and as far away as Bangladesh and Australia.

Two overall impressions:

• There’s a great deal of enthusiasm for the tools of web 2.0, but I worry that people are embracing tools because they’re worried about falling behind.
• Those of us who have been working in ICT for development for a while may - or perhaps should - be starting to feel like it’s “put up or shut up” time for these tools. We need to get beyond discussions of how these tools might benefit people and get cl

Web2fordev Portal: www.web2fordev.net