No More, thanks to KnowMore.org

When non-profit organizations and foundations made the realization that, despite their limited budget and resources, they could reach their target audience effectively (all thanks to the web), their objectives suddenly became much more attainable. Carrying out the tasks of a given development program might be costly, but at least spreading awareness of the issue, and reaching out to volunteers and doners, has become significantly easier.

KnowMore.org is a community-driven wiki that aims at aggregating corporations and entities to a publicly-accessible database to raise awareness about human-rights violations. It does so by researching and finding the companies and multi-nationals that are responsible for “attacks on democracy, worker’s and human rights, fair trade, business ethics and the environment.” It’s a brilliant initiative that brings valuable information in a centralized location for everyone to benefit from.

Not only is KnowMore.org impressive because of the initiative and online presence, but also  because of the way in which they’ve exploited the web (no pun intended). First of all, the look and feel of the website puts it way ahead of the rest (including many corporate websites). Secondly, the fact that it’s very easy to use (spin off from the widespread Wikipedia) inevitably encourages anyone with interest in the field to take part and add to the extensive database.

That’s not all. They’ve actually taken it to the next level by offering a Firefox add-on called KnowMore Extension. What this does is bring up a notification underneath the toolbar of Firefox whenever you are visiting a website of a company that has violated human rights one way or the other. And in order to avoid being what opposition would rush to claim generic, or over-generalizing, they actually indicate the exact rights that have been violated, as well as providing the link to learn more about the illegal activities of that particular company.

KnowMore.org notification bar

It’s like having the community do all of the work for you while you’re browsing.

There are many organizations and non profit entities out there that are striving to make this world a better place. KnowMore.org is like many of them in principle, but far more effective in practice. That is because they have managed to reduce their costs by making the entire platform online, engaged with visitors via the attractive interface and the easy, familiar wiki system, and reached out to many more via the effective Firefox plugin.

If you are part of an NGO or a social development initiative, then the standards set by KnowMore.org should be your immediate goal. That is partly why our beautiful web is power to the people.

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When Old School Propaganda Fails To Be As Effective

As brutal and corrupt as many governments can be nowadays, some are oblivious to the fact that the Web empowers the people beyond control. Dictators like Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe, Teodoro Obiang of Equatorial Guinea, and Hosny Mubarak of Egypt might like to think that they rule with an iron fist that is virtually impossible to dismantle. While that is certainly close to the truth, little do they know that their technological incompetence and their underestimation of the power of the web is a potentially serious threat.

Egypt, for example, has opened up the press freedom over the past decade, which has encouraged a number of independent newspapers to take the stage. That, along with the exponential technological advancements that the world as a whole has experienced, has left the government thinking that perhaps it has bitten off more than it can chew. In the 80s, the three main papers were all governmental, and any story shared between the three, regardless of it authenticity, become true to the masses. Not only that, but propaganda posters and cartoons were highly effective.

Now the times are-a-changing.

After the horrific sectarian clashes in the south of Egypt, the entire Egyptian blogosphere was talking. Twitter was on fire. Facebook was flooded. And the blogs discussing the issue were scattered all over. That is when Al Ahram, Egypt’s main government-run newspaper, decided to weather the storm. Besides the fact that their website, when it actually works, looks like cow manure reshaped to fit within a computer screen, their approach was older than the president himself:

The ridiculous propaganda cartoon by Al Ahram

The “illustration”, which seems to have been scribbled and slapped together by a six year-old with mental illness, depicts the happy Egyptians together celebrating peace and prosperity. A Muslim coming out of a minaret shouts out simultaneously with his Christian counterpart standing on a church tower, “our shared enemy is the devil.” If that’s not enough, the “doves” in between are carrying hearts back and forth to imply unconditional love exchanged by all the peoples. The worst part of it all is that it’s not a joke – Al Ahram genuinely thought they would indirectly fool the crowds into believing that the all is well at the land of the Pyramids.

20 years ago, the cartoon could’ve stood a chance. Now, it could only make matters worse. The main reason being that with access to unlimited and uncensored information between the different people across space and time, old school propaganda has become ineffective. People no longer fall for the idealizing images of brutal dictators, nor photographs of happy citizens enjoying life. Not only does it need to be far more sophisticated, it also needs to be significantly more convincing. After all, there’s a lot of competition, and the web is anyone’s to create and share.

Dictators with over a quarter of a century under their belt might feel safe, but few have hopped on the fast-track trail of the internet and are therefore are not in as much control as they would like to think. For that reason, along with education, health care and infrastructure, internet access should be one of the aspects in the developement of over-exploited nations. Since effective communication is key to any change, the web is absolutely crucial in connecting the people and giving them the power they need to gain equality and justice.

The web has been, and will always be, power to the people – nothing can take that away from it.

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Google’s 10 to the 100

Love’em or hate’em, we must not take anything away from Google’s creativity and innovation. One of the latest of which establishing an unprecedented approach to social development via the one and only: the World Wide Web. Project 10 to the 100 is a $10 million grant that Google will be handing to the chosen project related to development anywhere across the globe. After accepting applications and stacking over 150,000 applicants’ hopes and dreams with ideas on different projects, Google narrowed down the candidates to the finalists where only one will rise as the winner of the generous grant from the Californian giants.

How is the candidate chosen? This is where the community of the web comes in, and Google have cleverly taken advantage: Your vote. Every person can go on the website, read about every project, and then vote of whichever he or she has most faith in. Accordingly, the search engine pioneers will shell out a big tenner and make the project a reality. Not only have they used the web to announce their grant and facilitate communication with the different candidates, they have taken it a step further by allowing the true owners of the internet, the users, to use their power and indicate where the money will be heading. Yet another example of the immense power of the web, and how it can play a vital part in every single field across the planet. The trick is to give people the power they deserve, and Google, in this particular case, have done precisely that.

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FCC Inaugurates OpenInternet.gov

Even thought the topic of net neutrality is a sensitive one indeed, there are crowds of US citizens that are unaware of the serious threat plaguing their freedom of expression and communication. If you happen to be one of those who are not fully aware of the subject, check out this short documentary on net neutrality. And for that matter, here’s an explanation on internet censorship worldwide.

In a surprising, and some might even say suspicious, move the Federal Communications Commission has gone live with a website, OpenInternet.gov that has a video raising awareness of the subject:

The goal seems to be to prevent the internet from losing its neutrality, and to avoid the loss of one of the most basic rights for any human being. It also acts as a platform for US citizens from all corners of the globe to share their thoughts and comments -- ironically yet another example of how the Web facilitates direct communication across space and time.

The initial impression is in no doubt a positive one. The only concern would be the influence that lobbyists might have on government officials persuading them to allow large telecommunications corporations to gain full control, and strip away the American people from the only absolutely pure method of information exchange ever to have been invented by humankind. Regardless of how congress decides to handle the issue, raising awareness and providing a communication channel for the people is highly beneficial. The website is currently in its beta phase, but the FCC promises to expand on it gradually.

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Nokia Raises White Flag on Netbook

A couple of weeks back, I made a post about Nokia’s shocking decision to enter the Netbook battle with one of its own: the Nokia Booklet 3G. It was great news for the regular users, as it allows for more competition, and hence, better services and more reasonable prices. While the former seemed to be on par, the latter has disappointed the large crowd who have been anxiously awaiting the Finnish’s debut in the netbook market.

Nokia has released the pricing of it’s inaugurational netbook, slashing an over-whelming $820 tag. In a marketplace where even the standard, powerful notebooks can be easily picked up at a much more humble price, it is indeed completely illogical how the Mobile-phone makers expect to have a piece of the netbook money pie with such a disproportionate value. It is clear that Nokia have raised their white flag even before entering the battlefield, and it is up to the consumers to demonstrate that in order to succeed, it is imperative to satisfy the customers. That means services, and pricing. Nokia will just have to learn it the hard way, and I personally see no possibility of success with their debut.

Nokia Booklet 3G colors

In a market where the average netbook is offered for $300 dollars, there must be an edge that almost triples the price. The following are the main features that separate the soon-available Nokia Booklet 3g from its counterparts such as the Acer Aspire One and the Asus Eee PC:

1. Runs Windows 7
2. 16-cell battery, arguably lasting up to 12 hours
3. Sim card slot, allowing you to connect to 3G networks without a cell phone
4. HDMI out for high definition videos on external HD displays

If we were to bend over backwards and add $100 for each one of the four features, it would still add-up to $700, quite distant from the original $820. I haven’t been as confused since Apple forced their customers to pay for patches and fixes. The only way Nokia can come out of this alive is via iPhone-style monopoly deals with carriers such as AT&T and Verizon Wireless, but even then, the netbook would still require an unprecedented $400 investment. Given the choice of tying yourself in a two-year’s contract and paying $400 for an average netbook, or the full $300 for a regular counterpart, no strings attached, how much “under the influence” would you have to be to make the wrong choice and aid the mobile-making Scandinavians?

We are left with no choice but to get over the bubble-burst and move on with our lives, there will soon be real contenders that provide us with the services that we deserve, for the prices that they have earned.

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Apple Fixes Mac’s Issues for a “Small Fee”

Just when you thought that Steve Jobs and Co were doing everything possible to get the last penny from its loyal consumers’ pockets, Apple have proudly introduced the release of Mac OS X Snow Leopard (10.6), available for pre-ordering. Not only have they brought new features and fixed a load of bugs, but they are also offering their latest operating system at a generous $29 for users upgrading from Mac OS X 10.5. Last year, users upgrading to the then new and unprecedented Leopard had to make a hefty investment. This time around, Apple are being compassionate with the poor and offering the upgrade, which is in theory only 0.02 increase in terms of version number, at under 30 bucks.

Apple patches up its OS, and charges for it

Before we go further, let’s examine the new features that are brought to the table by the California giants. A visual presentation of the main features can be found at Apple’s website here. While a complete list of the “refinements” are also available via their website. If you don’t have the time or are not willing to put the effort, the following are the key players in the move for the snow version of the same animal:

1. Exchange Support: With the new Mac OS, you can synchronize your calendar, contacts and email with a Microsoft Exchange server, which is widely used amongst companies of all sizes and industries
2. Improved Security: Better protection against malware and threats
3. Exposé & Dock Integration: IT is now easier to access open documents, combine open windows to space horizontal space
4. A Better Finder: Restore files to original location directly from trash (available in Windows for a over a decade, but still considered a revolution when it’s done in Apple’s name). Also displays which applications are using an inserted drive, preventing it from being ejected
5. New Quictime player: For some reason accredited to the new OS, even though anyone using any OS and download and use it
6. Minor Enhancements: Fewer Safari crashes, built-in screen capture with video, A proper Wifi utility, and more

The following video show a quick demonstration of the “new” Dock Expose:

The inevitable question that results from Apple’s new release is: How on Earth is this considered a commercial upgrade and not a set of basic updates? After all, these are nothing more than the type of tasks you would find on any technicians ToDo list. There is nothing out of the ordinary, and could in fact be considered fixes that are over-due.

This is where the intelligence of the consumer is questioned. Many Apple fanatics are overlooking the fact that they are forced to pay for a group of enhancements and improvements, and are in fact impressed that they are only charged a relatively-small fee. The problem with brands like Apple is that they are associated with many social aspects that couldn’t be further from the technology world. As a result, instead of driving computer-makers to come up with products that would fit our needs, we anxiously wait to see what are the products that will be introduced to the market, and consequently find out what we need to buy. I personally find it shocking that there are not enough people who find the payment for some fixes absurd, and it was even worse last time around when the fee was significantly larger.

Apple, just like any other company in the technology realm, makes imperfect products, and therefore is constantly working to address issues and fix them. However, Apple is the only company that will charge you to patch up security flaws, grant features that have been around since the Cold War, and make improvements that are nothing more than a natural step in the cycle of any product. We cannot expect corporations to serve us in the best way possible from the start, but with the current trends in ostentatious products and name brands such as Apple’s Macs, some companies do not even need to worry too much about the user’s need; they just need to focus on dictating it so that people know what to buy.

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Violence In Computer Games

Yet another hilarious video by the Onion News Network. This time, the issue at hand is violence in games: Are Violent Video Games Preparing Kids For The Apocalypse?

Besides the fact that it is rather humorous, there are a couple of points that are raised, albeit indirectly, from the intellectual “debate”:

1. The world of science fiction in games is extremely creative. It is not easy to create characters and story lines that attract fanatics to come on board. However, does more creativity require increased violence? Can we not enjoy entertaining, strategic games without violence?
2. The fiction depicted in the main stream games is always at least remotely related to reality. In many cases it’s a spin-off from what we see around us in the world today. Does that in turn mean that violence in games is merely an exaggeration of real life? If not, then why is that particular aspect blown out of proportion?
3. With the vast improvements in Computer Graphics and  3d rendering, violent effects are more and more striking. In a way, violence in games is increasing. Is there a limit? Or will is eventually settle, and perhaps even wane?

It is very difficult to measure the effect of violence in games on the people who are active players. Not only because it is not tangible, but also because the advancements are so fast, that we cannot even compare generations because of the huge differences. Therefore, we are mainly left with subjective opinions. One aspect that the huge majority would agree on is that, even if it is not harmful, violent games are in not way benefiting the up and coming generations of the “human race”.

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Should Adobe Slash Prices?

If you are in any way related to the design and/or multimedia realm, chances are you heavily rely on a handful of Adobe’s products. In fact, even the regular users with minimal technical knowledge naturally run applications such as Adobe Acrobat Reader, and more recently, Rich Internet Applications built on AIR. There is no doubt that with the acquisition of Macromedia in 2005, there has been very little competition in the different areas of the design and multimedia industries.

Adobe Photoshop Prices

Any web designer in particular is likely to be fully dependent on Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Flash, the later of which is by far the biggest gain from the Macromedia acquisition, as it brought the entire RIA industry into Adobe’s playground. As a freelancer, it only makes sense to purchase those applications, right? Well, with a total price tag of an incredible $2,300, it is of little surprise that the majority look to work around the hefty asking price. Sadly, millions of designers and web developers world wide rely on illegal copies of Adobe’s main money-makers, and it is not difficult to see why:

1. It is obviously a lot of cash, not the kind someone at the early stages of his or her freelancing career can dispose of
2. Following such an investment, as soon as the new version is out, the one you own becomes obsolete, and you would have to pay a significant amount to upgrade
3. It is easy to think that stealing a license is only temporary, until you have developed the capacity to live with the open-source alternatives (GIMP, Inkscape, etc.), or that you will be making more money in the future, allowing you to make such an investment

While there are many companies across Egypt and the Arab world that run bootleg copies of professional software, such an act is almost unheard of in the developed world. You’re very unlikely to be working for a design agency in the US, for example, and find that the Photoshop on your work computer is cracked or has by-passed activation. However in Egypt, for example, in the biggest ISPs and web development companies, it is common to see your colleague walk in with the good news that he or she has gotten a cracked version of the new Illustrator that has barely just come out in the US. A couple of hours later, everyone at the office is talking about their first experiences with the new product, after having made more copies for their personal PCs at home.

Adobe is clearly very aware of the situation. They know how over-priced their products are, as well as how easy it is to crack them, and how common it is to get a hold of illegal copies. Nevertheless, their strategy is to allow individuals to get their goods for free, students to grow up using them at close to nothing, but for companies to pay the full price. The idea is to have everyone addicted to them, and then force companies to purchase the licenses, because their designers are not willing to use GIMP, which would’ve saved loads of cash.

This all makes sense until you being the foreign companies into the equation. With thousands of agencies world-wide running illegal copies, Adobe is missing out on the chance to make much more profit. The theory would be that, just like anti-viruses have become significantly cheaper over the past 4 years or so, encouraging even the most loyal of software thieves to purchase original licenses, Adobe’s price reduction would help bring legit customers on board. If Photoshop, for example, was priced at $350 with a free upgrade, the number of legit users would at least triple. Even if you’re starting up your own agency or freelancing for the first time, that kind of money is recovered with the first project, and you get to match the newest version when it’s out. After that, they could make it more challenging to crack it (acknowledging that it is impossible to completely end it). Thus, many more people would not see it worth the hassle to skip the fee payment.

Judging from the progress over the past few years, it does not look like Adobe will rethink its pricing scheme anytime soon. However, they are clearly on the losing end as their bizarre price tags are encouraging millions everywhere to get a hold of them illegally, while many foreign companies will do the same, knowing they cannot get into trouble. Either way, besides four or five of their applications, Adobe’s programs have been defeated by open-source alternatives a while back, and the current survivors will soon follow.

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Documentary On Net Neutrality

An informative, thought-provoking video that explains how the internet boomed but is now under serious threat of censorship, on many levels;

This is the one right that cannot be taken from human beings. 60 percent of the content is produced by people, not corporations, and it has to remain that way. The beauty of the internet is in the freedom it provides for every person to send whatever message they want, in whichever direction.

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Alexa: Top Sites In Egypt

Although not exactly accurate, Alexa.com provides intriguing information regarding the most visited websites on the Internet, and can be viewed by country or category. Just like the architecture or gastronomy says a lot about a culture, sites visited on the web can say a lot about the people. If you were to check out the Alexa page for the top sites in Egypt, you would be surprised by the quality of websites that make it to that list. After the usual Google, Yahoo!, Facebook and YouTube, the following were the company:

• MyEgy.com: A portal for downloading Arabic and English movies, songs, programs and games. All perfectly illegal
• RapidShare: File hosting and exchange. Not necessarily used for exchanging legal office documents
• Maktoob.com: A Saudi portal offering everything from news to forums and downloads
• Travian.ae: An MMORPG, this is the Arabic version made for the Middle East

Add to the pile Masrawy.com (whose appalling design inspired me to talk about it), Yallakora.com (equally as disappointing, only this one focuses on football), and Filgoal.com (yet another football site, but definitely classier than the former), and you will have the unique mix specific to Egypt. Judging from this list, we could conclude the following:

1. Egyptians use the internet mainly for entertainment
2. Forums are over-overwhelmingly popular
3. People prefer local news sources as oppose to international ones, regardless of the poor quality
4. Needless to say, football is an essential aspect of life
5. Online gaming and downloads are a basic need

The sad but true story is that the Egyptians are not taking full advantage of the power of the web. In fact, it seems that people waste a significant amount of time between social networking, illegal file-exchange, and online gaming, than looking up information (via Wikipedia, for example, that hasn’t even made it to the top 20), or uncensored international news sources (such as BBC Arabic or AlJazeera). In fact, very little attention is paid to the aesthetics of a given website – the majority of regional websites in the list are over-exploited with ads, incompatible with Firefox, and just look plain ugly. The value of the website is in the free services that it offers, which basically means illegal downloads.

MyEgy.com: sadly popular

While such findings can trigger depression and loss of hope, there is light at the end of the tunnel, especially if you keep the following in mind:

1. Egypt’s relatively new to the internet. There will be millions of users coming on board in the near future
2. There’s plenty of room for competition, which will invite start-ups and Web 2.0 projects to invest and bet on a market share
3. More international websites will realize the importance of having an Arabic version, potentially attracting millions of users

With free dial-up access nation-wide, and affordable DSL connections, there’s no doubt that more and more users in Egypt will rely on the Internet for news and information that was previously hard to get a hold of. But before we reach that stage, it is normal for a population to ecstatically celebrate freebies in an overwhelming fashion, before the rush calms down and the  real benefits of the World Wide Web arise. Until then, any Web 2.0 projects aimed at Egypt, anyone?

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