[kictanet] What are the core system and hosting requirements of the Open Data Inititative?

[aki]

--My final contribute for this thread-- Earlier we looked at the basic
importance of traffic issues.

Going further, why do we care and should the core system and
data ownership bother us?

We can always buy an off the shelf product from many vendors as we have done
since independence. We can install, customize the functions and deploy
within a very short time. And so can millions across the  developing world
and we become part of the global cycle where we no longer can think or act
for ourselves. A cycle and a system that will ensure our capacity to produce
scientists, engineers and talented people that can create is destroyed for
generations to come. Ever wonder what happened to the best students who
scored the highest marks nationally? Did they eventually become successful
entreprenuer retailers of goods or services? I bet you they did.
Their measure of success is that of surviving in such an environment.
Possibly a few made it to some board levels and will be pushing paper work
and boardroom presentations/speeches for years to come. Paper work and
words that is not at all connected to patents or achievements.

Creativity ( or Innovation ) is very much part of each and every person. We
need policies, finances, platforms and awareness that encourage people to
think. To think of creating systems or processes that will have positive
national impacts, that will create improvements on technologies or systems
or processes that will have tailored results and cater for more localised
funtionality. For thousands of years we are farming generations yet we still
have not found a better way to till the land or create better productivity,
so images of starving people is still around us. To add insult to
generations of the farming knowledge, even in these times we are being
taught how to farm better. We know how to import a tractor but we never
created a better tractor with more funtionality.

Developing countries governments need to wake up and stop being
collaborators of an international system or global policies that will always
ensure we are at a disadvantage. International investments are very very
welcome but we also need parallel programs that ensure our goals and targets
are met.

So each time we think of importing a product or solution, we are taking away
the chance to create thinkers, scientists, engineers, intelligent people who
may develop the next generation solutions to our problems. We cannot change
many generations of decades old mentality of the consumers import and fix
the problem, this has always applied. And there are many supporters of this
situation. But eventually we will need to make a start somewhere, somehow.

In closing, I'd like to ask this : How does one take water, computerized
controlled pressure jets and lights to create something that adds value to a
country's image? Am sure many kenyans will be BLANK because creativity was
never part of our national policies! :-)

Burj Dubai Khalifa Fountain 'Time to Say Goodbye'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6-jgoqC4FQ&feature=related

Thank you.
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