Czech Republic's Networked Readiness

According to The Global Information Technology Report 2010-2011, the Czech Republic ranks 40th our of 138 and has a score of 4.27 on the Networked Readiness Index. It is down from last years score of 4.36.

Censorship and the Media

Nakoula Basseley Nakoula, the director and producer of the anti-Islamic film "Innocence of Muslims", has achieved exactly what he set out to do, inflame the world Muslim population. Of course, he is not solely to blame for the widespread attention that his amateur and horribly offensive film has received. With the help from media outlets all over the world, Nakoula's film has gained attention worldwide and created tension between the Middle East and the West. 

In response to whether this short film should be censored and taken off Youtube: No, it should not. Who is it up to that we should censor this film? Who would we give the power to tell us what is harmful to hear or see? Christopher Hitchens once said that "it is not just the right of the person who speaks to be heard, but also the right of everyone in the audience to listen and hear." Every time you silence somebody you are making yourself a prisoner of your own action because you deny yourself the right to hear something. Your own right to hear and be exposed is as much involved as is the right of the other to voice his or her view. Rosa Luxemburg said it best when she said "freedom of speech is meaningless, unless it means the freedom of the person who thinks differently." 

In my opinion, the question should not even concern what actions Youtube should take, but rather the negative reactions to the film by the world media outlets. When we see the rioting crowds in the Middle East we need to put ourselves in their shoes and begin to understand that the rioters are being influenced by what their local media and leaders are telling them. The leaders of Islamic countries, news anchors, and religious leaders are telling their followers that this film is made by the United States. Not that it is made IN the United States by a Christian fundamentalist. Here, I would like to point out that I am not advocating violent protests or negative feelings toward the United States, but rather I am advocating understanding the entire situation as it is. Western society has been encouraged to censor this film out of respect for a religion that violates the basic rights of nearly half of the world. I respect the Middle East's negative feelings and responses towards this film, but their freedom of speech does not give them the right to incite violence.

African Problems, African Solutions

From his comedic comments, to his comprehensive knowledge of South African history, culture, identity, technology, and diversity; Dr. Benyon was a pleasure to listen to.  I was fascinated by how he was able to draw on the culture and history of South Africa to help point to what solutions would be beneficial to African problems.  

Computers can provide many benefits to the user; however,

they require a user to be knowledgeable  in its functions. 

In response to whether handing out $100 laptops would be beneficial for South Africans, he points to the poverty and lack of sufficient infrastructure in South Africa to allow people to fully utilize them. This is not to say that many would not benefit from a cheap laptop. It may allow the opportunity for education (via online courses or self education) as well as provide South Africans with a global communication medium.  However, I agree with Dr. Benyon that if you give hungry and sick people a $100 laptop, they may turn around and sell it to provide food and medicine for their family.  Though this allows them to provide for their family for a brief  period of time, they are not utilizing the laptops the way that was intended and essentially turns into a handout.  As an alternative to the $100 laptop he proposes that the cell phone technology should be further expanded because much of the infrastructure already exists in South Africa.  He provided several examples of how cell phones have already helped transform the lives of South Africans.  Providing South Africans with cell phones would elevate them not only locally, but also globally by allowing them to compete in the world market.

His approach to solving the technological gap in Africa could be applied to other countries that are struggling around the world. Rather than having one solution for all of the worlds tech problems, it is important to realize that every country has their own problems. Often these problems cannot be fixed by a general solution and require a hard look at what is happening in the country itself.