This is a copy of the notes that I wrote at AfNOG 2010 as a guide to using system imaging at future workshops. Unfortunately that wiki is not accessible without signing up for an account, so I’m posting the information here too.
How to Install Computer Labs
If you ever need to set up a large number [...]
System Imaging for Free using G4L
July 22nd, 2010
Mobiles for Scientific Research
July 9th, 2010
We know mobiles are very useful in areas where desktop computer and communications infrastructure is not easily available or affordable. And we’re very interested in mobile applications and scientific research in exactly these regions.
So I was very interested to see a new training workshop being run by the Science Dissemination Unit (SDU) of the Abdus [...]
The reality of Internet access in Africa
July 8th, 2010
When we talk about making the Internet accessible over slow and unreliable connections, we speak from experience. Our recent work in Zambia, for example, taught us a lot about the realities of Internet in the field, in rural Africa.
We were helping to deliver hands-on computer training for 150 young Zambian women as part of our [...]
Aptivate Speaking at Africa Gathering, London
June 22nd, 2010
I’m going to be talking at Africa Gathering London about the reciprocal relationships between participation and IT.
The (ongoing) need for speed
June 21st, 2010
13 years ago Jakob Nielsen wrote an important article stating that one of the most significant factors in web usability is speed.
Now he has to say it again.
Alan’s Random Idea
June 19th, 2010
You probably know Moore’s Law. I have a theory too, well… a “Random Idea” about progress in software.
Guide de conception Web pour environnements à bande passante faible en français
June 17th, 2010
Nous avons récemment traduit notre Guide de conception Web pour environnements à bande passante faible en français, ce qui signifie qu’il est maintenant acccessible à environ 200 million de personnes dans le monde. Le français est une langue officielle ou commune dans plus de 30 pays, y compris de nombreuses nations Africaines.
C’est grâce au soutient [...]
Web Design Guidelines in French
June 17th, 2010
We’ve recently translated our Web Design Guidelines for Low Bandwidth into French, making them potentially accessible to 200 million people worldwide. French is an official or commonly used language in over 30 countries, including many African countries.
We launched the guidelines with the support of INASP in 2007, as part of our ongoing efforts to make [...]
Simulating low bandwidth: Publishers for Development
June 8th, 2010
We think that academic publishing is an area that’s both critically important to development, and simultaneously becoming more and more inaccessible to the people who need it most. The average size of web pages has been growing much faster than the average speed of connections in developing countries. We built a low bandwidth simulator ourselves, and took it to INASP and the ACU’s Publishers for Development conference in Oxford to persuade the journal publishers to optimize their sites to make them accessible to everyone.
Ubuntu in Zambia
May 7th, 2010
Ubuntu in Zambia was the title of my talk at OggCamp10: I described our recent work using Ubuntu based low-power computers for training in rural Zambia.Telling this story to the geeks at OggCamp reminded me of the role the Open Source desktop operating system played in this successful project.