The Internet Society

Interested in the information society? If you want to know more, join the Internet Society

The Society is a non-profit, non-governmental, international, professional membership organisation. Its more than 150 organisations and 16,000 individual members in over 180 nations worldwide represent a veritable who's who of the Internet community.

The South African chapter of the Internet Society is inclusive and members represent a broad cross section of the Internet community in South Africa.

The work of the Internet Society focuses on four "pillars": standards, public policy, education and outreach, and community.

The South African chapter (ISOC-ZA) was formed in 1997 and offers members an opportunity to assist in growing the internet society in our country. Meetings on relevant topics are held regularly, volunteers assist to create more awareness of the internet and members are encouraged to get involved in the development of national policy relating to the Internet.

Membership is free

Thanks to Rheina Epstein for the information

Search Tips of the Month

If you aren't reading Mary Ellen Bates' articles already, go this minute to her website to find out more about search tools for everything from authoritative sources to quick answers to odd questions.

Her Info-Entrepreneur Tip of the Month can't be missed by anyone wanting to set themselves up as an information professional and wondering about rates and fees, networking, partnering with clients and much more.

You can subscribe to her free email newsletter or try the RSS feed.

Sharing Cultures

Sharing Cultures works by connecting students at Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University with students at Columbia College Chicago over the course of a semester. Sharing Cultures also works by connecting the teaching team as a community of teachers reflecting on and transforming their pedagogy and practice together.

Instead of deploying "spectacularly innovative technology", Sharing Cultures provides access to technology and the related competencies to particular populations of students in Port Elizabeth and Chicago who have not yet benefited from technology's potential to enhance confidence, communication, and community.

Read two comments from the teaching team:

Amy Hawkins on being eight thousand miles from her colleagues, but being able to share "a relationship with technology and a belief that our students can benefit from developing such a relationship as well".

Thoko Batyi on the lack of a cultural background in reading, and the culture shock of using this new technological science for reading and writing.

Ten Techie Things for Librarians 2006

Ten Techie Things for Librarians 2006 (Updated)
"Culled from various blogs, discussions and ponderings" at the weblog by Michael Stevens. Tame the Web: Libraries and Technology, Jan 2006.

'These are the things I would want a knowledgeable, tech savvy staff to be aware of and consider/discuss for their libraries. Some may fit, some may not. In strategic planning, long range plan meetings and in any incarnation of the emerging technology committee, I would hope an 'in the know' librarian at the table could speak about these things".

User-centred planning & users perceptions
Building resources and comments enabled
Open source software & shared development
... and more

and when you've read and pondered, follow the link to Twelve Techie Things for Michael's 2005 list.

Essential reading!