October 2009 - skunkworks - Skunkworks Site

My Thoughts on A Way Out of The Murky Internet Fiasco
by Mark Mwangi 18 Oct '09

18 Oct '09

Hi Skunks, Wrote a few words on what I think is the route out of this whole ''give us cheap internet-we cant lower our prices'' war between kenyans and the ISP's Contributions are welcome. http://wp.me/ppK0J-N -- Regards, Mark Mwangi http://mwangy.wordpress.com

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NSE goes open source?
by Sammy Njoroge 18 Oct '09

18 Oct '09

Considering the London Stock exchange recently opted to go opensource<http://www.computerworlduk.com/community/blogs/index.cfm?entryid=2568>for some pretty compelling reasons i wonder what the NSE will decide to do since on the website there is a tender advert for a broker back office system http://www.nse.co.ke/newsite/. How about skunkworks lobbying the government to go open source and if they refuse we sue them Canadian style for ignoring open source alternatives<http://www.osor.eu/news/quebec-government-sued-for-ignoring-open-source-alt…>

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Mick Wilson/UNEP/NBO/UNO is at UNGIWG
by Mick Wilson 18 Oct '09

18 Oct '09

I will be out of the office starting 18/10/2009 and will not return until 26/10/2009. It's UNGIWG time again I will be checking this mail less often than you'd like. If you need an intelligent reply before I get back then please contact caroline.mureithi(a)unep.org or, for POW 2010 matters, norberto.fernandez(a)unep.org

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She is looking for a Job
by Humphrey Forum 18 Oct '09

18 Oct '09

Hello people, Please help my sister get a job. She holds a Higher Diploma in IT and has done a bit of Accounts. Any assistance given to her will be highly appreciated. Regards, Humphrey

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Why we should welcome the land policy with a pinch of salt!!!!!!!!!!
by Joseph McDonald 17 Oct '09

17 Oct '09

Good Day! It is with relief that we welcome the New Land Policy..since as we know land is a very emotive and sensitive issue in Kenya. But even as we are ready do celebrate this new policy which is yet to be discussed in parliament,am sceptical since I have not seen anyway the ministry getting views from the techies the ICT people. You cannot have a land policy without a comprehensive Land Information Systems (LIS) and this is where the good people on the skunkworks can help. Allow me to indulge a little,to explain the problem with the present land ownership scenerio and how they can be solved with an LIS. 1.Legality vs Legitimacy:The present law in Kenya,only looks at the Legality (owning a title deed),whereas it should also look at the legitimacy.For example a person with a title deed,for a land in Mau Forest or Wetland might have a legal document to own that land.But does not have the legitimacy of owning it because it is water catchment area or wetland or school compound.Now with a LIS all land will be document and the information available on a website (with maps).The land will be marked accordingly e.g Wetland,Water Catchment,agricultural land,forest land,road reserve,Industrial development land ,public land and Private Property will also have the lease period and the details of the owner.So in future we will not have a situation where a person buys a land in a water catchment area then asks for compensation.Secondly it will sensitize people when they see people doing funny activities on land that is earmarked for special common good.Even if they go ahead and acquire such land the title can be revoked due to the legitimacy angle.At the moment the Title deed is everything,people can even forge your title deed and once they have it ,its a legal nightmare.Legitimacy issues can also arise when for example a runaway husband sales land that belongs to the family. 2.Ownership Vs Access: The present law in Kenya,give primacy to ownership,but it should also look at access to land.It is alright that you own the land,but is it accessible.What is the point of someone owning 10 of thousands of land while there are squatters as his neighbors.This person should make the land accessible by at least subletting it so that people can at least grow crops.Another example,the somalis can buy the whole of eastleigh if they want...so long as they put the land into projects which will be accessible to all people in terms of shopping mall etc.Tied with the first point then when someone buys land he will be required to state the his intentions.So that we dont have large tracks of land sitting idle.The LIS will make it easier to manage how accessible land is.In all we should have situations where by you can be without land,but you are not landless. Additional Features for the LIS .Search Capabilities.(by function,by person,by institutions,by title number,by unused lands,lease,by location,for sale) .Ability to Pay land rates using mobile payments .Ability to pay tax on land by the amount of acarage etc .Maps Without a transparent LIS then whatever land policy we have is bound to fail. I heard one day...the Lands Minister saying that they require 2 billion to digitize the records.Am sure if we look for a home grown solution most people on this list e.g Alliance Technologies can make such solutions for much less.Secondly isn't that an opportunity for our budding BPOs.?????? NB:Anyway my advise for young people,think about the cyberspace forget land. A good website with monitized content,can cost you less than 200-500k and you can make 200k monthly. A plot in a place in eastlands (forget prime land) will cost you 500K-1million.....then developing it for low income houses will cost you another 4-7 million.Then make what? 70 -100k a month? its not worth it. So lets see guys fighting for cyberspace,lets see more .co.ke website,lets see more local content.Lets see more webprenuers,lets see more solutions,lets see more people leaving their comfortable zones in jobs as sys admins,network admins and all those fancy titles and see guys making really solutions for smes,for government,for homes etc.Lets use ICT to solve agenda 4 ISSUES and 5 and 6 OR ANY OTHER ISSUES whatever the number.

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hi
by steve kyengo 17 Oct '09

17 Oct '09

anybody out there who can help me oput to get an internship. i have just completed campo pursuing a Bachelors in IT if at all you can help me seccure 1 i will be greatful regards steve kyengo 0727049692

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GPS Handheld differential
by henry kamabi 16 Oct '09

16 Oct '09

Hi I am looking for this kind of GPS handheld (differential) system. Some of it salient features include: - Accuracy less that 1M - Rugged and waterproof - Bluetooth/wireless connectivity - Windows mobile 0.5 - 1GB onboard storage Kindly advice where i can source a good label with the above. regards, Henry

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Pfsense vs Mikrotik
by Job Muriuki 16 Oct '09

16 Oct '09

Am torn between this two solutions for a router. based on ease of installation, reformance and features which is recommended. Just to mention the system has to have a captive portal and authenticates users against am external radius server. -- Sent from my mobile device

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Vincent needs attachment
by Areba Collins 16 Oct '09

16 Oct '09

Honestly i dont know him, ive not even met him but a good friend of mine tells me this vincent guy is his bro and needs attacho. He's just about to clear comp sci and maybe join skunkworks inc. Anyone out there that could help him out?

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Radio Streaming ove the Net....
by Walubengo J 16 Oct '09

16 Oct '09

Hi all, My College recently launched a community radio. I would like to stream its content over the web...Plse shoot the me the instructions on how I would do it over a Linux (Ubuntu) platform. regards. walu.

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