Hi guyz, I'd like to introduce to you to a society formed purely by students in campus with open membership though that has been hard at work behind the scenes in spreading awareness on open source computing (n ideas). please go through this doc by our secretary and give your comments. kind regards, Nyarotho Kennedy THE THINK OPEN SOCIETY Think open is a society that was started by students in colleges and universities taking courses in Electrical, Electronic Engineering and in ICT and related fields. In fact the founding members met at the 13th IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers) Exhibition. The society has succeeded so far because of the innovativeness of its members, their desire to make positive contribution to the betterment of the society and the large community in general, their dedication and dogged determination in seeing that the society achieves its objectives. Persons in any field or discipline- Engineering and the Arts- is eligible to join provided they are above thirteen years of age. Note; Open Source Software is that software that is free to download, can be customized ( i.e. a programmer can change the code) and in most cases, easy to use. Open source software include operating systems, programs, programming languages, scripting languages, antivirus programs etc. Our Vision. A leader in ICT related activities and of particular interest the promotion, use, distribution and creation of awareness open source software and to have all computers in Kenya and Africa operate on open source software. Our Mission. Work closely with partners in the ICT industry through mutual co-operation on matters regarding open source products and the other ICT products and utilizing the same in educating and contributing to make positive changes in the society. STRATEGY Organisation Think open has an Executive Committee (office bearers) elected at the AGM and sub-committees to look into projects, programs etc who are elected when need arises. Aims and Objectives. 1. To promote the use of open source software and products in universities, colleges and all educational institutions. 2. To offer training in open source software products through workshops, seminars, conferences and information centers. 3. To develop open source software, operating systems in Swahili, local languages and in any other languages recognized in other parts of the world. 4. To mobilize resources in Kenya and the world to promote use of open source software and products. 5. To bridge the digital divide through the use of open source software. 6. To encourage interactions through the use of open source networking. 7. To establish, manage and facilitate software development forums. 8. To own and develop websites that will promote local content, open software and HIV/AIDS awareness. 9. To establish, acquire, build, maintain, manage and operate an E-library with digital books, digital CD’s and electronic systems and devices. 10. To engage in mobile services and applications, M-banking, e-banking, e-commerce, and m-commerce. 11. To promote HIV/AIDS awareness through the use of ICT methods. Way Forward The society aims at increasing its membership in the coming months. It aims at integrating persons in High Schools and other institutions in all parts of the country. The society plans on organizing conferences, workshops and training seminars on open source software in a bid to create awareness and promote open source software and products. You can follow the following link to our website www.whereis.co.ke/thinkopen. When you visit the website make sure you register as a member to log in and create your own page where you can post your blogs and share info on open source software and news and developments in the ICT industry. We will soon improve on the website and include the following features and more: history, contacts, what’s happening, achievements, sign up, links, discussions, forums, polls, pages, uploading and downloading files, search contents and registered users. The society is working on integrating interested partners in helping achieve the objectives mentioned earlier. The society is mobilizing resources to help in achieving the objectives. The society will open branches in the near future. We request you to invite more persons to join Think Open and help grow the Open source community. Thank you for your positive contribution to Think Open and the community. Kind regards, EDWIN MATENJWA, ORGANISING SECRETARY, THINK OPEN SOCIETY Tel: +254752 724482 -- People should know when they are conquered.