- change - Mailing Lists

Researchers Develop a Wikipedia of Fact-Checking During Natural Disasters
by Gaetano Borriello 21 Jul '14

21 Jul '14

http://www.southampton.ac.uk/mediacentre/news/2014/jul/14_135.shtml#.U82b6o… *Researchers Develop a Wikipedia of Fact-Checking During Natural Disasters* *University of Southampton (United Kingdom) (07/18/14)* Social media is often flooded with information in the wake of natural disasters such as earthquakes or tsunamis, but much of that information is contradictory and it can be difficult or impossible to sort the accurate from the inaccurate. Researchers at the University of Southampton, the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, and Qatar Computing Research Institute are hoping to address this shortcoming with Verily, an online platform for crowd-sourcing the veracity of information posted to social media. To test the platform's ability to rapidly verify information, researchers set up the Verily Challenge. Questions, such as whether a picture had been taken in a certain city, were posted to Verily's website and users were asked to answer the question and justify their answer with an explanation, picture, or video. Researchers found users were able to very rapidly verify or falsify the information on Verily through various means, including personal memory, Web searches, and online tools such as Google Earth. Researchers say their next step will be to deploy Verily to collect and verify evidence during an actual humanitarian disaster.

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Fwd: [DEV-5] ACM DEV Deadline Extension (August 8th)
by Gaetano Borriello 18 Jul '14

18 Jul '14

---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: *ACM DEV* <dev5conf(a)gmail.com> Date: Friday, July 18, 2014 Subject: [DEV-5] ACM DEV Deadline Extension (August 8th) To: Gaetano Borriello <gaetano(a)cs.washington.edu> Dear Gaetano Borriello, We have decided to extend the DEV deadline by one week to accommodate as many submissions as possible. As a result, the review schedule will be shifted by one week as follows: Full Paper Deadline: Friday, August 8, 11:59 UTC Program Committee Reviews: Tuesday, September 2, 11:59 UTC Program Committee Meeting (via teleconference): TBD between September 5th and September 12 Author Notification: Sept 15, 2014 Please let us know if you have any problems with the new schedule, we'll do our best to help everyone with the review process. Also, we would be grateful if you could spread the word about the new deadline among your colleagues. Thanks! vanessa & marshini

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MOTECH Suite workshop: August 27-29 in Accra, Ghana
by Gillian Javetski 10 Jul '14

10 Jul '14

Hi everyone, Dimagi and Grameen Foundation are hosting the first ever MOTECH Suite workshop from August 27-29 in Accra, Ghana! MOTECH Suite <http://motechsuite.org/> is an open source software platform that enables organizations to deploy and manage a wide range of mobile health applications. MOTECH Suite is being developed to deliver economies of scale by supporting multiple use cases to be scaled on the same platform, and by supporting integration to national information and reporting systems. The goals of the workshop are to: - Build a community of mHealth implementers in Ghana - Share best practices & strategies for mHealth projects running at scale - Enable participants to be leaders in mHealth within their organizations - Introduce attendees to MOTECH Suite's array of tools, including CommCare, CommTrack, CommConnect, and core MOTECH systems - Share case studies about regional mHealth programs and how they use mobile technology *Workshop Details: * - Dates: Wednesday, August 27th through Friday, August 29th - Time: 9:00AM -- 5:00PM - Location: Kofi Annan Center for Excellence in ICT <https://www.google.com.gh/maps/preview?f=q&source=newuser-ws&hl=en&geocode=…> - Who should attend? Directors, program managers, and heads of departments from NGOs, IGOs, funding organizations, research institutions, and government agencies - Language: The workshop will be run in English - Workshop fee: $75 for the entire workshop. Lunch and coffee will be provided daily. Per diems or travel stipends are not available. *For those interested in attending, please submit your application <http://www.commcarehq.org/workshops/ghana2014/> by Friday, August 8, 2014. *Attendance will be limited to 35 participants. Please refer any questions you have about this workshop and similar workshops to workshops(a)dimagi.com. Thanks, Gillian Gillian Javetski Senior Program Analyst Dimagi, Inc | 585 Massachusetts Ave | Suite 3 | Cambridge, MA 02139 USA web: http://www.dimagi.com/

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Beth Kolko (HCDE) in USAToday
by Gaetano Borriello 10 Jul '14

10 Jul '14

Third-world ideas that are changing first-world lives <http://www.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=fe973b3b920588765945ea2a4&id=4…> http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2014/07/09/ozy-third-world-innovation/12…

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Deadline Reminder DEV-5 August 1st
by Vanessa Frias-Martinez 07 Jul '14

07 Jul '14

DEV-5 Deadline August 1st!!! Call for Papers DEV 2014 provides an international forum for research in the design and implementation of information and communication technologies (ICTs) for social and economic development. In particular, we focus on emerging contexts where conventional computing solutions are often inappropriate due to various contextual factors - including, but not limited to, cost, language, literacy, and the availability of power and bandwidth. Papers and posters should describe original and previously unpublished research. Three metrics will be applied to judge the submissions: (a) Relevance of the problem for development; (b) Novelty of the technical solution; (c) Evaluation of the solution, making a case for development-focused impact. All DEV paper submissions should either provide or directly motivate a novel technical solution that has direct implications for development. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to: Networks/Systems/Security/Architecture * Low-cost wireless connectivity * Intermittent networks and systems * Power-efficient systems * Low-cost computing devices * Mobile systems and applications * Mixed networks, e.g., telephony and IP * Special-purpose sensor systems * Security challenges in developing regions HCI/Applications * User interfaces for low-literacy populations * Multi-lingual computing * User-interfaces for low-cost devices * Participatory methods and user-centered design * Accessibility to disabled populations in developing regions * Design and evaluation of applications for health, microfinance, education, agriculture, entertainment AI/NLP/Data Mining/Speech/Vision * Machine learning techniques for large-scale data analysis in development contexts * Adapting content and applications to local languages and education levels * Understanding social relationships and information flows in disadvantaged societies * Speech interfaces and speech recognition for low-resource languages * Development of new AI-centric tools/solutions for development * Computer vision challenges in development We also welcome papers outside of these topics that address the DEV focus on computing innovations supporting social and economic development. More information is available on the website: http://dev5.acmdev.org/. Follow conference updates on @ACMDEV2014. Please direct enquiries to dev5conf(a)gmail.com. Important Dates Full paper due: Author notification: Conference: August 1, 2014 (11:59pm UTC<http://timeanddate.com/worldclock/fixedtime.html?msg=DEV+2013+Submission+De…>) - firm deadline September 8, 2014 December 5-6, 2014

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Fwd: Fw: UI/UX Fellow
by Yaw Anokwa 24 Jun '14

24 Jun '14

Could be a great opportunity... ---------- Forwarded message ---------- >> UI/UX Design Fellow to come to Kenya for 2 months. Work with some great talented local developers on local data. 1. User Interface/Experience Designer will work with the Product Development Team, Engineers and Customers to create an intuitive and cohesive look, feel and overall user experience for our products 2. Brainstorm, research, wireframe, design and refine user experiences - all within specified product requirements and deadlines 3. Deliverables include wireframes, workflow diagrams, interactive mockups and prototypes For Designer bias: - Familiar with with various UI frameworks including Bootstrap and Foundation - Familiar with PSD to HTML conversions - Familiar with web typography For Developer bias: - Experience with various UI Frameworks including Bootstrap and Foundation - Experience with various Javascript Frameworks - Familiar with various Javascript charting libraries. - Familiar with both MYSQL and NOSQL databases -- Kind regards, Kenfield Griffith, PhD Chief Executive Officer Create your own mobile surveys. It's fun, free, and easy: mSurvey DIY Phone: [US] +1.716.390.2357 | [KE] +254704803849 | Email: kenfield(a)msurvey.co.ke | Skype: kenfield_griffith | Office: 707 Muchai Drive | Mailing: P.O.Box 15341-00100 Kenya | Trinidad and Tobago | US ________________________________ Insights by Mobile Surveys! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=np0rqahK1WA http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbU62gEHA6Q http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eEFDwos_kyk CONFIDENTIALITY: This email (including any attachments) contains confidential, proprietary and/or privileged information of Mobile Surveys Inc. Any duplication, copying, distribution, dissemination, transmission, disclosure or use in any manner of this email (including any attachments) without the authorization of the sender is strictly prohibited. If you receive this email (including any attachments) in error, please notify the sender and delete this email (including any attachments) from your system. Thank you. Mobile Surveys Inc. -- Kind regards, Kenfield Griffith, PhD Chief Executive Officer Create your own mobile surveys. It's fun, free, and easy: mSurvey DIY Phone: [US] +1.716.390.2357 | [KE] +254704803849 | Email: kenfield(a)msurvey.co.ke | Skype: kenfield_griffith | Office: 707 Muchai Drive | Mailing: P.O.Box 15341-00100 Kenya | Trinidad and Tobago | US ________________________________ Insights by Mobile Surveys! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=np0rqahK1WA http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbU62gEHA6Q http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eEFDwos_kyk CONFIDENTIALITY: This email (including any attachments) contains confidential, proprietary and/or privileged information of Mobile Surveys Inc. Any duplication, copying, distribution, dissemination, transmission, disclosure or use in any manner of this email (including any attachments) without the authorization of the sender is strictly prohibited. If you receive this email (including any attachments) in error, please notify the sender and delete this email (including any attachments) from your system. Thank you. Mobile Surveys Inc.

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Reminder: June ICT4Drinks Seattle - now with a free ride!
by Melody Clark 20 Jun '14

20 Jun '14

Use this area to offer a short preview of your email's content. View this email in your browser<http://us8.campaign-archive2.com/?u=67aa47e069318bcfe59336e0b&id=2ab893cea5…> [http://gallery.mailchimp.com/67aa47e069318bcfe59336e0b/images/15c81520-ba91…] Greetings, Seattle ICT4D folks! Just a friendly reminder that the next ICT4Drinks Seattle<http://eepurl.us8.list-manage.com/track/click?u=67aa47e069318bcfe59336e0b&i…> event is happening this Monday, June 23rd from 5:30-8pm at the Rock at the Maxwell Hotel. In addition to getting your first round free, you can also get there and back for free! Lyft has offered ICT4Drinks attendees a free credit to use for this event! Details: Lyft has offered all of our attendees that haven’t taken a Lyft a free $25 credit to try it out! All you have to do are 4 easy steps: 1) Download Lyft at http://get.lyft.com<http://eepurl.us8.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=67aa47e069318bcfe59336e0b&…> or in the App Store and sign up 2) Go to the "Payments" section and enter the code: (ICT4DRINKS) 3) Available to All New Users (those who've never taken a Lyft and never redeemed a code) 4) Request a Lyft to/from our event! Team up with your friends so you can come together! So RSVP now<http://eepurl.us8.list-manage.com/track/click?u=67aa47e069318bcfe59336e0b&i…> - you get a free drink, fun times with other tech & development professionals, AND a free ride! Sweet! See you all on Monday! Melody This email was sent to melclark(a)uw.edu why did I get this?<http://eepurl.us8.list-manage2.com/about?u=67aa47e069318bcfe59336e0b&id=ce2…> unsubscribe from this list<http://eepurl.us8.list-manage.com/unsubscribe?u=67aa47e069318bcfe59336e0b&i…> update subscription preferences<http://eepurl.us8.list-manage.com/profile?u=67aa47e069318bcfe59336e0b&id=ce…> ICT4Drinks Seattle · 4311 11th Ave NE · Suite 400 · Seattle, WA 98105 · USA [Email Marketing Powered by MailChimp]<http://www.mailchimp.com/monkey-rewards/?utm_source=freemium_newsletter&utm…>

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Job opportunity to *build* ICTD institute!
by Ed Cutrell 19 Jun '14

19 Jun '14

Incredible opportunity for someone to build an ICTD research institute from the ground up. Includes an assured annual budget of US$2.5M. Please pass around to enterprising folks thinking about impact.... -ed UN University is looking for director for new Institute on Computing & Society in Macao The United Nations University (UNU) is searching for an entrepreneurial director for the relaunch of its computing and information technology institute in Macao, SAR, China. The new institute will be called UNU Computing and Society. This director will set the vision and build an ambitious, cutting-edge, multidisciplinary research programme to address key challenges faced by developing societies through high-impact innovations in computing and information technologies. We are looking for a dynamic individual with a strong academic and management background who can recruit and lead a world-class team of researchers, and build partnerships with universities, think tanks and the private sector. A focused research programme, to be developed in collaboration with the Board of the Institute, should contribute, through impact and policy advice, to the goals and priorities of the emerging UN development agenda. The lnstitute's scope for doctoral and postdoctoral fellowships should contribute to nurturing the next generation of computing and information scientists and engineers in developing countries. The core budget of UNU Computing and Society is derived from investment income from an endowment of US$30 million. The assured annual budget is approximately US$2.5 million. Macao, where the Institute is located, is a free port at the heart of Asia - a significant asset. The lnstitute is located in a renovated historic colonial-style Portuguese world heritage building situated on the slopes of Guia Hill, one of the high points of Macao. Official flyer is here: http://bit.ly/SX5prI Details on employment here: http://cs.unu.edu/

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Fwd: Mobile App Internship - Please forward
by Gaetano Borriello 11 Jun '14

11 Jun '14

---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Maya Skolnik <mskolnik(a)nanostring.com> Date: Wed, Jun 11, 2014 at 1:43 PM Subject: Mobile App Internship - Please forward To: "gaetano(a)cse.uw.edu" <gaetano(a)cse.uw.edu> Cc: "lindsaym(a)cs.washington.edu" <lindsaym(a)cs.washington.edu> Hello Dr. Borriello, I hope you are enjoying the wonderful weather today. My name is Maya Skolnik and I am the Sr. Recruiter for Nanostring Technologies here in Seattle. We are a very fast growing Med Device/Diagnostics company and we have an immediate need for a Mobile App Development Intern. I was hoping you could help spread the word to your students and alumni. This is a PAID internship lasting approximately 3-4 months and possibly longer. Our hope is to find someone who has developed an iPhone app of their own (in use or not). Here is a link to the job description: http://nanostringtrial.theresumator.com/apply/kNdIIu/IOS-Mobile-Software-De… I would greatly appreciate any help/guidance you can provide. Thank you. Maya *Maya Skolnik* Senior Recruiter [image: cid:6686052C-1C46-4C12-973C-F3BB447A84FC] <http://www.nanostring.com/> [image: cid:FC39A04A-DA6F-4B3A-89CD-FFB546CF2A6A] <https://www.facebook.com/NanoStringTechnologies> [image: cid:77A8A747-AC76-4436-8200-8895F233151E] <https://twitter.com/nanostringtech> [image: cid:83C52EAC-9D19-4696-9C55-0128535C3B61] <http://www.linkedin.com/company/nanostring-technologies> 206.378.6266 | C: 206.378.NANO | F: 206.378.6288 530 Fairview Ave N | Suite 2000 | Seattle WA 98109 *This message is intended only for the recipient. If you are not the intended recipient you are notified that disclosing, copying, distributing or taking any action in reliance on the contents of this information is strictly prohibited.

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Fwd: [ITID] New Issue Published
by Yaw Anokwa 11 Jun '14

11 Jun '14

---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Arlene Luck <aluck(a)asc.usc.edu> Date: Tue, Jun 10, 2014 at 11:13 PM Subject: [ITID] New Issue Published Dear ITID Readers: Information Technologies & International Development has published its Vol. 10(2) Summer 2014 IFIP 9.4 Special Issue Into the Future: Themes, Insights, and Agendas for Information and Communication Technologies for Development This Special Issue of ITID contains a selection of articles from the IFIP 9.4 2013 12th International Conference on the Social Implications of Computers in Developing Countries, held in Jamaica May 19–22, 2013. This biennial conference took place in collaboration with the University of the West Indies at Mona and ICT4D Jamaica. IFIP 9.4 is a working group within the ICT and Society Technical Committee and is entitled Social Implications of Computers in Developing Countries. The conference attracts researchers from a wide range of methodological approaches. While most contributions were qualitative there were a number of quantitative contributions. The range of perspectives was also notable, from computer science to anthropology and from theory to policy and practice. In relation to the conference theme, an agenda for future research and practice, cumulatively, papers considered a number of crucial future challenges for the area, gaps that have not been addressed sufficiently, new technological possibilities, better understandings of institutional dimensions, methodological developments and the need for further rich ethnographic studies. The next conference is in Sri Lanka in 2015. The papers submitted to this Special Issue were initially selected by the track chairs and then considered by the Special Issue Editors. These decisions were based on both the reviews of the conference papers and also the interest they generated at the conference. We wanted to allow this special issue to reflect the diversity of the conference, and the interesting tracks that were represented. Once we had shortlisted the papers they were then sent out for several rounds of reviews. Unfortunately, not all the shortlisted papers survived the reviewing rounds. For those that have, this has resulted in significantly different and enhanced papers to those that are included in the conference proceedings. We outline each below. This Special Issue comprises four articles that adopt very different positions. Two are explicitly theoretical position papers, and offer important insights into how we might think about future ICT4D Research. One paper offers the scaffold of practice theory and sets up a provocative argument about the paucity of theoretical reflection in this domain. The second paper argues that we need to consider the role of active mediators in the development network, far removed from the specific development setting, that are actively shaping the agenda and the possibilities for work in this domain. The two other articles are case study–based and report on primary empirical data. One case study focuses on Malawi and the other on Jamaica. Both case study papers offer important insights into how information and communication technologies are put in place in specific development settings and used in ways that are unanticipated both positively and negatively. They also represent two different sectors, one healthcare and the other education. Cumulatively, the four papers represent many of the concerns that the IFIP 9.4 group attends to and issues that require further development. The article by Stan Karanasios argues that, thus far, the ICT4D field has a paucity of theoretically informed accounts. Indeed, the role of theory in ICT4D research was one of the key discussion points at the IFIP 9.4 conference. His article can be viewed as a position paper, and we envisage that future studies will draw on it when thinking about ICT4D’s theoretical foundations. Karanasios presents activity theory as one approach that may help to address this omission. His article usefully outlines some of the key theoretical constructs developed by activity theorists and argues that ICT4D should be viewed as a practice. His article then provides an account of how activity theory may inform future ICT4D studies. He concludes by setting out a research agenda for activity theory and ICT4D and posits five activity theoretic contributions that can be drawn on to frame future ICT4D studies. The article by Niall Hayes and Chris Westrup discusses the role of consultants in ICT4D, focusing on consultants’ roles as intermediary and mediator. The authors do this by drawing on some theoretical concepts from science and technology studies. Linking to the conference theme and looking at insights for the future, the authors discuss possible agendas that international consulting firms may have for development and the role of objectivity in these consultancies. The article presents insightful and interesting arguments on the positioning of consultants in the development sphere and implications for future discussions in this area. The article by Terje Sanner and Johan Sæbø picks up the important theme of the possibilities for long-term sustainability of ICT4D project interventions. This is a topic that has had considerable debate in the literature to date and one that is of great importance for our domain. Their article reports on primary empirical data collected in Malawi. The data offers a rich account of why different actors participate in a mobile health project, their priorities, and what they would like to participate in. They develop an analysis of how to encourage participation in ICT4D development projects. Central to this is the issue of per diem payments. Sanner and Sæbø highlight the contradictory role that they have played in this debate. On one hand, they offer the prospect of attracting local participation to ICT4D projects, while on the other hand, they highlight how they have also undermined long-term capacity building and sustainability. Sanner and Sæbø draw specifically on institutional theory and institutional logics to develop their analysis and argue that while some institutional logics may appear contradictory, in fact, they require each other. As well as some useful reflections on institutional theory, they offer some normative insights pertaining to sustainability and incentivization. The article by Deana Brown and Rebecca Grinter presents relevant and interesting research related to the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) to support interaction and to connect children of migrant parents and their home school–parental support networks. Through empirical data collected in Jamaica, supported by earlier interviews with migrant parents, the authors examine the modes of existing interaction between migrant parents and teachers, and propose supporting ICT mechanisms for enhancing the ongoing involvement of parents living abroad with their children’s schools and caregivers. The proposed network would provide flexibility, transparency, security, and mobility in facilitating these interactions to support educational outcomes. This issue also includes a review by Tim Unwin of the book Evaluating Communication for Development: A Framework for Social Change, authored by June Lennie and Jo Tacchi. The book review provides insights on the need for evaluation in development interventions, and highlights key components of the authors’ framework. Synergies with areas discussed in the special issue are apparent as evaluation of ICT4D initiatives continues to be critical in informing ongoing and future interventions that are designed to address complex development challenges. We would like to thank Renata Lèbre La Rovere, Arlene Luck, the reviewers, and the ITID journal editors and editorial team for their insights and contributions to the development of this Special Issue. Niall Hayes and Arlene Bailey Special Issue Editors ______________________________________________ Information Technologies & International Development http://itidjournal.org

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