A critical analysis of information and knowledge societies with specific reference to the interaction between local and global knowledge systems

Benefiting from the process of globalisation and becoming an information and knowledge society, has become the vision for many governments throughout the world. However, as it has been demonstrated in this thesis, becoming an information and knowledge society is much easier for developed countries that already possess some of the prerequisite criteria, such as an efficient and effective ICT infrastructure. By investing in such an infrastructure, the interaction and exchange of data, information, and knowledge from a local knowledge system with the global knowledge system is enabled. Through this two-way flow of information, the other criteria these countries have to comply with are stimulated, making it much easier and faster for these countries to achieve their goal. However, for the developing countries that are still in the grip of the digital divide, the goal of becoming information and knowledge societies seem nearly unattainable. Owing to this digital divide that is experienced by developing countries, combined with other barriers such as the social barriers that include the overall health and education level of citizens, the citizens of these countries cannot take part in the interaction and exchange process. Thus, this interaction and exchange process cannot aid these countries in complying with the other criteria needed to become information and knowledge societies, and in this way, the progress of developing countries towards becoming information and knowledge societies are seriously hampered. How does the interaction and exchange of data, information, and knowledge between developing countries’ local knowledge systems and the global knowledge system contribute to their development and positive participation in the global information and knowledge society? This is the research question that has guided this thesis. To get an answer to this question the author addressed the following issues: The author sketched the theoretical foundation of this thesis by providing a brief historical perspective of the Information Science domain. This provided a better understanding of concepts such as data, information, knowledge, global-, western-, and scientific knowledge as well as indigenous-, traditional-, and local knowledge as applied in this thesis. The underlying relationship between these concepts were also explored. Furthermore, the phenomenon of the global information and knowledge society was discussed as one of the opportunities presented by globalisation. The author then analysed the criteria of the information and knowledge society as discussed in Chapter 3, and identified indicators that the stated criteria are constructed from. To investigate whether developed countries are information and knowledge societies, these indicators were applied to Norway and the USA. It was concluded that both countries comply with the stated criteria and are thus information and knowledge societies. The author followed the same method of investigation and applied the indicators identified in Chapter 4 to two developing countries, namely Niger and South Africa. It was concluded that both these countries do not comply with the stated criteria and, thus, are not information and knowledge societies. Furthermore, barriers were identified by the author that inhibit these countries from becoming information and knowledge societies. Lastly, the author discussed proposed solutions and recommendations that can be used to overcome the various barriers that inhibit the progress of developing countries becoming information and knowledge societies. Thesis (DPhil)--University of Pretoria, 2008.Information ScienceDPhilunrestricte

The road to the information and knowledge society : indigenous knowledge and the Millennium Development Goals

Benefiting from the process of globalisation and becoming an information and knowledge society has become the vision for many governments throughout the world. However, becoming such a society is much easier for developed countries as they already possess some of the prerequisite criteria to be classified as an information and knowledge society. These criteria include a stable economy, an efficient physical infrastructure, and an effective ICT infrastructure, to mention a few (Britz 2006; Holmner 2008). As many of the criteria of an information and knowledge society coincide with the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), it is much easier and faster for these developed countries to achieve these goals and benefit from the global economy. For developing countries that are still experiencing a digital divide, these goals seem nearly unattainable. As the deadline for achieving the MDGs is only five years away, it has become imperative for developing countries to investigate other roads and possibilities to assist them in progressing towards attaining these goals at an increased speed. Utilising indigenous knowledge is one of these roads that developing countries are making use of to reach this destination.This paper was presented at the 6th Biennial ProLISSA Conference, Pretoria, 9–11 March 2011.http://www.journals.co.za/ej/ejour_mousaion.html or http://www.unisa.ac.za/default.asp?Cmd=ViewContent&ContentID=2012

Intelligent transport systems : privacy, security and societal considerations within the Gauteng case study

Intelligent Transport System (ITS) is an umbrella term that describes the integration of Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) and applications used in effective road network management. These applications include CCTV surveillance and automated tolling through the use of radio communication infrastructure such as e-tags highway gantries. These technologies may assist in the improvement of road networks, ultimately resulting in the development of the economy and prosperity of the country. As the capture of personal information is essential in an ITS, information ethical concerns surrounding privacy and security of personal information belonging to motorists have been raised. Technologies utilised by ITS place motorists under constant surveillance and monitor transit behaviour in real time. However, the big question is whether or not such technological sophistication and economic gains are the primary success factor to any ITS. While these technologies may assist in the improvement of the physical infrastructure of a country, ignoring social impact issues, in the current economic climate, may be catastrophic to the success of a system. An investigation into international examples of such systems and the ITS currently in the implementation phase in Gauteng, South Africa, offers some insight into the ethical considerations and concerns around the management of Gauteng motorists’ information as they begin to register for the new system.http://www.innovation.ukzn.ac.za/innovationbase.htmam201

Becoming an information and knowledge society : Rwanda and the village phone project

Many countries around the world have visions or dreams of becoming information and knowledge societies. These countries wish to benefi t from the many advantages that such societies offer, including improved communication, better education and the reduction of poverty, to mention but a few. However, many countries and communities around the world (especially in Africa) are not part of the information and knowledge society yet, due to barriers such as the digital divide (Holmner 2008). Authors such as Webster (2002), Britz et al (2006) and Holmner (2008) have identifi ed criteria that defi ne an information and knowledge society. These criteria address economic, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) infrastructure, physical infrastructure, and social and human intellectual capacity aspects. Based on these criteria, it is clear that Rwanda, which forms the subject of this study, is not yet an information and knowledge society. This article presents facts on how mobile phone technology such as the Village Phone (VP) can help Rwanda become an information and knowledge society. Qualitative research methods were applied in the form of a literature review and semi-structured interviews which were conducted with the VP users in fi ve Rwandan districts. The results of the study showed that while the adoption of the VP may assist Rwanda to adhere to some criteria of the information and knowledge society (namely the economic and the ICT infrastructure criteria), while slightly assisting adherence to the social criterion, adoption of the VP is not assisting Rwanda to adhere to the physical infrastructure and human intellectual capacity criteria at all. The study further found that if the VP were used in a different manner it could meet more of the required criteria to help Rwanda become an information and knowledge society.http://www.journals.co.za/ej/ejour_mousaion.htmlhttp://www.unisa.ac.za/default.asp?Cmd=ViewContent&ContentID=20129am201

Electronic waste : the leading information ethical concern of the information age

Electronic waste (e-waste) is becoming one of the leading global concerns in the information age. This article establishes e-waste as an informational ethical issue impacting the environment as well as the health and well-being of citizens. Furthermore it elaborates on the consequences of the e-waste problem nationally and globally. The current solutions to the e-waste problem as implemented in other countries are considered with specific reference to the feasibility of such solutions in South Africa with mind to the suitability of such solutions in the rest of the African continent. The authors gained insight into the awareness about the e-waste issue as well as the willingness and ability of future information professionals to contribute to the recycling of e-waste in the long term, through the implementation of a survey to undergraduate students within the School of Information Technology. The School of IT (SIT) at the University of Pretoria is a unique institution for tertiary education in the field of information technology and a big contributor to future leaders in the IT industry. Through the incorporation of primary and secondary research the authors hope to contribute to the field of information ethical research on ewaste as well as to present viable and effective methods to combat the problem of e-waste in the third world through collaboration with manufacturers and end-users.http://www.innovation.ukzn.ac.za/innovationbase.htmam201

When the last mile becomes the longest mile : a critical reflection on Africa's ability to transform itself to become part of the global knowledge society

In this article the question is asked to what extent Africa can become a knowledge society characterised by global connectivity and the ability to not only utilise knowledge but also to generate new knowledge in support of sustainable development, economic growth and human wellness. The question is approached from two interrelated perspectives. The first perspective focused on the importance to connect people via communication networks to the global body of knowledge. This is the last mile problem. In the second perspective the focus fell on human capacity building and the ability of people to not only fully utilise the information but also their ability to create new knowledge. This is referred to as the longest mile problem. It is concluded that most African countries have made tremendous strides in the last decade to address the last mile problem. This is evident from the increase in broadband availability as well as the rapid growth in the use of mobile technologies. It is furthermore concluded that Africa still has a long way to go with regards to human capacity development. It is argued that in many respects this still remains the longest mile for Africa in her efforts to become a prosperous knowledge society. Although some progress has been made with regards to primary and secondary education there is a lack of investment in tertiary education, and with a few exceptions the research infrastructure on the continent is still largely underdeveloped. This seriously hampers Africa's efforts to become an equal partner in the global knowledge economy.http://www.innovation.ukzn.ac.za/innovationbase.htmam201

The intelligent number plate system : protection or violation of motorists' privacy?

A number of ethical issues have come under the spotlight with the proposed implementation of an Intelligent Transport System (ITS), known as the Intelligent Number Plate System (INPS), to be used in the Open Road Tolling (ORT) system designated for certain Gauteng roads in 2011. The project was fi rst initiated in 2006, with full-scale implementation scheduled for 1 January 2008. It was, however, postponed to January 2009 and later to April 2010. When this deadline could not be met, it was postponed to October 2010 and subsequently to October 2011.This research investigated some of the ethical issues related to the surveillance that motorists will experience each time they utilise the impacted roads. This surveillance will be made possible via technologies that include closed-circuit television and radio frequency identifi cation tags. When considering the possible vulnerability of such technologies, it is important to make motorists aware of the authorities’ responsibility to protect any identifying information, as well as the potential effect these systems may have on motorists’ right to privacy. These rights will be illustrated through an analysis of South African legislation and its relation to the INPS. International examples of ITSs were investigated to determine the possible benefits and challenges related to the implementation of the INPS. In order to supplement the literature research findings, a pilot study was conducted to assess the public perception of the privacy challenges associated with the INPS. The research findings indicated that there was cause for concern related to the ethical issues involved in the implementation of such a system in a South African context.http://www.journals.co.za/ej/ejour_mousaion.htmlhttp://www.unisa.ac.za/default.asp?Cmd=ViewContent&ContentID=20129am201

ICT in Africa : enabling a better life for all

No abstract available.http://www.tandfonline.comloi/titd202016-07-30hb201

Using mobile technologies for social media based library services at the University of Development Studies Library, Ghana

Libraries all over the world are utilizing the latest Information and Communication Technologies to assist in their objective of providing clients with effective and efficient services, as well as timely access to needed information. The implementation of social media and the use of mobile technologies for service delivery are trends that have, however, not yet been fully embraced by academic libraries in developing countries in sub-Saharan Africa. This article reports on a study aimed at investigating the possibility of using mobile technologies to implement social media based services to graduate students at the University for Development Studies Library in Ghana. This article provides a short overview of the various technologies and services available, discusses the opportunities and challenges for implementing such services at the University Library, and provides a number of recommendations to support this goal.http://idv.sagepub.comhb201