Stories about Technology from March, 2014
Teenage Bloggers in Bangladesh Arrested For ‘Blasphemous’ Facebook Posts
Fellow bloggers accuse an Islamist student organization of distributing false propaganda that rallied a mob against the two bloggers and led to their arrest.
Geo-Mapping Tools and Data Analysis Redefine Reporting in Africa
Oxpeckers Center for Investigative Environmental Journalism and Land Quest investigate environment and development issues.
GV Face: How to Make Videos for Advocacy and Change with Witness and Rising Voices
Are you using video to make your campaign a reality? Are you telling stories with cameras - or your phone? Then you need to watch this GV Face!
China Strengthens Censorship on Foreign TV Online
Companies will now have to employ government-approved censors to green light videos before they can be broadcast online.
The Challenges Facing Data Journalism in West Africa
Data journalism in West Africa often must work against a lack of data, funds and regulation.
The Night the Lights Went Out in Jamaica: Politician Freed of Corruption Charges
The dropping of charges against a former minister of Parliament in a corruption scandal involving the distribution of light bulbs, has Jamaicans discussing whether the judicial system has a bias.
Brazilian Congress Approves Pioneering Bill of Rights for Internet Users
Marco Civil has finally been approved in the lower house of Brazil's Congress and next should be voted in Senate. The bill of rights for Internet users became a worldwide trending topic on Twitter, following a large-scale campaign that was promoted during the day of the vote, March 25, 2014, under the hashtags #MarcoCivil and #EuQueroMarcoCivil (I want...
First Tweet from President of Madagascar is the Ultimate Meta Tweet
The newly elected president of Madagascar Hery Rajaonarimampianina created his twitter account on March 23, 2014. Here is his first tweet : It is quite possibly the most meta tweet ever from a head of state. Only media mugol Rupert Murdoch might challenge the level of “metaness” of his first...
Brazil's Internet Bill of Rights Ignites Storm of Posts
Activists who support Brazil's bill of rights for Internet users, known as the #MarcoCivil, and who have Facebook or Twitter accounts are invited to participate in a large-scale campaign on social networks to pressure the National Congress to vote on the current version of the bill. An article by Julie Rovono on TechCrunch explains how...
3 Ways Mobile Money Transfer Has Changed Kenyans’ Lives
Kenyans on Twitter explain how M-Pesa, a mobile-phone based money transfer and micro-finance service, has changed their lives since the service was introduced seven years ago.
How Russians Are Outsmarting Internet Censorship
RuNet activists have created a sophisticated system of censorship evasion and counter-attack, which can potentially make life hard for both censors and pro-Kremlin websites.
‘The Subject': A New Crowdfunding Tool for Brazil's Independent Media
Aimed at providing an alternative to the traditional business model of media production, a new crowdfunding platform for independent journalism has been launched in Brazil. O Sujeito (The Subject) [pt] is hosted by the crowdfunding website Catarse, which wrote about the new venture [pt] coming at a time of transition for media funding: O veículo impresso está...
Why the Caribbean Should be Interested in the Internet's Future
ICT Pulse explains why the Caribbean should become more involved in shaping the future stewardship of the Internet.
Flipboard Adds Global Voices to Local Content Guides
Starting this month, Global Voices (in different languages) will be recommended to the millions of people who use an app called Flipboard on their tablets and smartphones.
Macedonian Government to Introduce Internet Filtering
Airborne blog commented on the Macedonian government's plan to set up a new company to provide online betting and other gambling to residents of Macedonia: The plan will involve “disabling of betting/gambling online games on foreign web sites”. This blockade is set to last two years beginning in March 2014....
Is There Anything More Public Than Twitter?
What are the ethics of publishing a tweet without permission? A Buzzfeed report on sexual assaults stirs trouble in the twitterverse.
11th Century Kannada Literature Available On Wikisource
Vachana Sahitya is a form of rhythmic writing in Kannada language that evolved in the 11th Century C.E. and flourished in the 12th century. Subhashish Panigrahi reports (co-authored by Pavithra Hanchagaiah and Omshivaprakash HI) in Wikimedia blog that Two Wikimedians along with a Kannada linguist have converted 21000 verses of...
The Appeal of WeChat and Self-Media in China
Tencent’s WeChat, semi-private messaging service has replaced Twitter-like Sina Weibo as a leading channel of alternative information. Tea Leaf Nation has explained the appeal of WeChat and “self-media” in general to young Chinese generation, and the implication of the sudden crackdown.
On Rwanda's Twittergate
Susan Thomson discusses Rwanda’s Twittergate in the context of disinformation campaign by Rwanda's president Paul Kagame: Rwanda’s Twitter-gate raises questions about the central role of RPF Twitter-trolls in calling out foreign journalists who seek to hold it to account for its excesses at home and abroad. President Kagame’s reactionary tweets...
5 ICT Solutions From Miss Geek Rwanda 2014
MsGeekRW is a competition for Rwandan women encouraging them to showcase their knowledge and skills in ICT. The event was held during 2014's International Women's Day on March 8, 2014. The event shortlisted the following 5 best ICT solutions: 1.Mobile Cow 2. Wireless Blackbox 3. Item Locator 4. Online Driving...
Kenyan Company Launches Social Media Sharing Card
Gigwapi, an online event listing service, has launched a cashless payment system and social media sharing card. The card, Gigwapi card, will be used to pay for tickets and goods at events: The card holds your personal information and can automatically integrate to your social media profile. This provides a...
