I gave a talk entitled, “Breaking Barriers to Empowerment“, and encouraged the localization community to work with the Web Foundation to identify the opportunities for reducing language as a barrier to using the Web.
Archive for September 2009
22 September is "One Web Day"
For the vast majority of those reading this, a free and open Web is taken as a given. Today, 22 September, is One Web Day – a grass roots celebration of the value that the Web brings to the lives of those who have access to it. OWD offers a chance to reflect on the Web’s challenges and opportunities, as this medium of “humanity connected by technology” grows in size, but also, we hope, grows in accessibility, capability and value. These challenges and opportunities are the primary motivations for the Web Foundation’s mission and work.
Our friends at Mozilla.org suggest a few ways to celebrate.
Happy OWD!
Tim Berners-Lee Visiting Ghana
Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the Web and founder of the Web Foundation, is traveling to Ghana this weekend to make new connections, and to explore opportunities for Foundation programs in the region. My WF colleague Daniel Dardailler will accompany him. Tim is looking forward to absorbing the experience and observing first hand how his invention is being used there. He will also work to understand the barriers that currently block people from using and becoming empowered by the Web.
Tim and Daniel will travel to Abiriw one day to lead a discussion with students on their experiences, challenges and hopes regarding the Web. Another visit will be to the Kofi Annan Centre of Excellence, to hear presentations from students and professors about how they think the Web can advance to better realize short and long term educational, community-focused and economic goals. I will be interested to hear how use of the Web on mobile phones is growing there (and if not, why not).
Tim and Daniel are excited for this trip and cannot wait to blog about it. Though we all travel a lot, take each trip as an opportunity to explore the situation and needs, to get inspired, and to meet the influencers who can help Web Foundation achieve our mission. Craig Heintzman’s, blog from earlier this year was an excellent case in point.
As always, we want your feedback on how the Web can support learning and development initiatives throughout the world. If you have any questions about Tim’s trip, please comment here, or email me.