Developing countries like Tanzania experience challenges towards utilization and acceptance of ICT; calling for a need to further research on the concept. Open Source (OS) usage is a potential strategy for addressing such challenges. However, the success of this strategy strongly relies on the strength of the promotional efforts. The study, therefore aims at assessing the OS promotional efforts in relation to ICT acceptance challenges in Tanzania. This study entailed a descriptive, mixed-methods research. A literature analysis, document analysis and observations of OS community activities were conducted in order to list the ICT acceptance challenges. The results formed a basis for survey and interview questions. The findings obtained were triangulated to determine the existing OS promotional activities and assess the effectiveness of the promotional efforts in addressing ICT acceptance challenges in Tanzania. The study also makes recommendations on how OS promotional efforts should be changed to improve their effectiveness. / Computing / M.Sc. (Information Systems)

in English My thesis follows up a potential influence of transhumanism on reflexive planning of people according to a Czech transhumanist community in regard of Person-In-Enviroment theory and postmodern changes in the society. A conceptual part contains chapters about transhumanism, areas that transhumanism focuses on, H+ technologies, potential, community and reflexive planning. In a framework of a qualitative research, my data were gathered using semi-structured interviews on topics reflexivity of an human actor, decision making, work with information, power, existential dimension of life and sorrow and anxiety related to life changes and loses. According to the obtained tata the biggest potential for reflexive planning can be found in examining possibilities of using artificial inteligence, collective consciousness and virtual hedonism, all that with regart to necessity of fight for human rights and democracy and economical breakthrough, wich could result in removal of social inequality.

This study describes how information spread on the internet by examining diffusion, framing and source use surrounding coverage of the 2010 best-selling book, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. The book presented a rare opportunity to view how a story about science, discovery and race became a best-seller within weeks after its publication. Through a mixed-methods and case study approach, the author examines patterns of coverage using Google Alerts that traced the book's online coverage in the first six months of its release. The author found that online information clustered around several themes with the most prominent describing aspects of science and scientific discovery, followed by the book's characterization as a "best seller" or "good read." Another recurring theme centered on issues surrounding exploitation in human research. In addition, the study reveals that sources who "set the frame" for coverage were most likely to be media figures, including Oprah Winfrey, Alan Ball and HBO films, in addition to newspapers and individual journalists and science writers. By examining the relationship of online frames with sources, the author found that a diversity of frames is paired with key sources: that is, multiple themes co-occur with source mentions, although the themes may not have been generated by the sources themselves. Rather, sources are linked to narrative frames by others who generate online coverage. The author concludes that, while key sources initially set a message's frame, once diffused, the message may take on other qualities.

Thesis (M.A. (Media Studies) -- University of Limpopo, 2019 / This study explored the uses of Facebook by youth in the Vhembe District Municipality of Limpopo Province, South Africa. It is exploratory qualitative research. The research sample consisted of twenty (20) respondents both 10 males and 10 females whose ages range between 18 and 29 years who are on Facebook. Purposive sampling was adopted for the study to sample the study population members. The method used to collect data was the structured interview. The data collected from research respondents were analysed in themes and sub-themes using texts and tables. The study found that Facebook is the most preferred social media by youth from the Vhembe District. The platform connects users irrespective of their geographical boundaries and promotes the level of interaction on social and entertaining issues. Facebook also enables the Vhembe District youth to search for jobs and also helps them to discuss their academic and sometimes political issues. Most of the Vhembe District youth prefer using Facebook to share recent information and create content such as pictures and videos with their friends when they are online. The Vhembe District youth also use the platform to entertain each other. The major problems faced by the Vhembe District Facebook users are that a majority of them become exposed to pictures and videos of sexual nature, cyberattack, cyberbullying and vulgar language whereas a minority become victims of account hacking and invasion of privacy. The research respondents came up with solutions to prevent social media challenges. A majority of respondents suggested that strong passwords, an increase in privacy, social media law implementation, social media campaigns and social media education can help prevent online challenges. A minority of students indicated that parental support, strong age restriction, adding known Facebook users, blocking, unfollowing and unfriending unwanted users can help to prevent challenges faced by Facebook users.

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Many Information and Communication Technologies for Development (ICTD) projects are established with the overall aim of positively developing the communities they are implemented in. However, the solutions that are provided are often commonly developed without the needs of these communities being sufficiently investigated beforehand. As a result the ICTD strategy of the project ends up not well aligned with the aims and targets of the needs of the community. As a result of this, an appropriate programme theory for the project and relevant impact indicators fail to be adequately developed. Consequently, when an impact assessment is conducted it is often found that the intended effects are not directly linked to the needs of the community or what the community had hoped to gain from the ICTD initiative. The purpose of this research serves to develop a needs-ICTD strategy alignment foundation that supports the identification and formulation of impact assessment indicators. Through this research, a framework is developed to support the alignment of ICTD strategy, the development and the promotion of contextual needs of rural communities and other frequently marginalized areas. The Needs-ICTD strategy alignment framework is composed of eight main components that describe the process that can be used to align ICTD strategy with community needs. These components include: collaboration between the internal and external stakeholders, the development of the community, conducting baseline studies, the needs assessment, the ICTD strategy, linking of the needs-ICTD strategy, and lastly the identification of impact indicators. An interpretive research approach is used to explore and inform the framework through a multi-case study investigation of the Siyakhula Living Lab and two projects in the Systems Application Products (SAP) Living Lab. Two main case study questions drive the exploration of the framework, that being: 1) How are the needs of the community elicited and how is the ICTD strategy aligned to the needs of the community? 2) And, why were the selected approaches chosen for aligning the needs of the community and ICTD strategy? Data for this research was collected qualitatively through interviews, document analysis and participant observation. Key findings indicate that the involvement of internal (local) stakeholders in the development and alignment of ICTD strategy to the needs of the community is still lacking. As a consequence, many community members end up not fully understanding the project objectives and how these objectives aims are to be achieved. The research also finds that ‘solution specific’ projects also fail communities as they focus specifically on one target group and repeatedly fail to assist the community holistically in supporting their information and their community development needs.

This study investigates media literacy curricula in upper-income and lower-income public schools. Twelve principals participated in a telephone survey by answering fifteen questions about their schools and districts.

Thesis (PhD (School of Public Management and Planning ))—University of Stellenbosch, 2005. / This study comprises a discursive analysis of the underlying assumptions, rhetorical devices and the latent agendas masked within: (i) the burgeoning international ICT, poverty and development literature; (ii) the policy agendas of the major players in international development; and (iii) the ICT, poverty and development discourse of the post-apartheid South African government. The aim of the study is to move beyond the current enthusiasm for derivative description and technological determinism, and to introduce a deeper, more balanced understanding of the relationship between ICT, poverty and development.

本論文通過十二個月的田野研究，探討城市化進程中，鄉鎮、城鎮與城市等三個處於不同城市發展階段的地方，信息化進程中的性別政治有何異同。本研究的核心問題是：城鎮化與信息化的交互作用如何進行？在城鎮化與信息化同時推進的當下中國，個體，尤其是個體的性別化身體，如何與以電腦、互聯網爲代表的數字科技之間産生脫嵌與再嵌入的"雙向形塑關係？ / 本研究運用科技馴養、個體化和性別-科技共創理論，分析城鎮家庭中電腦和互聯網的社會化生活。本研究發現中國社會現代性建構中，城鎮用戶通過在家庭內部採用電腦和互聯網，逐步形成一種數字化家庭關係，其中互聯網本地化特徵明顯。此外，本研究還發現，性別化的網絡互連的個體化是當下中國社會中的城鎮化、信息化發展過程中的主要特徵。本研究採用綫上與綫下相結合的多點民族誌的混合方法，探討在中國城鎮化過程中研究性別與互聯網的共創關係。 / Based on ethnographic data collected in 12 months of field work, this thesis studies the gender politics in the process of digitization and urbanization by comparing the phenomenon in a village, a town, and a city. The three main research questions of this study are: How are the interactions between urbanization and digitalization? How do digitization and gender relations mutually construct each other in the process of urbanization? / Using theories of technology domestication, individualization theory and the mutual construction of gender and technology, I analyze the use of computers and internet in the social life of rural and town families. This research found out that in the process of modernization, as rural and town families adopted the use of computers and internet; they gradually transformed themselves into, digitalized families. Furthermore, the individualization of gendered networks stood out as the key characteristic of urbanization and digitalization of post socialist China. This research pioneered the combination of multi-sited ethnography and virtual ethnography in exploring the interplay between gender and the internet in Chinese urbanization. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / 任珏. / Thesis (Ph.D.) Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2014. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 201-228). / Abstracts also in Chinese. / Ren Jue.

Perfection? - Recreating the Human is an exhibition of recent works of art by Orlan, Patricia Piccinini, Margi Geerlinks and Jake and Dinos Chapman. Each of the artists engages, in various ways, with issues relating to biotechnology and the body. The convergence of technology and the body arouses both utopian desires and dystopian nightmares; many of these desires and fears are prefigured in ancient myth and legend. The artists and artworks are therefore discussed with reference to reoccurring tropes from both ancient myth and science fiction.