SpaceRace

“Nobody Cares About the Crap in the Bags”

Aerin — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 19:11:19 +0000

I can hardly wait for your free lanyard.

My, how things have changed. I attended my first education conference in 2004 as a sales representative with a big publishing company. It was my job to cajole teachers to stop at our booth (or lure them in with a big bowl of chocolate bars), and give them a 5 minute elevator pitch on some groundbreaking yadayadayada, then invite them to enter a draw for which they’d only be selected winner if deemed influential enough.

These, my friends, were the days before random winner generators, online entries, and the power of quiet influencers with more followers than the Pied Piper using social tools to share their expertise. Biggest school in Ontario? Pssssssshhhhh. How about the elementary teacher from Armpit, SK, who has built a digital program for her students that gives them reach for their ideas that they’ll benefit from for years to come, and tweets her experience to 5000 like-minded followers? I’d rather learn about the platform that makes that notion of global collaboration possible for kids, as opposed to who’s bought (and wasted the most money on) the biggest gargantua of a conference booth (check out the eco footprint too, yo).

But at SXSWedu, there was no vendor showcase. Companies had to be sneaky and infuse their sessions with clever product pitches, sessionbomb by planting product-focused operatives during question time, or be not so sneaky and incur the deserved wrath (Hi, I’m a #conferencehashtag. People use me.) Teachers are getting much better about standing up to the disruption of their learning. They pay out of pocket to come to these things. It’s not cheap. Don’t invite them to a session about innovations in critical thinking applications and pitch your app.
Amway called. They want their strategy back. Ugh.

Boom.

I talked to several teachers during and after the conference, including Jac de Haan. Jac coined the phrase “sessionbombing”, so I was excited to hear his opinions and insights. Jac is a grade 5/6 teacher who specializes in digital identity, the intersection of technology and learning, digital ethics, and gamification. He’s a smart cookie. And he gave me the goods on how he views the fine balance of networking and product pushing in the context of a learning event. Jac was subjected to sessions that were “bombed” by inconspicuous company reps, and panels that were co-opted by overzealous vendors. He spoke out about it here. He was also able to make some meaningful connections with vendors that took the time to connect with him on Twitter ahead of the conference – vendors that genuinely sought his feedback as opposed to just collecting his name. Jac also spoke about SXSWedu’s sophisticated approach to facilitating conversations and feedback from the panel picker to the ability to talk outside of the scheduled boundaries (like providing wifi everywhere). He confirmed my

Respect my pants.

suspicions that as a progressive learning professional, the vendor booth model is not engaging and that “nobody cares about the crap in the bags.”

Like any conference in any other industry, education vendors need to step up their efforts, and step away from interrruptions that turn their customers off. At some conferences, we’re seeing an increase of events and parties, which take the place of dry and forced conversations on the convention floor. Delegates can either choose to show up, enjoy a glass of wine in exchange for the elevator pitch, or venture elsewhere for their professional networking. There are a lot of ways to build buzz months before the event, and truly make it the talk of the conference – connecting teachers to teachers, teachers to new initiatives, companies, companies to funders etc. We’ll explore additional interesting options in a near-future post, but here are some big ideas:

1. Create an Experience
At ISTE 2011, several companies including Edutopia and Collaborize Classroom put their collective resources together and hosted an Ed Tech Karaoke Tweet Up. It was fun. It was memorable. It connected customers and companies in an informal atmosphere. Freshbooks (mentioned here a lot, because Saul is Yoda) frequently creates amazing experiences for their customers- including themed BBQ’s complete with mechanical rodeo animals, airport pickup, and yes, a Banana Stand. Sure, it takes creativity, budget, and lead time in social media to make these stunts happen. But I’m still talking about it.

2. Give Stuff that People Want
We don’t really need more pens. We won’t feature your branded coaster on our coffee table. Your cheap bag that leeches black ink onto my trousers is going right in the garbage. And you know what happens to the glossy brochure you spent $5K on, right? Swag wants to be landfill free. Check out Rightsleeve for great ideas beyond the ordinary. If you know your market, you’ll know what tools and treats will make their lives easier. Using Freshbooks as an example yet again – they created a hangover kit that may have saved a morning meeting or three. Give, give generously, but give stuff that people actually want.

3. Respect Your Customers’ Time
Got a new product to launch? Create an engaging experience for the debut, and be very transparent about what attendees can expect by attending. When they show up, they are giving you their time. Give away beta access, and make the experience sharable. Use social media to build fledgling introductions, and then deliver meetings of informational value when you connect in the flesh. Give your customers time to tell you what they think – good and bad. As mentioned previously, conference attendees frequently pay through the nose to attend learning events. They sleep 4 to a hotel room. Some even bring their own snacks. Do not trick them into sitting through your pitch. Come. On!

4. Be Fun
If I have to tell you what this means, then you might want to expand your event marketing department.

There’s room for everyone at a conference. We need sponsors to foot the bill, and vendors to subsidize registration costs. We need engaged delegates to build buzz and show up in eager droves. We need products that solve our problems. Why shouldn’t we all be in the same room? We’re all in the innovation business, aren’t we? We’re a community. But if we’re a community, then some of the “big boys” need to take a hard look at their citizenship and realize that their marketing efforts are seen as interference as opposed to building connections for the betterment of all.

Have you seen a conference stunt that either made you jump for joy or cringe in horrorish dread? Comments below, yo!

Of Hearts and Timelines

Aerin — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 19:35:36 +0000

My spry and busy 62 year old Dad had a heart attack in October while playing tennis in the Senior’s Games in St George, Utah. Were it not for the decisive and immediate CRP he received from another player in the tournament, I’d be writing this through a very different lens. That’s why I loved seeing Ken Jeong (of Hangover fame) pop up in my Facebook feed this week – he’s the face behind an awareness campaign from the American Heart Association. The campaign is nearly a year old – debuting in June 2011, which makes it not new, but new to me, okay? And a year on, are you familiar with the latest best practices in CPR? If not, please share this.

The message is simple: performing CPR is as easy as keeping the beat to Stayin’ Alive…it’s disco, baby. What makes this spot so effective is it’s inherent stickiness – Stayin’ Alive is a powerful earworm if ever there was one, and to link of the action of CPR to the song’s beat is really brilliant. I probably won’t hear it again without performing involuntary chest compressions. So beware if you invite me over and plan on spinning some BeeGees. The AHA have created something so memorable in it’s zaniness, familiarity, and sheer simpleness of message- something certainly worth sharing for it’s important content and entertainment factor.
It’s hard to get it right – but when it works, it really works.

Another great thing:

Facebook Timeline is like a star sign that keeps ascending….or something freaky like that. (!) I’ve come across a few examples of businesses using the new Pages structure in interesting ways – and Facebook links to some cool examples, like Modern Family and Red Bull. My personal favourite-of-the-moment is EMI Music Canada. Instead of just pumping out the latest and greatest in their Top 40 catalogue, or what would be “obvious” in terms of the “viral” factor, EMI have used their Timeline to take us back. Waaaaay back to the company’s founding in 1949…. and to releases of years gone by.

This is a highly effective way of stretching their demographic past the tweens and teens. It’s also a great use of their huge content library, and associates the brand with their extensive catalogue. I was able to scroll back and place myself between David Bowie and Roxy Music.

Where were you in 1974? I was in a diaper. But I was rockin'.

It’s a sweet little social media archive, and one of the best early examples of effective brand pages that I’ve seen. EMI Canada have created an inclusive Facebook strategy – the contests are there, the polls, the pithy updates – but the depth lies just below the surface – or down the Timeline.

Business Pages will all incur the switch to Timeline this month, and it’s high time to think about what this platform now offers to clever punters. As usual, Facebook guru Mari Smith has developed an excellent guide. But simply, strive to create a timeline that engages and encourages visitors to take a journey back – particularly if you’re a company with a history of content that people can relate to, remember, and associate with milestones in their own lives.

An Infographic, Some Content Ideas, and Some Beans

Aerin — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 23:48:21 +0000

"Bean Worries" is actually an acronym for my maiden name.

Having content woes? Feelin’ fresh out of beans? I came across this infographic from the fabulous and amazing Copyblogger.

It came just at the right time, as I was woeing the content strategy for this site, which will be relaunching in a new and cosmic glory within the next week or so. I feel like I’ve been reading a lot of the same stuff lately, and my goal is to infuse the SpaceRace universe with some interesting new thinking, thoughtful guest bloggers who think interestingly, and edutaining posts that veer from the usual social media malarky.
So without further ado, here’s what floated my boat today. I hope it will help float yours as well, Skipper.

Like this infographic? Get more content marketing tips from Copyblogger.

Education Technology Predictions and Wishlist for 2012

Aerin — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 20:57:15 +0000

Photo courtesy of flickr.com/courosa

Without further ado – a little of what we’d really like to see in schools for 2012. And kudos to the teachers who’ve experimented and grown in their savviness this year!

1. Getting connected – networked schools need wireless access so that teachers can effectively use the technologies available to them, engage in professional development “on the fly”, and access digital content beyond the confines of the library lab. Then they can test all the work-arounds that beat the firewalls still in place in many schools and use HDMI to share the world within the classroom environment.

2. Classroom management applications in a one to one environment. Several companies (SMART Sync, LanSchool) have launched products enabling a teacher to control student devices from an application, push content, and enable collaborative groups. They can block certain sites, and reduce distraction by steering students toward content and applications relevant to coursework and learning objectives.

3. Bring Your Own Device. Although concerns about equity and access persist, BYOD can allow teachers to work with the tools kids are already bringing to school. Typically seen in High Schools (who’ve realized that if you can’t beat ‘em, you might as well join ‘em), expect this trend to trickle down to the middle and intermediate level as cash-strapped schools and boards offset the cost of major hardware purchases to parents.

4. VoiceThread type collaborative applications that incorporate multimedia and encourage participation. Students can respond to any type of content, like a photo, a video, or a text using their mobile devices. Apps like this encourage critical thinking, sharing, and let kids practice using a number of formats to build their digital profiles.

5. Use of cameras on devices for capturing student work, thought processes etc, particularly as Full Day Kindergarten takes hold in provinces like Ontario. Teachers looking for enhanced assessment can video students in action as they engage in early learning activities, providing a visual running record of progress.

6. Open Educational Resources. Major initiatives across several Canadian provinces are booting the cost and hegemony of traditional publishers in favour of flexible content providers like Flat World Knowledge and CK12.org’s Flexbooks. Teachers have always been amazing at creating their own stuff (know one who doesn’t have 90 plastic “theme” tubs in their basement?), and the growing number of free digital publishing platforms like Pressbooks allow the motivated to make their own materials.

7. Teacher tech training. Apple has Distinguished Educators. Google certifies teachers proficient in using its apps in the school setting. The ed reform movement has placed a lot of pressure on teachers to get up to speed on classroom tech, and we can expect schools to respond by increasing training and PD opportunities. Canada’s ed tech leaders are all over Twitter and make big splashes at the highest profile conferences, like ISTE and FETC.

8. An influx of tech savvy new teachers coming out of programs like Brock University’s Education Technology Leadership cohort, which places 30 student teachers armed with the latest and greatest in hardware and software in classrooms while they learn leadership skills.

9. In-house social networks. Homework lost? Grades forgotten? Missed a council meeting? In the age of pervasive social networking, there’s no reason to miss anything when schools enable secure communities like EdModo and the new and amazing Edsby. With the user friendliness of Facebook combined with the home and school connection proven to impact student achievement, we can expect to see the demise of the weekly pdf’d newsletter and twice a year parent teacher interviews.

10. A backlash to the plethora of gadgets, games and apps that filter their way into the classroom. As childhood obesity rates soar and research shows us that kids are spending less and less time doing what kids need to do, we can expect strong resistance to the amount of time spent online from teachers, parents, physicians, and the media. Expect campaigns to launch that will make you question your child’s amount of screen time. Maybe it’s a skateboard instead of a new DS game this Christmas.

3 Questions That Will Put the Funk Back in Your Hammer Pants

Aerin — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 01:42:47 +0000

Usually I like October. I enjoy cramming my ham hocks back into jeans. I enjoy the plethora of boot styles to gawk at behind storefronts. And I love Hallowe’en and great costumes and candy and Dachshunds dressed up like hot dogs.

Not this kind of funk.

This year, I’m in a bit of a funk. Not a funky, James Brown funk, but a negative headspace that seems to be fuelling itself through social media and the internet. Now, when I say “fuelling itself”, I of course mean that I am fuelling it by allowing myself to dwell on the nasty behaviour, lying, and misrepresentation I see, from Twitter bullyin……(see, I almost allowed myself to dwell on something there, but pulled the nose of the plane up just in time).
Enough!
Over the last few days, I’ve actively sought out some strategies to help quell those negative voices. Meditation helps (and it’s damn good for your brain). Exercise, too (and it’s damn good for your ham hocks). And surrounding yourself with trusted family and friends also does wonders.
From a professional standpoint, it’s very important to prevent the murk from entering the workflow. I could build another analogy here, but won’t because not everyone loves toilet humour as much as I do.

The Smartest Man in the World

This morning as I was stewing angrily over my caffeinated beverage, I came across a post by one of my favourite people, the inimitable Saul Colt. I like Saul for many reasons, including his choice in trousers, his warm sense of humour, and his intelligence. He’s the Smartest Man in the World, after all. I had the good fortune to co-present with him at this past spring’s MOSO Conference in stunning Saskatoon, where he Thai-massaged the audience with insight and word of mouth smartz. I always read his posts with relish (and ketchup).

Saul’s post referred to the also inimitable Jelly Helms, who had given him 3 critical questions to consider before working with people. The 3 questions took Saul on a veritable journey of self-discovery (no hyberbole here, friends!), leading to the really rich post I read during my morning angry time.
So here are the questions:

1. What do I love?

2. What do I see that no one else does?

3. What do I do?

I fought with these questions all through the livelong day. I thought of them in relation to my professional life: how I “market” my own small business, and the projects I choose to undertake. Here are my answers:

1. I love learning about people’s business challenges. I especially love to hear what powers an entrepreneur. What is the passionate idea that sparks someone into business? The idea that made them leave their day job and follow that passion? And I love teaching and being part of the lightbulb moment when a technology tool finally makes sense or a strategy comes together.

2. I see opportunities for niche audiences. I see places where content can connect, for as my friend Khayyam Wakil says, “Engagement is hollow without romance.” And I see ways to motivate people to chase their dreams.

3. I connect people to great ideas (usually their own), new avenues of thinking, and new channels of outreach. Sometimes that connection involves social media, and sometimes it involves darts and beer. I help people devise creative strategies.

I felt a whole lot better after that. Focused, and positive. I might have to do it again tomorrow, and I’ll certainly do it again next week.

People will lie to you.
You will be faced with strange requests that test your credibility.
People can be two-faced.
Trolls live under bridges where no goat dare tread.

2 Legit 2 Quit

Get over it, because as long as you can answer these questions, they can’t touch this. Right MC Hammer?

And somewhere, 2 classrooms in different countries are helping a cute, wee robot find his way home. That oughtta cheer you up.

Thanks to Annelise Larsen, another awesome MOSO contact, for sharing the Robot Stories project. It made my day, week, month!

The 21st Century Started 11 Years Ago, Or Did It?

Aerin — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 04:30:30 +0000

And like that, the SpaceRace blog is back. The act of not updating it was starting to weigh heavily on my mind as we’ve become really, really busy during our third year of bizness. We’ve grown. We have people. Yay! And yet the art of balance seems to be the hardest thing to nail down. The longer I’m a grown up, the less I seem to be able to strike that sweet spot of synergy between all the goings on and things that need to be done, and things that need to be read, and plans that need to be created, and lunches that need to be packed, and appointments/meetings/tuckings in at bedtime/sleep. But the great thing about the busy-ness of this kind of small business is the opportunity to write as an outlet, and to document my thinking for myself (in case I’m struck by lightning and can’t remember what I do or who I am) and my awesome readers. I kinda forgot to do that for a few jam-packed months. The editorial calendar of blog topics that I maintain got longer and longer….some expired like 7-11 cheese, and some are there just blinking like a Las Vegas wedding chapel sign. (not sure where that image came from)

So here’s one that’s been stuck in my craw (not sure where that came from either) for a while, but has bubbled up with my recent election to our local school’s Parent Council, Curriculum Night, and some inspiring client research.

As a SpaceRacer, I like to wax about marketing, technology, and digitalisms. Since we work closely with educators and education companies, much of the great content and resources I come across are related to teaching and learning, or what some call 21st Century Learning. Every publisher out there has tried to coin it/own it/co-opt it/market it, but the joke is on them. Because you can’t buy it. It isn’t for sale, and it doesn’t come packaged in an app, an e-book, or (grr) a “digitized” PDF.

What is true about 21st Century Learning is that it is an approach that either lives within the heart of a teacher or a school, or it doesn’t. It took 100 years to get here, and it isn’t supposed to look the same as what passed for education 12 years ago. Beyond that, it’s awfully hard to define. Today I came across what I consider to be one of the most authentic “definitions”, if you want to call it that.

EdCampTO is coming up in a mere few weeks. It’s an unconference devoted to conversations about education. It’s inclusive, which means that teachers, administrators, parents and other community members can attend and participate. Vancouver recently had one, and from all accounts, it was a rousing success. I came across a link to Heidi Siwak’s Twitter handle while perusing updates on the site. Interestingly, Heidi’s profile says that she “…is documenting the transformation of her classroom into a 21st century place for learning..”. So I jumped straight to her site and discovered this absolute gem of a post. A post that wraps up so many questions I have about 21C, reassures me, frustrates me…and then throttles me out of my blogging hiatus in one blast. She writes about being approached (by Grade 7 students, no less) to facilitate a photography club at her school, and how it caused her to reflect on a “new model of learning”. And then the kicker – the question that has inspired me to stay up until 2 am blathering on: “These students are limited by the structure of school and have to pursue their learning goals outside of classroom hours. Why, if they’ve identified how and what they wish to learn next, is this so?”

Why indeed? If it wasn’t for this rather daunting problem, then we would be talking about a true 21st Century Learning environment. Yesterday at our school’s Curriculum Night, I asked about student access to technology and was told that “it really has to happen at home instead”, since there’s one computer (that works) in the Grade 4 classroom. It isn’t the fault of the teacher (who is one of the very few in the school to have access to a Smartboard and seems quite keen). It’s the structure of the school, and it’s what has to change in order for students to experience what access to technology provides when properly guided: collaboration, mobility, access, and engagement.

Siwak’s question is so much more about 21st Century Learning than education marketing jargon/hype/sandwich meat.

Where can the learning goals be achieved? That place is the 21st Century. I hope it’s your school.

It’s good to be back.

Facing Facebook for Small Business: Workshop Slides

Aerin — Sat, 26 Mar 2011 00:25:35 +0000

Here are the slides from Facing Facebook for Small Business, delivered to fabulously fun peeps at the Fernie Chamber of Commerce on Thursday, March 24.

[slideshare id=7392302&doc=facingfacebook-110325191512-phpapp01]

And some cool links:

Facebook Demographics 2011

How to Use Facebook Social Plug-Ins on your Website

Going Social with the Fernie Chamber of Commerce

Aerin — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 17:56:38 +0000

This morning, in the most frigid of weather conditions, members of the Fernie Chamber of Commerce came out to hear me wax strategic on social media, Web 2.0, and the potential of the internet for small businesses.
Despite a weird orange LCD effect on the presentation slides, it was a nice opportunity to share ideas and information with a terrific group of people.

Here are the slides:

[slideshare id=7046400&doc=goingsocial-ferniechamberofcommercefeb24-110224114703-phpapp01]

And as promised, I will be uploading some handy hand-outs in the next few days.

Thanks for coming out in the cold!

Who’s that lady and what does she have to do with your website?

Aerin — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 06:53:53 +0000

I am a figment of fantasy.

Ahhhh, stock photography. If done well, stock photos can add a powerful, visual element to the content on your website. But please (my February resolution is to be more polite), please take the time to do comprehensive photo research when you don’t have a shutterbug on hand. Planning the visual aspects of your website is just as important as honing the writing. People can often tell a stock photo when they see one. That cute woman with a headset and a haircut like a social studies teacher from 1992? She’s not gonna take my order.

Order now. Our operators are waiting.

(And when you find that stock photo that encapsulates everything you want to say in one glorious, crystal-clear image, buy it for goodness sake. Don’t screenshot it and put it up with the watermark showing. Cheap ass.)

Now back to that lady. I can understand why you might want a photo of a human on your site. Even if the human is not anyone you’ve ever met, and is likely just a clever composite of pixels and Photoshop and googly eyes. Some people believe that a face on a website attracts people – keeping them on the page longer. If that’s your metric, then great. Hang out all day! But what if you want your visitors to take an action? Wouldn’t it be better to ask them (nicely) to do that? Wouldn’t that be preferable to having them stare at the blazing white teeth of the Grecian Man who clearly isn’t really a doctor?

Thumbs up!

Here’s a great post that looks at faces, proportion, and direction of sight/gaze. And there are lots of bad and good comparisons, which are helpful visuals if you are a visual sort of person like me. All of these wee factors can really impact the experience of your visitors.

People are great. People on your website are great. Especially if the people actually work at your business. If they don’t, it’s highly unlikely that you will fool anyone. And think of how pissed they’ll be when they do show up and are greeted by your current receptionist, who still has a trace of Movember hanging on and a Cinnabon habit. There went my February resolution.

Here are some great sources of images for your website, especially if you have a small budget. If you’re using a Creative Commons image, please make sure that you understand the license and attribute responsibly. Don’t rip photographers off. They’re the ones capturing our lives, eh.

Flickr’s Creative Commons

Creative Commons Search

Compfight: A Flickr Search Tool

Google Advanced Image Search

Got another one? Add ‘em, Dano!

It could happen here: South Africa’s Usage-Based Billing hell

Aerin — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 18:47:10 +0000

Like many concerned and outraged Canadians, I’ve been watching the Usage-Based Billing (UBB) development with great interest. I signed the OpenMedia.ca petition. I shared stories with our uninformed friends and colleagues. I felt embarrassed, and yes, furious, that the CRTC would move in such an incredibly backward direction with regard to online access.

Today I feel a bit less aggravated as I learned that Ottawa would reverse the controversial CRTC billing decision, but I consider myself warned.

UBB would have a number of negative implications for Canadians. Many have spoken of its potential to kill innovation. To stymie web-based collaboration and the development and sharing of content. To create a dangerously tiered structure of access, with the wealthiest having the greatest access. UBB would limit access in the sectors where we are at a critical crossroads and need innovation, such as health care and education, at the expense of the profit and content monopolies that our telecoms so desperately want to preserve. It ain’t right.

Yesterday’s hectoring, school-marmy National Post editorial in support of UBB reeked of telecom lobbyism and ignorance.

How can we push and advocate for free, open, and transparent use of the internet, when cost issues (as opposed to old thinking and ideologies) are the prohibitive factor? Yeah, unlimited web access is great, if you can afford it.

Alistair Fairweather

And then a beloved and trusted South African Twitter contact chimed in on my frustrations. You see, UBB is the state of the internet in South Africa. She connected me with Alistair Fairweather, who is the Digital Platforms Manager for South Africa’s Mail and Guardian online. He also writes for Memeburn and News24. I was curious to explore the implications and outcomes of UBB in a place where it is part of the system, and Alistair was gracious enough to answer my questions:

How much does the average South African pay for unlimited monthly internet? Is this affordable?

In US Dollar terms, a decent (10Mb/s) “uncapped” connection will cost well over $150 per month. If you want proper broadband speeds (30Mb/s or higher) you’re looking at as much as 5 times that.

Does this constrain the average web user from accessing the media they are interested in?

Very definitely. Many South Africans scrape by on less than 1GB of usage per month. Most billing is done on a “capped” basis – ie you get a certain amount of data per month and are either cut off or pay more to use more. And, of course, you lose any data you don’t use. This means that most internet users are constantly and painfully aware of what they are doing online, and how much bandwidth it will use, for fear that they get cut off and can’t access their email on the 28th of the month.

Does UBB prevent certain types of media (video etc) from being produced and accessed?

It doesn’t prevent it per se – it just makes it much less attractive. What amateur videographer is going to pay $15 per GB to upload her 45 minute, HD wedding video to Facebook? In the States that’s not even a consideration. And of course, an aspiring local film maker can’t use the internet to access a mass audience because barely 5 million South Africans are even online.

Any implications for education? Online learning?

Definitely. Paying by the MB makes schools nervous of providing unlimited internet access, or internet access at all. The same goes for many homes – kids aren’t allowed online for fear of downloading some innocent video and using up their parents cap.

How do South Africans feel about it? Have they tried to change it?

Most of us are very angry about it. We are trying to change it, including lobbying government to open up the market, but when 70% of your country is mired in poverty, it’s quite hard to make them pay attention to something as “luxury” as internet access.

Is there a telecom monopoly?

Yes, and it sucks. Our old state monopoly – Telkom – is now a parastatal but still enjoys an effective monopoly over the “local loop” of our fixed line telephony system. They are inefficient, greedy, corrupt and idiotic. They have single-handedly stunted the growth of our entire internet industry through their stranglehold on both ADSL and our outbound peering links with the world. If I had my way I would have the lot of them horsewhipped and fired, and dissolve the entire company. Our other telecoms companies are also greedy, but at least they are progressive and intelligent.

I’d like to thank Alistair Fairweather for taking the time to share his insights on this issue.

Canadians – be warned. Let’s hope the decision sticks.