Good morning everyone,
Hope you're all doing great today :-) I would like to thank everyone for
taking the time to express their views about this matter.
Mr Moonesamy's opinion about the MIU being a failure was indeed very
interesting but we could not expect any less I guess ;-) Jokes aside, I
personally believe that failures cannot always be defined in terms of
achievement being accomplished or not. Changes seldom occur rapidly and new
attitudes take time to develop. The apartheid was not abolished in a day
and it took several years for the Berlin wall to finally fall...
Similarly changing the way we react (though the way we do not react would
seem more relevant and accurate here) to issues in Mauritius will take time
but having a group that is willing to make things happen is a great
achievement in itself. Mahatma Gandhi said that we should ourselves be the
change we wish to see in the world. Well, that change has to start
somewhere and the Mauritius Internet Users List is a great way to start I
believe :-)
An association wouldn't be a bad thing according to me, provided of course
that there are active & dedicated members among it. Mr Moonesamy wrote : "The
Mauritius Internet Users does not have any president or vice-president.
Does that mean that it should not be allowed to participate in a workshop
about an internet-related topic?" Of course not having people with fancy
titles does not mean that you should not be allowed to participate in
workshops about Internet-related topics specially if you consider that the
MIU has much more interesting arguments to put forward than most of the
Internet-related institutions here.
Finally I would say that the participation of people like Miss Jughdharree
(and all the others of course) is indeed a great achievement in itself. Mr
Sookhun, you wrote that you've seen people who needed "hours of reflection"
before writing a two-liner email. That line made me smile though I wish to
say that I've also seen people writing just as quick as they thought
without the content making any sense either. Some reflection is always good
& necessary I believe ;-)
Having said so I wish you all a great weekend :-)
Cheers,
Amaelle
2015-05-22 0:27 GMT+04:00 Dhiruj Rambaran <dhiruj_at_shoponline.mu>:
> Dear all,
>
> I'm sorry but I have not been vocal enough to help create a viable group.
> Yes I could use the cliche "I don't have enough time" but, when one
> considers I was meant to speak at a conference in Johannesburg this morning
> (not bragging.. just saying) but, instead, I've had to call and cancel
> simply because i'm just too busy here (in mauritius), ... so someone may
> believe me when I say "i don't have enough time!".. lol.
>
> Anyway.. in answer to some questions I found floating regarding
> "innovation" and "does the government really care?". I have an on-going
> episode happening at the moment:
>
> Yesterday I saw an announcement in the papers, some workshop organised by
> Oracle, attended by Minister of IT, regarding Oracles endeavor to put
> enterprises and govt on the "oracle cloud".
>
> Well... a few weeks ago I presented a project to the Ministry of IT,
> attended by the PS and 8 others. The meeting lasted 2.5 hours after which
> they reached the conclusion that my project was "very good" but... they
> didn't know how to proceed with it! (for those who don't know what the
> project is.. it's to provide every business in mauritius their own free
> retail e-commerce website, together with physical delivery of goods and
> payment acceptance... more or less same biz model as an "Amazon
> e-Fulfillment Centre". And yes, the entire thing is on the Microsoft
> Cloud.. but i'm not making a fuss about it :) )
>
> So.. in the end it was decided that one of the Ministry of IT guys would
> organise a meeting with the Ministry of Business.. so that both ministries
> could re-listen to the presentation I'd give.
>
> Well.. now here is the "unusual part"..... apparently, after several
> weeks, not even the Ministry of IT can get an appointment with the Ministry
> of Business to have this meeting!
>
> I commented that "well.. if YOU guys can't get a meeting going about this
> project... how do you expect an ordinary CITIZEN, like myself, to EVER push
> this through???".
>
> So.. the conversation continued:
>
> Me: So what do I do now?
>
> (Conversation with someone "high up" in MICT.. probably number 3)
>
> MICT: I don't know.. I can't get hold of them for the meeting!
>
> Me: Well.. can the PS do something about this?
>
> MICT: He'll only tell me to do it.
>
> Me: But you're the Ministry of Innovation etc.... how does anyone expect
> an innovative project to even make it to the final decision stage when you
> can't get a meeting?
>
> MICT: Yes I know.. it is very sad.
>
> Me: Yes I know it's sad. But what do we do now?
>
> MICT: Well.. in my experience you must persevere
>
> Me: But I've been trying to push this through for 5 years now.
>
> MICT: (silence... then....) I think I better go there myself, in person,
> and get them to hold this meeting.
>
> Me: Do you and the PS still believe in the project?
>
> MICT: Of course we do. It's a great project. But we're just not sure how
> to get through to them now.
>
> Me: So what's the point of a Ministry of Innovation + IT when nothing can
> be done for such a proj?
>
> MICT: Well.. i tell you what. Ring me, every day if need be, to remind me
> to give another call to the ministry of biz.. i may get through!
>
> Me: Okay. Well.. I waited 5 years... I suppose I can wait another 5 years.
>
> MICT: hahaha... don't say that Mr Rambaran. We'll get there don't you
> worry.
>
> Me: Okay, then I'll ring you every day till one day the ministry of biz
> picks up the phone.
>
> MICT: I don't mind.
>
> Me: (no words left to say).
>
> Now.. though the above does not specifically answer anyone's question in
> regards to Innovation, IT and pushing innovation through government.... I
> think, nevertheless, you can draw your own conclusions just through my
> conversation (which i've had with many, in many ministries by the way).
>
>
> I believe the story of Innovation and IT.. and whether it is possible to
> get a project through, is probably neatly summed up above.
>
> Frankly... I see no hope for IT + Govt in Mauritius.
>
>
> Dhiruj
>
>
>
> On 21/05/2015 23:53, S Moonesamy wrote:
>
>> Hello,
>> At 09:57 21-05-2015, Ish Sookun wrote:
>>
>>> The good thing about NCB is they do good catering service. I liked the
>>> food :-)
>>>
>>
>> I agree that the National Computer Board knows how to choose a good
>> catering service. :-)
>>
>> As for the rest, their website is dull, Infotech event is a bazar, they
>>> do not respond promptly to queries/emails, if you want to participate in a
>>> workshop you have to be the president or vice-president of some
>>> association. So, even you are a president but you got no brain, they will
>>> welcome you to a workshop deciding the fate of the country; but if you're a
>>> bright person with no title, they will bar you from every event.
>>>
>>
>> People may be impressed when they see people with fancy titles. The
>> Mauritius Internet Users does not have any president or vice-president.
>> Does that mean that it should not be allowed to participate in a workshop
>> about an internet-related topic?
>>
>> Regards,
>> S. Moonesamy
>>
>>
>>
>>
>
>
Received on Fri May 22 2015 - 05:49:08 PST
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: Fri May 22 2015 - 05:54:05 PST