Caribbean Internet Forum 2008, Personal Thoughts

During the three days of the Caribbean Internet Forum, I wrote a bit about things happening in the forum that I thought were interesting - but these were tied to the forum's agenda itself. Here is where I'll break from the schedule of the Caribbean Internet Forum, since it is over, and since I've had time to digest it. Thus, my personal account is here - gluing all the other parts together and put my own spin on how it went. After all, it was an experience - and it is an experience worth sharing.

The Best Part Of Any Forum/Conference Is...

People. And there were plenty of people who I knew, or who I was happy to meet. Everyone I spoke with was very grounded and aware of the challenges - or, interested in the challenges - of the Internet in the Caribbean. It is hard to believe that with such good and intelligent people so interested in this that the region hasn't progressed further. Or maybe there's still a young and impatient part of me. If there is, it is also unrepentant for it's impatience.

In talking with people from various organizations - including governmental organizations - there seemed an almost tangible level of frustration when certain topics came up for much the same reason. I found myself in the odd position of a drummer trying to preach to the choir; the people who were there wanted progress - change for the better. And here and there, the drummer, too, got a dose of the choir.

I feel the need to avoid writing the names of the people who I had the most interesting conversations with and that, in and of itself, disturbs me. Why? I worry that their own words might be turned against them, and that they may face even further challenges because of it. In some ways, the best way to describe many of the conversations would be restrained. The elephant in the center of the room was squeezed tightly with the throng of people interested in progress, but it was still there. Would that the Honourable Kennedy Swaratsingh, Minister of Public Administration, had been able to find the time to sit through the forum and contribute. Perhaps the greatest failure of the conference was that decision makers in government were absent - through scheduling or their own design. At the end of the day, governments need to hear what was said. This is nothing new.

From the grassroots, there were two people there - myself and Raul Bermudez (get a free download of the Cricket game). Raul and I have known each other for some time; he noted that my words had softened a bit over time. The last day of the conference, we sat together and compared notes on some things and I couldn't help but feel some relief that he was there to participate. We talked a bit about the Trinidad and Tobago Computer Society (TTCS), which he is still active in, and I wondered if the TTCS had known about the Caribbean Internet Forum.

Notes To Nowhere: Media

One of the more interesting I found was that people were a little surprised about the fact that I was writing, but writing for myself here on KnowProSE.com. For their benefit, I'll point a few things out.

When the FLOS Caribbean conference happened in 2003, I was the one who wrote about it on Linux Journal(here and here). Those articles still exist. When the St. Lucia 'Open For Business: An Open Source Business Seminar' happened, I also wrote about it - but did so on the now dead LinuxGazette.com. Nothing exists on that conference now aside from the few entries I wrote here on KnowProSE.com.

The latter taught me a lesson. Even though I was the editor of LinuxGazette.com, I was not the owner. Thus I have no control on the content there - and while the death of LinuxGazette.com was a part of a larger decision, that death had the unfortunate consequence of erasing the conference on the site. While mainstream media in the Caribbean slowly continues to slowly progress oh-so-slowly, there is a large void of documentation that people need to fill. And how could I say that without doing it? There is much work to be done in that area; the media consistently falls short of it's potential in the region. That provides opportunity.

Sure, you may not be famous if I write about you here on KnowProSE.com. But at least you won't be forgotten as long as I have breath. And that is the importance of blogging in the region - just so you know.

Policy & Regulation

There was a lot of talk about Internet Service policy and regulation, but one of the key things that was almost missed in all of the discussion was Quality of Service. When I raised the issue, it was said that this was in the plans to be done at the regulatory levels... and yet I could not help but feel that the idea of assuring that customers be assured of certain levels of Quality of Service was something that was not considered important enough to discuss. Sure, people can promise all sorts of things while on the soapbox - but show me in writing. Sign your name to it. Be accountable.

User contracts are a competitive forum. Digicel and TSTT, at the mobile level, need to realize this, or both their contracts are simply abstracted contracts of adhesion. This holds true for any service provider of telecommunications in the region.

We don't want better promises, we want better service. Of course, this holds true for the Internet just as much as everything else.

Business

From my experience with local software development companies in the region, I believe I have seen a pattern that evolves in a tight and closed circle. This may be because of my own Free Software/Open Source neural firings, but if it is I have come up with what seems to be a rational explanation:

Business owners cling to Microsoft in the hope not that they can challenge the giant, but to ride on Microsoft's coat tails. There's nothing wrong with that in a moral sense, I suppose, but I find it intellectually awkward to have discourse with people who don't seem to think that they can do things without Microsoft. I found it disturbing that the rewards from the Teleios Code Jam were predominantly Microsoft products being handed to University of the West Indies students. To me, it seemed to be saying, "You'll always be below us. We patronize you with some free stuff."

I don't believe that sort of mindset embedded in the rising stars of the University is something that is healthy for developing nations. That's a personal belief, and within I did not account for the seeming immunity of those who received the prizes. Some talks about Open Source outside demonstrated to me that there is a new age of subversive coming up.

Unfortunately, they may feel stuck under the old guard who are faithful to their masters. Fortunately, they don't have to be - or shouldn't have to be. I can foresee many small businesses in the next 5 to 10 years which could bring the Caribbean, kicking and screaming, closer to development where so many government initiatives have and will continue to fail. Why the difference?

Never underestimate youth's resilience and adaptability. People made that mistake with me; I will not repeat their mistakes.

Port of Spain Traffic

There has been more to the experience than simply the forum itself; the thing which stands out most in my mind is the traffic to and from Port of Spain - I spent approximately 15 hours in traffic over a period of 3 days. Considering the Minister of Public Administration, the Honourable Kennedy Swaratsingh, opened up the conference, I would have loved to see him at the finale where I could have brought up the horrendous traffic that many people had to plan for simply to attend.

I would love for someone in the Government of Trinidad and Tobago to explain to me how traffic at a near standstill for hours is something that is good for the country. They can, and should, fix the problems. But first they have to be affected by the problems, and they very rarely are.

Ending Thoughts

Sadly, I believe it is the same for the Caribbean's initiatives for the Internet. But maybe, just maybe, the growing intellectual resources of the region will pressure the Caribbean's governments, policies and regulations into submission such that the technologies improve the quality of life of people in the region - perhaps even the world.

And that, if you think about it, is why we have these meetings, forums and conferences: We are there because we see that change is needed.

Posts on the Caribbean Internet Forum:
http://www.knowprose.com/node/19678
http://www.knowprose.com/node/19680
http://www.knowprose.com/node/19681
http://www.knowprose.com/node/19682
http://www.knowprose.com/node/19683
http://www.knowprose.com/node/19684
http://www.knowprose.com/node/19685
http://www.knowprose.com/node/19687