Recently, I shared the same reminder with fellow "Toast Masters" at a workshop held in Windhoek and with about 100 different professionals at the Digital Opportunities Conference in East London, South Africa.
As a staunch online/web user/lover, I find myself so much addicted to enjoy the digital opportunities that are in our midst. This is basically referring to the platforms the internet revolution has brought about, access to internet infrastructure, affordability and the fact that government has now also made it easier by setting the minimum wage for both farm workers and domestic workers, enabling them to earn a living wage. This means, if a domestic worker earns over N$1 200.00 from this month and a farmer worker having been earning at least N$800.00, they can afford to buy a sim card of N$30 dollars and a minimum airtime recharge voucher of N$5.00 (Namibia's currency is pegged to the SA Rand, therefore the value is one on one).
Also, if you can remember, in October 2010 during its Mixa-Live Event, MTC celebrated 10 decades of existence and confirmed that it had 1.5 million customers on its data base then, and mind you, Namibia's population then was still at 2.1 million and not at the current 2.3 million (latest data of 2013). Yes, I am aware that there was concerns that some of the clients on the same data base could be having two or three mobile phones, but yes, that's doesn't really matter much for the purpose of this post. What I am trying to depict is basically to say, more Namibians in the country are surely having access to the mobile phones and therefore internet depending on what they used it for most. From the Digital Opportunity Index as confirmed by the International Telecommunication Union, ITU, Namibia's 13.9 per cent of the current population uses the internet. To determine if a country is having the reasonable digital opportunities, the ITU website - and in line with the World Summit on Information Ethics held in Geneva in 2007 stated that the yardstick is between zero and one, and if a country is rated on one it means, it has digital opportunities.
With all that said, my focus is still on the fact that now that so many of us have these opportunities - free as long as you have airtime to use your internet infrastructure, what about the INFORMATION ETHICS of using such platforms?
Those in the media know that there are certain ethics, media ethics that a journalist must adhere to before creating, gathering, disseminate or archive or destroy some information, media ethics. In journalism, we talk about gate keeping - but now that each one has almost become a journalist, writer and author, blogger and vlogger, who is ensuring that the digital opportunity ethics are adhered to, at personal and professional level? That is why I am saying - your right still ends where the other's begins, and therefore, you -and I have to implement some type of ethics not to encroach on other people's rights.
Yes, there is no problem - with digital opportunities - they are so great - and have changed our lives for the better - both at professional and personal level - these days, an NBC decoder can give you your TV Channels and Radio at the same time - this was not the case before - you can also access the NBC programmes via streaming wherever you are in the world ... you as a citizen or digital enthusiast like me can also directly get in touch with any media house by texting or whats-apping to them on an issue and get your feedback in real time - you can ireport - and can also send pictures to any media house etc... there is so much to mention - print media nowadays can also have their sound or audio visual on their website - unlike before when they would only focus on print - at personal level, you SMS your loved ones - Skype or instagram to find out how they are doing - you can e-wallet or e-learn or do almost everything ... but the big question is -who is helping those who need help to ethically use these digital opportunities?
As you can remember - here in Namibia - a video of a young lady involved in private and bedroom activities was reportedly being circulated - knowingly or unknowingly of potential implications. This is pure un-ethical way of engaging in digital opportunities? How would you feel if you the footage had you or your loved one in the audio visuals circulated, but worse of all, such an act could have legal implications?
Also, a picture of one of our young person who was shot in a reported clash with law enforcement was again circulated in no time on the web - even without knowing if the next of kin knew about this matter - and for those trained in the media professional, such actions have to be gate-kept and all aspects verified before the information is disseminated.
I know that there are a number of many other posts on the various pages whose legality has not been authenticated or verified - and it needs you and me to help out one another to be aware of where our rights end and the rights of others start.
Who is protecting our children against pornographic posts on these digital opportunities? Who is advising especially the new comers in this industry and young users that there are some vulnerable groups out there - that we have to be mindful of when posting our content.
Again, the digital opportunities have improved so much and help especially many professionals to be on their toes - to ensure that they give good quality and relevant content to retain their audiences and buyers and attract new ones - many of the newsrooms do get their story leads from the web -- and anyone can actually nowadays post their own content especially if they cannot get space in the traditional media when it comes to their editorial policies, but at the same time, we have to work out some frameworks for personal and professional use when it comes to using the multimedia platforms.
Let's hold hands - and share ideas on how to properly benefit from these various digital opportunities - without hurting others. It is us who need to help instil the ethics among our various groups, at home, work, community and country.
The media houses - as I always say must also adapt to the digital opportunities and ensure that their editorial policy guidelines attend to new ways -- on the other hand, us at personal level must also have some guiding principles as to why we want to make use of the digital opportunities - to tell the truth or to do the opposite?
With climate change, everyone is expected to adapt, why no doing the same with the digital opportunities. One good example that one must use is - whenever a passenger boards a flight, the flight attendants reminds even the frequent flyers to observe the safety features --- and I am also saying, before each one of us makes use of the online platforms - face book, twitter, instagram, Skype and all - may be it is time that we also thin about our personal and professional ethics to remind us why we are making use of such opportunities, what are we trying to achieve? And our motto and mandate will then guide us in whatever we post on our pages.
Yes, we might have made mistakes before - and I am not excluded from this one, but we still have time to change for the better - therefore, let's keep on reminding ourselves that our rights end where others' right begin.
Also, for the sake of those who might not know - watch out that there is something called photo-shop, where a photo amongst others can be magicked if I may use this word - worked and changed and fit on any body - e.g. the face can be yours but the other features might not be yours - and then posted. And for those who might not know, you might be so shocked to see that you or your loved one is posted as doing funny things --- yeah, this is just a hint - and all these things only happened if we do not implement the concept that my right ends where yours begins..
Enjoy the digital opportunities, and don't forget to be digital opportunities ethics wise.
Disclaimer, I wrote this post in my personal capacity - as a Namibian and an Online Ethusiast who is eager to share with fellow users the need to be ethical each time we put our fingers on any digital opportunity gadget buttons to post something.
As a staunch online/web user/lover, I find myself so much addicted to enjoy the digital opportunities that are in our midst. This is basically referring to the platforms the internet revolution has brought about, access to internet infrastructure, affordability and the fact that government has now also made it easier by setting the minimum wage for both farm workers and domestic workers, enabling them to earn a living wage. This means, if a domestic worker earns over N$1 200.00 from this month and a farmer worker having been earning at least N$800.00, they can afford to buy a sim card of N$30 dollars and a minimum airtime recharge voucher of N$5.00 (Namibia's currency is pegged to the SA Rand, therefore the value is one on one).
Also, if you can remember, in October 2010 during its Mixa-Live Event, MTC celebrated 10 decades of existence and confirmed that it had 1.5 million customers on its data base then, and mind you, Namibia's population then was still at 2.1 million and not at the current 2.3 million (latest data of 2013). Yes, I am aware that there was concerns that some of the clients on the same data base could be having two or three mobile phones, but yes, that's doesn't really matter much for the purpose of this post. What I am trying to depict is basically to say, more Namibians in the country are surely having access to the mobile phones and therefore internet depending on what they used it for most. From the Digital Opportunity Index as confirmed by the International Telecommunication Union, ITU, Namibia's 13.9 per cent of the current population uses the internet. To determine if a country is having the reasonable digital opportunities, the ITU website - and in line with the World Summit on Information Ethics held in Geneva in 2007 stated that the yardstick is between zero and one, and if a country is rated on one it means, it has digital opportunities.
With all that said, my focus is still on the fact that now that so many of us have these opportunities - free as long as you have airtime to use your internet infrastructure, what about the INFORMATION ETHICS of using such platforms?
Those in the media know that there are certain ethics, media ethics that a journalist must adhere to before creating, gathering, disseminate or archive or destroy some information, media ethics. In journalism, we talk about gate keeping - but now that each one has almost become a journalist, writer and author, blogger and vlogger, who is ensuring that the digital opportunity ethics are adhered to, at personal and professional level? That is why I am saying - your right still ends where the other's begins, and therefore, you -and I have to implement some type of ethics not to encroach on other people's rights.
Yes, there is no problem - with digital opportunities - they are so great - and have changed our lives for the better - both at professional and personal level - these days, an NBC decoder can give you your TV Channels and Radio at the same time - this was not the case before - you can also access the NBC programmes via streaming wherever you are in the world ... you as a citizen or digital enthusiast like me can also directly get in touch with any media house by texting or whats-apping to them on an issue and get your feedback in real time - you can ireport - and can also send pictures to any media house etc... there is so much to mention - print media nowadays can also have their sound or audio visual on their website - unlike before when they would only focus on print - at personal level, you SMS your loved ones - Skype or instagram to find out how they are doing - you can e-wallet or e-learn or do almost everything ... but the big question is -who is helping those who need help to ethically use these digital opportunities?
As you can remember - here in Namibia - a video of a young lady involved in private and bedroom activities was reportedly being circulated - knowingly or unknowingly of potential implications. This is pure un-ethical way of engaging in digital opportunities? How would you feel if you the footage had you or your loved one in the audio visuals circulated, but worse of all, such an act could have legal implications?
Also, a picture of one of our young person who was shot in a reported clash with law enforcement was again circulated in no time on the web - even without knowing if the next of kin knew about this matter - and for those trained in the media professional, such actions have to be gate-kept and all aspects verified before the information is disseminated.
I know that there are a number of many other posts on the various pages whose legality has not been authenticated or verified - and it needs you and me to help out one another to be aware of where our rights end and the rights of others start.
Who is protecting our children against pornographic posts on these digital opportunities? Who is advising especially the new comers in this industry and young users that there are some vulnerable groups out there - that we have to be mindful of when posting our content.
Again, the digital opportunities have improved so much and help especially many professionals to be on their toes - to ensure that they give good quality and relevant content to retain their audiences and buyers and attract new ones - many of the newsrooms do get their story leads from the web -- and anyone can actually nowadays post their own content especially if they cannot get space in the traditional media when it comes to their editorial policies, but at the same time, we have to work out some frameworks for personal and professional use when it comes to using the multimedia platforms.
Let's hold hands - and share ideas on how to properly benefit from these various digital opportunities - without hurting others. It is us who need to help instil the ethics among our various groups, at home, work, community and country.
The media houses - as I always say must also adapt to the digital opportunities and ensure that their editorial policy guidelines attend to new ways -- on the other hand, us at personal level must also have some guiding principles as to why we want to make use of the digital opportunities - to tell the truth or to do the opposite?
With climate change, everyone is expected to adapt, why no doing the same with the digital opportunities. One good example that one must use is - whenever a passenger boards a flight, the flight attendants reminds even the frequent flyers to observe the safety features --- and I am also saying, before each one of us makes use of the online platforms - face book, twitter, instagram, Skype and all - may be it is time that we also thin about our personal and professional ethics to remind us why we are making use of such opportunities, what are we trying to achieve? And our motto and mandate will then guide us in whatever we post on our pages.
Yes, we might have made mistakes before - and I am not excluded from this one, but we still have time to change for the better - therefore, let's keep on reminding ourselves that our rights end where others' right begin.
Also, for the sake of those who might not know - watch out that there is something called photo-shop, where a photo amongst others can be magicked if I may use this word - worked and changed and fit on any body - e.g. the face can be yours but the other features might not be yours - and then posted. And for those who might not know, you might be so shocked to see that you or your loved one is posted as doing funny things --- yeah, this is just a hint - and all these things only happened if we do not implement the concept that my right ends where yours begins..
Enjoy the digital opportunities, and don't forget to be digital opportunities ethics wise.
Disclaimer, I wrote this post in my personal capacity - as a Namibian and an Online Ethusiast who is eager to share with fellow users the need to be ethical each time we put our fingers on any digital opportunity gadget buttons to post something.
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