An Adventure in SNA: Wading through the Complexity of Social Networks via Animations

An Adventure into SNA: Social Interaction Systems are Complex Systems!

This is one of my many journeys into Social Network Analysis (SNA). Visualizing the network is usually the first step. These networks depict the shared proximity time among smartphones with proximity sensing via Bluetooth and the weight and BMI related characteristics of the phone users.

2D interaction network measured via Bluetooth proximity sensing on Mobile Phones with emphasis on Obesity and Weight Issues.

3D Rendering of an interaction network measured via Bluetooth proximity sensing on Mobile Phones

E-Government Nigeria: Open Source Software (OSS) Strategy

Several open source software (OSS) applications are already in use in Government across the world. This article proposes a strategy to ensure that Government exploits the benefits that OSS can offer more systematically by both using available OSS and contributing to further OSS development.

 OSS refers to software that is developed, tested, or improved through public collaboration and distributed with the idea that it must  be shared with others, ensuring open future collaboration. OSS has emerged as a powerful new way of generating knowledge and economic value. It is available to anyone, usually at little or no cost, it does not attract proprietary licence fees and it may be freely redistributed. Users also have access to the source code revealing the inner workings of the software - hence the term “open source software”.

Different levels of involvement in OSS are possible, ranging from merely using software that is available, to contributing to software development by an OSS community, to making the source code of one's own software freely available.

Success factors for implementation can be divided into three groups: (1) implementation should produce value, (2) capacity to implement and maintain has to be adequate, and (3) sufficient support for the initiative must be given by all key players. This OSS Strategy addresses each of these areas.

Value offered by OSS has been examined extensively in many countries. There is no doubt that under the right circumstances it can offer value to the Nigerian Government and citizens. Economic value includes contributions to greater efficiency, saving of foreign currency, possible savings on acquisition, and opportunities to stimulate SME (Small and Medium Enterprises) development. In the social sphere value flows from, for example, wider access to information, and providing an instrument for IT training. Part of the OSS strategy is aimed at utilising analytical tools to judge whether OSS implementation will deliver superior value in the environment in question – basing decisions to migrate to OSS on rational argument. The OSS strategy includes action steps to expand and consolidate the capacity needed to implement and support OSS solutions. It will include the ability to provide information, expert advice and development assistance. The OSS training strategy will be aimed at providing basic skills to all users in an establishment where OSS is implemented, more advanced skills to expert users and in-depth training to developers. Building capacity will be an important focus in the immediate future.

Expanding support is one of the major objectives of the envisaged communication strategy. The strategy will target the political level, departmental management, IT professionals and computer users in general.

Support has to be based on knowledge and understanding of OSS, which generate commitment to implementation.

Initiatives to promote this include –

• Information dissemination through presentations, publications, conferences/workshops;
• creating space for experimental implementation of OSS and the OSS development model, in order to gain understanding of the prerequisites for success, not only pertaining to the software itself, but also to the associated business processes, change management and possible wider transformation requirements; and
• maintaining an OSS website for release of information as well as for stimulating dialogue.

The future policy will be that –

• discrimination and prejudice will be avoided in software procurement procedures, making choices based on merit, thus giving OSS and proprietary software (PS) equal opportunities to be selected;
• as OSS offers significant indirect advantages, opting for OSS will be preferable where the direct advantages and disadvantages of OSS and PS are equally strong, and where circumstances in the specific situation do not render such preference inappropriate.
• open standards will be a prerequisite for all software development, thus contributing to the ease with which OSS can be implemented and adapted;
• Government will encourage partnerships within the wider public sector, the private sector, civil society, the rest of Africa and globally to foster the utilisation of OSS;
• the State IT Agency (SITA) will provide leadership and support for Government institutions wishing to implement OSS.
• where no inhibiting factors exist, the OSS model will be adopted for development of Government systems and such systems will be developed to run on OSS platforms.

NB: I found this piece in an abandoned email address of mine. I wrote it in 2005 for a Student Organization magazine (can't remember if the magazine ever made print) as the then Director of Software (NACOSS, Nationwide). So, my position ( in the article I mean :)) may be dated...

...intuition

...when we call something intuitive, we often mean familiar

...nagging idea

...hating won't do it...drinking won't do it...fighting won't knock it out of your head!...

...beating anxiety!

‎...hope for the best... expect the worst...

...people and government

...people should not be afraid of their government... the government should be afraid of its people...