Author : Dr Michele Ruiters (DBSA, Research Unit)

Abstract

Web 2.0 tools and approaches are radically changing the ways we create, share, collaborate and publish digital information through the Internet. Participatory Web 2.0 for development – or Web2forDev for short – is a way of employing web services to intentionally improve information-sharing and online collaboration for development. Web 2.0 presents us with new opportunities for change – as well as challenges – that we need to better understand and grasp. This special issue shares learning and reflections from practice and considers the ways forward for using Web 2.0 for development.

Contents

PART I: OVERVIEW

• Change at hand: Web 2.0 for development

• The two hands of Web2forDev: a conference summary

PART II: STUDIES OF WEB 2.0 TOOLS

A model for community participation in African libraries to preserve Indigenous Knowledge.

Author: Betsie Greyling, Senior Systems Librarian, eThekwini Municipal Library
PO Box 917, Durban, 4000, South Africa E-mail: greylingb@durban.gov.za

Abstract

A few people have asked about the architecture and vision of www.KMAfrica.com and so here is a short overview: The system is based on Drupal, a FOSS (Free and Open Source Software) program. The system is described as one of the most popular content management frameworks in the world with a large user community and a wide range of applications from simple websites to complex administration systems being built on the Drupal system.