Wanjiku's Take...

• Does race determine efficiency?

  Posted: January 13, 2011, 10:13 am by rebecca

  The issue of race and performance or efficiency is a controversial one; we would all like to wish it away and hope that it was never there. There are many times we ask, if that person was white or black, would that be the status quo?

  We would like to believe that the more educated people are, the more they believe in themselves and understand that a company's performance is not determined by the color of the owner.

  In the technology sector, people tend to feel that because technology comes from the west, then it pays for you engage someone from there. In most cases, they get the work then outsource to locals at a fraction of the cost.

  This post was triggered by a friend who was recommending one company over another and the main argument was that the company is owned by whites and therefore performs better than others. My first question was whether she had engaged the other companies in the past and the basis for the argument other than that one is owned by a white and others by locals.

  The debate went into issues of efficiency and perception; I have never hidden that I am not a fan of generalizations because it treats people unfairly and denies others a chance just because one is prejudiced.

  I was offended by the statement but more so because I thought my friend was educated and should have known better thats behind the white or black, the people who do the work are the locals, like me.

  I am not denying that in some cases, people respond better if the person in charge is of their race. For instance, I am told most NGOs like hiring white people because the donors respond better compared to locals. This is different to a corporate setting, where performance and efficiency is the key.

  The saddest thing is that my friend who was vilifying black owned enterprises has plans of setting up shop and I wonder what the feeling would be if I recommended another firm merely because its owned by a white person.

  I wonder whether people have heard about outsourcing and how people who easily get jobs because of their color or connections get them then outsource to other lesser known companies, that have the manpower and efficiency to deliver the results. On the face of it, the job was given to a white but they were not the ones digging trenches by the roadside or chasing paper work at City Hall or other government offices.

  To some, race may have a bearing on performance but I think people should be beyond it, they should know better and give chances for people to get business or not; its as simple as that.

  Yes, some of the prejudices may have been calculated over time but should that always be the case?

  
  

• Should your ISP tell you when to pay less?

  Posted: January 12, 2011, 10:29 am by rebecca

  Yesterday, a friend called me needing help with internet; the office, with about four computers pays shs. 10,000 per month but they can not even access the net. Being an old school person has its advantages and disadvantages.

  Lets just say that I was shocked beyond words when I saw the invoice; the company was paying 10k for 16kbps/32kbps; I did not even know such a link exists, its so 1990's.

  At first I was shocked then I was mad at the Internet Service Provider, why had they not at least told them to upgrade? Why had they not lowered the cost, or at least suggested to the customer that they can get more for less?

  I use 2mbps/2mbps shared service (1:8) and the eight users of desktops and laptops have no complaints, it costs 7k per month and I thought with 10k you should get better service.

  What advise did I give? I told them to change ISPs, I am biased of course but I thought its wrong for the ISP to take advantage of ignorant clients who do not bother to confirm what they were getting.

  This doesn't mean that the company is off the hook; why have they not engaged the ISP to see how the service can get better? I think they should have called to know how the entry of fiber optic cables makes a difference in their lives.

  I know there are so many companies who are paying the same cost they have been paying for the last five years, I think they should wake up ad smell bandwidth and increased competition.

  So, we complain that the cost is high, but there are other gullible ones who continue paying for crappy service and do not bother to ask questions to the ISPs, its sad but am sure there are many out there.

  
  

• Discussing security investment within Kenya govt...

  Posted: January 7, 2011, 4:32 pm by rebecca

  The other day, the Kenya Police website was hacked and it made big news, to me it was not big news because previously, administration police website was hacked and no one seemed to care.

  The debate was more heated on twitter because the hack was dedicated to the Facebook found, I found it funny but did not understand the connection. One of the tweets was from Larry Madowo, tech journalist and business anchor with NTV. Madowo tweeted that in Kenya there were no security experts, something that angered infosec gurus.

  The debate about Madowo's comments was diverted to the security list and after many exchanges of how government has invested or not invested on security, some techies asked one of them to talk to Infocom PS Bitange Ndemo and tell him that there were a few willing to volunteer their services.

  What they didn't know was that Ndemo is already a member of the list and lurks in the background. Am sure Ndemo also knows the amount of money the government has paid to external security contractors to secure the sites or not.

  Read the thread and see where security in Kenya is; what happens to the amount of money allocated to security? Read on..

  The guy who was asked to talk to the PS had this to say...

  "Word of advise, forget about Kenyan government if you want real

  business on Infosec. InterPol cant even entrust kenya-police with

  information, not only on email.

  InfoSec in KE right now is on Banking and Financial institutions,

  International Cooperations and Orgs."

  The response was...

  "You have hit the point n I agree with you 101%. I once tried but got soooo frustrated by the so called E-Ngava thing full of Bcom kids. After I shifted my attention somewhere else I can afford a bottle of champagne on my table....

  Kenyan Govt has played aloof to the need of infosec. Needless to say, they pay Security companies millions and millions of shillings for even highly sensitive installations, yet the work done is very questionable.

  In totality the hacking of the Kenya Police Website is merely a scratch on the surface. I wonder what the ICT Board's take on policies and machineries surrounding Infosec.

  My friend ua talking of ICT BOARD....Thats a dead lot full of corrupt heads...NO apologies..How many times have they given out the so called "..project funds.." to companies..kumbe hizo companies ni zao tu..lol "

  After the thread went on for some time, Ndemo responded

  "It is not true that the Government does not want to use some of the best

  brains in the country.  It is attually difficult to attract the best

  brains to Government at the current salaries considering our level of

  development.  Several adverts in E-Government go without serious

  responses.  We cannot create a special class of salaries since it would

  create discontent in the entire civil service.

  Indeed we somehow use these great brains for many issues including the

  current police problem.  No matter what security you have if you do not

  have honest workers, it is an excercise in futility.  There is an obvious

  breach of trust when someone dishes out the password.  You have seen the

  damage to America when an insider decided to walk out with unauthorized

  data.

  Civilization means that whatever we speak or write about anybody can be

  packed by evidence.  It is therefore appalling to see claims of corruption

  within the ICT Board without substantiation.  We can indeed help this

  country if we point out corruption when we see it.  Similary we must be

  careful in accusing someone if we have no evidence.  The damage we are

  creating by making careless statements is not to the accused but the whole

  country because when you travel out of this country you become Kenya's

  Ambassador. You are as good as the image of your country.  As we fight the

  corruption vice, we also must potray to the world that we are dealing with

  it in an honest and fair manner.  This is because corruption afflicts

  every country.  The difference lies in the speed at which action is taken.

  Larry's statement was regretable because the statement went far and wide

  at the time the entire world has created an image of Kenya as an emerging

  ICT innovation hub.  We should take a moment to think before saying

  something in this borderless world.

  
  
  

• Discussing security investment within Kenya govt...

  Posted: January 7, 2011, 4:32 pm by rebecca

  The other day, the Kenya Police website was hacked and it made big news, to me it was not big news because previously, administration police website was hacked and no one seemed to care.

  The debate was more heated on twitter because the hack was dedicated to the Facebook found, I found it funny but did not understand the connection. One of the tweets was from Larry Madowo, tech journalist and business anchor with NTV. Madowo tweeted that in Kenya there were no security experts, something that angered infosec gurus.

  The debate about Madowo's comments was diverted to the security list and after many exchanges of how government has invested or not invested on security, some techies asked one of them to talk to Infocom PS Bitange Ndemo and tell him that there were a few willing to volunteer their services.

  What they didn't know was that Ndemo is already a member of the list and lurks in the background. Am sure Ndemo also knows the amount of money the government has paid to external security contractors to secure the sites or not.

  Read the thread and see where security in Kenya is; what happens to the amount of money allocated to security? Read on..

  The guy who was asked to talk to the PS had this to say...

  "Word of advise, forget about Kenyan government if you want real

  business on Infosec. InterPol cant even entrust kenya-police with

  information, not only on email.

  InfoSec in KE right now is on Banking and Financial institutions,

  International Cooperations and Orgs."

  The response was...

  "You have hit the point n I agree with you 101%. I once tried but got soooo frustrated by the so called E-Ngava thing full of Bcom kids. After I shifted my attention somewhere else I can afford a bottle of champagne on my table....

  Kenyan Govt has played aloof to the need of infosec. Needless to say, they pay Security companies millions and millions of shillings for even highly sensitive installations, yet the work done is very questionable.

  In totality the hacking of the Kenya Police Website is merely a scratch on the surface. I wonder what the ICT Board's take on policies and machineries surrounding Infosec.

  My friend ua talking of ICT BOARD....Thats a dead lot full of corrupt heads...NO apologies..How many times have they given out the so called "..project funds.." to companies..kumbe hizo companies ni zao tu..lol "

  After the thread went on for some time, Ndemo responded

  "It is not true that the Government does not want to use some of the best

  brains in the country.  It is attually difficult to attract the best

  brains to Government at the current salaries considering our level of

  development.  Several adverts in E-Government go without serious

  responses.  We cannot create a special class of salaries since it would

  create discontent in the entire civil service.

  Indeed we somehow use these great brains for many issues including the

  current police problem.  No matter what security you have if you do not

  have honest workers, it is an excercise in futility.  There is an obvious

  breach of trust when someone dishes out the password.  You have seen the

  damage to America when an insider decided to walk out with unauthorized

  data.

  Civilization means that whatever we speak or write about anybody can be

  packed by evidence.  It is therefore appalling to see claims of corruption

  within the ICT Board without substantiation.  We can indeed help this

  country if we point out corruption when we see it.  Similary we must be

  careful in accusing someone if we have no evidence.  The damage we are

  creating by making careless statements is not to the accused but the whole

  country because when you travel out of this country you become Kenya's

  Ambassador. You are as good as the image of your country.  As we fight the

  corruption vice, we also must potray to the world that we are dealing with

  it in an honest and fair manner.  This is because corruption afflicts

  every country.  The difference lies in the speed at which action is taken.

  Larry's statement was regretable because the statement went far and wide

  at the time the entire world has created an image of Kenya as an emerging

  ICT innovation hub.  We should take a moment to think before saying

  something in this borderless world.

  
  
  

Blah blah blah

Fish cakes

Alas a fish cake.

Yet more fish cakes

Guess what ... yeah ... fish cakes.

The end of the fish cakes