Towards OneWebDay 2009

I am grateful to have had the opportunity to take part of the OneDayWeb Stories Contest. Thank you.

OneWebDay is a global initiative founded by Susan Crawford which main´s purpose is to focus attention on a key internet value (this year, online participation in democracy), focus attention on local internet concerns (connectivity, censorship, individual skills), and create a global constituency that cares about protecting and defending the internet. So, think of OneWebDay as an environmental movement for the Internet ecosystem. It’s a platform for people to educate and activate others about issues that are important for the Internet’s future.

How can you help the Web on OneWebDay?
1. If you’re a Web user, use a standards-compliant Web browser like Firefox or Opera. They’re free, faster, and more protective of your privacy. And because they conform to Web development standards, they make things easier for people who make Web sites. If you’re a Web developer, test your sites with the w3c’s Markup Validation Service.
2. Edit a Wikipedia article. Teach people what you know, and in so doing, help create free universal knowledge.
3. Learn about an Internet policy issue from the Center for Democracy and Technology, and teach five other people about it. There are real legal threats that could drastically change the way the Internet works. We should all be aware of them.
4. Take steps to ensure that your computer can’t be treated like a zombie. Computer viruses can steal your personal information. They can also cause major network outages on the Web, slowing things down and making sites inaccessible. Vint Cerf estimates that more than 150 million PCs have already been zombified, and are now awaiting their next order. To learn more about the threat of zombie computers, read this article.
5. Join an Internet rights advocacy group:
Become a member of the Electronic Frontier Foundation. The EFF has championed the public interest in every critical battle affecting digital rights, from privacy to free speech to Internet service.
Join the Internet Society. ISOC is dedicated to ensuring the open development, evolution and use of the Internet for the benefit of people throughout the world, particularly by establishing Internet infrastructure standards.
Support Creative Commons by donating and by using their licenses to copyright your work. If you’re outside the U.S., help support their counterpart, iCommons.
6. Help promote public Internet access. If you live in a city, there is likely an organization dedicated to providing free wireless access in public spaces.
7. Donate to the Wikimedia Foundation. The Wikimedia Foundation supports not only Wikipedia, but several other projects to create free knowledge: textbooks, news, learning tools, and more.
8. Donate a computer. You can donate a new $100 laptop to children in impoverished countries, or donate your used computer to Goodwill or a school.
9. Write your OneWebDay story. Talk about what the Internet means to you and why One WebDay matters at http://onewebday.org/stories*
10. If your city is hosting a OneWebDay event, show up on September 22 and participate.

* My contribution:
http://onewebday.org/stories/?page_id=357
http://onewebday.org/stories/?p=219

OWD, foi um prazer!

Navegando por aí, há alguns meses, fiquei sabendo da existência do OneWebDay, uma iniciativa sem fins lucrativos, criada por Susan Crawford, que busca fortalecer a Internet como um meio democrático de compartilhamento de informações.

Sobre o One Web Day, como tão bem o OWD se auto-define no seu website (no original em inglês):

OneWebDay is an Earth Day for the internet. The idea behind OneWebDay is to focus attention on a key internet value (this year, online participation in democracy), focus attention on local internet concerns (connectivity, censorship, individual skills), and create a global constituency that cares about protecting and defending the internet. So, think of OneWebDay as an environmental movement for the Internet ecosystem. It’s a platform for people to educate and activate others about issues that are important for the Internet’s future.

Me identifiquei com a proposta do OWD de cara e logo me vi com a mente "fervilhando" com algumas idéias que preferi que primeiro amadurecessem antes que as pudesse levar ao forno. Todo o processo foi bastante prazeroso. Contribuir de alguma maneira com o OWD Stories Contest me fez me sentir em "casa".

O verso do Gilberto Gil da canção Refazenda

"Amanhecerá tomate e anoitecerá mamão" esteve sempre presente, pairando, e é um boa definição de como tudo aconteceu, de como a Internet rola e, inevitavelmente, deu muitos panos para a manga. Opa, mais uma fruta!

E não é que os frutos realmente "amanheceram", ou despertaram ou amadureceram, cada um em seu tempo e na sua hora, e me trouxeram uma bela supresa? Fiquei bem classificada nesse "concurso de compartilhamento", que nos incentiva a debater nossas experiências e visões sobre o papel da Internet no mundo. Confesso que fiquei assim, hum, meio envergonhada e também feliz, é claro, mas é isso (não espalhem!). Foi um prazer.

Minha contribuição:

http://onewebday.org/stories/?page_id=357

http://onewebday.org/stories/?p=219

One Web Day

Publish a story about how the web has transformed your life or the lives of a community you belong to, or the city you live in or your country. The story needs to be factual but you have a choice to be businesslike, narrative or even poetic.

The stories can be reflections of how the web has transformed people’s lives, in the individual, political, economic, cultural and spiritual sphere.

Make it as readable as possible by including pictures (original photographs or permitted photos from the Web), may be even video and music.

Stories are to be chosen from among the entries invited globally. Each of the entries will be featured on the One Web Day, portal as the Story of the Day and ten out of the 100 entries will be chosen for interesting prizes along with a Certificate of Appreciation.

The best of the stories will be featured on the One Web Day, global initiative founded by Susan Crawford, on September 22 and will get the One Web Day Journal Award.

Histórias da Internet

A Internet de alguma maneira transformou a sua vida, a vida da sua comunidade, da sua cidade, ou do seu país? Então participe do concurso OneWebDay Stories.

A sua história deve ser real, mas não importa muito se é sobre negócios, algo mais pessoal ou até mesmo poético. O importante é compartilhar (no espírito wiki da Internet) o que você tem para contar sobre como a sua experiência online transformou as várias vertentes da sua vida, seja individualmente, politicamente, culturamente ou espiritualmente.

O concurso é uma iniciativa da OneWebDay, uma iniciativa global sem fins lucrativos, criada por Susan Crawford, e deve ser escrita em inglês. As melhores histórias serão publicadas no site http://onewebday.org/stories/.

Conheça o resultado do concurso!