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This Month’s Sponsor
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Business Corruption Watch (South African Branch)
Corruption Watch is a non-profit organisation launched in January 2012. We rely on the public to report corruption to us. We use the reports as an important source of information to fight corruption and hold leaders accountable for their actions. We gather and analyse information to identify patterns and hot spots of corruption. We prepare research reports on these hot spots to expose and find solutions to systemic corruption. Using our own communication platforms and the media, we share our findings with the public, like-minded non-governmental organisations and public sector bodies, all of which are undermined by corruption. To learn more about this service, click here.
Editor’s Note: This site is recommended for all of our readers in South Africa and world-wide. To read the “modus operandi” of this excellent organization, click here.
IN THIS ISSUE
- Business & Education: National Museum of Computing
- Business & Computers: Web Content Accessibility
- Business: South Africa Listed as a Miserable Place to Live
- Education: Open Education Resources
- Education & Environment: Rhino Poaching in Africa
- Education & Travel: Amazon Conservation Team
- Travel & Environment: Australian Wildlife Conservancy
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1. Business & Education: National Museum of Computing
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England's National Museum of Computing preserves Britain's computing legacy and highlights monumental moments in computing history (for example, the creations of the first electronic computer and the oldest working digital computer). Largely in response to COVID closures, the museum is now going global (virtually, at least). Accessible via desktop computer, tablet, smartphone, or virtual reality headset, this virtual tour invites visitors to explore the "world's largest collection of working historic computers," from the comfort of their own device. Visitors will want to click the embedded video-like image at the link above to get started. This will bring up the matterport platform that houses the tour. The first thing users may notice on the platform is the box in the left-hand corner with navigation tools. Readers will want to pay particular attention to the Highlights tab, which allows users to jump to a room or section of the museum (e.g., the software gallery or the library), and Tags tab, which catalogs all of the pop-ups included throughout the virtual tour. Pop-up information is also flagged as a text script, image, or video. Viewers wishing to freely explore the virtual museum can do so by scrolling from place to place, zooming in on objects of interest, and clicking the green circles indicative of pop-up opportunities. The virtual format is supported by the MK Community Foundation's COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund. Visit this site.
From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout 1994-2021
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2. Business & Computers: Web Content Accessibility
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Based on the World Wide Web Consortium's Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, this toolkit ensures developers are creating accessible online content. The left-hand panel allows readers to quickly navigate through five sections, or users can browse across content using the search bar in the top-right corner. Of course, the Introduction section is a great place to begin. Here, readers will learn how to use the guide and find background information on the guide's creators, Access for all (a Swiss Foundation) and the Accessibility Alliance (a growing group of contributors and organizations who collaborated on the effort). Then, readers will want to explore the remaining sections: Setup (covering software and tools for accessibility), Knowledge (containing useful tips on visual elements, semantics, and coding), and Examples (templates and tests that users can implement). Finally, the Contribute section welcomes users to share their own knowledge and skills to improve the guide. Readers will also find social media channels linked here. Follow along on Twitter (@A11yDevGuide) and Facebook (@access4all), or stay tuned for upcoming "hackdays." Visit this site.
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3. Business: South Africa Listed as a Miserable Place to Live
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Ratings agency S&P Global has published a ‘misery index’, comparing South Africa to other emerging markets on issues such as inflation and job creation. S&P said that the defining feature of an emerging market economy is its higher growth potential, and that multipliers to GDP growth from investment in infrastructure, transportation, and human capital should be far greater in these economies than among their developed peers. “Therefore, it’s with concern that we can cite an increasing evidence of secular stagnation across much of emerging market Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) sovereigns,” it said in a research note on Wednesday. To read the full report, go to our NEWS DESK link.
Editor’s Note: Visit our webpage on South Africa.
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4. Education: Open Education Resources
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As an information sharing platform that connects educators across North America, Connect OER lives up to its name. Readers may want to start by navigating to the Directory tab to view the existing database. Several filters are provided for more fruitful browsing; for example, selections allow users to search by name, location, activity, and other institutional characteristics, and buttons at the top of the page invite users to narrow by Institutions, Programs, Policies, Events, and Resources. Then, interested readers can create a free profile for their institution to highlight their own OER contributions and share best practices in the field. Users should note that most of the information they contribute to the database will be available in the public domain through a Public Domain Dedication. Visit this site.
From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout 1994-2021
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5. Education & Environment: Rhino Poaching in Africa
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In February 2021, three accused suspects – who were arrested back in August 2018 – were sentenced after a long trial by the Mhala Regional Court. They were all found guilty of rhino poaching related charges including possession of two sets of rhino horns, a high caliber hunting rifle, ammunition and trespassing in a national park with the intention of committing crime and the illegal hunting of an endangered animal. Accused number one Peter Mathebula was given an effective sentence of 23 years behind bars while his two co-accused, Mustard Mathebula and Artur Valoyi were sentenced to an effective four years in jail, said SANParks in a statement today. To read the full report, go to our NEWS DESK link.
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6. Education & Travel: Amazon Conservation Team
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Lands of Freedom shares stories from the Matawai Maroons in Suriname, a community whose ancestors escaped from slavery centuries ago and fought for liberation. Created by the Amazon Conservation Team, an organization that supports Indigenous and local communities on conservation and cultural preservation efforts, the project corrects a long tradition that too often shared the stories of slave owners rather than enslaved people. This failed to truly center the "reality of the condition of millions of men and women who had been thrown into the violence of slavery," because the narrative came "from the perspective of the executioner." The project also contains an oral history component because many of the written sources found in libraries and archives preserve the actions of colonizers, rather than share the voices of Matawai people. The project provides several resources, including an October 2020 presentation recording from Suriname's National Maroons Day, where historians Rolien Sallons (Matawai) and Ramon Awenkina (Aukaner) take viewers on a virtual journal of the storytelling map. Visit this site.
From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout 1994-2021
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7. Travel & Environment: Australian Wildlife Conservancy
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Home to several species of wildlife unique to the continent, Australia is an important site for biodiversity. At the same time, Australia has the highest rate of mammal extinction globally. Australian Wildlife Conservancy (AWC) is working hard to change this statistic, with a team of conservationists, partnerships with Indigenous groups and other stakeholders, and nearly 30 land management locations. On their website, readers can learn more about their work and conservations generally. The "AWC in Conversation" webinar series may be of particular interest. Three seasons of webinars are currently available. Usually around 45 minutes long, these recorded presentations feature AWC staff and guests who discuss various aspects of their conservation work, from koala rescues (see the April 30, 2020 conversation with Andrew Howe) to aerial burns (see the May 7, 2020 conversation with Toby Barton) to vegetation protection (see the October 15, 2020 conversation with Jeanette Kemp). Readers can stay up-to-date on ecology advances and projects on the Newsroom page, or by browsing AWCs Wildlife Matters publications. Published biannually, these issues are packed with interesting conservation and ecology stories, which can be read individually online or downloaded as an entire issue (in PDF form). On the Wildlife page, readers can learn more about the many creatures AWC works to protect. Visit this site.
From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout 1994-2021
Editor’s Note: Visit our web page on Australia.
