text:
Wikibooks:Protected page/Unstable

Administrators are able to protect a page to restrict editing or moving of that page, and remove such protection. Protection can be indefinite, or expire after a specified time.

 * Full protection prevents editing by everyone except administrators. Fully protected media files cannot be overwritten by new uploads.
 * Semi-protection prevents editing by unregistered contributors and contributors with accounts which are not autoconfirmed.
 * Creation protection prevents a page (normally a previously deleted one) from being recreated.
 * Move protection protects the page solely from moves.

Administrative protection is only to be used in limited circumstances, as described in this policy.

Any type of protection or unprotection may be requested at Reading room/Administrative Assistance.

Full protection
A fully protected page can only be edited by administrators. The protection may be for a specified time, such as 7 or 14 days, or may be indefinite.

Administrators will still have an edit tab, but the edit box is shaded red with a warning above it. For the other Wikibookians, the edit tab is replaced by a View source tab, where users can view and copy, but not edit, the wikitext of that page.

Changes to a fully protected page should be proposed on the corresponding talk page (or in another appropriate forum). After consensus has been established for the change, or if the change is uncontroversial, any administrator may make the necessary edits to the protected page. To draw administrators' attention to a request for an edit to a protected page, place the editprotected template on the talk page.

Content disputes
On pages that are experiencing edit warring, temporary full protection can induce the parties to discuss their edits on the talk page, where they can reach consensus. Isolated incidents of edit warring, and persistent edit warring by particular users, may be better addressed with blocks, so as not to prevent normal editing of the page by others. If clearly inappropriate content is the subject of an edit war, it is best to block or ban those who are violating the content policies and not those who are enforcing them.

When protecting a page because of a content dispute, administrators normally protect the current version, except where the current version contains content that clearly violates content policies, such as vandalism or copyright violations. Since protecting the most current version sometimes rewards edit warring by establishing a contentious revision, administrators may also revert to an old version of the page predating the edit war if such a clear point exists. Pages that are protected because of content disputes should not be edited except to make changes which are uncontroversial or for which there is clear consensus. Administrators should not protect or unprotect a page to further their own position in a content dispute.

Vandalism
Preemptive full protection of pages is contrary to the open nature of Wikibooks. Brief periods of full protection are used in rare cases when a large number of autoconfirmed accounts are used to make a sustained vandalism attack on a page, which often breaks the attack and causes the accounts to give up and find something more constructive on Wikibooks to do. Persistent vandalism, or the possibility of future vandalism for highly trafficked pages, rarely provides a basis for full-protection. Semi-protection is used for pages that have a pattern of heavy sustained vandalism.

"History only" review
If a deleted page is undergoing deletion review, only administrators are normally capable of viewing the former content of the page. If they feel it would benefit the discussion to allow other users to view the page content, administrators may restore the page, blank it or replace the contents with rfu or a similar notice, and fully protect the page to prevent further editing. The previous contents of the page are then accessible to non-admins via the page history.

Talk page archives
Talk page archives normally should not be edited, except to revert vandalism to the archive or to repair mistakes involving the template. Therefore, they should normally be fully protected, and any changes should be looked over by another administrator and either kept or reverted.

Semi-protection

Semi-protection prevents edits from anonymous users (IP addresses), as well as edits from any account that is not autoconfirmed (is at least four days old). Such users can request edits to a semi-protected page by proposing them on its talk page, using the editprotected template if necessary to gain attention.

Administrators may apply indefinite semi-protection to pages which are subject to heavy and persistent vandalism or violations of content policy (such as neutral point of view). Semi-protection should not be used as a preemptive measure against vandalism that has not yet occurred, nor should it be used solely to prevent editing by anonymous and newly registered users.

In addition, administrators may apply temporary semi-protection on pages that are:

 * Subject to significant but temporary vandalism or disruption when blocking individual users is not a feasible option.
 * Subject to edit-warring where all parties involved are anonymous or new editors (i.e., in cases in which full-protection would otherwise be applied). This does not apply when autoconfirmed users are involved.
 * Discussion pages, when they have been subject to persistent disruption. Such protection should be used sparingly because it prevents anonymous and newly registered users from participating in discussions. A page and its talk page should not both be protected at the same time.
 * Talk pages of blocked IP addresses that are being used for continued inappropriate editing, including repeated abuse of the unblock template, or continued uncivil or offensive remarks. The protection should be timed so as to not exceed the length of the block. However, administrators may also choose to change the block settings to block the user from editing their talk page instead, since there is no need to synchronize the block period with the page protection time period with this method.

Creation protection

Administrators can prevent the creation of a page through the protection interface. This is useful for pages that have been deleted but repeatedly recreated by an editor. Such protection is case-sensitive. A list of protected titles may be found at Special:ProtectedTitles.

Preemptive restrictions on new page titles are instituted through the title blacklist system, which allows for more flexible protection with support for substrings and regular expressions.

Contributors wishing to re-create a protected title with more appropriate content should contact an administrator or use the deletion review process.

Move protection

Move-protected pages cannot be moved to a new title except by an administrator. Move protection is commonly applied to:

 * Pages subject to persistent page-move vandalism.
 * Pages subject to a page-name dispute.
 * Highly visible pages that have no reason to be moved, such as the Reading room.

Fully protected pages are also automatically move-protected, as moving a page counts as editing it.

As with full protection, administrators should avoid favoring one name over another, and protection should not be considered an endorsement of the current name. An obvious exception to this rule is when pages are protected due to page-move vandalism.

Permanent protection

Some areas of Wikibooks are permanently protected by the MediaWiki software. The MediaWiki namespace, which defines parts of the site interface, is fully protected; it is impossible for administrators to remove this protection. In addition, user CSS and JavaScript pages, such as User:Example/monobook.css and User:Example/cologneblue.js, are automatically fully protected. Only accounts that are associated with these pages or administrators are able to edit them. This protection applies to any user subpage with a ".css" or ".js" extension, whether an equivalent MediaWiki skin exists or not. Administrators may modify these pages, for example, to remove a user script that has been used in an inappropriate way.

In addition to the hard-coded protection, the following are usually permanently protected:

 * Pages that are very visible, such as the Main Page or File:Wiki.png.
 * Pages that should not be modified for copyright or legal reasons, such as the general disclaimer or the local copy of the site copyright license.
 * Pages that are very frequently transcluded, such as tl or ambox, to prevent vandalism. This includes templates used in other highly visible or frequently transcluded pages.

Cascading protection
Cascading protection fully protects a page, and extends that full protection automatically to any page that is transcluded onto the protected page, whether directly or indirectly. This includes templates, images, and other media that are hosted on Wikibooks. Files stored on Commons will not be protected by cascading protection, and need to be temporarily uploaded to Wikibooks or protected at Commons.

Cascading protection should be used only to prevent vandalism to particularly visible pages such as the Main Page.

Templates
Highly visible templates which are used on an extremely large number of pages or substituted with great frequency may be semi- or fully protected based on the degree of visibility, type of use, content, and other factors.

Semi and fully protected templates should normally have the documentation template. It loads the unprotected /doc page, so that non-admins and IP-users can edit the documentation, categories and interwiki links. It also automatically adds pp-template to protected templates, which displays a small padlock in the top right corner and categorizes the template as a protected template. Only manually add pp-template to protected templates that don't use documentation (mostly the stub and flag templates).

User pages
User pages and subpages may be protected at the user's request especially if there is evidence of vandalism or disruption. User talk pages are rarely protected, and are semi-protected for short durations only in the most severe cases of vandalism from IP users.

Users whose talk page is semi-protected for lengthy or indefinite periods of time should have an unprotected user talk subpage linked conspicuously from their main talk page to allow good faith comments from non-autoconfirmed users.

See below the special consideration regarding blocked users.

Deceased users
In the event of the confirmed death of a user, his or her user page, but not talk page, should be fully protected.

Retired users
Retired users may have their user pages protected upon request. Talk pages of retired editors are not usually protected except with limited duration to deal with vandalism. A user's request to have his or her own talk page protected due to retirement is not a sufficient rationale to protect the page.

Blocked users
Blocked users' user pages and user talk pages should not ordinarily be protected, as this interferes with the user's ability to contest their block through the normal process. In extreme cases of abuse, such as abuse of the unblock template, the talk page may be protected for a short time to prevent abusive editing. When required, it should be implemented for a brief period which should not exceed the length of the block or six months, whichever is shorter.

Sandboxes
Sandbox should also not ordinarily be protected since its purpose is to let new users test and experiment with wiki syntax. This page is automatically cleaned every 24 hours, although they tend to be overwritten by other testing users much faster than that. Those who do use the sandboxes for malicious purposes, or to violate policies such as no personal attacks, be civil, and copyrights, should instead be warned and/or blocked.

Available templates
The following templates may be added at the very top of a page to indicate that it is protected:

title: Wikibooks:Protected page/Unstable


text:
Cookbook:Pashofa (Chickasaw Pork and Corn)

| United States

Pashofa is a Chickasaw main dish which is still eaten. Hogs are not native to the Americas, but they escaped and became feral from De Soto's expedition.

Ingredients

 * 900 g (2 lb) of dried Pashofa (hominy) corn
 * 450 g (1 lb) cubed pork chops

Procedure

 * 1) Rinse the corn a number of times; pick out floating hulls.
 * 2) Put rinsed corn into a nice, large pot and add enough water to cover by 3–4 inches (7.5–10 cm).
 * 3) Bring corn to a boil and put the pork into the pot.
 * 4) Turn stove down to medium-low and simmer for 2–3 hours. Stir occasionally to avoid scorching. You may have to add water as it boils away.

Notes, tips, and variations

 * Some people like it thick like stew; some people like it thin like soup with lots of juice.
 * This is an unsalted, bland dish if you just use pork chops. If you like salt and pepper, you will want to put it on after cooking.
 * Bacon with grease is sometimes used instead of pork chops.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/


text: C++ Programming/About the Book/Authors

title: C++ Programming/About the Book/Authors


text:
The Computer Revolution/Networks/LAN

 * What LAN is

LAN stands for local area network. A local area network represents a small or large area such as a building or even a class room. All the computers within a designated area are linked to the LAN and can access a common device such as a printer.

 * Where LAN is used

Local area networks are used in many different ways and in many different scenarios. For instance LAN can be within a large office building with more than thirty computers all in the same LAN. However LAN can be accommodated to smaller areas, such as setting up a LAN connection between two playstations for establishing a system link. This permits LAN to be used from small personal business's to large corporations. But requires proper installations and maintenance to allow LAN to properly run in a large scale operation.

As mentioned, LAN can be used within the home to not only connect several playstations together but also to link a number of personal computers in order to use the same periphery devices such as scanners, fax machines, and printers. Each of the personal computers can access data and other programs available on the LAN. Communication within the LAN can be done via e-mail or chat. Data transmission over the LAN is fast due to its relatively small geographic area allowing the units to be in close proximity as well as the limited number of units in the network.

LANs can be configured using cables and multiple LANs can be connected using routers.

Reference: Morely, Deborah and Charles Parker. "Understanding Computers Today and Tomorrow" 13th Edition

 * Why LAN is used

LAN is used depending on the application that is needed. Using LAN for an entire company that is spread world wide is just not practical. However where LAN becomes useful is when it allows a certain number of computers to all belong to the same network and communicate within that network. This allows LAN to become a more accessible and quicker way of communication, with very little chance of any delay. Although this is not to say a user cannot experience delay through LAN. As the number of computers increases on a certain LAN, the speed of the resulting connection begins to become diluted.

 * An alternative to LAN

An alternative to LAN would be WAN, WAN stands for wide area network and in principle works like LAN. But on a much larger scale. WAN also incorporates many LAN connections and can identify with the internet. However LAN and WAN do have there differences in speed, reliability and access.

title: The Computer Revolution/Networks/LAN


text:
The Computer Revolution/Firewall

What a firewall is
A firewall is a type of security for computers both personal and business. A firewall is produced as software or hardware and can be installed onto a computer. The main purpose of a firewall is to examine all the information entering a computer. If the information entering a computer fails to meet a certain criteria the information will not pass through into the computer. The entire purpose behind a firewall is, in the easiest words "to keep the bad out and the good in." It monitors the traffic of your computer. What is going out and what is coming in. It makes sure that you do not have to many vulnerabilities and that the information that is coming in is nothing malicious and that the information that is going out is not your essential information that needs to be kept on your computer. Although firewall is made for this purpose, firewall cannot always keep out all viruses and is not fool proof so it is still important to practice safe browsing. Firewalls are often built into your computer operating system but many times, it is just the basic. It is always good to browse around for a good firewall program, as many of them are set up to do different things and have different levels of security. Upon choosing the firewall that you feel is good for you, it is always important to uninstall the one that you have, as two firewalls running at once can cause major damage to your computer.

How a firewall works
There are many techniques used by a firewall to monitor and sort the information accessing your computer. Some of these techniques are packet filters, application gateways, circuit gateways and proxy servers. All of these techniques work off a different characteristic to sort through potential dangerous files to safe files. But the most common aspect found between these techniques is the principle of checking the data through the information which is available. This includes a user defined criteria, a process of monitoring and checking FTP as well as TCP. And in some cases once a firewall has established a secure line to receive information from a server, information can freely flow without being checked.

How you obtain a firewall
You can purchase software which will have a firewall built into it. Other firewalls can be purchased independently and installed along with other anti-virus software. Some of the main company’s which produce firewall software are McAfee, Norton, Microsoft and Apple. After purchasing firewall software you then follow the installation instructions provided and configure the firewall to your criteria for safe files and potential dangerous files.

title: The Computer Revolution/Firewall


text:
Talk:Ancient History/Egypt/Geography

I think that this page is very informative. I bet that A+ will be mine for the project! Thanks! Lots of amazing info here, I'm confident I will get a good grade.

title: Talk:Ancient History/Egypt/Geography


text:
Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Nature/Microscopic Life

==1. List four major types of microscopes. What are some of the characteristics of each? Be able to identify the different types of microscopes from pictures, or visit a laboratory in a university or industry which has these microscopes.==

Compound Microscope
This is the "classic" form of a microscope which uses optical lenses to magnify the specimen for observation.

Electron Microscope
The electron microscope is a type of microscope that uses electrons to create an image of the target. It has much higher magnification or resolving power than a normal light microscope, up to two million times, allowing it to see smaller objects and details.

Dark Field Microscope
Dark field microscopy is an optical microscopy illumination technique used to enhance the contrast in unstained samples. It works on the principle of illuminating the sample with light that will not be collected by the objective lens, so not form part of the image. This produces the classic appearance of a dark, almost black, background with bright objects on it.

Fluorescence Microscope
A Fluorescence Microscope is a light microscope used to study properties of organic or inorganic substances using the phenomena of fluorescence and phosphorescence instead of, or in addition to, reflection and absorption.

Fluorescence is a luminescence in which the absorption of a photon triggers the release of another photon with a longer wavelength. Usually the absorbed photon is in the ultraviolet range, and the emitted light is in the visible range.

Phosphorescence is a specific type of photoluminescence related to fluorescence. Unlike fluorescence, a phosphorescent material does not immediately re-emit the radiation it absorbs. The most familiar form of phosphorescence is "glow-in-the-dark" materials such as found on the hands of a watch.

Phase Contrast
A phase contrast microscope is a microscope that does not require staining to view the slide. This microscope made it possible to study the cell cycle.

As light travels through a medium other than vacuum, interaction with this medium causes its amplitude and phase to change in a way which depends on properties of the medium. Changes in amplitude give rise to familiar absorption of light which gives rise to colours when it is wavelength dependent. The human eye measures only the energy of light arriving on the retina, so changes in phase are not easily observed, yet often these changes in phase carry a large amount of information.

The same holds in a typical microscope, i.e., although the phase variations introduced by the sample are preserved by the instrument (at least in the limit of the perfect imaging instrument) this information is lost in the process which measures the light. In order to make phase variations observable, it is necessary to combine the light passing through the sample with a reference so that the resulting interference reveals the phase structure of the sample.

==2. Be able to identify the following parts of a microscope and explain or demonstrate the function of each: eye-piece or ocular, objective, body tube, nosepiece, stage, diaphragm, base, focus knob, and arm.==
 * The eyepiece or ocular (1): The part of a microscope that a user looks into. It contains a lens called the ocular.
 * Objective (3): The objective is another lens. It is located near the specimen to be observed.
 * Body Tube: This is a hollow tube that connects the ocular lens to the objective lens.
 * Nosepiece (2): The nosepiece is the part of the microscope that the objective lenses attach to. Sometimes the nosepiece houses a prism whose function is to bend light from the image so that the user can sit comfortably instead of hunching over the microscope to look straight down on the specimen.
 * Stage (6): The stage is a platform where the slides are mounted.
 * Diaphragm (8): The diaphragm is an apparatus located beneath the stage. It focuses light onto the specimen.
 * Base: The base is the bottom of the microscope on which the rest of the instrument rests.
 * Focus knob (4 and 5): The focus knob (or knobs) adjust the distance between the ocular lens and the objective lens. This brings the specimen into focus.  Microscopes often come with two focus knobs - a coarse focus and a fine focus.  The coarse focus knob makes large changes in the focus.  The fine focus know makes smaller adjustments.
 * Arm: The arm connects to the base and other parts of the microscope (such as the stage, diaphragm, and body tube) attach to it.

3. Know how to calculate the magnification of a compound microscope. Calculate the magnification of the microscope you use for this honor.
The magnification of a compound microscope is simply the magnification of the ocular lens times the magnification of the objective lens:

$$magnification = ocular \times objective$$

Therefore, if a microscope's objective lens has a magnification of 10 and its objective lens has a magnification of 40, the microscope's magnification is

$$ 10 \times 40 = 400X$$

4. Define the following microscopic terms: slide, coverslip, wetmount, fixing, staining, oil immersion, unicellular, multicellular, cilia, flagella, plankton.

 * slide: A slide is a small piece of rectangular glass upon which the specimen to be viewed is placed.
 * coverslip: The coverslip is a piece of glass the same shape as a slide (but often thinner) used to cover the specimen. The specimen is sandwiched between the slide and the coverslip.
 * wetmount: Wetmounting is when the user smears a wet specimen onto a slide.
 * fixing: Fixing preserves a specimen so that it does not decompose. Once a specimen has been fixed, it can be stored away and looked at again later.
 * staining: Staining colors the specimen so that it has a higher contrast and can be more easily seen under the microscope.
 * oil immersion: In order to get a sharp focus at magnifications above 400X, light must be coupled between the specimen and the objective by a layer of oil. If the light travels through air it gets too distorted.
 * unicellular: A unicellular organism has only one cell.
 * multicellular: A multicellular organism is made up of more than one cell.
 * cilia: Cilia are small hair-like appendages around the edge of a cell which allows the cell to propel itself through water.
 * flagella: A flagella is a whip-like structure at the end of a cell that allows it to swim through the water.
 * plankton: Plankton are any type unicellular marine organism at the bottom of the food chain.

==5. Collect samples of water (from ponds, streams, ditches, gutters, puddles, etc.) And search for living organisms using a microscope with at least 100X magnification. Draw five of these organisms as accurately as possible. As far as possible, identify and label your diagrams (include the magnification used.)== You will have better luck with this in the summer than in the winter, though it is not difficult to find microscopic life even in the winter. Still water is more likely to harbor microscope life than swift water. If necessary, instruct your Pathfinders to harvest a piece of ice from a frozen puddle in the woods or in a ditch, and let it thaw out before coming to the meeting. Aquariums and flower vases are good sources of water laden with microscopic life. Another option is to seed some tap water and let it "marinate" for a week. You can seed the water with hay, straw, grass, or even dirt from the floor. Just don't get too gross!

There are so many forms of microscopic life that it is highly unlikely that you will be able to identify most of what you see under the microscope. If you cannot identify what you see, draw it anyhow, and label the parts of the cell you can identify (such as the nucleus, cell membrane, and cytoplasm).

7. Know the kingdoms that have microscopic life forms and know two members from each.
There are six kingdoms into which living organisms are divided. All of them contain microscopic forms of life, and some of them are composed exclusively of microscopic life. Prior to 1977, Eubacteria and Archaeabacteria were considered a single kingdom called Monera.

 * Animalia: Roundworms, flatworms, tapeworms, nematodes, flukes
 * Plantia: plant spores, green algaes
 * Fungi: Yeast, Penicillin, ringworms
 * Protista: Algae, Euglena, Amoeba, Paramecium, Toxoplasma
 * Eubacteria: Streptococcus, E. Coli
 * Archaebacteria: Methanopyrus, Picrophilus

8. Give at least one example of how microscopic life is important for: human food, human health, medicine, other organisms.

 * Human food: Leavened bread and cheese would not be possible without microscopic fungi.
 * Human health: Most bacteria is actually helpful for human health. The stomach is filled with bacteria which help break down food.  However, there are many bacterias that cause illness, including strep, staph, salmonella, and E. coli.  Viruses are another form of microscopic life that can cause illness, including the flu, the common cold, and HIV-AIDS.
 * Medicine: Penicillin is a fungi that is also a powerful antibiotic. Vaccination is the process of administering weakened or dead disease-causing microscopic lifeforms to a healthy person or animal, with the intent of conferring immunity against a targeted form of a related disease agent. Medical science could hardly even be called science before the discovery of microscopic life.  It is through the microscope that we know anything about most diseases.
 * Other organisms: Lichens are symbiotic associations of a fungus with a photosynthetic partner that can produce food for the lichen from sunlight. Both the fungus and the photosynthetic partner start out as microscopic.

9. Give at least three health habits that have been established as a direct result of harmful microscopic life. Put these habits into practice.

 * Hand-washing: Frequent hand-washing carries disease-causing germs away from the body. You should wash your hands every time you finish using the bathroom.
 * Tooth-brushing: Brushing your teeth checks bacteria in the mouth that cause cavities and gum disease.
 * Vaccinations: Vaccinations cause the body to develop immunity to deadly diseases. Polio and smallpox were both eliminated as a result of vaccination programs.
 * Clean clothing: Changing into clean clothing every day - particularly the socks and underwear - can prevent sickness such as athlete's foot and jock itch.


text:
Water Resources Directory/USA/Ethics

Things To Do:
 * check to see which of the organizations below have guidelines regarding ethical procurement procedures. Write a brief summary for each guideline.
 * need a similar list and summary for the major professional organizations such as AWRA, WEF, ASCE.

Procurement Organizations
National Association of State Chief Information Officers State Procurement/Purchasing Departments. National Association of Counties County governments in the United States. National Institute of Government Purchasing Professional organization for government procurement professionals. National Association of State Procurement Officials Professional organization for state procurement officials. National Contract Managers Association Professional organization for contract management professionals. http://www.ncmahq.org/

title: Water Resources Directory/USA/Ethics


text:
ICT in Education/For Further Reading

For Further Reading
Bates, A.W. 2000. Managing Technological Change: Strategies for University and College Leaders.San Francisco: Jossey Bass.

Brown, J.S. and P. Duguid. 2000. The Social Life of Information.Boston MA: Harvard Business School Press.

Carlson, S. and C. T. Gadio. 2002. “Teacher Professional Development in the Use of Technology”,in Haddad, W. and A. Drexler (eds). Technologies for Education: Potentials, Parameters, and Prospects. Washington DC: Academy for Educational Development and Paris: UNESCO.

Cuban, L. 2002. Oversold and Underused: Computers in the Classroom. Cambridge MA: Harvard University Press.

Daniel, J. 1996. Mega Universities and Knowledge Media:Technology Strategies for Higher Education. London: Kogan Page.

Haddad, W. 1994. The Dynamics of Education Policymaking: Case Studies of Burkina Faso, Jordan, Peru, and Thailand. EDI Development Policy Case Series, Analytical Case Studies No. 10. Washington DC: The World Bank.

Steffe, L. P. and J. Gale.1995. Constructivism in Education.Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.

Rusten, E. and H. Hudson. 2002. “Infrastructure: Hardware, Networking, Software, and Connectivity”,in Haddad, W. and A. Drexler (eds). Technologies for Education: Potentials, Parameters, and Prospects. Washington DC: Academy for Educational Development and Paris: UNESCO.

title: ICT in Education/For Further Reading


text: ICT in Education/Notes

title: ICT in Education/Notes


text:
User talk:Aki009

Hello and welcome to Wikibooks!

Here are some tips to help you get started:
 * You can sign your name on Talk and vote pages using four tildes, like this: ~~~~.
 * Remember to conduct any editing experiments in the sandbox.
 * Check out our help page if you need additional help.
 * Eventually, you might want to read the Manual of Style and Policies and Guidelines.
 * Take a look at Naming policy
 * See list of templates which can save your time
 * Remember to maintain a Neutral point of view.
 * Explore, be bold in editing pages, and have fun!

You will find more resources in Community Portal. If you want to ask a question, visit the Study help desk, the Staff lounge, IRC channel or ask me personally on my talk page.

Good luck!

I hope continue to enjoy editing wikibooks.

If everyone contributes a small nugget or otherwise improves the Embedded Systems wikibook (which includes the Cypress PSoC FAQ), we will end up with a collection of really useful knowledge that goes far beyond what any one person knows -- perhaps beyond what any one company knows.

--DavidCary 00:38, 24 October 2006 (UTC)

title: User talk:Aki009


text:
Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/First aid/Clothes on fire

Get the person to the ground and roll him over and over on the ground. Another option is to wrap the victim with a blanket, coat, or jacket if one is handy. If your own clothes catch on fire, stop, drop, and roll - do the same thing to yourself as you would to someone else.

|


text:
Esperanto: A Complete and Comprehensive Grammar/Alphabet and pronunciation

Alphabet
The Esperanto alphabet consists of twenty-eight characters in a modified Roman script: a, b, c, ĉ, d, e, f, g, ĝ, h, ĥ, i, j, ĵ, k, l, m, n, o, p, r, s, ŝ, t, u, ŭ, v and z.

Special Characters
Various spelling conventions have been suggested for representing the "special characters" with diacritic marks above them, because many computer keyboards do not contain the characters. One of the most common employs the character x, which is not a part of the Esperanto alphabet, and thus does not cause confusion. Some have complained, however, that this usage lacks esthetic appeal.

Following this convention, ĉ is represented by cx, ĝ by gx, and so on.

Pronunciation
In Esperanto, each consonant has its own unique pronunciation it shares with no other consonant, and it is always pronounced that way regardless of its context. (Note however that the letters with circumflexes are considered separate letters, independent of the versions without circumflexes).

 * b as in bib: "batalantoj"
 * c is pronounced like ts as in cats: "facilo"
 * ĉ is pronounced like ch as church: "ĉar"
 * d as in deed: "dissaltos"
 * f as in fife: "flugiloj"
 * g as in gag: "glavo"
 * ĝ is pronounced dg as in judge: "ĝi"
 * h as in hat: "homan"
 * ĥ is pronounced like ch as in loch: "ĥoro"
 * j is pronounced y as in yes: "esperantoj"
 * ĵ is pronounced like s in measure: "ĵuro"
 * k as in kick: "komprenante"
 * l as in lid: "la"
 * m as in mum: "mondo"
 * n as in no: "nova"
 * p as in pop: "promesas"
 * r is pronounced rr as in burrito: "rapide"
 * s as in sauce: "sangon"
 * ŝ is pronounced sh as in ship: "ŝi"
 * t as in tight: "tra"
 * v as in valve: "vento"
 * z as in zebra: "zorgi"

So this means, for one thing, that h is never silent, as it sometimes is in English. Also, no consonant is ever vocalized, as happens to v in some dialects of Slavic languages: for example, the v in "kvar" is pronounced the same way it would be in "voko" or "vento." It would be wrong to pronounce it "kuar."

The vowels are likewise consistent in their pronunciation.

 * a as in father: familio
 * e as in pet: "En"
 * i is pronounced ee as in meet: "iras"
 * o as in for: "voko"
 * u is pronounced oo as in boot: "muroj"
 * ŭ is pronounced like w in with: "neŭtrala"


text:
E-government

Table of Contents

 * /Preface/
 * /Introduction/
 * /Definition/
 * /The Goals of E-Government/
 * /E-Government and Human Development/
 * /The Challenges of E-Government/
 * /The Importance of a National Strategic Framework for E-Government/
 * /Making E-Government Happen/
 * /Handbook of E-Government Scales/
 * /Further Reading/
 * /Notes/
 * /Acknowledgements/
 * /About the Author/

Information
This book is donated by UNDP Asia-Pacific Development Information Programme (UNDP-APDIP) to the community. The original publication by:

Author: Patricia J. Pascual

© UNDP-APDIP, 2003, 40 pages

is located at http://www.apdip.net/publications/iespprimers/eprimer-egov.pdf

This wikibook is available under the terms of GNU Free Documentation License and Creative Commons Attribution License 2.5

title: E-government


text:
E-government/Preface

Preface to the First Edition
One the many challenges facing the countries in the Asia-Pacific today is preparing their societies and governments for globalization and the information and communication revolution. Policy-makers, business executives, NGO activists, academics, and ordinary citizens are increasingly concerned with the need to make their societies competitive in the emergent information economy.

The e-ASEAN Task Force and the UNDP Asia Pacific Development Information Programme (UNDP-APDIP) share the belief that with enabling information and communication technologies (ICTs), countries can face the challenge of the information age. With ICTs they can leap forth to higher levels of social, economic and political development. We hope that in making this leap, policy and decision-makers, planners, researchers, development practitioners, opinion-makers, and others will find this series of e-primers on the information economy, society, and polity useful.

The e-primers aim to provide readers with a clear understanding of the various terminologies, definitions, trends, and issues associated with the information age. The primers are written in simple, easy-to-understand language. They provide examples, case studies, lessons learned, and best practices that will help planners and decision makers in addressing pertinent issues and crafting policies and strategies appropriate for the information economy.

The present series of e-primers includes the following titles:

 * 1) The Information Age
 * 2) Nets, Webs and the Information Infrastructure
 * 3) e-Commerce and e-Business
 * 4) Legal and Regulatory Issues for the Information Economy
 * 5) e-Government;
 * 6) ICT and Education
 * 7) Genes, Technology and Policy: An Introduction to Biotechnology

These e-primers are also available online at http://www.eprimers.org. and http://www.apdip.net.

The primers are brought to you by UNDP- APDIP, which seeks to create an ICT enabling environment through advocacy and policy reform in the Asia-Pacific region, and the e-ASEAN Task Force, an ICT for development initiative of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations. We welcome your views on new topics and issues on which the e-primers may be useful.

Finally, we thank all who have been involved with this series of e-primers-writers, researchers, peer reviewers and the production team.

title: E-government/Preface


text:
E-government/Introduction

Introduction
Information and communications technologies (ICTs) are playing an increasingly vital role in the daily lives of people, revolutionizing work and leisure and changing the rules of doing business. In the realm of government, ICT applications are promising to enhance the delivery of public goods and services to citizens not only by improving the process and management of government, but also by redefining the traditional concepts of citizenship and democracy.

The effects of ICTs on societies are both far-reaching and uneven. On the one hand, ICT is fueling the transition from industrial-based economies to knowledge-based societies. On the other hand, ICT still has little or no impact in the lives of people in many countries. This wide disparity in the impact of ICT around the world today underscores the uneven progress of economic development. It also highlights the critical role of government in the information age.

The goal of this primer is to clarify the major issues surrounding e-government, as well as to provide readers with best practices in e-governance in the developing world. Leaders committed to e-government are demonstrating that by combining technology with new ways of operating, government can be made much more effective, transparent and responsive.

title: E-government/Introduction


text:
E-government/Definition

What is e-government?
Definitions of e-government range from “the use of information technology to free movement of information to overcome the physical bounds of traditional paper and physical based systems” to “the use of technology to enhance the access to and delivery of government services to benefit citizens, business partners and employees.” The common theme behind these definitions is that e-government involves the automation or computerization of existing paper-based procedures that will prompt new styles of leadership, new ways of debating and deciding strategies, new ways of transacting business, new ways of listening to citizens and communities, and new ways of organizing and delivering information.

Ultimately, e-government aims to enhance access to and delivery of government services to benefit citizens. More important, it aims to help strengthen government’s drive toward effective governance and increased transparency to better manage a country’s social and economic resources for development.

The key to e-government is the establishment of a long-term, organization-wide strategy to constantly improve operations with the end in view of fulfilling citizen needs by transforming internal operations such as staffing, technology, processes and work flow management.

Thus, e-government should result in the efficient and swift delivery of goods and services to citizens, businesses, government employees and agencies. To citizens and businesses, e-government would mean the simplification of procedures and streamlining of the approval process. To government employees and agencies, it would mean the facilitation of cross-agency coordination and collaboration to ensure appropriate and timely decision-making.

What are the types of e-government transactions?
e-Government services focus on four main customers: citizens, the business community, government employees, and government agencies. e-Government aims to make interaction with citizens, businesses, government employees, government agencies and other governments more convenient, friendly, transparent, inexpensive and effective.

In an e-government system, individuals are able to initiate a request for a particular government service and then receive that government service through the Internet or some computerized mechanism. In some cases, the government service is delivered through one government office, instead of many. In other cases, a government transaction is completed without direct in-person contact with a government employee.

What are the specific types of services delivered through e-government?
The four types of e-government services are Government-to-Citizen (G2C), Government-to-Business (G2B), Government-to-Employee (G2E), and Government-to-Government (G2G).

G2C includes information dissemination to the public, basic citizen services such as license renewals, ordering of birth/death/marriage certificates and filing of income taxes, as well as citizen assistance for such basic services as education, health care, hospital information, libraries, and the like.

 * Box 1. Singapore's e-citizen Portal: A Case Study in G2C Transactions

G2B transactions include various services exchanged between government and the business community, including dissemination of policies, memos, rules and regulations. Business services offered include obtaining current business information, downloading application forms, renewing licenses, registering businesses, obtaining permits, and payment of taxes. The services offered through G2B transactions also assist in business development, specifically the development of small and medium enterprises. Simplifying application procedures that would facilitate the approval process for SME requests would encourage business development.

On a higher level, G2B services include e-procurement, an online government-supplier exchange for the purchase of goods and services by government. Typically, e-procurement Web sites allow qualified and registered users to look for buyers or sellers of goods and services. Depending on the approach, buyers or sellers may specify prices or invite bids. e-Procurement makes the bidding process transparent and enables smaller businesses to bid for big government procurement projects. The system also helps government generate bigger savings, as costs from middlemen are shaved off and purchasing agents’ overhead is reduced.

 * Box 2. China's Golden Customs: A Case Study in G2B Transactions

G2E services encompass G2C services as well as specialized services that cover only government employees, such as the provision of human resource training and development that improve the bureaucracy’s day-to-day functions and dealings with citizens.

 * Box 3. Mississippi, USA’s Payroll Information Self-Service: A Case Study in G2E Transactions

G2G services take place at two levels: at the local or domestic level and at the international level. G2G services are transactions between the central/national and local governments, and between department-level and attached agencies and bureaus. At the same time, G2G services are transactions between governments, and can be used as an instrument of international relations and diplomacy.

 * Box 4. Global Cooperation on Transnational Crime: A Case Study in G2G Transactions

Is the Internet the only medium for accomplishing e-government?
The Internet is indeed the most powerful means for delivering e-government. However, it is not the only, or the most appropriate, means. Developing countries in particular need to take some constraints—from the infrastructural to the financial— into account when considering the best strategy for adopting e-government. Existing electronic service delivery channels must be put to use to provide the broadest access possible.

 * Box 5. Using Appropriate Technologies in E-Governance: A Philippine Case Study”

According to Dr. Richard Heeks, Director of the Institute for Development Policy and Management at the University of Manchester, developing countries aiming to use ICTs for good governance should opt for “intelligent intermediaries” in the early phases of e-government. “Intelligent intermediaries” are e-government models that incorporate human beings as intermediaries between citizens and the information infrastructure in order to provide the public with the widest possible points of access to government services. Realistic e-government projects will use such intermediaries at the onset, given limitations in the physical infrastructure of developing countries and the lack of access points for the general public to acquire government services. These intermediaries may come in the form of existing professionals (e.g., accountants for online tax systems, notaries for online registration systems), public servants (e.g., call centers or one-stop shop government offices), and NGOs or community-based organizations (e.g., staffed community telecenters) bringing together a combination of these various ICT channels to effectively deliver e-government.”

 * Box 6. Intelligent Intermediaries in Sri Lanka”

title: E-government/Definition


text:
Lambda Calculus

Lambda Calculus is a theory of computable functions, i.e. a formal system which formalize the abstract notion of computable functions. This calculus was developed by Alonzo Church in the 1930s at the same time which other researchers developed other models of computation which later were proved to be equivalent. S. C. Kleene developed recursive functions and Alan M. Turing a Universal abstract machine, later called Universal Turing Machine, among other formal systems. Recursive functions can be expressed in the lambda calculus, and vice versa, also an universal Turing machine can be defined in the lambda calculus and recursive functions and the lambda calculus in the universal Turing machine, the same with the other computation models not described here. The fact that every attempt to build a system to capture the notion of computation resulted in a theory equivalent to each other is a strong indication that no other "more powerful" system exists, that can not be proved, for that reason is known as the Churrch-Turing thesis. In other words it states that any compuable function is definable indistinctly in any of those systems. You may noticed that formal system, theory and model are used to refer to those formalisms, lets say what that means. A formal theory is a formal system which captures the notion of the abstract notion of computable functions.

The lambda calculus is one foundation for computer science, like infinitesimal calculus is a foundation for the Newtonian physics. Another foundation is the Von Neumann machine, which is a hardware realization of a Universal Turing Machine, of course as any physical implementation it has finite memory.

The lambda calculus served as the basis for functional programming languages in the same way that the von Neumann machine is the basis for the imperative programming languages.

An important subject in computer science the semantics of programming languages, i.e. how to state the meaning of a programming language. The lambda calculus is the basis for a denotational semantics, developed by Dana Scott.

There are different lambda theories studied in the lambda calculus. The untyped lambda calculus resulted in an inconsistent theory because there is a paradox equivalent to the Russell paradox in the naive set theory. that motivated the development of typed lambda theories.

The untyped lambda calculus formulas are induced from an infinite set of variables, $$x,y,z,\ldots,x_0,y_0,z_0,\ldots$$, abstractions with the form $$\lambda v.M$$ where $$v$$ is a variable and $$M$$ a formula of the lambda calculus also called lambda term, the last is called applications with the form $$(MN)$$ where $$M$$ and $$N$$ are also lambda terms and nothing else.

There are conversion rules, $$\alpha,\beta$$ and $$\eta$$ defined as follows:

Contents

 * 1) /Syntax/
 * 2) /Equivalent formulas/

ラムダ計算

title: Lambda Calculus


text:
E-government/The Goals of E-Government

What are the goals of e-government?
The Working Group on e-Government in the Developing World has identified five broad categories of goals commonly pursued for e-government.11 e-Government is a means to accomplish these broader social goals, goals that move beyond mere efficiency of government processes to that of overall reform and development. The goals are not listed in any particular order of importance, as each country must determine its priorities in e-government.

a. Creating a better business environment. Technology is a proven catalyst in increasing productivity and economic growth, especially in rural and underserved communities. The use of ICT in government and the establishment of an e-government infrastructure help create a business-friendly environment by streamlining the interaction and improving the interface between government and business, especially SMEs. By cutting out redundancies in procedures and emphasizing immediate and efficient delivery of services, e-government creates the conditions that attract investors/ investment.

This goal is highly dependent on the country, its industry strengths and its global competitive advantage. Once identified, these should be incorporated in the country’s e-government strategy, with agencies, the bureaucracy and public services aligned towards promoting these sectors. E-procurement, for example, can open new markets to local businesses by opening up the government procurement process, making it more competitive and fair.

 * Box 7. Increased Investment Through E-Government: Singapore’s GeBIZ e-Procurement Portal

b. Customers online, not in line. This refers to the effective delivery of public goods and services to citizens accompanied by quick response government with minimal direct intervention by a public official.

c. Strengthening good governance and broadening public participation. Promoting transparency and accountability in government through the proliferation of ICT in management and operations also opens opportunities for citizens to be more actively involved in the policy- and decision-making processes of government.

As a major tool in building a tradition of transparency and good governance, e-government can advance the fight against corruption. However, e-government by itself will not put an end to corruption. It must be accompanied by other mechanisms to be fully effective.

At the same time, e-government facilitates the swift delivery of complete information. The broad dissemination of information helps empower citizens and facilitate informed decision-making. The transparency of information will not only further democracy but also instill a sense of accountability among government leaders and compel effective governance.

d. Improving the productivity and efficiency of government agencies. Re-engineering processes and procedures to cut red tape, facilitate delivery of services, increase productivity of the bureaucracy, and increase savings are benefits inherent in e-government. More specifically, e-government can help:

 * Increase government staff productivity, reduce overhead from fewer offices and less paper management, improve capacity for planning management by government (using better tools and improving access to critical information, for example, in city planning through the use of a GIS), and increase revenue as businesses and citizens actually apply for more licenses, due to the fact that the process is much easier and less corrupt.
 * Induce cost savings in the medium to the long term. In the short term, however, staffing and costs tend to increase as government must offer multiple delivery platforms (both the traditional and e-government) during the initial transition.
 * Streamline the operations of government. Most government processes have evolved over many years, and usually involve many steps, tasks, and activities. Streamlining government processes through ICT eliminates redundant procedures and helps to reduce red tape.

 * Box 8. The Benefits of E-Government at the Philippine National Bureau of Investigation (NBI)

e. Improving the quality of life for disadvantaged communities. ICT makes it possible for government to reach marginalized groups/communities and improve their quality of life. This means empowering them through their participation in the political process, as well as delivering much-needed public goods and services.

Ultimately, the goal of e-government is to enhance the interaction between three main actors in society—government, citizens and business—in order to stimulate political, social and economic progress in the country.

How does government become more responsive and accessible with ICT use?
With its emphasis on the use of information technology in the delivery of services, e-government presents a government agency with the opportunity to re-think how it delivers services. Specifically, e-government offers the agency the opportunity to: examine its current operations and procedures, identify business processes and practices that can be streamlined, implement those streamlined business processes, and implement new technologies that enhance those improvements. In the process of streamlining business operations, a properly implemented e-government solution provides the agency with the opportunity to focus its resources on service delivery efforts that are most efficiently provided through direct contact versus other means.

ICT will ultimately re-engineer government processes and transform governance. It is not enough to deliver services efficiently and effectively by compressing the steps required to accomplish certain procedural requirements. What is more important is to simplify government processes altogether, change the concept of governance, and thereby transform the relationship between government and citizens.

Moreover, increased information access and transparency in government processes leads to greater accountability and transparency, as online or computerized processes remove discretion from government officials and provide watchdog groups and senior government officials with a mechanism to monitor potential corruption abuses by lower level government officials.

 * Box 9. Transparency and Accountability: Greater Openness of Local Government in South Korea

title: E-government/The Goals of E-Government


text: Template:Physics Study Guide/eq

title: Template:Physics Study Guide/eq


text:
Clarinet/Equipment/Reed

The reed is a thin piece of arundo donax that is attached to the mouthpiece to produce the clarinet's sound. By blowing air past the reed, the reed vibrates. This does not produce the sound however, but rather this vibrates the column of air within the clarinet, which produces the sound.

In concert playing, natural cane reeds are often used to produce a better sound, while in marching bands many people choose to use synthetic reeds which have a poorer tone, but are more durable for marching.

It is well worth experimenting with different makes and strengths of reed, as they can have a great impact on playing.

Reed strength
Reeds come in different strengths for different levels of experience; starting at 1, the tone is easy to produce, but the high register is hard to reach. Strengths go up by quarters with harder reeds being size 4-5. With the hardest reeds the reed offers more resistance but it is easier to reach the higher notes, and a better tone can be reached. As strength increases the thickness of the reed increases too.

In general, it is recommended that beginners start with a soft reed. Clarinettists usually find that they need to progress to harder reeds once their embouchure has developed. However, this does not mean that playing on a strength 4 reed makes a clarinettist very good; in fact it is unnecessary and even inadvisable for many people to play on reeds of that strength.

The strength of a reed can be altered to make it softer or harder. Reed rush or a knife can be used to scrape a little of the cane away from the centre of the reed, known as the heart, which has the effect of making the reed softer. Shortening the reed by shaving cane off the tip makes the reed harder, and a tool designed for this purpose, called a reed clipper is usually used for this. However, if the clarinettist is consistently altering reeds in the same way it may be worth considering using a different strength.

Reed care
Many factors affect the sound a reed will produce. Two reeds from the same box will often produce different results, and one reed will play differently from one day to the next. Factors affecting reeds include humidity and temperature.

The storage of reeds is important to minimise the impact of these factors on the reed and thus prolong its playing life. For example, the plastic covers that reeds are sold in are not the best way to store reeds. Much better would be a specially designed box or case (usually available from woodwind retailers), which helps to regulate the temperature and humidity the reeds are exposed to.

It is also important to avoid chips and other damage to the reed. Mouthpiece caps should be over the mouthpiece when the clarinet is not in use.

Kларинет/Трске

title: Clarinet/Equipment/Reed


text:
Lambda Calculus/Basic Definitions

Axioms
The first concept is that of abstraction. It is analogous to defining a function.
 * λx.M

This defines a function which takes an argument x and returns a term M. Functions in lambda calculus have no name.

The second concept is that of invocation. It is essentially a function call.
 * M N

This binds the argument N to the term M

Definitions

 * Term :A term in Lambda calculus is a defined function. A term may contain variables.
 * Variable : A variable, may represent any term. A term may contain free variables or bound variables
 * Bound variables : A bound variable is a variable which will be bound to some term passed as an argument. Eg, In λx.xy, x is a bound variable.
 * Free variables : A free variable is any variable in a term which is not bound to some other term. Eg, In λx.xy, y is a free variable.

title: Lambda Calculus/Basic Definitions


text:
Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter/Characters/Mandy Brocklehurst

Overview
A Hogwarts student in Harry's year, Mandy Brocklehurst is a member of Ravenclaw house.

Philosopher's Stone
The Sorting Hat places Mandy Brocklehurst in Ravenclaw House.

Relationships with Other Characters
We are led to believe that Mandy is a friend of Marietta Edgecombe, and so possibly also a friend of Cho Chang. However, she plays no real part in the story.


text:
E-government/E-Government and Human Development

How do ICTs facilitate good governance?
ICT is an enabler of efficient and effective functioning of government. In turn, a more efficient functioning of government allows for improved and better governance.

 * Box 10. Argentina’s Cristal Government Initiative: Public Funds Information on Demand19

What are the implications of equality of access to government information and services?
The implementation of e-government facilitates citizen participation in governance by increasing access channels to government. It broadens opportunities for citizen participation, opening new channels of communication between constituents and their representatives and bringing marginal groups (i.e., women, physically challenged, indigenous peoples) into mainstream participatory channels.

But just as e-government initiatives have the potential to democratize the delivery of basic services and “level” the effects of development, these same initiatives can also further distance citizens from government and even deepen existing disenfranchisement. Policy-makers, in trying to achieve development goals through e-government, should consider projects that would deliver the most benefits to the broadest number of people.

What is digital democracy?
Digital democracy is a term used when the use of information and communications technology enhances citizen participation in the democratic process. It is the computerization of political discourse, policy-making and the political process with the end in view of increasing, enhancing, and deepening citizen participation in the policy- and decision-making processes of government through a spectrum of activities—electoral campaigns, voting, consultation and participation in the policy process, public opinion polling, and communication exchange between elected officials and constituents.

While opportunities are increasing for citizens to be more actively involved in the policy-making and decision-making process, much of government decision-making is still hidden from the wider public. ICT integration in government processes facilitates greater openness, transparency, and accountability. As more information is given to the public, greater citizen engagement in the overall policy process is considered as necessary as greater accountability for public officials.

 * Box 11. Online Assembly: Virtual March on Washington20

In what ways can e-government enhance digital democracy?
Improving access to public information and services. Government carries the burden and responsibility of ensuring that citizens, communities, businesses, and civil society are equipped with complete information so that they can make timely and appropriate life decisions.

Through ICTs—broadly defined to include television, radio and telephones—the public can more easily access information and services. By providing the public with details of government activities and providing them with venues to actively participate in these activities, e-government compels officials to be more transparent and accountable for their actions and decisions, as well as to improve not only the delivery of services but also the quality of these services.

 * Box 12. Access To Information And Services: Online Delivery of Land Titles in Karnataka, India21

Enhancing political participation. ICTs have made it possible for citizens around the world to be included in the policy process, to have their voices heard, to participate in the policy development process, and ultimately, to influence decision-making. ICTs have opened numerous channels of participation not usually open or available to the broader public. Many instances around the world today have shown the potential of ICTs to change society through the participation of a wide variety of people from various social and cultural backgrounds, social strata, and religious beliefs.

 * Box 13. Technology and Grassroots Politics22

Engendering women empowerment. Governments must pay special attention to providing women not only with access to information technology (IT), but also with IT training and education. ICTs are particularly useful for giving voice to women in developing countries who traditionally are isolated, invisible and silent. It presents new opportunities for women to improve their lives, economically, politically and socially.

e-Government can provide marketing and promotion services for women’s businesses such as handicrafts, garments and traditional arts. Female farmers can increase their productivity and profits with access to information on improved agricultural inputs, weather, markets, new production techniques and farming technologies.23 In addition, policies that increase women’s access to credit contribute significantly to poverty alleviation.

e-Government can also be used to strengthen women’s participation in the political process, help women exercise their fundamental rights, improve the performance of elected women officials, strengthen advocacy of women’s issues, and disseminate knowledge.24 Providing channels for participation in policy-making that targets women’s concerns is a critical component of e-government.

Finally, women in developing countries want to rise above poverty, disenfranchisement and marginalization. While ICTs may not be a panacea, various e-government projects, such as health and agricultural portals, give women a chance to improve their lives.

 * Box 14. Improving Service Delivery To Women Through ICT: The Women’s Services Portal in British Columbia, Canada


text:
E-government/The Challenges of E-Government

Who pays for e-government?
Like any government infrastructure project, e-government can be done in phases and the costs of implementation will depend on current infrastructure availability, supplier and user capabilities, and mode of service delivery (whether through the Internet or through telephone hotlines and one-stop shops). The more complicated and sophisticated the kind of services the government wants to offer, the more expensive it is.

Governments should focus on small, self-financing or outsourced projects. Because e-government projects must be financially sustainable, there must be a revenue/ cost-reduction model in place from the beginning. Smaller projects with a clear revenue-generation strategy and minimal initial investment are the most likely to be sustainable over the long term. For instance, Web sites are one of the easiest and cheapest ways to achieve high impact e-government with a minimum of investment.

e-Government projects are, more often than not, long-term endeavors, requiring large capital infusion in software, hardware, infrastructure and training. A viable financing plan should not only pay for the immediate needs to jumpstart e-government; it must also consider its long-term financing options for the sustainability of the project.

There are various business models for funding e-government projects, and the private sector plays a critical role in these. Under partnership arrangements, the private sector builds, finances and operates public infrastructure such as roads and airports, recovering costs through user charges. Various financing schemes exist—from soft and development assistance loans from donor/multilateral aid agencies to partnerships and outsourcing deals with private third party vendors under special financing schemes (e.g., the Build-Operate-Transfer or BOT scheme) that can minimize the initial cost to government.

BOT and its variants are usually the favored financing models/arrangements for government projects that require large and immediate financing from the private sector. Under BOT, the private sector designs, finances, builds, and operates the facility over the life of the contract. At the end of this period, ownership reverts to the government. A variation of this is the Build-Transfer-Operate (BTO) model, under which title transfers to the government when construction is completed. Finally, with Build-Own-Operate (BOO) arrangements, the private sector retains permanent ownership and operates the facility on contract.

Cooperation, rather than competition, with the private sector can facilitate effective e-government. Government can encourage private sector investment by complementing and supporting private sector efforts rather than duplicating them. The key to e-government is to improve citizen access to service delivery, not further expand the role of government. Government should not attempt to create products and services where public-private partnerships or private service providers can adequately provide these products and services more efficiently and effectively.

 * Box 15. E-Government Financing Through BOT: Malysia’s National e-Procurement System

How do you get the wider public to actually use e-government services?
Any sound e-government policy must consider a citizen-centered approach. This means that e-government should be an end-user or demand-driven service.

However, many citizens do not use e-government for several reasons, among these unfamiliarity with ICT, lack of access, lack of training, and concerns about privacy and security of information.

While e-government may provide ease and convenience in the delivery of public services, and offer innovative government services, none of these will prompt citizen use unless the concerns mentioned above are first addressed.

 * Box 16. Citizen-Centered E-Government: Singapore’s eCitizen Help Centers

Why are security and protection of privacy important?
Security generally refers to the protection of information system assets and control of access to information. Security policies and strategies are context- and information-specific.

Privacy refers to the right for information attributed to an individual (also called “nominal information”) to be treated with an appropriate level of protection. Information privacy protection laws are often put in place to regulate this.

Protecting the privacy of citizens and assuring them that their personal information will not be compromised is critical in e-government because this is the key to user trust. Without this assurance, no one will be prompted to use e-government services.

 * Box 17. E-Government and Privacy: Japan’s National ID System


text:
E-government/The Importance of a National Strategic Framework for E-Government

The Importance of a National Strategic Framework for E-Government
The implementation of e-government requires strong leadership and vision. It also requires a comprehensive strategy that is not only benchmarked on global best practices, but also sensitive to existing political and economic conditions/realities.

For e-government to become a reality, governments, in consultation with stakeholders, are advised to develop a National Strategic Framework, which articulates the government’s vision, targets and milestones, technical approach and standards for e-government systems. Such a framework must address information privacy, security, maintenance, and interface standards.

However, it must be said at the outset that a national framework is not a prerequisite to any e-government project. To put this more precisely, critical e-government projects at the department/agency or local government levels should not be held up simply for lack of a national framework. Too many governments spend years and valuable resources on the process of developing a national strategy, when they could be moving forward on a few critical projects. What governments should realize is that a national strategic framework is an ongoing process and not a static document.

What are the two approaches to e-government?
There are two approaches to e-government. The first is the top-down approach. Characterized by a high degree of control by the central government, it usually includes the development of a strategy. The second is the bottom-up approach, in which individual departments and local governments independently move forward with their own projects, common standards are flexible, and overall national strategy is not so important. Singapore and China embody the top-down approach, while the US and the Philippines are closer to the bottom-up approach.

There are advantages and disadvantages to each method. The top-down approach facilitates integration. However, developing a national strategy, which the approach emphasizes, often takes years of bickering and the technology decisions tend to be poor (and therefore, costly and difficult to reverse). The bottom-up approach is less orderly and tends to some redundancy, but it also inspires innovation, resulting in a many grassroots projects.

In the end, the best approach to e-government depends on the individual country, on how its political system works, and on the level of technology competence in each individual government unit.

Moreover, public awareness and support for e-government is critical for its success and its sustainability. Hence the need for stakeholder consultation in the process. Stakeholders include citizens, NGOs, businesses, various industries and special sectors, and the bureaucracy.

It is likewise important to understand global trends and to study global best practices of e-government projects and strategies. Only from studying other countries’ successes and failures is a country able to effectively design its e-government strategy and avoid pitfalls that cost time, money and resources. Studying other countries’ experiences will allow governments that are about to embark on developing their e-government strategies to define their priority areas based on their specific cultural contexts.

How do you build an appropriate e-government infrastructure?
A Government Information Infrastructure (GII), which is a network that connects all government agencies, is needed to ensure that citizens enjoy the full benefits of e-government. Building a GII is a very expensive undertaking that requires cross-agency, cross-government planning. The following must be considered when building such a government backbone:

The cost implications. A financial feasibility study is necessary for such an endeavor. This cost-benefit analysis can help government decide either to open portions of the government backbone and charge access fees to telecommunications carriers or operators to sustain operations, or to altogether ride on an existing private network due to cost constraints.

The infrastructure issues.These include the country’s existing infrastructure, current level of Internet penetration, telephone density, existing speed of technology change, allowances for convergence, and investment in broadband.

The benefits and risks. Having one’s own backbone ensures that government communications are open and secure and operating 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and 365 days a year. However, this may mean regular funding for upgrades and maintenance of the network, and for hiring a team to support the network full time.

Some governments may decide that building their own backbone is too costly and too time-consuming. Building a backbone may take years and billions of dollars to complete, and if governments want to immediately engage in e-government, there may not be enough time or money to do so.

An alternative is to ride on an existing private telecommunications backbone, usually one run by a large telecommunications carrier. This means that government will be entrusting the security of the network to the operator, who will also be assuming the costs of regular network maintenance and technical support and the risks of possible network sabotage.

In order to minimize the threat of security risks, governments who are riding on a private backbone will have to set up the following types of security measures: firewalls, intrusion detection software, encryption, and secure networks (such as Virtual Private Networks, Wide Area Networks or Local Area Networks) for government agencies that require high levels of security, such as the armed forces.

 * Box 18. Government Information Infrastructure: New Korea Net-Government (NKN-G)

What is software architecture and why is it important in e-government development?
Software architecture refers to the high-level organizational structure of a software system. A well planned, secure and flexible e-government platform is necessary for governments to meet the growing demands for services delivered via the Internet and future delivery channels. Building a common architecture for e-government requires secure and trusted interoperable systems that will adopt existing Internet and World Wide Web standards for all government agencies, at all levels. This is a pragmatic approach that reduces the costs and risks of operating information technology systems while keeping the public sector in step with the global Internet revolution. The idea of an interoperable system within one government means that agencies can easily “talk to one another”—whether by sending email or exchanging information—without any technical problems that hinder the smooth operation of government.


text:
E-government/Making E-Government Happen

Making E-Government Happen
The five steps are:

1. Develop a vision.

2. Conduct an e-readiness assessment.

3. Identify realistic goals.

4. Get the bureaucracy to buy-in and develop a change management strategy.

5. Build public-private partnerships.

Why is developing a vision for e-government important?
Before any government embarks on a big project, it must first determine what it aims to achieve. What are the goals and objectives of e-government?

A vision for e-government should reflect the larger development goals of the country, the broader concerns and goals of society.

It is important to get the public to buy into the vision and enhance stakeholder participation in the decision-making process of government. Including citizens, businesses and civil society in this exercise increases a government’s chances of success in implementing e-government.

What is an e-readiness assessment?
It is important to take a government-wide inventory of assets. After determining what it has, a government must determine the quality of what it has, as well as what it does not have. Then it must write out a shopping list of what it needs to make e-government happen.

It is important to ask the following questions when taking an inventory.

People and skills: 1. What type of ICT skills do they possess?

2. What is their level of competency?

3. Are there enough of them with the skills necessary to run an e-government project?

Hardware, software and equipment: 1. What types of ICT hardware/software does each government agency have?

2. How old or how new are the equipment?

3. What does the existing physical infrastructure of government telecommunications look like?

Laws and regulations: 1. Are the appropriate policies and regulations in place for the development and implementation of e-government?

2. What policies and regulations need to amended or changed in order to implement and facilitate e-government?

 * Box 20. Benchmarking E-Government Progress: The Networked Readiness Index42

What are realistic goals?
A good motto for e-government is “think big, start small and scale fast”. This means the initial focus must be on projects which are mission critical applications and which are reliable and manageable rather than large and costly.

Identify which government services will be made available through e-government. Government should prioritize the services that they will initially offer online. It is best to pick those services that can, in the short-term, pay for themselves and create a margin large enough to finance other e-government projects. Services that should be prioritized are those that will improve revenue collection, improve financial management, and create a better environment for investment. These services are determined according to high volume transactions (focus on high-volume frontline government transactions), high public interface transactions and high revenue streams for government. An example would be online tax payments, renewal of licenses and permits, registration of businesses, and ordering of various data (i.e., birth and marriage certificates).

Set benchmarks to measure the success, failure or progress of an e-government project. Benchmarks act as a “reality check” for managers and policy-makers. They offer a way to measure on a regular basis whether e-government projects are advancing, are sustainable and are delivering on what was promised. Milestones should also be established to track progress.43

Identify key agencies and champions in government that will take the lead in spearheading, developing and implementing the e-government projects. A committed and dedicated leader in a top management position is crucial to starting and sustaining an e-government project. Someone from the top management level is necessary because this individual must have sufficient authority to make a decision—or to overturn one, if necessary. If there are conflicts in an e-government project that require cross-jurisdictional, cross-department coordination, only someone at the level of top management is able to settle these issues. Finally, if there is resistance to changes arising from e-government, then only someone from a level high enough in management is able to motivate, encourage and if necessary, compel other workers to adjust and adapt to the changing environment.

Figure 1: General Principle for e-Government Development44

Why is buy-in and change management important?
Participants in the initial development planning stage should include civil servants in order to give them a measure of “ownership” of the process and the product. It is important to seek their input because then they feel that they are a part of something bigger than themselves, and this will motivate them and make them key instruments in selling the idea of e-government to other members of the bureaucracy.

Develop an information awareness campaign both within the bureaucracy and for the public. Part of any bureaucracy’s resistance to change may be ascribed to lack of information and incomplete understanding of issues or of the changes that are taking place. For example, resistance may occur out of the fear that the automation of certain government processes and transactions will result in their replacement or loss of their jobs, loss of responsibility, or loss of “extra” income derived from bribes or unofficial payments. It could also arise from unfamiliarity with and fear of technology. Thus, it is important to make the bureaucracy understand the what, why and how of new projects. Government must make an effort to explain the changes, get employees involved by soliciting input, identify the pockets of resistance within these agencies or organizations and devise a plan to overcome them.

Create capacity-building measures to develop a culture of continuous learning within the bureaucracy. First, training and re-tooling of the bureaucracy to equip them for e-government is important. Through capacity-building measures, the bureaucracy is able to understand why and how ICT will revolutionize their work and their productivity. This will encourage them to learn more and know more. Capacity-building is more than just being able to use technology in day-to-day work processes, but also equipping and enabling the bureaucracy to handle information, make decisions, adapt to change and develop new competencies.

Second, it is crucial to identify trainers in e-government, as they will be charged with training others in the bureaucracy. Through them, a culture of learning will “trickle down”.45

Third, incentives—such as promotion, awards, travel or financial rewards—should be given to those who provide leadership and excellence in the new work environment. Relatedly, government officials should be evaluated using objective performance criteria/indicators.

Why is leadership important to the success of e-government?
Strong political leadership is critical to the success of e-government because it ensures the long-term commitment of financial resources, personnel and technical expertise in the design, development and implementation of e-government projects. Strong leadership means garnering support for the projects at all levels of government, involving the public and meeting their needs and expectations, acting as a catalyst for intergovernmental collaboration, being willing to share the power and credit, establishing and meeting milestones, and maintaining a sense of urgency to complete the e-government project.

 * Box 21. E-Government Champions All Over The World

Why are public-private partnerships important?
There are many reasons for developing partnerships with the private sector in developing e-government projects. First, there is the possibility of cost-sharing projects, with a possible return on investment for the private sector. Second, the private sector has invaluable expertise that can be tapped by government in the areas of customer satisfaction, work productivity gains, and personnel efficiency. Third is the possibility of technology transfer from the private to the public sector.

According to the Working Group on e-Government in the Developing World in their policy paper entitled “Roadmap for the Developing World”, the private sector is an invaluable partner in e-government especially given the “possibility of creating revenue streams from e-government services or where e-government projects can be replicated for other agencies or governments.”

What principles should define government’s relationship with the private sector?
The Working Group has identified five key principles that are important in defining government’s relationship with the private sector in ways that are mutually beneficial.49

 * Box 22. Public-Private Partnerships in E-Government: The eSeva Project in Hyderabad50

Respect “return on investment” (or ROI).For companies, this primarily means revenues. For government, this means efficient, reliable, robust services (and perhaps a share of revenues), and increased legitimacy and trust from citizens. For officials, this means receiving training, as well as professional opportunities and rewards for successful adoption of new procedures, work practices and responsibilities. ROI for officials is important as this will minimize “brain drain” from officials leaving government to join the private sector.

Minimizing “brain drain” requires planning. To minimize government staff turnover, it is important to develop innovative compensation packages and professional perks as incentives. Government might also want to consider including clauses in contracts with the private sector that prevent contractors from hiring project staff away from government. Similarly, government employment contracts might prevent staff from leaving their jobs over a given period after receiving training or extra education.

Create realistic business models for e-government projects. Companies need to sell e-government projects to their management, just as government needs to “sell” these projects to the public and to government officials. The partnership can be stronger if there are people in government who understand how companies work and people in the private sector who understand the needs of government. A solid, well-designed business plan will help.

Find each partner’s strengths. Both business and government need to contribute actively to the partnership. Companies can be a source of cost-sharing, technology and project management expertise. Government needs to promote the use of e-government among the public and officials, as well as create a legal framework. It must create incentives to help local companies grow and become viable partners in e-government.

Develop formal policies on outsourcing. Government must establish clear parameters for working with the private sector. Outsourcing requires government to use and develop new types of contracts—with clear benchmarks of performance— that will not only ensure the delivery of good and services, but also measure the performance of vendors and the quality of services received. More important, the bureaucracy needs to be trained in how to negotiate and draft such contracts.

Empirical evidence recognizes the critical role of the private sector as often a partner n vitalintegral actor in a country’s ICT component in the development efforts and progress. of ICT in general.In a capital intensive industry like ICT, the government has found itself a partner in the private sector. This is also true of e-Government. Having the private sector fully participate in e-government has many advantages. It could means passing off the costs of design, development, maintenance, and risk to the implementing firm. Moreover, by using private partners, state governments can build e-governance systems at greatly reduced costs, for start-up and ongoing operations. At the same time, more services can be delivered on a fee-for-service basis, with the private partner being paid from the fee revenues. Thus, e-government can be a tool for moving certain government services from tax-based financing to user fees, where only those actually using the service pay for it.51

How does the digital divide affect the successful implementation of e-government?
The digital divide refers to the gap between individuals, households, businesses and geographic areas at different socio-economic levels with regard both to their opportunities to access information and communications technologies (ICTs) and to their use of the Internet for a wide variety of activities.

As governance becomes more dependent on public information made available on the Internet, and interaction with government is increased as a result of the proliferation of ICTs and the availability of the Internet, those who do not have access to ICTs are increasingly marginalized in public debate. Despite its democratizing potential, ICT can thus create a digital divide that results not only in the marginalization of those individuals who do not have access to or the skill to use the technology, but also in reducing the ability of citizens to engage government in public debate. Notably, this affects individuals or sectors in society that are already marginalized to begin with, such as women, the poor, micro and small enterprises, and the physically challenged.

How can e-government help bridge the digital divide?
e-Government can make possible the delivery of basic human services—services that are more pressing and more primary in developing countries than giving access to ICT to marginalized communities and sectors, and access to the political process.

ICT is a powerful tool for improving the quality and efficiency of government services, such as health and education, especially in places where resources are scarce and geography is an obstacle for communication.

Policy-makers should keep in mind that to bridge the digital divide through e-government, they must make e-government relevant to citizens. The latter’s motivation for using ICT should stem from their having their needs addressed.

Advances in technology have seen the proliferation of non-PC devices that provide access to the Web. These are simple terminals that run a browser and take all applications from the Web. They are ideal in places with heavy public traffic and in easily accessible places like schools, municipal halls and public libraries. Information can be easily downloaded and public services may be delivered through these terminals. Much simpler devices that are quickly proliferating are touchscreen Web kiosks.52

 * Box 23. Bridging The Digital Divide Through E-Government: Community-Owned Rural Internet Kiosks53

{{TextBox|The Gyandoot project in Central India was launched on January 1, 2000 with the installation of a low cost rural Intranet covering 20 village information kiosks in five blocks of the district. Later, more kiosks were set up. The entire network of 31 kiosks covers 311 Panchayats (village committees), over 600 villages, and a population of around half a million (nearly 50% of the entire district).

User fees are charged at the kiosks for the services provided. Local rural youth act as entrepreneurs, running these information kiosks along commercial lines.

The following services are now offered at the kiosks:

 * Agriculture Produce Auction Centers Rates
 * Copies of Land Records
 * On-line Registration of Applications
 * On-line Public Grievance Redress
 * Village auction site ·Transparency in government

Other services offered at the kiosks are online matrimonial advertisements, information regarding government programs, a forum for school children to ask questions, ask an expert, and e-mail (free for information on child labor, child marriage, illegal possession of land belonging to Scheduled Tribes, etc.).

To enhance the economic viability of the kiosks, they are given licenses to vend government judicial stamps, and powers to write petitions have been delegated to them. In addition, a public awareness campaign has been launched in the district to promote the kiosks.

Agricultural produce rates, land records and grievance services are the most popular features of the kiosks, accounting for 95% of their use. A few examples can underscore the benefits of the kiosks to the rural population:

 * A complaint costing Rs. 10 brought drinking water to a tribal hamlet of 39 households.
 * A cow was sold at an auction for 3,000 rupees.
 * 256 milch animals were vaccinated in one day in response to an urgent e-mail alert.
 * Access to market rates leads to better deals.
 * There is greater computer literacy.

title: E-government/Making E-Government Happen


text:
E-government/Further Reading

For Further Reading
Accenture. E-Government Leadership: Realizing the Vision (The Government Executive Series). April 2002. Available from http://web.archive.org/web/20030409044855/http://www.accenture.com/xdoc/en/newsroom/epresskit/egov/realizing_vision.pdf

Accenture. E-Government Leadership: Rhetoric versus Reality – Closing the Gap. April 2001. Available from http://web.archive.org/web/20060628133830/http://e.gov.dk/uploads/media/eGovernment_Leadership_-_Rhetoric_vs_Reality_-_Closing_the_Gap.pdf

Atallah, Sami, e-Government: Considerations for Arab States. UNDP: April 2001. Available from http://www.surf-as.org/FocusAreas/DG/Resources/Papers/Egovenglish.PDF

Bollier, David. The Rise of Netpolitik: How the Internet is Changing International Politics and Diplomacy. Washington, D.C.: The Aspen Institute, 2003. Available from http://web.archive.org/web/20030312122656/http://yaleglobal.yale.edu/about/pdfs/netpolitik.pdf

Brin, David. The Transparent Society: Will Technology Force Us to Choose Between Privacy and Freedom? Reading, Massachusetts: Perseus Books, 1998.

Fraga, Edward. Trends in e-Government: How to Plan, Design, Secure and Measure e-Government. Sante Fe, New Mexico: Gartner Consulting, 2002. Available from http://web.archive.org/web/20030413135106/http://www.gmis.org/documents/GMIS_2002_Gartner_LullBeforeStormSantaFe.pdf

Hafkin, Nancy and Nancy Taggart. Gender, Information Technology and Developing Countries: An Analytic Study. USAID Office of Women’s Development, June 2001. Available from http://web.archive.org/web/20041126010459/http://www.aed.org/ToolsandPublications/upload/CPGenderSummaryMF5Macol.pdf

Heeks, Richard. Building e-Governance for National Development: A Framework for National and Donor Action. Manchester: Institute for Development Policy and Management, University of Manchester, 2001. Available from http://www.sed.manchester.ac.uk/idpm/publications/wp/igov/igov_wp12.htm

Heeks, Richard. Understanding e-Governance for Development. Manchester: Institute for Development Policy and Management, University of Manchester, 2001. Available from http://www.sed.manchester.ac.uk/idpm/publications/wp/igov/igov_wp11.htm

Ho, Alfred Tat-kei. “Reinventing Local Government and the e-Government Initiative,” Public Administration Review July/August 2002, Vol. 62, No. 4: 434-444. Available from http://web.archive.org/web/20040716081914/http://www.public.iastate.edu/~alfredho/ITR/EGovtLocal_PARfinal.pdf

InfoDev and Center for Democracy and Technology. The e-Government Handbook for Developing Countries. Washington, D.C.: The World Bank, 2002. Available from http://web.archive.org/web/20030101165715/http://www.cdt.org/egov/handbook/2002-11-14egovhandbook.pdf

Lenihan, Donald G. Realigning Governance: From e-Government to e-Democracy. Ontario: Center for Collaborative Government, April 2002. Available on http://web.archive.org/web/20040311092248/http://www.crossingboundaries.ca/files/cg6.pdf

Norris, Pippa. The Worldwide Digital Divide: Information Poverty, the Internet and Development. Harvard University: 2000. Available from http://web.archive.org/web/20051031045100/http://ksghome.harvard.edu/~pnorris/acrobat/psa2000dig.pdf

Office of the e-Envoy. E-Government: A Strategic Framework for Public Services in the Information Age. London: UK, Cabinet Office, 2000. Available from http://www.e-envoy.gov.uk/ukonline-estrategy/$file/default.htm

Stiglitz, Joseph, Peter R. Orszag, and Jonathan M. Orszag. The Role of Government in a Digital Age. Computer and Communications Industry Association (CCIA): October 2000. Available from http://globalchange.gov/policies/role-gov.html

The Working Group on e-Government in the Developing World. Roadmap for e-Government in the Developing World: 10 Questions e-Government Leaders Should Ask Themselves. Los Angeles: Pacific Council on International Policy, 2002. Available from http://www.pacificcouncil.org

UN-ASPA. Benchmarking e-Government: A Global Perspective. New York: UN, 2002. Available from http://unpan1.un.org/intradoc/groups/public/documents/UN/UNPAN021547.pdf

UNESCO and COMNET-IT. Internet in the Service of Democracy: A UNESCO Survey of e-Governance in 15 Countries. Paris, 2002. Available from http://portal.unesco.org/ci/ev.php?URL_ID=3039&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201&reload=1044372517

Waller, Paul, Peter Livesey, and Karin Edin. E-Government in the Service of Democracy. ICA: June 2001. Available from http://www.ica-it.org

Wescott, Clay G. e-Government in the Asia-Pacific Region. Manila: ADB, 2001. Available from http://www.adb.org/Documents/Papers/E_Government/egovernment.pdf

title: E-government/Further Reading


text: E-government/Notes

title: E-government/Notes