MAKING IT WORK FOR YOU

Transcription

1 MODULE 5 Cyber dialogues in Harare 2010 Photo: Priscilla Maposa Objectives Based on the needs assessment conducted at the beginning of the course, introduce participants to basic IT skills. Introduce participants to the world wide web as the internet is popularly referred to. Explore how the internet can be used as an information dissemination tool. Explore how IT can be used for campaigning. Explore the various ways in which participants can take advantage of the possibilities that the internet offers. Introduce participants to the Gender Links online chats and cyber dialogues. 75

2 Introduction Information technology (IT) offers many exciting possibilities to make your voice heard! For women in decisionmaking, IT is a key tool to ensuring that you stay in the communication loop, find and disseminate information to different audiences. The Internet The Internet is a world-wide system of computer networks that enables people all over the world to communicate electronically, at high speed and low cost. There are many tools which enable people to use the Internet for finding and exchanging information. The diagram below illustrates the different ways that the internet can be used by citizens. Networking Communicating Internet Findng and sharing information Lobbying and advocacy 76

3 Internet tools There are a number of ways to use the Internet to access and exchange information. Electronic mail ( ) Sending information from one person to another, which could be a few lines of text, a document, a spreadsheet file or a sound file. The World Wide Web (WWW) A linked network of pages of information which anyone can access. Each page consists of text, often graphics and may contain sound and video files. Mailing lists Sending specific information on a topic to a large group of people. The information can be one-way or can allow the group to participate in electronic discussions. Interactive spaces Gives the user the ability to interact with information on a website, either by commenting on an issue or completing a feedback form. Discussion groups Public electronic discussions on the World Wide Web on specific topics. File Transfer Protocol (FTP) The ability to download information from the Internet onto your own computer or upload files onto the Internet, mostly onto websites. You can use the Internet to: Publish information cheaply and quickly, that will be accessible all over the world. Find information fast from all over the world that will help you research your campaign. Share information and promote your organisation and its work. Find the people or projects that may be able to support or assist your organisation. Find options for funding and support from all over the world. Save time and money for your organisation by doing your banking and account payments online (read the case study!). Co-ordinate international campaigns cheaply and efficiently. Exchange news, views and experiences with others in a world wide public forum. Finding information on the internet Women in political decision-making often have to research particular topics that have relevance to debates, developing legislation or issues. This section aims to assist participants in: Becoming familiar with the different methods of retrieving information from the Web; including information on gender and the media. Evaluating information obtained from the Web. Learning how to save images and text from the Web. Understanding the advantages and disadvantages of different search programs. Understanding how software can be downloaded from the Internet free of charge. 77

4 Keeping in touch using is short for electronic mail and it allows you to stay in contact with people across the globe quickly and cheaply. If you do have an address, please follow the steps below to set up an address. By using , one can fairly easily communicate cheaply across the world without any geographical limitations. You can set up an account which you can use with an Internet browser. You can setup your own address for free at or and read your mail from anywhere in the world. You will still need an Internet connection (e.g. at an Internet café or on a friend s computer) to send and receive messages. To set up your E Mail account, take the following steps: Exercise one: Setting up an account This practical class exercise guides you through the steps of setting up an account. Step one: Go to Click on Free mail: Sign up Step two: Click on Sign up for Yahoo Mail. Free mail is bottom left. Click on Free mail: Sign up for Yahoo Mail 78

5 Step three: Fill in form and click on I Agree. I Agree Step four: Verify your registration. Fill in 79

6 Step five: You will see that your registration is complete. Step six: You get a welcome message and are ready to send your first emai. Click on compose message to create your first message. Compose Step seven: Write your first from your Yahoo address: 80

7 Step eight: You will also get an containing account verification with all details which you should keep for your records. Adding an attachment to a web mail message (Yahoo mail) 1. Login to your Yahoo mail account. 2. Click on Compose to prepare a message. 3. Fill in the To: box and the Subject: box. 81

8 4. Click on Attach Files to attach a document to the message. 5. Click on Browse to search your hard disk for the document you want to attach. 6. Double click on the name of the file to attach. 7. Click on Attach Files at the bottom of the screen. 8. You will see a screen with the attached file name. 9. Click on Continue to message. 10.Click on Send to send the message. Discussion 1. Why do you think it is important for one to have an account? 82

9 2. What advantages come with having an account? 3. What challenges did you encounter as you were opening the new account? 4. What are some of the limitations of using account as a method of communication? 5. What are the key strengths? 83

10 Notes 84