Google is 9: A tribute

By Daniel Makundi
--
Time does fly: it's not that long ago when I
was telling my computer class that the
leading search engine is Alta Vista (at that
time with a strangely cumbersome url.
"altavista.digital.com"

In those days there were multiple popular search
engines, such as lycos, infoseek, dogpile,
metacrawler etc etc., the latter being crawlers
of search engines.

Then came a phenomenon, a search engine with
a strange name, google, whose logo was
coloured like child picturebook of letters.
The UI was straightforward, no-nonsense: just
a text box and a submit button and, yes, the
"I'm feeling lucky" button.

Google? what kind of name? Looking into a
dictionary there is "googly" describing a
cricket ball shot intended to take a surprise
trajectory (I wonder if the google inventors
did know that this would be exactly what
Google would do to competitors!). I read
somewhere that the name could be related to
the word "googol" which is a very large
number: 10000...000 where total number of
zeros is one hundred. Could they have known
that their company would sometime reach fantanstic
heights?

The speed of fetching results became
immediately noticeable with this search
engine. Web pundits were then remarking that
it didn't have that many websites crawled, so
yahoo and altavista would likely fetch more
relevant results.

Little did we know, then, that the Google was
conceived by Stanford PhD students Serge Brin
and Larry Page--I did come across this fact
much later when some kind soul posted an
article about Internet repository, digging
out personal webpages of that time's
students. There it was, talk about use of
eigenvectors (complex branch of math we
study in the second year at UDSM) in search
engine routines and stuff, to produce the fastest
search engine listing results with such well-sorted order
by relevance that you'd think the computers were
actually very intellingent. There were gizmos too, thrown
in without as much as a hype. Such as:
- /Did you mean so-and-so?/
or
- [translate this page]
or
- [view as html].

Then came gmail, a free webmail that had a
way of grouping messages into conversations.
That would grab a handful of attachments, zip
them and download a package onto your machine
pronto. They are the ones who brought about
the stampede of gigangic free email space when
they started offering a one gigabyte storage space.
Many people never believed for once such thing
could be realized. Now not only that it came
to be possible, but other free webmails have
copied the thing too. Walla! is offering 5
gigabyte, hotmail which was the first in and
biggest dissapointer with its 2 megabyte
limit, unzipped their space to also give a
gigabyte. Heck, Yahoo has recently said there
wouldn't be storage limit any longer--someone in this
world of queers is bound to throw a monkey
wrench into works by sending himself 10 giga
of stuff to test the system resilience--tch tch.

Google has so many goodies that have worked
so much for me that I wonder if Google are
not angels in disguise:
- Picasa is the best picture manager
- Google earth (travelling the globe like a
bird would soar among trees and getting as
much excitement)
- Google Desktop to fetch that obscure
document from deep crevices of the hard disk
pronto just like its web sibling
- Google Patents
- Google Print
- Googlepages
- YouTube
- Instant messenger within gmail
- etc.
Sometime not long ago Google decided to go
public in style--auctioning their shares.
Work, the idea did, and turned the founding partners
into overnight billionaires. And the shares kept
performing beyond any imagination in the market.
Serge and Larry are now in the Forbes top ten richest
billionaires, with clean-shaven jaw and not
an inch of fat. It's not at all difficult for
me to understand this--see my archive for a
post i made on GENIUSES.

And all this thanks to the non-intrusive ads.

Google even let me try some business by
placing adsense links on some of my pages and
blog. I haven't made money yet, but I only
have myself to blame for not making the
webpages more attractive.
As if all that good was not enough,

Google.org was established as a philantropic
side of Google: some projects have already
been funded for the good of mankind.
The latest we see in the news about Google
gig is that of offering millions of dollars
for private developer of vehicle to go to the
moon!

I do break down in cold sweat imagining (on behalf of
thousands who have got to make Google their
everyday part of life) what would happen if
Google shuts down? I do pray that day will
not come to pass. I wish all at Google good
health, long life and sustainability.

Professor Mbuya's sober talk

There is a large electronic discussion group called Tanzanet comprising mostly Tanzanians who are within and outside the country. Members come in all ages and carreers, from students to professors; from enterpreneurs to CEOs.

Most discussion that takes place there arise from Tanzania news items. I have taken liberty to post this Professor's reality message here for visitors to check reflect and forward...

********Beginning of paste****************

From: ...a@comcast.net
Reply-To: ...t@tanzanet.org
To: ...@tanzanet.org
Subject: [tanzanet] LOWASSA na KILIMO
Date: Sat, 15 Sep 2007 15:08:21 +0000

Mbona mahindi yanawaozea wakulima wa Songea?
Why should farmers produce if they cannot sell for a profit?

Foreign investors are NOT and will NOT be the silver bullet for the agricultural sector in Tanzania.
You heard it from me and you can quote me if you wish.

We have to address the basics of agricultural production (or any production).

1. Improve extension services
2. Secure markets (internal and external) for agricultural produce and products ...why produce if you can't sell?
3. Post-harvest processing and storage (preserve and store excess during peak (bumper) production to avoid spoilage aand waste)
4. Transportation infrastructure to reach the farmer and farms
5. Subsidy of farm inputs (fertilizers, pesticides) whenever appropriate
6. Mechanization and Irrigation

Tanzania need to encourage, support and protect small farmers from unfair competition from the "big sharks".
Would the farmers (80% or so of the population) be able to afford the food produced by the foreign investors?
And what would the small farmers do then? Go to Malawi?

Mimi nilianza kazi kama Bwana Shamba wa Tarafa kule Sikonge (Tabora) mwaka 1980.
Kwa wale wanaotoka Sikonge, nilikagua mashamba mengi sana ya tumbaku na mihogo kule Tutuo na Kiwele (karibu na Rukwa). Bila kusahau "kipigo" cha mbung'o (tse tse fly).
Baada ya kufanya kazi hiyo ya extension, vile vile nilifanya kazi kama Afisa Kilimo Utafiti katika Kituo cha Lyamungu.
Vile vile niliwahi kufundisha shule ya Sekondari kule Uru (Mwl. Mkuu alikuwa anaitwa Mr. Ndaskoi). Dada Selina unafahamu pale kwa Kisawio? Nilipita maeneo hayo sana.
Nimewahi kufanya utafiti na extension (Farming Systems Research) kule Colombia (Latin America) mwaka 1986 na mkazo ulikuwa wakulima wadogo wadogo (nilifika miji ya Cali, Medelin, Bogota, Pasto, Palmira na miji mingine midogo midogo). Wakati huo nilikuwa chini cha taasisi ya CIAT (Centro Internacional de Agricultura Tropical, i.e. Center for Tropical Agriculture).
Hapa Marekani tunashughulika na wakulima wadogo na wakubwa, at different levels of sophistication.
I have been in South Africa twice as a Consultant (Irrigation, Marketing and Post-harvest processing) on behalf on the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
I have served in may agricultural panels (State, National and International).

Why am I giving you all this personal information?
Because I think it is time someone (e.g. the government, politicians) take us (myself and other Tanzanian experts) seriously. I presume, at least we have something to offer, across disciplines and continents.

Kama ni utafiti tunaufahamu na tumeshafanya mwingi. tu
Kama ni extension tumefanya vile vile (kuanzia Sikone mpaka Colombia).
Kama ni kufundisha ...kazi hiyo tunaimanya vile vile (kuanzia Uru hadi Florida).
Otherwise the Americans wouldn't keep us around.
How come we cannot be heard at home?

Bongo tumekuwa mabingwa wa biashara ya maneno isiyokuwa na wanunuzi.

Wataalam tunao, lakini kwa sababu tunazozijua wenyewe, serikali inaamua kwenda kutafuta "wataalam" wa mvua kutoka Thailand.
Ati wamekuja kufanya utafiti! Utafiti wenyewe ni utafiti wa kunyunyiza "silver iodide" kwenye mawingu. (please read the literature on this subject).
Where was the Thai research proposal submitted for review?
Who was the highest and lowest bidder?
How were the local (Tanzania) experts involved?

Give me a break!

Now, let me be accused of wanting to be serious :-)

Have a nice weekend.

Mbuya
===================

-------------- Original message --------------
From: "Mwasa2" <....m@blueyonder.co.uk>

2007-09-15 08:36:15
By Lusekelo Philemon
The Prime Minister Edward Lowassa has underscored the need for collective efforts to promote the untapped opportunities in the agricultural sector.

Speaking at the Tanzania Investment Center (TIC) tenth anniversary`s climax in Dar es Salaam yesterday Lowassa said agriculture is one of the important sectors that need special attention.

`This sector still remains the important sector for the country`s socio-economic development hence more investments are highly needed for the country to register tangible success,` he said.

He said agriculture employs more than 80 per cent of the country`s total population, but there were minimal investments in the sector.

`More efforts are needed to ensure that serious investors come in the sector for vibrant returns,` he noted.

Lowassa urged TIC to collaborate with ministries, public institutions and key stakeholde rs to come up with viable strategies that would ensure there is an in crease of investors in the sector.

He said that there is no way we can get out of poverty without agriculture which is the engine for Tanzania?s economic prosperity.

The premier has also challenged TIC?s staff and management to work hard and ensure they seriously promote viable areas for the country`s economic development.

`Apart from today`s success, TIC needs to work hard to make sure that the center`s efforts contribute to the country?s economic growth,` he said.

The TIC Executive Director, Emmanuel Ole Naiko said during the ceremony that the center approved about 680 projects last year and expects to approve more in the near future.

Ole Naiko said: `Next year the centre is expected to approve about 800 projects. This is a good move to us.`

He said the centre has managed to reduce unnecessary delays for an investor to approve his/her projects.

`Currently, it takes only two weeks for the project to be approved by the centre. This is a good development for it as before that an investor spent more than three months,` he said.

He said the center is working hard to make sure that all potential investors come in the country and invest for the benefit of the entire Tanzanian population, and that friendly investment environment has made TIC to be one of the best centres in the world.

* SOURCE: Guardian


***********End of paste******************

Tanzania sliding back to pre-civilization: sitting ducks waiting for a miracle?

The provocative subject may mean different things to different people. I'm, however, posting to address what appears to be increasing belief in the nonexistent--call it occult, witchcraft, stuff, I don't care.

Tanzania ought to have matched into the 21st century with the rest of the world. Some statistics even indicate good upswing in technology use, improved information and communication systems, throbbing construction industry. Yet I sadly note that among us there are several persons, some in good standing in society, some highly educated who still believe there is a "medicine-man" somewhere who can help them keep their office, win election, make their businesses thrive, make their team win soccer match and so forth.

The amount of stories reported in air and print media are on the increase. I wouldn't rush headlong to say the paradox is on the increase because it could simply imply that more news is reaching me compared to when I was reading and hearing fewer stories. Is it, though? Why would this bugger go to graveyard at night, dig a kid's body out, open up its chest, cut off the heart, hastily re-bury the body? In this one case, someone saw the process and told on him, he was caught red-handed while drying the newly-acquired key to the riches: a child's heart that he'd been asked to get by witchdoctor. This story was in the media a few days ago.
I am a scientist, and many people innocently ask me questions about how things work. I try to use as simple language as possible to explain, for example how lightning and thunder are created, because these things are taught in science subjects.

Other come up with a thoughtfully-conceived idea of building up a machine that, once started, shall continue running without requiring any energy input in effect producing net energy. What a lovely world we would have if such thing was possible! no need to buy petrol, no need to pay for electricity. But I slowly and patiently explain that it's only possible to convert energy, not to create or destroy: those are laws of nature equally applying on earth and in outer space. Gravitation, magnetism, heat, light, sound are all explained by different principles of science. I also know sadly only a small fraction of those who got to finish primary school went on to secondary education.

The point I'm coming to is, many people who visit witch doctors do so due lack knowledge, and the sharp fella plays with their desperation to request them make such impossible task as digging a copse up and obtain an organ as a means of making them feel big achievement, building self-confidence whose spill-over effect is that of better performing daily chores and going about thinking, that witchdoctor treatment really works. Talk about faith making a sick person feel better by taking a placebo :-).

That, however, does not end with witchdoctors. Tanzania has been invaded with religious sects of all sorts who are not preaching love and forgiveness, but tell their audience what they expect to hear: there are evil spirits within and around, hindering their success. I bundle these preachers with the witchdoctors. You might ask, "Dan, you mean no evil spirits, no miracles?" The answer is, those things are virtual, and within one's inner self or even subconcience: a person who has a dream while in deep sleep and, upon waking up, becomes convinced the dream is a fact is a person who needs to see a shrink--(s)he is a psychological case.

I therefore get roundly annoyed hearing again and again of news stories of people slaughtering their own grandparents, witchdoctors and preachers alike making small ads on papers etc while there are several more serious things to attend to (and report about and advertise about) for this country which is the richest with resources in the region but doesn't seem to get off the ground. No wonder our neighboring countries are all excited about the advent of federation: they see a land of milk and honey with a small pack of individuals who feel the only way to develop is by attaining a political post (higher, better) at any cost including bribing. Their idea of development is that of themselves and close members of family, not nation.
What should we do to stem the damage course?

• Round up the witchdoctors who are known to have been hired for assisting robbers or such other innuendo and give them hell of their lives such as shaming them in public;
• Basic religions strengthening and actually fighting the two-bit emerging sects which are no better than pulpit witchdoctors, however big they grow;
• People are encouraged to write books and paper articles on the subject to shed light on fact that deceptive people are having their field day cashing in on their apparent ignorance. Scientific books for easy reading in kiswahili language can be quite a tool in killing the ingrained culture of occult such as found in some Tanzanian communities.