19 February 2008

ICT is about the most significant delivery to development. It is also the most user-friendly tool available to man. However, just like the dynamic human society which it serves, ICT is not merely dynamic, it is alive and grows everyday; much as the old skill serves well, the new makes you more relevant and offers opportunities that can take you to the next level. GINKS in helping its members achieve the new, organized a Web 2.0 training workshop at CSIR-INSTI on the 14th of February 2008.

This new face of the internet called web 2.0, which became popular in 2003, encompasses tools such as blogging, podcasting, video-blogging and wiki. Participants for this workshop were drawn from all works of life: from journalists to university lecturers; to lawyers, to government workers, to educationists and librarians; to private individuals and entrepreneurs. Participants notably did not only come from the Accra area, but from as far as Winneba and the Northern region.

They were taught how to create and post content for the web. They were also taught how to make and edit short videos that they can use to express their views and activities. They were literary taught how to create, own and manage sites where they can share information and knowledge.

At the end of the workshop which lasted a whole day, the participants were happy and sad–happy because of the exciting new experience they had been exposed to; sad because they wished the training was longer in duration. They obviously wanted more information on web 2.0 and did not hesitate to unanimously clamour for that.

This rather emotional end not withstanding, the participants were most grateful to the co-ordinator of GINKS Mr. Ibrahim Inusah, and the resource persons at the workshop, Mr. Kwami Ahiabenu II, an online trainer and Mr. Prince Deh (GINKS assistant coordinator) for their time, effort and the knowledge they had imparted them with, and promised not only to develop themselves with the information, but to also impart their colleagues with same.