TO FOLLOW OR NOT TO FOLLOW - ICT CROSS COUNTRY EVENTS GIVE "SCHOOLERS" INSIGHTS ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND MORE

 June 3, 2010

TO FOLLOW OR NOT TO FOLLOW - ICT CROSS COUNTRY EVENTS GIVE "SCHOOLERS" INSIGHTS ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND MORE

The recent events in Jamaica have led to a phenomenal rise in the use of social media websites as a source of breaking local news ....much of that information, however comes with the buyer beware notice: "unconfirmed, uncorroborated". One such site with the motto "hear it, spread it, confirm it" has 22,000 followers whom they regard as reporters.

The pros and cons of social networking sites will be one of the topics covered in the Montego Bay leg of the ICT Cross Country event, "Tapping Into the Collective Genius", which will be held at the St James Parish Library on June 9 from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Organised by the Central Information Technology Office (CITO) in the Office of the Prime Minister, the event is the second in a three-part lead up to the Caribbean ICT Road show that will be held in Kingston from June 28-29. During the day at the library, secondary school students will be exposed to the opportunities that ICT presents for career development and also business opportunities. 

Flow is providing Internet services for the event and the presenters include event promoter Marlon Campbell of Dance Concept; social event photo publisher, Dale-Kirk Murray of Socialingua; Dave Foster of local e-commerce pioneer, Virtual Mall and digital publisher David Mullings of Random Media.

Exhibitors at the event include e-learning Jamaica, which is focused on bringing functional ICT access into all schools; ICT4D, an agency dedicated to development projects utilizing ICT; Random Media, the Jamaica Library Service and the Social Development Commission.

Giveaways and other activities of the day are supported by Digicel Business, Fujitsu, Innovative Corporate Solutions, Spectrum Management Authority, Microsoft, Infotech and Xsomo.