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Re: [ciresearchers] FW: [liberationtech] NotInMyCountry.org: Website Aims to Stop Corruption at All 34 Universities in Uganda

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michael gurstein

Re: [ciresearchers] FW: [liberationtech] NotInMyCountry.org: Website Aims to Stop Corruption at All 34 Universities in Uganda

I agree Aldo, and having been in a "www.ratemyprofessors.com" context where
the admin followed it fairly closely I was thinking the same thing...

For a somewhat parallel situation see
http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120523/17520119054/google-lifts-veil-copy
right-takedowns-reveals-detailed-data-who-requests-link-removals.shtml where
it looks like Google is putting huge resources into at least first line
verification...

The issue I think is not with those making the accusations -- very difficult
for a lot of reasons to intervene at that level -- but rather with those
receiving and responding to the accusations. The folks I was working with
in Marila in Brazil (Ricardo Santana and his students) were approaching this
same issue by making the information concerning possible corruption being
obtained public, but in a format which was aggregated in such a way as to
not be accusatory of individuals but rather of specific points in the
process where there were obvious weaknesses and abuses and where
interventions might be made.

I'm not sure of the equivalent in this instance but I agree with your
suggestion below (although I think it needs teasing out based on specific
local circumstances) i.e. "Better would be if only aggregate university,
possibly department ratings would be published and individual ratings be
handed over to a neutral investigatory body."

Mike

-----Original Message-----
From: Aldo de Moor [mailto:[hidden email]]
Sent: Saturday, May 26, 2012 8:45 AM
To: [hidden email]; michael gurstein
Cc: [hidden email]; civicaccess discuss;
[hidden email]
Subject: Re: [ciresearchers] FW: [liberationtech] NotInMyCountry.org:
Website Aims to Stop Corruption at All 34 Universities in Uganda

Good initiative, but how to prevent anonymous false reporting? Similar
privacy and fairness concerns to www.ratemyprofessors.com. How to defend
against anonymous allegations while already being publicly accused through
ratings and comments on the site? E.g.

https://www.notinmycountry.org/faq

"Please note that we do not review comments from a legal perspectivie (e.g.,
for defamation), so if, for example, you say something defamatory in a
comment (such as lying about a lecturer or administrative staff member),
there always is the possibility that you could be held responsible. To
protect your safety, we will do everything in our power to prevent
disclosure of your email address, but we will have to comply with court
orders. So long as you to tell the truth in comments you post, you are more
likely to be protected from legal liability. Please note that the only piece
of information we require from you is an email address, so we will not have
any of your personal information in our database other than your email
address"

E-mail addresses can be faked. This means that in reality anything goes,
since those (including students with a personal grudge, different political
views from their professors - especially an issue in polarized countries!)
who want to defame somebody, can create an e-mail address without ever being
held accountable.

Although I applaud the goals, I question the methods. Better would be if
only aggregate university, possibly department ratings would be published
and individual ratings be handed over to a neutral investigatory body.

Aldo

On Sat, May 26, 2012 at 3:50 PM, michael gurstein <[hidden email]>
wrote:

> -----Original Message-----
> From: [hidden email]
> [mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of Vasili
> Arkhipov
> Sent: Saturday, May 26, 2012 3:33 AM
> To: [hidden email]
> Subject: [liberationtech] NotInMyCountry.org: Website Aims to Stop
> Corruption at All 34 Universities in Uganda
>
> NotInMyCountry.org: Website Aims to Stop Corruption at All 34
> Universities in Uganda
>
>
> Featured in the Wall Street Journal's Corruption Currents Blog!
>
>
> On Thursday, a new anti-corruption website launched in Uganda that
> seeks to reduce corruption at universities. The website,
> NotInMyCountry.org, empowers students to publicise wrongdoing
> committed by university staff members. Students can anonymously and
> securely (1) rate the job performance of their lecturers and
> administrators and (2) report them for corruption.
>
> Recent surveys have shown that
>
> 22% of students at Uganda's largest and most prestigious university
> (Makerere) have been asked by lecturers and administrators to engage
> in some form of corruption, such as providing sex, money, and even
> alcohol in exchange for passing marks or simply to have paperwork
> processed; 29% of lecturers have poor class attendance; 24% of
> students do not report corruption because they think doing so will
> solve nothing; and 23% of students do not report corruption for fear
> of possible repercussions.
>
>
> NotInMyCountry.org seeks (a) to remove that fear, which university
> students often feel when they want to report or complain about an
> incident of corruption, and (b) to show that reporting corruption can
> produce positive results. NotInMyCountry.org has therefore created a
> safe, secure, and anonymous space online where students can attack the
> two main problems of
> (1) poor performance (quiet corruption) and (2) coercion of students for
> money, sex, alcohol, and other favours (hard corruption) by holding

corrupt
> individuals at their universities to account. The information that
> NotInMyCountry.org gathers will publicly punish those who engage in
corrupt

> activities and at the same time reward those who excel at their positions
> and who work hard not to break the public trust. Whats different about
> NotInMyCountry.org is that we put the spotlight on individuals.
>
> For more information, see our FAQ, Facebook Page, Facebook Group, and
> Twitter Page.
>
> ALSO WE ARE LOOKING FOR DEVELOPERS, See Job Description Below:
>
> Drupal Web Developer / PHP Programmer / Linux Systems Administrator
>
> NotInMyCountry is a small non-profit organization addressing human
> rights issues in Africa. We seek a full-time Drupal web developer for
> a 3 ½ month project to begin immediately. Applicants must be
> proficient in PHP and have Linux systems administration experience.
> The selected candidate will be responsible for designing, coding, and
> implementing changes to an existing Drupal-based website.
> Applicants must be willing to relocate to a developing country in
> Africa for the project period.
>
> We will disclose the name of the specific country and more details
> about the project to applicants who qualify for interviews.
> Applicants should have an interest in human rights and social justice.
> The selected candidate may be offered a permanent position at the end
> of the project period.
>
> Project period
>
> As soon as possible through 3 ½ months after start date.
>
> Qualifications
> Required experience:
>
> Linux systems administration (console)
> Drupal CMS (version 6 or 7)
> PHP programming language
>
>
> Preferred experience:
>
> Graphic design skills are a huge plus
> Android application development experience is also a huge plus
>
> How to Apply
> Please email your CV/resume and two references who can vouch for your
> experience in each of the proficiency areas listed above to
> [hidden email]

--
==========================================================================
Aldo de Moor, PhD
CommunitySense - for working communities
Cavaleriestraat 2, 5017 ET Tilburg, the Netherlands
e-mail: [hidden email]
mob: +31-6-47011400, tel/fax: +31-13-4564126
site: www.communitysense.nl KvK: 18088302
blog: communitysense.wordpress.com ___twitter: ademoor___
==========================================================================

michael gurstein

Re: [ciresearchers] FW: [liberationtech] NotInMyCountry.org: Website Aims to Stop Corruption at All 34 Universities in Uganda

Tiny URL for the Google link below http://tinyurl.com/73uxutj

M

-----Original Message-----
From: michael gurstein [mailto:[hidden email]]
Sent: Saturday, May 26, 2012 9:27 AM
To: [hidden email]; [hidden email];
'civicaccess discuss'
Cc: 'Aldo de Moor'; 'Ricardo Santana'; [hidden email]
Subject: RE: [ciresearchers] FW: [liberationtech] NotInMyCountry.org:
Website Aims to Stop Corruption at All 34 Universities in Uganda

I agree Aldo, and having been in a "www.ratemyprofessors.com" context where
the admin followed it fairly closely I was thinking the same thing...

For a somewhat parallel situation see
http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120523/17520119054/google-lifts-veil-copy
right-takedowns-reveals-detailed-data-who-requests-link-removals.shtml where
it looks like Google is putting huge resources into at least first line
verification...

The issue I think is not with those making the accusations -- very difficult
for a lot of reasons to intervene at that level -- but rather with those
receiving and responding to the accusations. The folks I was working with
in Marila in Brazil (Ricardo Santana and his students) were approaching this
same issue by making the information concerning possible corruption being
obtained public, but in a format which was aggregated in such a way as to
not be accusatory of individuals but rather of specific points in the
process where there were obvious weaknesses and abuses and where
interventions might be made.

I'm not sure of the equivalent in this instance but I agree with your
suggestion below (although I think it needs teasing out based on specific
local circumstances) i.e. "Better would be if only aggregate university,
possibly department ratings would be published and individual ratings be
handed over to a neutral investigatory body."

Mike

-----Original Message-----
From: Aldo de Moor [mailto:[hidden email]]
Sent: Saturday, May 26, 2012 8:45 AM
To: [hidden email]; michael gurstein
Cc: [hidden email]; civicaccess discuss;
[hidden email]
Subject: Re: [ciresearchers] FW: [liberationtech] NotInMyCountry.org:
Website Aims to Stop Corruption at All 34 Universities in Uganda

Good initiative, but how to prevent anonymous false reporting? Similar
privacy and fairness concerns to www.ratemyprofessors.com. How to defend
against anonymous allegations while already being publicly accused through
ratings and comments on the site? E.g.

https://www.notinmycountry.org/faq

"Please note that we do not review comments from a legal perspectivie (e.g.,
for defamation), so if, for example, you say something defamatory in a
comment (such as lying about a lecturer or administrative staff member),
there always is the possibility that you could be held responsible. To
protect your safety, we will do everything in our power to prevent
disclosure of your email address, but we will have to comply with court
orders. So long as you to tell the truth in comments you post, you are more
likely to be protected from legal liability. Please note that the only piece
of information we require from you is an email address, so we will not have
any of your personal information in our database other than your email
address"

E-mail addresses can be faked. This means that in reality anything goes,
since those (including students with a personal grudge, different political
views from their professors - especially an issue in polarized countries!)
who want to defame somebody, can create an e-mail address without ever being
held accountable.

Although I applaud the goals, I question the methods. Better would be if
only aggregate university, possibly department ratings would be published
and individual ratings be handed over to a neutral investigatory body.

Aldo

On Sat, May 26, 2012 at 3:50 PM, michael gurstein <[hidden email]>
wrote:

corrupt
> individuals at their universities to account. The information that
> NotInMyCountry.org gathers will publicly punish those who engage in
corrupt

> activities and at the same time reward those who excel at their
> positions and who work hard not to break the public trust. Whats
> different about NotInMyCountry.org is that we put the spotlight on
> individuals.
>
> For more information, see our FAQ, Facebook Page, Facebook Group, and
> Twitter Page.
>
> ALSO WE ARE LOOKING FOR DEVELOPERS, See Job Description Below:
>
> Drupal Web Developer / PHP Programmer / Linux Systems Administrator
>
> NotInMyCountry is a small non-profit organization addressing human
> rights issues in Africa. We seek a full-time Drupal web developer for
> a 3 ½ month project to begin immediately. Applicants must be
> proficient in PHP and have Linux systems administration experience.
> The selected candidate will be responsible for designing, coding, and
> implementing changes to an existing Drupal-based website.
> Applicants must be willing to relocate to a developing country in
> Africa for the project period.
>
> We will disclose the name of the specific country and more details
> about the project to applicants who qualify for interviews.
> Applicants should have an interest in human rights and social justice.
> The selected candidate may be offered a permanent position at the end
> of the project period.
>
> Project period
>
> As soon as possible through 3 ½ months after start date.
>
> Qualifications
> Required experience:
>
> Linux systems administration (console)
> Drupal CMS (version 6 or 7)
> PHP programming language
>
>
> Preferred experience:
>
> Graphic design skills are a huge plus
> Android application development experience is also a huge plus
>
> How to Apply
> Please email your CV/resume and two references who can vouch for your
> experience in each of the proficiency areas listed above to
> [hidden email]

michael gurstein

Re: [ciresearchers] FW: [liberationtech] NotInMyCountry.org: Website Aims to Stop Corruption at All 34 Universities in Uganda

In reply to this post by michael gurstein

Message

(to make sure that those subbed to the lists can also see the most interesting reply...

M

-----Original Message-----
From: Vasili Arkhipov [mailto:[hidden email]]
Sent: Sunday, May 27, 2012 3:01 AM
To: michael gurstein
Cc: [hidden email]; [hidden email]; civicaccess discuss; Aldo de Moor; Ricardo Santana
Subject: Re: [ciresearchers] FW: [liberationtech] NotInMyCountry.org: Website Aims to Stop Corruption at All 34 Universities in Uganda

Dear Aldo,

Thank you for taking the time to review NotInMyCountry.org and provide us with excellent feedback. We'd like to give you some insight into our thinking (which we plan to blog about soon) so that you have an idea of where our site came from and why we chose to develop NotInMyCountry.org as it is, despite some of the shortcomings you describe.

Two key principles underlie much of our thinking: The first is that our platform must provide university students an opportunity to voice their opinions and report problems about university staff members without fear of retribution because no such mechanism currently exists. This principle is informed by data from recent research we conducted regarding corruption at universities (which also showed how big of a problem corruption is at universities here):

22% of students at Makerere University (Uganda's largest - 40,000 students - and most prestigious university) have been asked by lecturers and administrators to engage in some form of corruption, such as providing sex, money, and even alcohol in exchange for passing marks or simply to have paperwork processed;
29% of lecturers have poor class attendance;
95% of students did not file a complaint when they had a problem to report because either

they were afraid of repercussions (32%)
they thought filing a complaint would solve nothing (34%)
they did not know where to file a complaint (29%)
Our second key principle is that focusing primarily on individuals - rather than on institutions - is more likely to reduce corruption. This principle is generally based on our research of the history of the fight against corruption, which primarily concentrated on institutions and has not brought about the change we'd expect after so many years of this fight. Uganda (government and NGOs), for example, has received billions of dollars in foreign funding over the years to combat corruption by improving institutions, and yet Transparency International's reports show corruption increasing, not decreasing, year after year. We believe that the institutions will improve when the wrongdoers within them are held to account and the "right-doers" are honoured. We like to call our approach a bottom-up approach and we figure it's worth a try after so many years of top-down approaches that do not seem to have succeeded.

Furthermore attempts at creating investigatory bodies in Uganda has a very speckled history, quite often these groups fail in their capacity because of powerful political actors. For example a few years ago Makerere University created a committee to go after the issue of sex for marks. Other than general "sensitization" campaigns on the issue, they have yet to go after a single individual and hold them to account.

With these two principles in mind, we developed NotInMyCountry.org. We put in place as many safeguards as we could think of to limit abuse of our platform (of course we cannot prevent abuse, but we tried to take steps to limit abuse).

Here are some examples:

Users must create an account (and verify it) to rate and comment about a staff member.
Users are limited to one vote (rating) per staff-member.
Data on user sign-ups is monitored to limit back-to-back sign ups from the same IP address within certain time intervals.
Comments are reviewed for (and edited to remove) personal attacks; profane, vulgar, and offensive language; and descriptions of hard corruption. (We do not otherwise review comments because doing so would violate our first key principle).
We strongly discourage users from making false statements in comments by warning them in our FAQ and in our Terms of Use that we do not (and frankly cannot) review comments for defamation and that the users may be held liable and suffer repercussions for making false statements.
It's our hope that, with a critical mass of users, fraudulent votes (ratings) will be overwhelmed by legitimate ones (much like is the case on Trip Advisor, Yelp, Amazon Reviews, etc.)
Anonymous corruption reports are not applied to individuals (only to departments and universities).
Anonymous corruption reports that are clearly fake (e.g., containing gibberish, empty statements, descriptions that are not actually of hard corruption) are removed and not applied to departments or universities.
Data on corruption report submissions is monitored to limit back-to-back reports from the same IP address within certain time intervals.
All corruption reports submitted by users who identify themselves go through a rigorous verification process. The information in the reports is not publicised unless (a) the user consents to publication AND (b) (i) an attorney deems the evidence/facts strong enough to proceed with litigation against the wrongdoer or (ii) hard evidence exists of the corruption incident that can be publicised (e.g., a verified email from a lecturer to a student offering passing marks in exchange for sex).

We'd love ideas from you on how else we could limit abuse and any other feedback you might have about the site and our approach.

Sincerely,

Vasili Arkhipov

On Sat, May 26, 2012 at 7:33 PM, michael gurstein <[hidden email]> wrote:

Tiny URL for the Google link below http://tinyurl.com/73uxutj

M

-----Original Message-----
From: michael gurstein [mailto:[hidden email]]
Sent: Saturday, May 26, 2012 9:27 AM
To: [hidden email]; [hidden email];
'civicaccess discuss'
Cc: 'Aldo de Moor'; 'Ricardo Santana'; [hidden email]
Subject: RE: [ciresearchers] FW: [liberationtech] NotInMyCountry.org:
Website Aims to Stop Corruption at All 34 Universities in Uganda

I agree Aldo, and having been in a "www.ratemyprofessors.com" context where
the admin followed it fairly closely I was thinking the same thing...

For a somewhat parallel situation see
http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120523/17520119054/google-lifts-veil-copy
right-takedowns-reveals-detailed-data-who-requests-link-removals.shtml where
it looks like Google is putting huge resources into at least first line
verification...

The issue I think is not with those making the accusations -- very difficult
for a lot of reasons to intervene at that level -- but rather with those
receiving and responding to the accusations. The folks I was working with
in Marila in Brazil (Ricardo Santana and his students) were approaching this
same issue by making the information concerning possible corruption being
obtained public, but in a format which was aggregated in such a way as to
not be accusatory of individuals but rather of specific points in the
process where there were obvious weaknesses and abuses and where
interventions might be made.

I'm not sure of the equivalent in this instance but I agree with your
suggestion below (although I think it needs teasing out based on specific
local circumstances) i.e. "Better would be if only aggregate university,
possibly department ratings would be published and individual ratings be
handed over to a neutral investigatory body."

Mike

-----Original Message-----
From: Aldo de Moor [mailto:[hidden email]]
Sent: Saturday, May 26, 2012 8:45 AM
To: [hidden email]; michael gurstein
Cc: [hidden email]; civicaccess discuss;
[hidden email]
Subject: Re: [ciresearchers] FW: [liberationtech] NotInMyCountry.org:
Website Aims to Stop Corruption at All 34 Universities in Uganda

Good initiative, but how to prevent anonymous false reporting? Similar
privacy and fairness concerns to www.ratemyprofessors.com. How to defend
against anonymous allegations while already being publicly accused through
ratings and comments on the site? E.g.

https://www.notinmycountry.org/faq

"Please note that we do not review comments from a legal perspectivie (e.g.,
for defamation), so if, for example, you say something defamatory in a
comment (such as lying about a lecturer or administrative staff member),
there always is the possibility that you could be held responsible. To
protect your safety, we will do everything in our power to prevent
disclosure of your email address, but we will have to comply with court
orders. So long as you to tell the truth in comments you post, you are more
likely to be protected from legal liability. Please note that the only piece
of information we require from you is an email address, so we will not have
any of your personal information in our database other than your email
address"

E-mail addresses can be faked. This means that in reality anything goes,
since those (including students with a personal grudge, different political
views from their professors - especially an issue in polarized countries!)
who want to defame somebody, can create an e-mail address without ever being
held accountable.

Although I applaud the goals, I question the methods. Better would be if
only aggregate university, possibly department ratings would be published
and individual ratings be handed over to a neutral investigatory body.

Aldo

On Sat, May 26, 2012 at 3:50 PM, michael gurstein <[hidden email]>
wrote:

> -----Original Message-----
> From: [hidden email]
> [mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of Vasili
> Arkhipov
> Sent: Saturday, May 26, 2012 3:33 AM
> To: [hidden email]
> Subject: [liberationtech] NotInMyCountry.org: Website Aims to Stop
> Corruption at All 34 Universities in Uganda
>
> NotInMyCountry.org: Website Aims to Stop Corruption at All 34
> Universities in Uganda
>
>
> Featured in the Wall Street Journal's Corruption Currents Blog!
>
>
> On Thursday, a new anti-corruption website launched in Uganda that
> seeks to reduce corruption at universities. The website,
> NotInMyCountry.org, empowers students to publicise wrongdoing
> committed by university staff members. Students can anonymously and
> securely (1) rate the job performance of their lecturers and
> administrators and (2) report them for corruption.
>
> Recent surveys have shown that
>
> 22% of students at Uganda's largest and most prestigious university
> (Makerere) have been asked by lecturers and administrators to engage
> in some form of corruption, such as providing sex, money, and even
> alcohol in exchange for passing marks or simply to have paperwork
> processed; 29% of lecturers have poor class attendance; 24% of
> students do not report corruption because they think doing so will
> solve nothing; and 23% of students do not report corruption for fear
> of possible repercussions.
>
>
> NotInMyCountry.org seeks (a) to remove that fear, which university
> students often feel when they want to report or complain about an
> incident of corruption, and (b) to show that reporting corruption can
> produce positive results. NotInMyCountry.org has therefore created a
> safe, secure, and anonymous space online where students can attack the
> two main problems of
> (1) poor performance (quiet corruption) and (2) coercion of students for
> money, sex, alcohol, and other favours (hard corruption) by holding
corrupt
> individuals at their universities to account. The information that
> NotInMyCountry.org gathers will publicly punish those who engage in
corrupt

> activities and at the same time reward those who excel at their
> positions and who work hard not to break the public trust. What’s
> different about NotInMyCountry.org is that we put the spotlight on
> individuals.
>
> For more information, see our FAQ, Facebook Page, Facebook Group, and
> Twitter Page.
>
> ALSO WE ARE LOOKING FOR DEVELOPERS, See Job Description Below:
>
> Drupal Web Developer / PHP Programmer / Linux Systems Administrator
>
> NotInMyCountry is a small non-profit organization addressing human
> rights issues in Africa. We seek a full-time Drupal web developer for
> a 3 ½ month project to begin immediately. Applicants must be
> proficient in PHP and have Linux systems administration experience.
> The selected candidate will be responsible for designing, coding, and
> implementing changes to an existing Drupal-based website.
> Applicants must be willing to relocate to a developing country in
> Africa for the project period.
>
> We will disclose the name of the specific country and more details
> about the project to applicants who qualify for interviews.
> Applicants should have an interest in human rights and social justice.
> The selected candidate may be offered a permanent position at the end
> of the project period.
>
> Project period
>
> As soon as possible through 3 ½ months after start date.
>
> Qualifications
> Required experience:
>
> Linux systems administration (console)
> Drupal CMS (version 6 or 7)
> PHP programming language
>
>
> Preferred experience:
>
> Graphic design skills are a huge plus
> Android application development experience is also a huge plus
>
> How to Apply
> Please email your CV/resume and two references who can vouch for your
> experience in each of the proficiency areas listed above to
> [hidden email]

--
==========================================================================
Aldo de Moor, PhD
CommunitySense - for working communities
Cavaleriestraat 2, 5017 ET Tilburg, the Netherlands
e-mail: [hidden email]
mob: <A href="tel:%2B31-6-47011400" value="+31647011400">+31-6-47011400, tel/fax: <A href="tel:%2B31-13-4564126" value="+31134564126">+31-13-4564126
site: www.communitysense.nl KvK: 18088302
blog: communitysense.wordpress.com ___twitter: ademoor___
==========================================================================