It looks like the University of KwaZulu-Natal is re-inventing all four wheels when it comes to the Internet. This appears to be in pursuit of minimizing bandwidth thus lowering the total cost of Internet to University. According to some interesting statistics released last year:
The University spends in the region of R6 000 000 per year on Internet connections.
Since Then the University has went from High User Warnings to creating its own Facebook in a short space of time, Thanks to
Information & Communication Technology Division. The University gradually became more strict on Internet use (or rather misuse) and on Friday 03 August 2007, ITD via
ictnew.ukzn.ac.za requested University staff and students to
Download as locally as possible.
The University started restricting/blocking access to chat site, but (fair enough :-/) one was created at
http://chat.ukzn.ac.za/webchat/ for the chat-a-holics to use. Social Networking sites including Facebook were ristricted shortly after chat, and of late
YouTube has
also been ristricted.
Just this week the following notice was e-mailed and posted on the Online Univesity Notice System
From: University Notice <Notice@ukzn.ac.za>
Date: Mon, May 5, 2008 at 9:19 AMSubject: Test of a UKZN "Facebook" style social network
We are testing the viability of using a social network within UKZN.->>>>
http://ictforum.ukzn.ac.za/sn/We will be hosting some competitions on this site soon, so have a look and see if it suits you. It is a site where you can blog, upload pictures (no porn or inappropriate images), listen to music and a whole lot more.
ONLY UKZN email addresses will be made active currently, when you register for free. All profiles without images will be removed after a week.
I have to agree, they have done their work. The site has News, Groups, Events, Galleries, Classifieds and can host Blogs, Music, Photos and Videos.
But then :-? Don't we have this aleady?
Read the Subject of the e-mail again. Aha!,
Facebook.
What do you think?
