[cad] Contemporary Africa Database Kicks Off

From: "Cad Crew" <cad@xxxxxxx>
To: cad@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Wed, 15 May 2002 16:10:07 +0100
Dear Friends ...

You have received this email because you have subscribed to
'cad', the mailing list of the Contemporary Africa Database
at http://www.africaexpert.org/

Although we set up this email resource several months ago,
this is the first time we have used it -- you are reading
the inaugural message.

The mailing list is a two-way information channel. The
Database Crew can use it to keep you informed of project
news and progress. You can use it to share your ideas on the
development of the project, and to keep in touch with other
contributors. It's your resource as much as ours.

The list has been set up for discussion as well as
announcements, so if you have questions to ask or points to
raise, this is the place to do it. We value your input, so
please don't withhold it. If you are not sure what to do, or
what you can do, please look at the foot of this email for
pointers, or consult the CAD Welcome file sent to you when
you signed up.


ABOUT CAD
For those who signed up right at the beginning, this is to
jog your memory ...
"The Contemporary Africa Database is a participatory
Internet project, initiated by the Africa Centre, London. In
its first phase we intend to create a database of eminent
African people who have influenced, for better or worse,
life on the African continent and elsewhere: political
activists, writers, scientists, business people, artists,
musicians, etc. Participation is open to all who can
contribute knowledge, ideas or enthusiasm."


CAD PROGRESS
Although CAD has not yet received full funding, we have
managed to get more than 10,500 records into the database of
prominent African people. Many of them have minimal
information, but we are making steady progress filling in
the gaps.

If you are one of those who joined the list, hoping to make
your own contribution ... we are nearly ready for you. We
have been busy developing web forms for you to suggest new
people for the database, update and correct existing
records, and submit detailed profiles.

We are sure most subscribers have their own area of
specialised interest, so you will often be more conscious of
gaps than we are. In the meantime, here is a short list of
people about whom we would like more information -- maybe
you can help out?

        Idi AMIN
        Manute BOL
        Habib KOITE
        Gra=E7a MACHEL
        Luambo MAKIADI (Franco)
        Roger MILLA
        Fanta NACRO
        Joshua NKOMO
        Adaf SOUEIF
        Steve TSHWETE
        Papa WEMBA

And here are the five countries which are least well
represented:

        Burundi
        Central African Republic
        Eritrea
        Libya
        Togo


OFFLINE SEARCH
Many people in Africa have inadequate access to the
Internet. Email-only services are common. We would like
eventually to provide users with offline forms for site
search, submitting and updating records for the database --
a resource that will work by email alone.

It's not easy, but we have made a start on a search form,
which needs as much testing as it can get. Would you like to
help us?

The form is in zipped format to make it small (only 10kb).
The zip file contains a couple of other pages which explain
how it works (email is enough). You can download it from
http://www.africaexpert.org/www4mail/searchcadbeta.zip

If you prefer, you can get the download by email by sending
a message to www4mail@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx with
http://www.africaexpert.org/www4mail/searchcadbeta.zip
as the message body. It will be sent to you as an email
attachment.


Thanks again for taking an interest in the Contemporary
Africa Database.

--
The Contemporary Africa Database Crew



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[cad] Contemporary Africa Database Kicks Off

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