Trinidad and Tobago Computer Society

Category: blog

#ICANN67 Virtual Community Forum from 7-12 March 2020 ; how you can participate in the discussions

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) will be having its 67th online meeting from Saturday March 7 to Thursday March 12 2020.

Originally ICANN67 was to be hosted in Cancun, Mexico, but due to concerns regarding COVID-19, it was turned into a virtual community forum.

So…..what’s this ICANN?

As the name implies, ICANN helps coordinate the assignment and management of Internet numbering resources (such as IP addresses) and domain names (forming a system called the Domain Name System or DNS). The DNS maps domain names to IP addresses.

ICANN also defines and implements policies for how the “Names and Numbers” of the Internet are assigned. ICANN coordinates policy development related to the DNS by bringing a variety of stakeholders (ranging from governments, technical, business, civil society) organised in various groups to develop and advise on such DNS policies. This volunteer-based group of diverse stakeholders is called the ICANN multi-stakeholder community.

The Trinidad and Tobago Computer Society (TTCS) is an member of the ICANN At-Large Community since 2006, which represents the interests of Internet end users in ICANN policies and activities. Currently, as the TTCS’ At-Large representative (Dev Anand Teelucksingh), I have continued to be involved in various At-Large activities. I do want to encourage anyone with a interest and a desire to learn more about ICANN policy issues and how to get involved, email me at [email protected] and I’ll try my best to help.

Important links to learn and follow #ICANN67

ICANN67 Full Meeting Schedule – this table (you will have to scroll down a lot) shows the various online meetings happening at the same time. All times listed are local to Cancun. Mexico (GMT -5) so when looking at the ICANN67 schedule, you will need to add 1 hour to get the time of the meeting in Trinidad and Tobago.

How to participate in ICANN67 Virtual Sessions – handy PDF detailing how you use Zoom to connect to the meetings. Zoom allows participants (either face to face or remotely) to instant message each other, review the meeting agenda and documents, follow presentations and raise their hands in order to make comments. Download the Zoom client for your OS or install the mobile app

If you visit the schedule on your iOS or Android device, you can install the ICANN Meeting App to follow the ICANN meeting schedule on your mobile / tablet device and to personalize the schedule of sessions you are interested in. Search for “ICANN Meeting” in your app stores.

ICANN At-Large meetings sessions – handy table of all of the At-large sessions of interest to end users.

8 March 2020
TTCS conference call on Sunday March 8 2020 at 9pm to discuss comments on Interception of Communications (Amendment) Bill 2020

There will be a Trinidad and Tobago Computer Society online conference call on Sunday March 8 2020 at 9pm to review the comments on the Interception of Communications (Amendment) Bill 2020 and immediate next steps.

The Interception of Communications (Amendment) Bill 2020 was passed in the Senate on March 3 2020 with amendments and introduced in the House of Representatives on March 6 2020.

Read the TTCS interpretation of what the final Interception Interception of Communications Act will become if the proposed Bill is approved. Comments are enabled.

Conference call details

We will be using Jitsi for the conference call.

On a desktop/laptop with a microphone and/or camera, use a modern browser (Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox) to go to

https://meet.jit.si/ttcs

and grant permissions for your microphone and video to be accessed by the browser.

Alternatively, you can use the mobile apps on iOS and Android https://jitsi.org/downloads/ and join the room ttcs

7 March 2020
Interception of Communications (Amendment) Bill 2020 introduced in Trinidad and Tobago Parliament
The Interception of Communications (Amendment) Bill 2020 was introduced in the Trinidad and Tobago Parliament on February 4 2020 in the Senate by the Attorney General Honourable Faris Al-Rawi.

This Bill seeks to amend the Interception of Communications Act which was passed in 2010. The main objectives of the Bill are to:

allow for the interception and recording of communications from prisons and vehicles used to transport prisoners;
authorise officers to apply for a warrant to obtain stored communication and stored data from a telecommunications service provider;
permit officers to disclose the stored communication and the stored data;
establish the procedure for the disclosure of sensitive information; and
allow for intercepted information to be admissible as evidence in any proceedings.
From the Bill Essentials of the Interception of Communications (Amendment) Bill, 2020

Because The Interception of Communications (Amendment) Bill, 2020 is modifying the Interception of Communications Act 2010, the Bill reads about changing/removing words in this particular section of the Act, it is very hard to understand what the final Interception of Communication Act will become if the Bill is passed.

The Trinidad and Tobago Computer Society has therefore attempted to more clearly identify what the Interception of Communications (Amendment) Bill 2020 introduced in Trinidad and Tobago Parliament in February 2020 will do to the Interception of Communications Act 2010 by creating a Google doc showing the proposed specific changes to the 2010 Interception of Communications Act and what the proposed final Act will look like. The Google doc has comments enabled so that a decision can be taken whether we should attempt to submit a formal comment.

Relevant Links
26 February 2020
TTCS OSSWIN 2.71 available for download – a collection of Free and Open Source Software (#FOSS) for Windows
The TTCS OSSWIN v2.71, a collection of the latest version of Free and Open Source Software for Microsoft Windows 10/8/7 is available for download. The latest release features many software updates including the latest LibreOffice 6.4 released earlier this week.

Browse TTCS OSSWIN online

Browse TTCS OSSWIN online at
http://ttcsosswin.ttcs.tt/

You can browse TTCS OSSWIN online at http://ttcsosswin.ttcs.tt/ which features the web interface to learn about Free and Open Source programs in various categories, including screenshots or videos of the programs and a link to the program’s website where you can download the program. The web based UI is responsive, meaning it should be usable on non-Windows small screen mobile phones and tablets.

Download TTCS OSSWIN

You can download the entire collection of TTCS OSSWIN as a 7GB file for extracting to your harddrive or USB storage device (or burn on a DVD). The TTCS OSSWIN collection provides a link to install the software directly and in the case of a program providing 32 bit and 64 bit versions installers, TTCS OSSWIN attempts to autodetect whether you are running 64 bit Windows and presents that installer first. The web interface and all screenshots and videos are included in the collection so that you can browse and install software on a Windows computer without internet access.

Download TTCS OSSWIN v2.71 (from Mediafire)

Future work of TTCS OSSWIN
- Developing a a card like UI (similiar to the current theme of the TTCS website) for the selection of programs in the various categories using best practices in HTML5 and CSS.
- Updating the text descriptions of programs. The goal is to strive to describe in the simplest of terms possible what the programs does and to answer “why should I try the program”
- Replacing static photos with videos of the programs in action.
- Find Free and Open Source Software for Windows that is useful and easy to use. The curated list of software in TTCS OSSWIN is an attempt to list what is considered the “best” in ease of use and functionality and not to include dozens of programs that do the same thing.
If you’re interested in assisting with this work or want to give comments and feedback, then send a email to [email protected] .
31 January 2020
Free WiFi and LED lighting installed at Woodford Square, Port of Spain

At a ceremony launching the availability of LED lighting and free Wifi at Woodford Square, Port of Spain, Minister of Public Utilities Robert Le Hunte indicated that with the help of TSTT and T&TEC, more “smart spaces” with free, public WiFi and LED lighting will be done in other places such as San Fernando, Chaguanas, Point Fortin and Arima with San Fernando promised before the end of February 2020. Watch the report from TTT Live

30 January 2020
Trinidad and Tobago Computer Society Meeting [Win7 EoL, Win10 Security, TTIGF 2020, Cybercrime Bill, TTCS AGM] on Wednesday January 22nd 2020 from 7 to 9:30 pm; MammaMia Pizzeria & Cucina Italiana, Grand Bazaar

The Trinidad and Tobago Computer Society will be having a meeting on Wednesday January 22nd, 2020 from 7pm to 9:30 pm at MammaMia, Grand Bazaar (click for map).

Our key topics for this meeting are the end of extended support for Windows 7, Security on Windows 10, an update on the TTIGF 2020 coming up this month, the Cybercrime Bill and our upcoming AGM. Please come prepared with your comments and contributions to the discussion.

Anyone interested in computing and ICT are welcome to attend, however please RSVP to [email protected]. See you there!

16 January 2020
Register (for free!) to attend the Trinidad & Tobago Internet Governance Forum 2020 on Friday January 31 #TTIGF2020
The fourth annual Trinidad and Tobago Internet Governance Forum (TTIGF) will be held on Friday 31st January 2020 at
Naparima College Auditorium, San Fernando from
9am to 5 pm.

Attendance to the TTIGF is FREE! But you must register to attend, whether you want to be there in person or attend remotely.

Register to attend TTIGF2020 !

The TTIGF is hosted by the Trinidad and Tobago Multistakeholder Advisory Group (TTMAG), of which the Trinidad and Tobago Computer Society is a member.

With the overall theme of “Ensuring the Internet’s Future”, TTIGF 2020’s agenda features three sessions with selected experts and respected professionals:
- Fake News and its Impact on You
- Data Hosting: Locally or Internationally?
- Youth-led Collaborative Exchange: The Future of the Internet
TTIGF 2020 will also have an open forum session where all participants (including online) can share comments, questions, solutions and best practices on internet governance locally, regionally and globally.

If you plan to attend (in person or remotely), please register for TTIGF2020 . Registration is FREE. There is no charge to attend TTIGF 2020
14 January 2020
The Year 2000 (Y2K) problem
20 years ago, there was deep concern of what would happen when the year 2000 began due to the Year 2000 (Y2K) problem.

The Y2K problem was the issue of computer hardware (and any devices that used microprocessors like industrial controllers) and software applications that is unable to deal correctly with the change from the year 1999 to 2000.

Most computer hardware and software stored only the last two digits of the year. So the year “1999” is treated as “99”. When the year 2000 occurs, these hardware and software will see the year as “00”, causing malfunctions as some will treat the year as “1900” and give incorrect results. Applications that require calculations involving future dates (for example, mortgages, insurance rates) were already having challenges dealing with the storage of dates as two digits even before the transition from 1999 to 2000.

The Y2K problem was also called the “millennium bug” but this is inaccurate as the occurrence of the millennium itself has nothing to do with the problem. If we were living in 1899 instead of 1999, we would still have a problem when the year changed from 1899 to 1900.

The challenges with the Y2K problem was that solving it was time-consuming (not to mention expensive) since all ICT equipment (hardware and software) had to be tested and debugged and there was no “magic bullet” purchase which could have solved it. You had to take the responsibility by
- compiling a list of the hardware (computers and embedded systems) and software (operating systems, applications and data)
- Determine which of these systems are critical to you and your business so they can receive priority attention.
- Test these systems for Y2K compliance.
- If there are problems with compliance, determine which affected systems should be fixed or replaced first.
- Actually fix or replace the non-compliant system.
- Test to see if the upgrades and/or fixes worked.
- Evaluate whether any outside suppliers critical to business operations were Y2K compliant and develop contingencies.
The Trinidad and Tobago Computer Society’s Year 2000 article in 1998 described the issue in greater detail.

Popular Mechanics’ article “‘Here We Go. The Chaos Is Starting’: An Oral History of Y2K” looks back on Y2K, 20 years after.

How Y2K was handled in Trinidad and Tobago

Various companies in the ICT/telecommunications, financial, oil and gas, utilities and transportation sectors began working on the Y2K issue within their organisations.

As an example, TSTT began to address Y2K in 1996 with a Year 2000 Project Team to coordinate and manage TSTT’s Year 2000 compliance Plan to ensure Year 2000 compliance by October 1999. As TSTT’s Y2K page in 1999 notes, “TSTT is expected to spend an estimated US $7 million to resolve the (Y2K) problem”

The Trinidad and Tobago National Year 2000 Taskforce logo

The Trinidad and Tobago Government established a National Year 2000 Taskforce under the then Ministry of Trade and Industry and Consumer Affairs.

The role of the National Year 2000 Compliance Secretariat was to :
- Co-ordinate Year 2000 Compliance activities of the entities involved in the Year 2000 Challenge.
- Provide a resource facility and information base for all matters relating to the Year 2000 challenge
- Enhance national awareness and promote education on the nature and scope of the Year 2000 Challenge
- Provide information on the best practices required to become Year 2000 compliant
The National Year 2000 Taskforce comprised of:
- National Steering Committee:
  - Minister of Training & Distance Learning –
    Dr. Rupert Griffith
  - Minister of Trade & Industry –
    Mr. Mervyn Assam
  - Minister of Finance – Mr. Brian Kuei Tung
  - National Y2K Coordinator
    Mr. Krishendath Kuarsingh
- National Y2K Coordinating Committee:
  - National Y2K Coordinator – Mr. Krishendath Kuarsingh
  - Director, National Y2K Compliance Secretariat –
    Ms. Myrna Thompson
  - Chairman, Regional Technical Committee –
    Dr. Finbar Fletcher
  - Sector Representatives:
    Public Sector – Mr. Krishendath Kuarsingh
    Small Business – Mr. Richard Joseph
    Energy – Mr. Andre Edwards
    Financial, Banking, Insurance, Credit Union –
    Mr. Richard Young
    Legal – Mr. Christopher Hamel-Smith
    Trade Services and Information Technology – Mr. Raoul John
    Health – Dr. Rawle Edwards
    National Contingency Planning Group (NEMA, Defence Force, Protective Services, Utilities, Media) – Colonel David Williams
- National Y2K Compliance Secretariat:
  - Director – Ms. Myrna Thompson
  - Small Business Sector Specialist – Mr. Arnold Babwah
  - Sector Specialist – Mrs. Dianne Pierre-McGuire
  - Manager, Administrative Services – Miss Marjorie Small
The website at the time was at http://www.tradeind.gov.tt/y2k/ (Wayback archive link)

Despite the concerns here (and worldwide) over what would happen, thanks to the preparations made to deal with the Year 2000 issue, there were no disruptions in Trinidad and Tobago on January 1 2000.

Does anyone have any experiences or materials to share regarding the Year 2000 problem? Let us know at [email protected]!
30 December 2019
TTCS OSSWIN 2.7 available for download – a collection of Free and Open Source Software (#FOSS) for Windows
The TTCS OSSWIN v2.70, a collection of the latest version of Free and Open Source Software for Microsoft Windows 10/8/7 is available for download. The latest release features many software updates and adds one new program:
- Rambox CE 0.7.3 combine common messaging and email web applications into one.
Browse TTCS OSSWIN online

Browse TTCS OSSWIN online at
http://ttcsosswin.ttcs.tt/

Short screencast of the TTCS OSSWIN online website at http://ttcsosswin.ttcs.tt/

You can browse TTCS OSSWIN online at http://ttcsosswin.ttcs.tt/ which features the web interface to learn about Free and Open Source programs in various categories, including screenshots or videos of the programs and a link to the program’s website where you can download the program. The web based UI is responsive, meaning it should be usable on non-Windows small screen mobile phones and tablets.

Download TTCS OSSWIN

Short screencast of TTCS OSSWIN (https://www.ttcs.tt/osswin) showing how you can install Free and Open Source Software for Windows

You can download the entire collection of TTCS OSSWIN as a 7GB file for extracting to your harddrive or USB storage device (or burn on a DVD). The TTCS OSSWIN collection provides a link to install the software directly and in the case of a program providing 32 bit and 64 bit versions installers, TTCS OSSWIN attempts to autodetect whether you are running 64 bit Windows and presents that installer first. The web interface and all screenshots and videos are included in the collection so that you can browse and install software on a Windows computer without internet access.

Download TTCS OSSWIN (from Mediafire)

Visit the TTCS OSSWIN page to find full details including the full list of software included and checksums to verify the integrity of the download.

Future work of TTCS OSSWIN
- Developing a a card like UI (similiar to the current theme of the TTCS website) for the selection of programs in the various categories using best practices in HTML5 and CSS.
- Updating the text descriptions of programs. The goal is to strive to describe in the simplest of terms possible what the programs does and to answer “why should I try the program”
- Replacing static photos with videos of the programs in action.
- Find Free and Open Source Software for Windows that is useful and easy to use. The curated list of software in TTCS OSSWIN is an attempt to list what is considered the “best” in ease of use and functionality and not to include dozens of programs that do the same thing.
If you’re interested in assisting with this work or want to give comments and feedback, then send a email to [email protected] .
18 December 2019
Register to attend the Trinidad & Tobago Remote Hub for the Internet Governance Forum 2019 (#IGF2019) from Tuesday November 26 to Friday November 29, 2019 from 8:00 am to 12 noon
Welcome to the Internet Governance Forum 2019!

Register to attend the
T&T Remote Hub for IGF2019 for free!

The Fourteenth Annual Meeting of the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) will be hosted by the Government of Germany in Berlin from 25 to 29 November 2019 under the overarching theme: One World. One Net. One Vision. The IGF is an opportunity for multi-stakeholder dialogue on public policy issues related to key elements of Internet governance. The 3 priority themes for #IGF2019 are (1) Data Governance; (2) Digital Inclusion; and (3) Security, Safety, Stability & Resilience.

The Trinidad and Tobago Multistakeholder Advisory Group (of which the Trinidad and Tobago Computer Society is a member) invites you to participate in the IGF at our IGF Remote Hub at the Telecommunications Authority of Trinidad and Tobago, #5, Eighth Avenue Extension, off Twelfth Street, Barataria from Tuesday November 26 to Friday November 29, 2019 from 8:00am to 12 noon.

At the Trinidad and Tobago IGF remote hub we will:
- View the live IGF sessions
- Submit comments and questions during the IGF sessions
- Hold discussions on internet governance issues.
Please review the IGF 2019 schedule to identify sessions of interest (on some days there are 10+ simultaneous sessions happening at the same time!). Note that the times on the IGF 2019 schedule are local to Berlin, Germany which is 5 hours ahead of Trinidad and Tobago.

Attendance to the Trinidad and Tobago’s IGF 2019 Remote Hub is free!

Please RSVP using this Form in order to confirm seating and to confirm which days you will be attending. Light refreshments will be available for participants.

Register to attend the
T&T Remote Hub for IGF2019 for free!
22 November 2019