• In my opinion, the West, with the exception of Canada (go Canada go!), have very little natural resources simply because they’ve used up most or all of them to fuel their remarkable economies.
• China & India are quickly becoming the new economic powers of the “here & now,” and of the future, but they don’t possess the bounty (or variety) of resources that’s situated right here in Africa to fuel their long-term growth. Due to the emergence of these 2 countries, Africa is not beholden to the West for trade and now can obtain BETTER prices for her resources thanks to fair market competition which is something the West talks about a lot but, in practise, do very little when it comes to, for example, importing agricultural products from Africa that would quickly help to eliminate (or reduce) poverty.
• Africa needs outside help (um, foreign investment of the intelligent kind) in order to move up to the next level instead of simply exporting valuable raw materials overseas which then come back at, perhaps, triple the price as a finished product. Billion$ of dollars are now flowing into countries like Tanzania, Angola, Mozambique, Kenya, and Sudan to achieve this outcome.

This blog will “attempt” to:

• Highlight all of the wonderful (and positive) economic developments that are taking place in order to fuel or encourage yet more economic activity
• Encourage “COMMON SENSE economic development” (a phrase coined by Young Kimaro in her articles for the Daily News – Tanzania Standard Times)
• Highlight possible economic or business opportunities for locals or sincere foreigners that are either untapped or that, perhaps, haven’t even been considered
• Give recognition (or props) to those companies or individuals (political/business/citizen leaders) who are committed to making Africa a better place for its citizens.
• Provide tips or suggestions that might help Africa move up to the next level, thereby reducing her dependence on the West (and Asia) when it comes to economic sustainability
• Highlight anything else that would put Africa in a positive light as opposed to all the negative media hoopla emanating from the West — usually in order for “some” (not all) organizations and their employees to earn a paycheck while taking a vacation in Africa to spice up their resumes. (sorry for being blunt!)

Thanks for visiting my blog. I’m sure you probably have other websites that you’re aching to visit at this very moment, which is why I appreciate you stopping by for a quick peek to see who the heck this fellow, MaxTheITpro, is. You can learn more about me here.

Getting started
Well, I’ve always been an IT (Information Technology) buff after my COOP high school work term at Computing Devices Corporation (now part of General Dynamics Canada – aka the military industrial complex) along with a 16 month Industrial Internship at the Bank of Montreal in Toronto. In addition, I’ve always had a keen interest in new technologies on the horizon that would improve our daily lives (or bring in the big bucks as an IT professional).

Suffice to say that “it’s a jungle out there” – with tons of interesting things to learn and try out. The sad part about this business is that you can quickly fall behind if you take too long a break.

Why blog?
That’s why I created this blog so that I can share my knowledge, experience and opinions on a wide array of issues and technologies (Open Source Software, mobile technologies like PocketPCs, databases, Linux, BSD Unix, Windows, Open Source ERP/CRM products, Content Management Systems, programming languages like Python, and much more) in the IT field.

New interests
But now that I’ve been here in East Africa, I have a new passion for green alternative solutions such as biodiesel, biomass, hemp, miscanthus, pongamia, etc. that promote  self sufficiency and a cleaner environment. Let’s face it, we’re at the 11th Hour as well as living in The Last Hours of Ancient Sunlight.

If you like any of my articles or topics, please feel free to leave a comment in the appropriate section of said page. Enjoy the ride!

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Related links:

• BSD Unix: Power to the people, from the code (How a group of hackers from the University of California, Berkeley changed the world by creating the software that is the foundation of the Internet.)
• Technorati.com (search over 28 million web blogs)
• Open Source Initiative (OSI)
• Open Source Technology Group (the leading network of technology sites for today’s IT managers and development professionals)
• The OpenCD (A collection of high quality Free and Open Source Software. The programs run in Windows and cover the most common tasks such as word processing, presentations, e-mail, web browsing, web design, and image manipulation.)
• JustBajan.com (see Barbados fully exposed)