It's the last day at IDRC of one of the great thinkers, implementers and motivators in ICT4D at IDRC: Steve Song. He will be leaving his position of programme manager of Acacia and Connectivity Africa, to take up a fellowship with the Shuttleworth Foundation (of Ubuntu fame). I worked for Steve for several years. He is a consummate techie but also the epitome of the renaissance man: he can debate a telecommunications regulator, discuss the gender implications of mobiles, make a mean caipirinha and renovate your house. Although he hasn't left a big footprint in the academic literature, anyone who wants to take action on or research issues in the area of ICT4D should ask for his opinion. He is also quite passionate about a few issues, most notably open source and its potential for developing countries. The move to the Shuttleworth Foundation should be seen in that light as well.
I will sorely miss him, as he was an inspiration as well as a good friend. However, if I was Telkom South Africa right now, I'd be a little worried.
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