Straightening the facts

THE EDITOR, Madam:

While thanking The Gleaner for including me among others in its "CyberLeaders" article in Outlook magazine, I am forced to make some corrections to the text by Avia Ustanny which has so many errors.

Nothing in the article conveys the truth about what I told her, and it gives a false impression about me and my work, and could be considered an attempt to defame my character and discredit me. Perhaps this is because she did not use a tape recorder and took only a few notes.

Firstly, I am NOT designing a site for ThinkQuest 2000 this year, nor have I worked at all in any way with Jody-Ann Jones in designing a site for Holy Childhood. These two projects are Jody's entirely, who just happened to be visiting when The Gleaner was here. She is being coached in the ThinkQuest project by my mother who works with her online and at our home/office.

As far as I know, Jody does not play football, not with me at least. I did not say she spent the last 'two YEARS' talking to people, but the last two HOURS, and that was a joke.

I don't think the journalist knows anything about computers, which is why she didn't understand what I use the computer for. This is demonstrated in her statements about me 'editing musical files' and 'digital filming'. I have also never toured UCLA, nor do I remember saying UWI and UTECH have 'nothing to offer me', especially as she correctly reported that I don't want to go abroad to study. I started a computer company, NOT 'a computer service centre'. The journalist could also have written about the work I do speaking and teaching technology to schools and students at workshops, which I told her about.

I am, etc.,

MAKONNEN BLAKE HANNAH
Youth technology consultant

Editor's Note: The reporter maintains that the information contained in the article was given to her during the interview with Makonnen.

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