"Change has to be dramatic."

[El Sitherino]

Click.

 

So apparently there's still an issue convincing people that OLPC is a good idea.

The constant point of "these children have no chairs to sit on to use these computers" seems to make me think the people in charge aren't too keen on the idea of a more educated general populace.

Even in our own countries, supposedly civilized ones, that value and cherish education there's opposition to this. I don't understand how this can be too much of a risk, sure might be some money loss at some point, however there are worse things these governments waste their budget on.

 

The way I see it, it opens these kids up to the world and all it's knowledge. If all we're going to do is focus on how they don't have a home, nothing is ever going to happen to better their situation and ours.

With this, it may not have any immediate effects, however over time with newly acquired educations people around the world can make things better for their part of it. We can see villages in remote Africa develop into larger communities, come closer to the modern era with medicine and treatment.

 

Open and free communication make for a better society.

____This quote kind of stands out, honestly.

"You've got to be big, you've got to be bold. And what has happened is that there has been an effort to say 'don't take any risks - just do something small, something incremental'."

[SilentScope001]

Suprising that BBC doesn't mention that the laptop has now increased from $100 to around $200. (http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/blog/eyeonasia/archives/2008/01/on_the_peoples.html)

 

Gee. Maybe OLPC should take responsiblity for its own failures too rather than blaming politicans. It's a business, and business mistakes can happen. I'm sure it's a great idea, but I'd rather they stop whining about it and roll with the punches.

 

Here's an article criticizing the basic premises of OLPC (NOTE: ANTI-OLPC, be warned).

[HerbieZ]

I think to some people at the end of the day it's just money going out of the window and never coming back. What is needed is proof this thing is changing countries and that won't appear until we wait a few years to see the results. It's just a case of keeping this thing rolling at all costs until people namely governments see that it's boosting quality of life for people.

 

I like your point though. Just saying, you can provide money for them to build a home or simply feed themselves is not enough. The situation needs to be approached from all angles.

[El Sitherino]

Suprising that BBC doesn't mention that the laptop has now increased from $100 to around $200.

Uh, yeah they do. They mention that it's gone to $188 for production. However, I don't see how that's entirely relevant considering it's still not as expensive as the other low-cost options put up in the past.

Plus, the price will drop as soon as production lines can be established.

 

Gee. Maybe OLPC should take responsiblity for its own failures too rather than blaming politicans.

Responsibility for these people not thinking it's important enough to purchase inexpensive laptops?

 

It's a business, and business mistakes can happen.

Uh, charity. It's not a business, it is being helped by some though.

 

I'm sure it's a great idea, but I'd rather they stop whining about it and roll with the punches.

Hmmmm, right. Why?

 

Here's an article criticizing the basic premises of OLPC (NOTE: ANTI-OLPC, be warned).

Hmm, a few fair points. However mostly seems biased. "I was a teacher, wah they don't like teachers"

[Totenkopf]

Great, so now we can hook poor african kids on porn and youtube. Just seems odd that thinking giving people these computers is magically going to change their lives for the better. There's still the issue of internet access as well as communication barriers. What language do most of these kids understand? What's to prevent the families of the children from selling the computers (nevermind the possibility of confiscation by warlords/criminals) for more basic necessities? And if computers were so necessary to better our lives, how did our ancestors get by w/o them? I'm not knocking the idea of wanting to try to help, it's just this seems a lot like putting the cart before the horse.

[mimartin]

My first reaction to this was it was the stupidest thing ever imaginable. Why give these people computers when many of them need the necessities of life. Then I actually read the article including the link to the detailed information on the computers and I have to admit I was completely wrong.

 

It sound like a well built durable machine and something none of us would consider ever using. No hard drive, no CD or DVD drive, and no cooling fan in other words no moving parts. The Processor is only 433MHz and the Memory is 256MB SDRAM (the memory is expandable) It is designed so that if one the laptops have access to the internet (from the school) they all form a “mesh network” and share access. If there is no internet access then they can share data, video and information with each other through the “mesh network.”

 

They also came up with some ingenious ways to solve the lack electrical supply, including everything from long life cheap batteries to hand cranks. Like the old adage goes “Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach him how to fish and he will eat for a lifetime.” An education is defiantly something the industrial nations should be exporting to the rest of the world. I would say this is teaching someone to fish.

[RobQel-Droma]

^Wouldn't it make more sense to help them build facilities and better education so they can work up to the point where this is practical? Sorry, but I don't agree with you. I just have this image in my mind of a bunch of kids in a dirt-floor classroom turning hand cranks so they can get back on the internet.

 

You wouldn't advance a culture that was still living in the dark ages by dumping them with advanced technology that is years beyond them, would you?

[mimartin]

^Wouldn't it make more sense to help them build facilities and better education so they can work up to the point where this is practical??

I am sorry but I believe I wrote we should be exporting education. I was under the impression the definition of education was more than one simple laptop.

 

I just believe any step forward is better than no step at all. The laptops were a step, maybe a small slightly sideways step, but a step nevertheless. I just feel the old way of doing nothing and crossing our finger that everything will turn out for the best has yet to bring a great many in this world into this century and has doom many to an existence we cannot fathom. If anything, knowledge that other people in the world do have a better life, which these children could obtain from the internet, may force their leader into more steps forward.

 

You wouldn't advance a culture that was still living in the dark ages by dumping them with advanced technology that is years beyond them, would you?

Why yes I would. If it means allowing them information that can improve their standard of living then by all means I would.