A laptop to change the world

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Odd response

Quoting the criticisms made of the project:

Firstly, that developing countries need development, food and medical aid, not laptops. Secondly, that what they describe as "cut-down computers" are patronizing to people there.

To answer the first point, the goal is to provide education, not simply computers. Educated people don't stay poor people for long, and lack of education is behind many of the developing world's problems.

The second point shows how little people in the first world -- myself included -- understand the infrastructure of the developing world.

[End quote.]

The computers are considered patronizing because they have less than the capabilities and functionality that the rest of the world takes for granted and considers essential to computing.

The answer given at some length is that the infrastructure is so weak that giving people what the rest of the world has is impracticable.

To me, that answer is equivalent to, It can't be done.

And yet, in China and other areas of the world where people are poor and pirate copies of Windows are widespread, the problems have somehow been solved.

What is it that the poor in Africa cannot do that people in similar circumstances elsewhere can do?

I don't know the answer to that question, but it should be asked.

The people in Africa are, I suspect, like people everywhere else. They want the best for their children and they don't think that the best includes something constructed to live within, even to reinforce their current limitations.

Seems ironic that something designed to bring technology where people have hopes for improvement should assume that such improvement cannot happen.

Give everyone in the world Windows. Why do they deserve any less?

Posted by: Anton Philidor   Posted on: 03/07/07 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use

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