I could not agree more with Siju George, what good is a laptop when all it will do is make said kid a more likely target for crime. In cases of poverty parents often sell toys that 'belong' to their kids simply to put food on the table, a laptop would be way more sellable.
Being an opensource supporter and living in a third world country I can also say that is is debatable if opensource is really cheaper in a third country seeing that it mostly relies on the internet for updates, bugfixes and distribution and internet being very expensive. Also a lot of opensource projects are moving away from downloadable modules to more installer based systems, doing a kde update over a 3kB/s connection is not practical since most of these installers don't have the fault tolerance of modern download managers (please note I'm speaking in general terms here and not specifically about OpenBSD). I currently pay 77USD for a wireless "broadband" connection that is capped at 1GB of traffic, using SUSE Linux as an example it would be significantly cheaper to buy M$ windows than to download linux at home. And although CD sets are available cheaper from local sellers, the fun always starts with the updates are due. my twocents worth if they want to fix third world countries they should start with the governments, this seems more like a marketing excercise ----- Original Message ----- From: "Siju George" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Jack J. Woehr" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Cc: "OpenBSD" <misc@openbsd.org> Sent: Friday, October 06, 2006 12:36 PM Subject: Re: Letter to OLPC > On 10/6/06, Jack J. Woehr <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > Free and open software is a means to an end, rather than the > > > sole end unto itself for OLPC. > > > > > > I was totally stunned by this admission. "morally bankrupt", as Bob > > > says, is exactly what is going on. > > > > Hmm, sounds like you are saying that abstract goal of unlimited > > software freedom is > > a higher goal than providing access to modern technology to > > disadvantaged children in > > 3rd-world countries. > > > > If the real concern is for *disadvantaged children* in third world > countries then giving them a laptop is the most ridiculous idea ever > orginated! > > Some time back I saw a cartoon. One of the 3rd world countries blasted > their nuclear bomb and was proud of it. Proud that they were in par > with the others in the West. While their people were still begging and > starving in the streets and villages. > > The cartoon showed a poor beggar sitting on the street with torn > clothes with the beggars basin to reveive a missile sent to it. > > In the third world the basic necissities are food, water, clothing, > shelter, medical care etc. > Disadvantaged children could care less about a stupid laptop when they > have had no meal for a week and are tired of the sun while watching > their siblings dying of cholera. > > Getting a laptop to a child for low cost seems to be a noble idea on > the outside. > add a *3rd-world country* phase and you get a more polished *charity > painted/noble* image. > > I don't think OLPC it that great!. It is another form of business. > They have seen a market. They want to reach it. thats all! > > Mostly people who applaude such endeavours *do not have any idea* of > the issues of the third world countries. > > I am not angry Jack. > But When I find people *over nobleizing* at the expense of the 3rd > world countries I think I need to say this. > > Kind Regards > > Siju > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- This e-mail and its contents are subject to AfriGIS PTY Limited e-mail disclaimer at http://www.afrigis.co.za/eMailDisclaimer ----------------------------------------------------------------------
