For $150, Third-World Laptop Stirs a Big Debate

[John Van Ostrand]

On Thu, 2006-11-30 at 18:38 -0500, Rick Tomaschuk wrote:
> I'm not anti $100 er $150....er $250....??? $350 laptop for developing
> countries. Education is important especially to stop disease, promote
> healthy lifestyles. It seems to me to be a strange debate. We're going
> to give 21st century technology to countries still in the 19th century??

I don't expect any country will start by giving these to the most
backwards of their population. It will filter into cities, then towns
and villages. These centres are already touched by the 20th century.

> I like gizmos too.

Me too and I'd like to have one just to play with it for a  little
while. 

> > 
> > As a byproduct, I hope that it helps protect at-risk populations from
> > being silenced because no one can hear them scream.  It is a lot harder
> > to ethnically cleanse a population when they are in constant
> > communication with the international community.  The wireless mesh
> > networks can route around telco roadblocks very effectively.

Think about the charitable organizations that will be able to
communicate to these people. Want a better pump for irrigation? Here's a
plan using parts common to the third world. How about health
information, crop information.

I see this as a way to get the information people need to survive and
improve their lives.

Sadly it may also come with "Westernization". Fast food, sex, violence,
advertising, parasitic cults, etc, may be the virus that the Internet
brings to these civilizations.


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John Van Ostrand                     Net Direct Inc.
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Linux Solutions / IBM Hardware      fx: 519-883-8533

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