The case against OLPC?

Ian Petersen ispeters-Re5JQEeQqe8AvxtiuMwx3w at public.gmane.org
Fri Dec 7 16:44:51 UTC 2007


Perhaps it is imperialism, but I think the guy that came up with the
OLPC has defended his choice (of computers over books or food) by
pointing out that he's a technologist and this is how he knows how to
help.  He's left it up to other, very capable organizations to handle
the other needs of the developing world.  I haven't followed the OLPC
project very much, so maybe I have my facts wrong, but I think the
project has taken a pretty realistic perspective when designing the
machine--it has to work in conditions under which many other machines
(computers or otherwise) would fail miserably--so I don't think the
project leaders are out of touch with the environment in which the
machines are supposed to be deployed.  They may be a touch idealistic,
or perhaps even imperialistic, but they're not out of touch.

Ian

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