Comments on: Pogue on the $100 Laptop

By: Richard

Richard — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 10:26:07 +0000

I agree David, but just because Negroponte et al have a narrow focus (education in developing countries) doesn’t mean once the thing hits the streets it can’t be used for other things.

I think it’s useful for folks in Burma to know (if they have access at the Thai border) that the rest of the world is watching (even if it’s not doing enough at the moment).

By: David N.

David N. — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 07:13:21 +0000

About the Burma case, do you really believe a laptop is needed to give citizens access to information their government is unwilling to give them access to. I think that problem was already solved through word of mouth, flyers, underground newspapers, radio, etc. long ago. A laptop can only aid if internet access is available and uncensored.

Besides, I don’t think these people are trying to promote laptop as a way to spread democracy, but more as the solution to underdevelopment…

By: Richard

Richard — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 12:46:13 +0000

Here's one of the reasons I question general "push" of projects like these: 'Unknown' Peru Amazon tribe seen

Contact with outsiders can be fatal for isolated tribes people who have no immunity to many diseases.

By: Richard

Richard — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 12:22:50 +0000

I agree David although one could make the case, like in Burma, that a laptop might give a citizen the information and so freedom to make better and more informed choices.

However, like you I question the “push” of this project.

By: David N.

David N. — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 06:53:45 +0000

I have worked a lot in rural areas in African countries and I think thym laptot programmes is a gond exemple of people coming in from the outside coming in thinking they know it all and can solve peoples problems by through techology at it. These kind of actions rarely lead to the desired result and in the worst case lead to a lot of disruption and harm (to people; I do not care too much about what it does to governments). Better spend that money on healthcare and education (like paying teacher salaries, etc.).

By: Richard

Richard — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 01:22:23 +0000

Andrew, that’s certainly a timely and important way to look at it. I would never want to stop that kind of access but there are undoubtedly places where the culture shock of being exposed to the rest of the world might do some initial harm. There are places that are a bit further out than Burma.

By: Andrew

Andrew — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 23:24:14 +0000

It’s hard to fathom the true power of a laptop and the Internet. In Myanmar they just pulled the plug on Internet access to quell the protesters. Knowledge is power and these governments fear it.