[geeks] OLPCs for sale...

[Dan Sikorski]

der Mouse wrote:
>> Can you really make fun of Negroponte for trying something different
>> to improve the lives of children?
>>     
After reading my own post, i have to make fun of myself here:  "Think 
about the children! The poor children that don't even have laptops!"
> When it's this badly thought out and this badly done, yes.
>
> I have mostly stayed out of this discussion, but this takes it to a
> place where I feel I have to speak up on.
>   
<snip>
> I see OLPC as being a computer-technological version of that.  It seems
> like the sheerest arrogance to me to think that giving laptops - or
> desktops, for that matter - to people who don't really even have
> electricity is going to help them in any way but giving them something
> to sell and spend the money on what they *really* need.  (And, given
> how badly the human anumal typically does at telling the difference
> between wants and needs, quite likely not even that - quite aside from
> there being a lack of a market accessible to the recipients.)  It's yet
> another form of "our way is Teh Best, so we'll export it to the world
> willy-nilly to Help those Poor Downtrodden Improverished".
>   
So, in that case do you think it's best to leave them alone and not try 
to help at all? 

Like I said in my last post, it's not that I feel that this is the best 
initiative ever, and it certainly won't solve all of the problems that 
these people have, but it addresses an area that nobody else is 
addressing. Additionally, it is likely not taking anything away from the 
efforts to help with food, shelter, and clean water.  I think that OLPC 
can help SOME of these people, and is at least somewhat worthwhile 
because of that.  Note that i don't think it's worthwhile enough to 
dedicate my life to it, and for that matter have not personally donated 
to the cause, nor do I intend to at this time.  However I don't think 
that the effort is so horrible that i should sit back and tear down all 
aspects of it.

    -Dan Sikorski