[dundee] OLPC Videos...niiiiiiiiiice!

[Gary Short]

Rick wrote:
> Hi all,
> 
> I've been lurking on the list for sometime now, and was intending to
> attend the LUG s first meeting of the new year with Gary, but
> unfortunately wasn't able to.
> 
> Firstly I should mention that, I know Gary after attending his .Net
> users group.  As I use Linux and FLOSS almost exclusively at work and
> home I attend only out of the desire 'to see how the other half live'
> and primarily to talk about software development in the broader sense.

And, speaking for the .Net community we welcome the different 
perspective you bring to the meetings Rick.


> So would the money be better spent on teachers rather than Laptops??
> Well maybe, but first you have to ask, would Negroponte have been able
> to raise the money for the proposed alternative?

Okay, now you're talking. I never considered that point. At the end of 
the day I never critisised the OLPC as a technology, just that there was 
a better way to achieve that goal. I didn't consider the fact that 
Negroponte wouldn't have gotten funding for more teachers. Though, I 
believe if he had tried he would have. Who would argue that laptops are 
better than teachers? I guess we'll never know.

> On this point - I think the OLPC programme is best viewed as being
> ancillary to a formal education system.

Amen brother!

> In addition to this I think viewing OLPC merely in terms of education
> is a mistake, and I'd posit that it's biggest impact will be felt
> elsewhere as it helps foster economic growth and development by
> allowing communities to improve communication and gives adults (as
> well as children) more ready access to valuable online resources.
> Here the XO has the potential to provide communities with a valuable
> piece of infrastructure, and it is here that I think it's true
> strength lies.

I agree! Take for example that the success of the OLPC *may* depend on 
the software people like us write for it. I, for one, have no knowledge 
of the education world and would struggle to write software that would 
benefit kids in education. Adults in business? Now that is a different 
matter, I have 18 years experience with software in this field and if 
that was what is required I could easily add value to a group writing 
that sort of software.

> You can imagine though, how the XO needn't necessarily be deployed
> around schools, but could equally be well used within these clinics by
> staff and patients alike.  The beauty of the XO is the openness of the
> whole device to change and innovation.  A critical feature, when you
> don't really know how people are going to use it.  My only fear is
> that the projects heavy focus on educating children is a needless
> barrier to it's adoption in other settings such as this.

Now you are talking! I see the OLPC programme having huge benefits 
outside of education. Thanks for chipping in Rick, as always you get me 
thinking, that's why we, in the .Net world, like having you OS and FLOSS 
guys around, you always make us think in ways we haven't done already. I 
hope us .Net guys can do the same for you.

-- 
Cheers,
Gary
http://www.garyshort.org