Comments on: One Laptop Per Child Disaster? http://rkware.com/2009/03/one-laptop-per-child-disaster/ Just another WordPress weblog Wed, 27 Jan 2010 05:02:29 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: RyanK http://rkware.com/2009/03/one-laptop-per-child-disaster/comment-page-1/#comment-5 RyanK Fri, 06 Mar 2009 17:30:54 +0000 http://rkware.com/?p=17#comment-5 Not sure exactly what point your making, but I totally agree that just by throwing laptops at the underprivileged will not elevate their standard of living. That will only come from a desire for them to improve themselves. Also, I completely agree that without the proper tools, there's little chance of success. In that sense, OLPC is a very noble cause. The point of the blog post was referring to qualities of the Internet as a whole, and whether or not that is sustainable. The book is an interesting read, but the review does a good job of summarizing some of the issues raised in the book if you can't commit to reading the whole thing. Most interesting was the discussion around the generativity of the Internet, and how non-generative technology may become dominant and stiffle innovation or a lack of protection against malicious inventions. Its a difficult balancing act indeed! Not sure exactly what point your making, but I totally agree that just by throwing laptops at the underprivileged will not elevate their standard of living. That will only come from a desire for them to improve themselves.

Also, I completely agree that without the proper tools, there’s little chance of success. In that sense, OLPC is a very noble cause.

The point of the blog post was referring to qualities of the Internet as a whole, and whether or not that is sustainable. The book is an interesting read, but the review does a good job of summarizing some of the issues raised in the book if you can’t commit to reading the whole thing.

Most interesting was the discussion around the generativity of the Internet, and how non-generative technology may become dominant and stiffle innovation or a lack of protection against malicious inventions. Its a difficult balancing act indeed!

]]> By: Tim http://rkware.com/2009/03/one-laptop-per-child-disaster/comment-page-1/#comment-2 Tim Fri, 06 Mar 2009 07:55:15 +0000 http://rkware.com/?p=17#comment-2 "If you want to build a ship, don't drum up the men to gather wood, divide the work and give orders. Instead, teach them to yearn for the vast and endless sea." - Antoine de Saint Exupery I don't really care about OLPC but I do think that political freedom, and really any kind of freedom, can only be taken, not given. And the courage to take that freedom will come from education that they get from their laptops. By learning about the way things should be they will begin to "yearn for the vast and endless sea". “If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up the men to gather wood, divide the work and give orders. Instead, teach them to yearn for the vast and endless sea.” – Antoine de Saint Exupery

I don’t really care about OLPC but I do think that political freedom, and really any kind of freedom, can only be taken, not given. And the courage to take that freedom will come from education that they get from their laptops. By learning about the way things should be they will begin to “yearn for the vast and endless sea”.

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