10-06-2007, 03:11 PM | #1 (permalink) | ||
Tilted Cat Head
Administrator
Location: Manhattan, NY
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Buy One Laptop Give One Away
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I also have a bit of problem if the child cannot read, what good will this do for them? So the underserved nonreading child is already not able to utilize this system. In some of the schools that Skogafoss visited students shared textbooks. Shared. They didn't have one they could take home to continue to learn. Parents also sometimes don't foster learning since the immediate need is to collect money to get food and survive. I will support this out of the gate, and then decide later how much more support I can provide since again, I think that the mission is noble, but if the kids cannot read to begin with what good is it? What are your thoughts?
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10-06-2007, 03:22 PM | #2 (permalink) |
... a sort of licensed troubleshooter.
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The computer can help the person learn to read, and for $200? I'll donate a few. If others also donate one or two, we can send a lot of free laptops over there for people in need. Admittedly, I think we should be getting these people clean drinking water and food first, or maybe helping them deal with warlord, but it's helping one of the many problems people face in third world countries, so I'm all for it.
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10-06-2007, 07:26 PM | #3 (permalink) |
Pissing in the cornflakes
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My guess is the $200 is more than some of these families will make in a year.
As such I can see these being sold by said families, most likely for a few dollars to people looking to resell in cities for a profit. Its a good idea, and who knows, maybe I'm wrong, but I'd be surprised if it makes any real difference.
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Agents of the enemies who hold office in our own government, who attempt to eliminate our "freedoms" and our "right to know" are posting among us, I fear.....on this very forum. - host Obama - Know a Man by the friends he keeps. |
10-06-2007, 09:08 PM | #4 (permalink) |
will always be an Alyson Hanniganite
Location: In the dust of the archives
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Will...help me to understand you. 'Cause I ain't doin' so well on my own. You have a third world country. You have contaminated water and famine. Very little, or no, education. And you want to send 'em a few laptops...so they can learn to read? Hey, look...it's your $600, to donate as you see fit, but I would think that there are better uses for it.
Well, I guess little Umbungnu can check his myspace as dysentary and starvation sets in.
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"I distrust those people who know so well what God wants them to do because I notice it always coincides with their own desires." - Susan B. Anthony "Hedonism with rules isn't hedonism at all, it's the Republican party." - JumpinJesus It is indisputable that true beauty lies within...but a nice rack sure doesn't hurt. |
10-06-2007, 09:22 PM | #5 (permalink) |
... a sort of licensed troubleshooter.
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I already donate to other non-profits. As I said in my post, having laptops isn't the most pressing concern, as a matter of fact I named water and food as being more important, but the ability to read facilitates the ability to learn on one's own. Maybe, just maybe, they can find strength from the ability to connect to people and information, and maybe that can help to stabilize the region somewhat.
Honestly? I'd much rather donate for desalinization plants or for farming equipment, but there aren't always the right programs in place. I don't have time to tackle another non-profit, so I do what I can. |
10-06-2007, 09:30 PM | #6 (permalink) |
Insane
Location: Memphis Area
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I'd prefer for my $200 to be used to something other than getting them a laptop, like something such as food, clothing, etc....And I have a feeling they probably would too.
Either way, I'd do it, if it becomes an option -Will
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10-06-2007, 09:41 PM | #7 (permalink) | |
Junkie
Location: France
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And while I understand the concerns of money that "food is more important", etc.. This program is designed for classroom environments. For example, a class of poor children would have a laptop per child, and the children would have to bring it with them every day, and they would learn together. And honestly, it could really help the other problems of hunger disease (notably AIDS) because they'd be able to access an incredible amount of information from all-over the world. Also, these computers allow for anyone to see how the coding works in programs, and have programming applications. It's not impossible that a lot of the software development and technical assistance industry might develop in Africa. Nowadays a lot of that industry is in the Asian-Pacific region, which is partly English speaking. Many African countries are French speaking, so in the long run, European tech industries could find labor there. A lot of this may seem far-fetched, hypothetical. But while I doubt many charity programs, I think this one has true potential.
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10-06-2007, 09:54 PM | #8 (permalink) | |
will always be an Alyson Hanniganite
Location: In the dust of the archives
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"I distrust those people who know so well what God wants them to do because I notice it always coincides with their own desires." - Susan B. Anthony "Hedonism with rules isn't hedonism at all, it's the Republican party." - JumpinJesus It is indisputable that true beauty lies within...but a nice rack sure doesn't hurt. |
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10-07-2007, 05:27 AM | #9 (permalink) | |
Tilted Cat Head
Administrator
Location: Manhattan, NY
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edit: I need to doublecheck the countries wherein the program is happening. I know that Thailand is one of them, poor but does have better classroom potentials than the Philippines.
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I don't care if you are black, white, purple, green, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, hippie, cop, bum, admin, user, English, Irish, French, Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Buddhist, Muslim, indian, cowboy, tall, short, fat, skinny, emo, punk, mod, rocker, straight, gay, lesbian, jock, nerd, geek, Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, Independent, driver, pedestrian, or bicyclist, either you're an asshole or you're not. Last edited by Cynthetiq; 10-07-2007 at 05:32 AM.. |
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10-07-2007, 07:24 PM | #10 (permalink) | |
Junkie
Location: France
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Check it out: The Open Source/Freeware/Gratis Software Thread |
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10-08-2007, 04:47 AM | #11 (permalink) |
Misanthropic
Location: Ohio! yay!
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Give a man a fish, you feed him for a day, give him a laptop and he can google fishing and catch his own damn fish... Or something to that effect...
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10-16-2007, 10:30 AM | #12 (permalink) |
Dead Inside
Location: East Coast, USA
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This is a most excellent machine. I just have to get one so that I can play with it. Actually I would like to get 3 to play with and to check out its fantastic mesh network. Hmm.... $1200 seems a bit high. Maybe I'll get just one.
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11-20-2007, 09:30 AM | #13 (permalink) |
Tilted Cat Head
Administrator
Location: Manhattan, NY
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has anyone gotten one yet?
I'm thinking of buying one but will wait until I get back from the holiday... there's only 1 more week to purchase the 2 for 1 deal
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I don't care if you are black, white, purple, green, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, hippie, cop, bum, admin, user, English, Irish, French, Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Buddhist, Muslim, indian, cowboy, tall, short, fat, skinny, emo, punk, mod, rocker, straight, gay, lesbian, jock, nerd, geek, Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, Independent, driver, pedestrian, or bicyclist, either you're an asshole or you're not. |
11-20-2007, 12:08 PM | #15 (permalink) | |
Junkie
Location: San Antonio, TX
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o This is not a laptop. Well, it's not a laptop like what you'd expect to get picking one up from Walmart. The UI was developed entirely for the laptop, and is designed to be much simpler than the standard windows/mac/linux desktop look. Similarly, you won't be able to run/install 'off-the-shelf' software on the thing. o The pre-production models I tried were very, very slow. The shipping models are supposed to be a good bit better, but they'll still be fairly slow, I suspect. o These are not for what you might think of as 'third-world' countries, where people are struggling to eat. These are for children with food, clean water, housing, and schools. But in areas that are too poor to afford things like textbooks and computers. There's a whole continuum of poor people; this is targetted at a subset of them. You could certainly also donate to people who need food and clean water, but this is targetted at a different demographic entirely. |
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11-20-2007, 01:49 PM | #16 (permalink) |
Young Crumudgeon
Location: Canada
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I think anyone who tries to sell this as a panacea to cure all the world's woes is either being wildly optimistic or has a vested interest. Still, I could see the program being highly valuable. Education provides the means to betterment, and effective education begins with effective tools. If a family is struggling to eat, giving them a laptop will not solve their problems. If a child needs an education to provide a better life for him and his, this could be the means.
I unfortunately cannot spare $400 for the program (and am not certain that they're available in Canada at any rate). If I had the disposable cash though, yeah I'd do it.
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I wake up in the morning more tired than before I slept I get through cryin' and I'm sadder than before I wept I get through thinkin' now, and the thoughts have left my head I get through speakin' and I can't remember, not a word that I said - Ben Harper, Show Me A Little Shame |
11-20-2008, 04:04 PM | #17 (permalink) |
Americow, the Beautiful
Location: Washington, D.C.
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Wow, I guess I shouldn't be surprised that there are so many skeptics around here. Still, wow. I guess I might also find more negative things about it if my first or only exposure to the idea was Pogue's article. He's such a... pogue. (Word play!) It's kind of sad how this thread is yet another example of how some people like to come down on solutions for not being perfect but rarely, if ever, have any solutions of their own to offer up against the world's ills. But maybe I'm reading too much cynicism in the posts here. I just think that there are so many great ideas out there, so many ways to make change, and also so many ways in which people suffer on this planet that to rank one thing above another is less important than recognizing and showing support for the good ideas and taking part when you can. Particularly when it's made so easy. (1-click ordering... COME ON!)
Anyway, maybe it's just harder to hate on an idea when you actually see the person who thought of it talking passionately on the subject. Here's a little more background and why I was excited about it before it was easily accessible to millions of people: Nicholas Negroponte on One Laptop per Child | Video on TED.com Nicholas Negroponte on One Laptop per Child, two years on | Video on TED.com I remember watching these TED talks and thinking (a) I wish there was a way for people like me and my family to make more of this happen by sponsoring some of these laptops and (b) they sound so brilliant and unlike the stifling education kids in the U.S. currently get that I wish I could also buy them for the kids in my life. And then I stumble across the Amazon page as I am updating my wishlist for the holiday season this afternoon and I see that ALL MY WISHES HAVE COME TRUE.
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"I've missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. Twenty-six times I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed." (Michael Jordan) |
11-23-2008, 04:34 AM | #18 (permalink) |
Eponymous
Location: Central Central Florida
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When I first heard of this program a couple of years ago, the intention was to hook up these kids with kids throughout the world and to learn to encourage and satisfy their curiosity, so they could see there was more to life than they've ever been able to see.
Without knowing what's potentially out there for them, how's a child to find what to dream about?
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11-23-2008, 07:14 PM | #19 (permalink) | |
Location: Canada
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(gets onto soapbox) Stop just giving directly to charity and make a permanent difference. Create an investment account where you grow your financial house AND set aside a portion of the earnings to donate to charity. That way you can continually give without taking money of of your proverbial pocket each time, and you can keep collecting those receipts to offset your taxes. I'm all for giving to charity - but why not create a sustainable permanent structure which beats the ol' car wash and bake sale methods. (gets off soapbox) P.S. If you're Canadian I've got a tax structure that can reduce your burden and donate to charity at the same time. It's definitely an aggressive strategy, but it's the foundation block that I used to build my first million.
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