I am glad the $100 pc generated these interesting comments again. The merits and demerits of $100 pc were discussed before in other mailing lists from all perspectives - failure of similar attempts that did not take the diverse social and economic contexts that impinge on their use into account, the cost, connectivity, capacity and content challenges facing children, parents and schools, the difference $100 pc makes compared to other tools, etc. It seems the promoters have not paid attention to what those on the ground are experiencing and saying. If I put myself in the shoes of millions of children in Africa (that I see everyday), I wouldn't give a $100 pc such a profile at such a high profile meeting. Perhaps I would do that for a $1000 school/community library where members of community contribute to and benefit from access to books, space for interaction, watching TV or listening to radio and of course to a few computers.
Impact of $100 PC aside, flying with such one idea defies and overshadows the diverse efforts needed to improve access to information and communication using mix of technologies - cell phones, radios and VOIP and working around challenges of the digital divide more creatively. The problem of the digital divide is not creative solutions for many people but rather the capacity of many people to create their own creative solutions to solve problems at hand. Thanks. Lishan ================================ Lishan Adam ICT for Development Researcher/Consultant Adjunct/Associate Professor of Information Systems P.O.Box 2308 Addis Ababa, Ethiopia [EMAIL PROTECTED] ================================== ----- Original Message ----- From: "Ken Callaghan" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "The Digital Divide Network discussion group" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Wednesday, November 23, 2005 5:14 PM Subject: RE: [DDN] $100 laptop > Top of the morning to you all!! > > This laptop really has promoted a lot of discussion, and what seems to > promote this high level of interest is the price tag - $100 for a > laptop. > > The digital divide is not just about money. Granted, there are people > who would like to have a computer who can't afford one and there is no > doubt that if a laptop for $100 was available there is a market for it > i.e. those that want one and see it as a way of getting one at a price > they can afford. > > But then look at the bigger picture. Organisations spend hours and hours > filling in forms in the hope of obtaining funding so that they can > provide training opportunities for far less than $100, and often at no > cost at all - yet when they get the funding they then have to market the > opportunities and > > We offer people the use of $0 computers!! $0 training and $0 help and > advice. I work on a project where Hewlett Packard has set up computer > suites in Belfast where anyone can walk in and use the computers and > printers free of charge. They can browse the internet and get help and > advice from staff, and all without any charge, yet hours of time has to > be spent encouraging people to come in and avail of their $0 computers. > > There are people who will buy anything just to have it, and I would make > an educated guess that if people bought or were given $100 laptops many > would be gathering dust in a short space of time. I accept that there > are those who would really benefit from the facility, but perhaps not on > the scale we would expect. > > I would contend that price is not as important an issue as is made out, > but I expect to be shot down in flames for saying that - but then that's > the nature of a debate! The bottom line is that people value most the > things that cost them most. > > Ken Callaghan > > > Ken Callaghan MA. B.Ed. D.A.S.E. > Digital Communities Project Manager > c/o Belfast Education & Library Board > 40 Academy Street > Belfast BT1 2NQ > > Tel 028 9056 4263 (Direct line) > Mobile 078 66 55 77 83 > > > > ########################################### > > This message has been scanned by F-Secure Anti-Virus for Microsoft > Exchange. > For more information, connect to http://www.F-Secure.com/ > > > > This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. > If you have received this email in error please notify the originator of the message. > Any views expressed in this message are those of the individual sender. > This message has been scanned for viruses and spam by SurfControl RiskFilter - E-mail. > > _______________________________________________ > DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list > DIGITALDIVIDE@mailman.edc.org > http://mailman.edc.org/mailman/listinfo/digitaldivide > To unsubscribe, send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the word UNSUBSCRIBE in the body of the message. > > > _______________________________________________ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list DIGITALDIVIDE@mailman.edc.org http://mailman.edc.org/mailman/listinfo/digitaldivide To unsubscribe, send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the word UNSUBSCRIBE in the body of the message.
