Satish Jha wrote: >I do not where we are headed with such questioning and debate.. >I believe if we are trying to cook rice, let us not talk about lentils.. > > But rice by itself is not a meal, and lentils by itself is not a meal. When you combine rice and lentils, you have a meal. We are not speaking of cooking rice, Satish, we are speaking of meals. Technology for it's own sake is rice - bland, and without flavor.
>The issue here is making computing more affordable for the poor.. > > Perhaps the issue of computing has different definitions for different people. For me, I see a car as useless unless you have somewhere to go. I see a cell phone as useless if there is no way to call, or nobody to call. I see a laptop as useless if there is no information for it to process. All these things lie dormant without infrastructure. >If someone wants to raise a question about whether computing in general does >any good without a perspective is agreed on what do we do with it.. may be >its too late in the day to take that view.. Much like twenty years ago >trying to look at the policy issue about supplying water to a population >where someone found data that the water quality will lead to a likely >incidence of cancer at the rate of two for a population of million over a >decade and someone said let us give them Perrier.. And that settled the >matter.. > > The reality of supplying water to a population with water is as much a reality now as it was 20 years ago. Perrier is a lot like this $100 laptop, actually. >In case anyone would like all the questions answered before they take the >first step, good luck to them.. But then they should not speak on behalf of >others.. > > I agree. And Negroponte, and others, should not speak on behalf of others. Governments which the UN knows marginalize their own country's civil society shouldn't be permitted to speak on behalf of the future of the use of technology for the people the UN deems them representatives of, but hey - that's why everyone is meeting in Greece again. >Computing is supposed to know more than literacy has been doing for all of >us.. Whether we use education to bomb not-proven-guilty Iraqi or lying >through their teeth bombing governments cannot be judged before we settle >the question of literacy.. Computeracy has for whatever reasons become as >important as literacy has been and if we need to discuss that, thats another >conversation.. > > Yet 'computeracy' is derivative of literacy. >Simputer is not even really a product from the definition of a product... >Paraphrasing Twain-- it may look like a product, feel like a product but >don't be fooled.. it may even become a product.. But not just as yet.. > > That's an opinion which you have failed to substantiate here and on the UN ICT Policy list. In fact, you have pointedly ignored responding to specific questions, instead relying on rhetoric. >I am amazed at the theology of Simputer.. > I remain unaware of a theology. >I have never said one thing >against Simputer save that India does not know how to create a product just >as yet.. > Shall I forward your email to the UN ICT Policy list to this list? My unanswered response? And I offer that Bill Gates disagrees with you, Satish. That's why Microsoft's products are predominantly written in India. >Even needles we have in India were created someplace else.. We have >not created a single product worth the name in 55 years of independence.. If >anyone contests that please start naming.. may be some of us get >enlightened.. And taht should be another thread of discussions.. > > What saddens me is that you fail to recognize your own country's abilities. It is no surprise that you have not 'found a product worth the name in 55 years of independence'; you do not appear interested in finding one. Perhaps you could point out some things you consider to be products to allow us some context for your opinions. You have significantly failed to respond to direct questions, Satish. Perhaps that failure to acknowledge and respond to those questions indicates that there are truths to them; rhetoric works both ways. And yet I am heartened that you fail to answer these questions, for it demonstrates to me that the Emperor, in fact, has no clothes. I must eat now. I shall combine some rice and lentils, with some other seasoning for a meal. I wish you to enjoy your bland rice. -- Taran Rampersad Presently in: San Fernando, Trinidad [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.knowprose.com http://www.easylum.net http://www.digitaldivide.net/profile/Taran Coming on January 1st, 2006: http://www.OpenDepth.com "Criticize by creating." — Michelangelo _______________________________________________ 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.
