Re: [DDN] multi-lingual coding issues (resubmission)
[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Alan Gerstle [EMAIL PROTECTED] I believe that the refusal of Americans to take second-language learning seriously is at least a part of the problem. While technophiles on all education levels are enthusiastic about learning new coding languages and new software, at least those in the United States find it anathema to study a second language long enough to become proficient in it. This creates not only a divide, but a certain presumption that others should learn English. Copying the CARDICIS list since it's related to culture and ICT, and I'm also involved there... I won't single out Americans and the American education system. In How To Become a Hacker, one of the things that Eric Raymond wrote was 'learn functional English' (http://catb.org/~esr/faqs/hacker-howto.html#skills4 ) which reeks a bit of Anglophone hubris, poorly propped up by the tendency of Linus Torvalds to comment in English. I view it mainly as an issue related to the web as it originated in an Anglophone country; the United States. FUNREDES (http://www.funredes.org ) has done studies demonstrating an increase of content languages other than English. What English does do, and has done, is allowed a common language for commenting. Had the internet originated in the Amazon Basin, we'd probably all be on the other side of the digital divide because of the linguistic divide. All of that said, the coming years will sneak linguistic changes on the web into younger generations. We're already seeing it, but segregations between language labels often act as blinders for the mavens of each language. The internet may well begin to look like Isaac Newton's notes... which he wrote in a variety of languages mixed together. I daresay something like that will never be able to be taught in a school; peers are the only answer. :-) -- Taran Rampersad Presently in: San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago [EMAIL PROTECTED] Always looking for contracts! http://www.knowprose.com/node/9786 New!: http://www.OpenDepth.com http://www.knowprose.com http://www.digitaldivide.net/profile/Taran Pictures: http://www.flickr.com/photos/knowprose/ 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.
Re: [DDN] Woops! - OLPC says We don't have the 4 million OLPC orders we said we did yesterday
[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: http://uk.news.yahoo.com/01082006/152/laptop-child-order-reports-incorrect.html Reports that Brazil, Nigeria, Argentina and Thailand have each committed to buying a million laptops from the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) programme are incorrect, a spokesperson for the project has told ZDNet UK. We have not signed any agreements for orders, but we are in communication with the countries mentioned. OLPC has asked that all interested parties wait to see a working machine before placing their orders, the spokesperson said on Tuesday. Nice. I wonder if Program Director for Middle East and Africa Khaled Hassounah, the source of yesterday's 4 million orders story is looking for a new job now? Ouch. On the flip side, this could have been a linguistic translation problem between program directors. That's the best case I could offer... the worst case is over-exuberance or outright lieing. I'm happier thinking it was a translation wobble. -- Taran Rampersad Presently in: San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago [EMAIL PROTECTED] Always looking for contracts! http://www.knowprose.com/node/9786 New!: http://www.OpenDepth.com http://www.knowprose.com http://www.digitaldivide.net/profile/Taran Pictures: http://www.flickr.com/photos/knowprose/ 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.
Re: [DDN] Fwd: $14 Million Study Proves (???) Student LaptopsIneffectiveAcademically
This is gold, though I don't know that the tenth grade student is average by any stretch. And to balance it, I suppose we need this discussion with the average students - which, I believe, is the point that Shantanu is circuitously making - or not. Satish Jha wrote: A note from a tenth grade student -- Forwarded message -- From: shantanu jha [EMAIL PROTECTED] Date: Jul 28, 2006 11:12 PM Subject: Re: $14 Million Study Proves (???) Student LaptopsIneffectiveAcademically To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] The fundamental problem with laptops and mathematics/science is that there is just not enough computer science taught today. It is impossible to be a mathematician or scientist these days without being heavily involved in the use of computer modeling. Every mathematician, scientist, and engineer will have to become fluent in the use of Mathematica, Maple, MATLAB, or some other computer algebra system, and this cannot be done without computer science. The links between mathematics and computer science are incredibly far-reaching as well, giving considerable pedagogical value to the use of computers in mathematics. For example, any given for or while loop we use is basically a finite induction process directly analogous to the method of inductive proof we use constantly in mathematics. Recursion, another oft used computer science technique, appears often when we deal with generating functions and recurrence relations - which, in turn, are two of the areas of mathematics that lend themselves best to analysis via computer science methods. I'll only comment briefly on reading. There is no good reason that one can't read as much with the use of a laptop and the internet than with a book. Give someone a laptop with internet access, and they have a key to an immense amount of online material. Whether it is reading the classics or reading a math textbook, there is almost always an online alternative that is cheaper than buying a book. Merely go to http://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/ and search for any great work of literature and it shall be found. Of course, everything I said does not apply to the average student. However, for the student that enjoys the tools that laptops offer for academics, it is an invaluable tool. I think introducing technology into schools today suffers from much the same problem as U.S public schools do on a broader level - no matter what new and innovative teaching method you may have, the students that don't want to learn will not. While engaging the students with images and technology may help, the students have to meet you half way there. -- Taran Rampersad Presently in: San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago [EMAIL PROTECTED] Always looking for contracts! http://www.knowprose.com/node/9786 New!: http://www.OpenDepth.com http://www.knowprose.com http://www.digitaldivide.net/profile/Taran Pictures: http://www.flickr.com/photos/knowprose/ 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.
Re: [DDN] microsoft conspiracies
Phil Shapiro wrote: steve, this is a good question. openoffice.org is a gateway drug. (in a good sense.) people who transition to openoffice.org on windows are far more likely to transition to openoffice.org on linux down the road. Umm. I have yet to see data which supports this. In my experience, people who use OpenOffice.org on Windows... keep using Windows. I end up having to use Windows a lot myself, mainly because of the market of users - more than I really like - but the combination of SeaMonkey (Mozilla evolved) and OpenOffice.org makes Windows pretty robust for the purposes which I use it for. I can list over 100 (and that's a low estimate) times I have switched people from Microsoft Office/Internet Explorer to OpenOffice/Firefox/Seamonkey. I can count on my fingers how many people/businesses I have helped transition from Windows to Linux. For either, I have not been chased out of town. The reason is simple: These options are plug in replacements. Linux is not. So I wouldn't say that OpenOffice.org is a 'gateway drug'. In the end, I agree with Torvald's statement that an operating system should be invisible to a user. And I think the 'OS Wars' that started in the 1980s and crept into the 1990s are simply being kept alive by the media. The internet has equalized a lot of this in the last 10 years (it's been 10 years), and you can use your toaster if you want to - as long as I can read what you write, listen to what you say, etc. Operating systems don't matter. Standards do. I'd prefer people focused on standards that allowed communication instead of operating system holy wars. :-) their main work app will have fit them like a glove by then -- and making the jump to linux would be far less intimidating. I've never seen this. in the evolution of things, things evolve along certain predictable paths. in such cases, familiarity breeds attempt. Being familiar with OpenOffice does not make one familiar with Linux. O.o -- Taran Rampersad Presently in: San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago [EMAIL PROTECTED] Always looking for contracts! http://www.knowprose.com/node/9786 New!: http://www.OpenDepth.com http://www.knowprose.com http://www.digitaldivide.net/profile/Taran Pictures: http://www.flickr.com/photos/knowprose/ 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.
Re: [DDN] microsoft conspiracies
Stephen Snow wrote: Phil, et. al., I wonder why, if microsoft has a hand in manipulating barnes noble offerings, so many LINUX books are available at BN? Seems to me that would be a much greater threat than openoffice. And what about PlayStation 2 tips tricks? The list actually could go on a bit. OpenOffice seems more like a gnat to the Linux Africanized bee. In my opinion. Steve Snow I think it boils down to 'What Geeks Buy'. Publishers are not trying to bridge anything, they try to produce books that people with disposable income will buy. I can *want* all sorts of books on the shelves, but in the end the market has a heavy hand in saying what gets published. Just to keep everyone on their toes - remember a few people are releasing their books under Creative Commons licenses as well, and that they make a free version available on the internet. So what I don't get here in the hyperbole - and remember, I get painted as a FOSS advocate by both sides of the fence - what I don't get is why these books aren't being released in a similar fashion? The answer to that question is what the answer to the OpenOffice.org book is. And if anyone knows that answer - don't tell anyone, start your own publishing company. :-) -- Taran Rampersad Presently in: San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago [EMAIL PROTECTED] Always looking for contracts! http://www.knowprose.com/node/9786 New!: http://www.OpenDepth.com http://www.knowprose.com http://www.digitaldivide.net/profile/Taran Pictures: http://www.flickr.com/photos/knowprose/ 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.
Re: [DDN] user demand for openoffice 2.0 books
I'd suggest that this is alarmist. The publishing industry is changing, and I think that the demographic of people who do use OpenOffice are familiar and increasingly familiar with online documentation. The problem with print publication is that it lags software. Check out the sale books on Microsoft Office, and you'll probably see a lot of books dormant, occupying space - a reminder that software technology still moves faster than the publishing industry. And the recording industry. And the movie industry. And the Phil Shapiro wrote: hi Digital Divide Network community - the most talented author of books about openoffice, solveig haughland, blogs that barnes and nobles is telling her publisher that there is no real demand for openoffice books and that they won't stock her excellent new openoffice 2.0 book. see http://openoffice.blogs.com/ microsoft in the past has resorted to all sorts of underhanded tactics. i don't know if they're resorting to paying barnes and noble to not stock openoffice.org books, but it would not surprise me if they were. you can do something about this if you live in the united states (or canada.) simply call your local barnes and noble bookstore and inquire if they sell any books about openoffice.org you can bet barnes and nobles keeps track of what books people are asking for. please don't call barnes and nobles unless you actually would buy an openoffice book. i'm not asking folks to create an artificial demand for the book. i'm just asking folks to speak up if this new openoffice.org book (and other openoffice.org books) are something you would want to see on a barnes and noble bookstore shelf. - phil Digg http://tinyurl.com/fknbx Phil Shapiro [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.digitaldivide.net/profile/pshapiro http://philsrssfeed.blogspot.com http://www.his.com/pshapiro/stories.menu.html Wisdom starts with wonder. - Socrates Learning happens through gentleness. ___ 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. -- Taran Rampersad Presently in: San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago [EMAIL PROTECTED] Always looking for contracts! http://www.knowprose.com/node/9786 New!: http://www.OpenDepth.com http://www.knowprose.com http://www.digitaldivide.net/profile/Taran Pictures: http://www.flickr.com/photos/knowprose/ 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.
Re: [DDN] Nicholas Negroponte- ISTE NECC Speech
My thoughts on all of this are pretty well documented, but I'll just mention briefly - again - that the cost of the laptops viewed alone may seem worthwhile to some and not worthwhile to others. However, when looked at in the context of a national economy, I find the Negroponte initiative indefensible and have found no one with a suitable defense for expending that much on something while not extending a technological, financial or even societal infrastructure. Further, it assures a dependency on a hardware and support infrastructure which will be handled by the same governments and entities which could not provide appropriate infrastructure in the first place. It's cold, it's hard, it's true. Unfortunately, the iceberg that sank the Titanic didn't get named. But we all remember the Titanic. I'd also like to note that 'success', as usual, appears to be used in many different contexts here. What is success for this initiative? Yes, it's quite *cool* that there's a neon-colored thing out there with these abilities - send me one, I'll evaluate it instead of speculate - but I believe that this laptop will only guarantee that children will continue to be born naked. It also manages to get a lot of publicity for a certain person who apparently should just trademark the thing and be done with it. The only thing I can see that is substantially worthwhile about the initiative is that it's promoting discussion, but the discussion itself seems to be a wavering defense of what promises so much for those with so little. Cerveza Libre! -- Taran Rampersad Presently in: San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago [EMAIL PROTECTED] Always looking for contracts! http://www.knowprose.com/node/9786 New!: http://www.OpenDepth.com http://www.knowprose.com http://www.digitaldivide.net/profile/Taran Pictures: http://www.flickr.com/photos/knowprose/ 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.
Re: [DDN] Missing the point .....
Don Cameron wrote: Hi again Taran, Being very aware this is becoming a one-to-one; as such potentially inappropriate for a discussion list - may I nonetheless request our moderators continued tolerance and understanding. Hopefully this is of some interest to other readers and some may choose to contribute. Actually, I'm self moderated and see no need to continue this discussion. It's in your interest to defend your decisions for your project. From what I've seen, you're defending what you've done in your project. I've got no ownership issues, so it's not in my interests to change your mind. I've expressed myself quite clearly in the context of your project. If you don't like it, my feelings aren't hurt. Have fun with your proprietary formulae; if I can't critique it and I can't see it then I can have no effect on it. Thus, I have to say that the example you've given cannot be discussed in the context of which I am discussing, and therefore to me it simply does not exist - therefore, I should go on doing other things which are productive. Cheers! -- Taran Rampersad Presently in: San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago [EMAIL PROTECTED] Always looking for contracts! http://www.knowprose.com/node/9786 New!: http://www.OpenDepth.com http://www.knowprose.com http://www.digitaldivide.net/profile/Taran Pictures: http://www.flickr.com/photos/knowprose/ 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.
Re: [DDN] Missing the point .....
just disgusting. What a wonderful place bureaucrats have made our planet, wouldn't you say? But the contract these employees were held to, and the fact that they upheld it, was targeted in this article. If this were a disaster management model, it would crucified in the same way. And police forces and firefighters may have more to lose in PR than an emergency room. That's part of the job, Dave. In Naval Hospital Orlando at the Emergency Department, we had one retiree's wife drive all the way from Cocoa Beach with her husband who had a heart attack. When he got there, rigor mortis was setting in. She came to our hospital because it's what she understood her insurance options were retirees got free medical at the Naval Hospitals, probably still do (under the new Air Force/Army/Navy system), so despite the fact there were hospitals which were much closer and could have saved lives, or that an ambulance could have been called, these elderly people hopped into their car and one of them made it to the hospital as the doctor pronounced the man dead on arrival. I was there. She desperately wanted us to do something, and there was nothing we could do. She was angry. She was upset. And she had a right to be. She wasn't wrong. She was just not very well informed. Had she been informed, her husband might have lived to celebrate their next wedding anniversary. What's the price of knowledge? What's the price of one human life? Recently, an uncle passed away at the cost of four nails and some attention to detail. Everything was done right at the hospital, every doctor and nurse and orderly did the right things. But two days later, he died due to an acute myocardial infarction, possibly because of the compression in his spine between C3 and C7 - which may have caused his lungs to stop working. Understanding how his body shut down helped the family, but it certainly didn't make a case for the missing 4 nails. So there was anger in the family about the medical system, about other things... and I explained that things were done right, as did Doctors and Nurses in the family. But at that emotional time, they lashed out at anyone. That is normal. But now everyone understand the issue to be 4 nails. And while no lawsuits will be filed (carpenters aren't well paid here), a little ripple has gone through the people around and it says, 'pay attention to what you are leaning on and who last worked on it'. So there's some knowledge running around which might help other people. The Emergency Department at Orlando taught me much about that. I almost went to Captain's Mast (non-judicial punishment) twice during my service. One was for commandeering a colonel's jeep when a Marine couldn't breath in Okinawa, the other was when I 'assaulted' the XO a gurney as I was running a patient to have a CT done during a 19 year old male having a cardiovascular accident. I was later commended for using my judgement to *break* some rules to get my job done because everyone remembered why I was there. Most importantly, I remembered why I was there. The bottom line is that people die. What is sad is that many die for want of understanding how things work, or because some people with pens and paper write things that do not fit all scenarios- oddly enough, quite similar to Don's original point. The problem is that in Don's scenario, I do not believe it passes the recursion test... it's true at one level, but the basis of that truth is questionable the lower you go. And that's where we start learning things, and where people who value what is written over human lives get perturbed. They forget that every process is supposed to be improved, and that the core of what the process is supposed to do in medical and emergency settings is sacred. Of course, my schooling in medicine was a bit different: http://www.montney.com/marine/corpsman.htm -- Taran Rampersad Presently in: San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago [EMAIL PROTECTED] Always looking for contracts! http://www.knowprose.com/node/9786 New!: http://www.OpenDepth.com http://www.knowprose.com http://www.digitaldivide.net/profile/Taran Pictures: http://www.flickr.com/photos/knowprose/ 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.
Re: [DDN] Missing the point .....
Hopping in. Don Cameron wrote: The term Open Source Evangelist (Wikipedia ref: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open-source_evangelist) has common use however my apologies if you find the term misleading; activist if you prefer. I think quite a few people find such labels misleading. I've never heard someone call themselves an 'Open Source Evangelist', that certainly would be an acid test. They certainly do exist. But Evangelists are what they are regardless of what there are evangelizing. It's certainly true that the messenger and the message should be separated, but reflexive labeling is not something I think is conducive to any relationships - and therefore, networks. Hence my introduction to this thread was simply to highlight how the fact as written and promoted to our DDN membership is really not as factual as portrayed... To state that: Proprietary software is written by companies with the primary goal to satisfy shareholders aspirations by increasing market share... Is not true of all circumstances; is not factual in all circumstances. This is a motherhood statement designed to project a negative image of a competing methodology. A marketing ploy. Sometimes true; often false. Yes - and no. Don, you've expressed an opinin - as have others. The truth is that - if you look behind any proprietary umbrella - you can find a business model that leverages proprietary licensing. The reasoning behind having proprietary code to protect an equation does not make anything but business sense. That's not good or bad, it is what it is. If I don't want people using an algorithm, there has to be a reason. If you're going to tell me that the reason - in your example - that some code is proprietary is *not* because of direct or indirect financial reasons (the latter appearing to be appropriate in your example), that's fine. But it doesn't make it so. You've made a judgement in your project. That's fine with me. Proprietary licensing exists only to protect someone's interests. In your example, I see that this applies. Most of the time, these interests are financial. I suppose not making public an algorithm that could be used for humane purposes may not be financial (and I find that to be a stretch), but someone's interests are at heart. If it's not your interests - and I know that they are not - it's probably in the interests of the people who allowed you to use the algorithm. Nobody here that I know of has used a 'marketing ploy' for Open Source/Free Software. There are certainly advocates, and each advocates has their own reasons for advocating things. I don't know that anyone has hyped anything BUT proprietary technologies, and you seem to be finding yourself in an uncomfortable position between proprietary and FOSS. That's OK. Perhaps you could tell us who insisted that some of your code be proprietary? That much of Microsoft Office was itself copied from other non-MS proprietary applications like Star Writer, Perfect Writer and Perfect Calc (and others) is further testimony of the way proprietary software contributes to software development and evolution. No. It just means that you can get stuff before they change laws so that it's illegal for others who follow to do. Yes I agree OSS offers enormous benefits to society... No I do not agree that OSS is a mouse in any context other than in the games of OSS marketers. To be objective is to acknowledge that benefits and pitfalls exist in all development methodologies. I'm sorry Don, I don't believe you're making sense. Call me an evangelist, call me an advocate, call me Bob. Call me what you will. When proprietary licensing is used, it's to protect *something* for *someone*. Maybe you've used proprietary code in such a manner, but whoever required that some code be proprietary licensed did so for a reason. Unfortunately, since you've been exposed to that code which means any innovation you do related to code which does similar things would be suspect. I don't envy your position. You made a choice. Maybe for you it is the right choice. Maybe for your project it was the right choice. But in the wording of your response. There are some merits in what you say. Some FOSS advocates are certainly characters. But I don't think you have the right to say this: Hence my introduction to this thread was simply to highlight how the fact as written and promoted to our DDN membership is really not as factual as portrayed... I don't see what you have to gain by making sweeping statements against people within the DDN membership who have expressed generalizations which are about as accurate as your specific example - perhaps more. Really, Don, if you think that people run around and proprietarily license things for no reason, and you are right, then I have need of lithium. Perhaps you could explain this in better detail than you have so far. -- Taran Rampersad Presently in: San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago
Re: [DDN] Missing the point .....
Jesse Sinaiko wrote: Making the OS an application-heavy bit of one size-fits-all software actually limits choice and stifles innovation, in spite of Steve Ballmer's assertion that the only innovative operation on the planet is MS. In this sense, the last real OS put out by MS was Windows 2000 in 1999, and that had a lot of superfluous gunk in it too. As long as MS can play with the language and call their Windows software an operating system we will be stuck in this debate. Maybe if we can think up a term to correctly characterize Windows as something other than an OS we will have taken a step forward. We can then look at real operating systems and deal with Windows in the niche it actually belongs in, which is not the OS space IMHO. Jesse Sinaiko Chicago, IL You know, I never quite looked at it this way... thanks for this gift. :-) -- Taran Rampersad Presently in: San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago [EMAIL PROTECTED] Always looking for contracts! http://www.knowprose.com/node/9786 New!: http://www.OpenDepth.com http://www.knowprose.com http://www.digitaldivide.net/profile/Taran Pictures: http://www.flickr.com/photos/knowprose/ 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.
Re: [DDN] Missing the point .....
Tom Brough wrote: Certification is a double edged sword. On the one hand it gives employers an indication that you have the skills they need, and on the other its courses are usually provided by vendors of the software, which encourages lock-in culture (either by accident or design). However there are (office suite neutral) alternatives. There are people who think that certification should show skill and aptitude, and flexible thinking rather than ability to follow prescribed paths and actions blindly and unwaveringly. In a url http://www.theingots.org/ You can do this in MS Office or OpenOffice the choice is yours . The world IS changing .. Wow. Thanks for this Tom, it was completely off of my radar! :-) -- Taran Rampersad Presently in: San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago [EMAIL PROTECTED] Always looking for contracts! http://www.knowprose.com/node/9786 New!: http://www.OpenDepth.com http://www.knowprose.com http://www.digitaldivide.net/profile/Taran Pictures: http://www.flickr.com/photos/knowprose/ 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.
Re: [DDN] Missing the point .....
for the good of the community. Free Software/Open Source software vendors also commit to their market share and shareholders. All things being equal, the market share and shareholders for the commercial entities are one and the same - at least for now. DDN will always consist of members trying to assist bridging the digital divide, in the way they know best. For me software that is a community owned asset is the only way to assist a community struggling to get up on the first step of the ICT ladder. Communities NEED software that they can adapt to their own needs, cultural outlooks and values. There may be bugs, there may be stability problems, but they will have the power to decide what needs fixing and what needs adapting and they will have the right and the resources to take appropriate action and ultimately contribute back to the community as a whole. For me proprietary software has none of the attributes that encourage sustainable, independent, organic growth of ICT applications. On the contary proprietary software builds in a dependancy culture that prohibits local innovation, limits local economy growth and leads to intellectual stagnation. And that is why I will remain an advocate for free software development. Tom Brough My main reasons for supporting Free Software/Open Source (FOSS), especially in the context of the digital divide, are: (1) Teach people how to fish instead of giving them fish, so that they are independent. (2) Open Standards typically are found within Free Software/Open Source, which promotes interoperability and decrease costs by allowing input from everyone. Proprietary standards are exclusive, and are meant to standardize based on what one company or group of companies feels is right. (3) Businesses/NGOs can modify FOSS or have it modified for them even in very small markets, whereas these small markets may be unimportant to proprietary vendors. (4) A culture of openness and transparency allows rapid growth for large groups of people. A closed culture allows only a small group of people to grow at the cost of the growth of larger groups of people. There are a few more, I'm sure. -- Taran Rampersad Presently in: San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago [EMAIL PROTECTED] Always looking for contracts! http://www.knowprose.com/node/9786 New!: http://www.OpenDepth.com http://www.knowprose.com http://www.digitaldivide.net/profile/Taran Pictures: http://www.flickr.com/photos/knowprose/ 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.
[DDN] SMS Messaging By Example.
I recently posted on MobileActive that a group which I have never communicated with has set up something that I have been harping about for some time. They had an SMS number dedicated for emergencies, and immediately after the earthquake, it saw action and did what - in my eyes - technology is supposed to do. http://www.mobileactive.org/node/2001 This is a wonderful use of technology, and something which I am very, very glad to see being used in such dire circumstances. It is somewhat amusing that, until today, I had no contact with these people whatsoever. It's wonderful to see that somewhere else, similar ideas were allowed to be put into use. As you will note in the comment I made on the link in response to Katrin, setting this up is something any community can do - as Andy Carvin has pointed out as well. There are many ways to do this, but it boils down to a dedicated phone number for this - like '911' - which can accept the text messages. A server, such as an Asterisk server (Open Source PBX software), converts the message into a format which can be displayed on a web server, or by email, or both. And suddenly, you don't have to depend on Lassie to tell you that Little Timmy Fell Down The Well. Just make sure Little Timmy has a mobile phone and can use SMS. Hats off to JALIN Merapi (http://merapi.combine.or.id/ ). I will insist that people not bug the administrators there right now, as they are dealing with people's lives and our questions, however important we may think that they are, aren't worth losing one person. But take a peek at what your community could do. This is an excellent project for a civic minded Linux User Group, since it can all revolve around Free Software/Open Source *and* the hardware. What you may want to do in the interim - with Hurricane Season started, and earthquakes rumbling around the planet - is really simple. Do yourself a favor. Ask your community leaders why you don't have this set up within your community... Where even 911 operators can monitor it. Just in case Timmy does fall down the well. -- Taran Rampersad Presently in: San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago [EMAIL PROTECTED] Always looking for contracts! http://www.knowprose.com/node/9786 New!: http://www.OpenDepth.com http://www.knowprose.com http://www.digitaldivide.net/profile/Taran Pictures: http://www.flickr.com/photos/knowprose/ 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.
Re: [DDN] Remixing the web for social change
I want to preface this carefully. This isn't meant in a bad way - just a realistic way. It's not even a criticism. It's an observation, a question, and maybe a bit more - the idea is to get some people thinking, if possible. When there is an aggregation of information which is edited before consumption, is that citizen's media? It seems to me that it's a reinvention of the same thing that we had already. I'm a big fan of molecular media myself, and I see the sites mentioned below as molar - akin to traditional media. I don't know that 'citizens media' is an appropriate name, but I can't think of a better one. The only real difference are who the editors are. Ethan was pretty candid when I communicated something along the lines of this to him, so it's a recognized problem. Fred Mindlin wrote: Democracy Now! is broadcasting from Stanford University in Palo Alto, California where the inaugural TechSoup NetSquared Conference is being held. The theme of this year’s conference is “Remixing the web for social change.” It’s bringing together representatives from the technology and non-profit sectors to talk about new ways of using the web and technology for social ends. [includes rush transcript] Today we host a roundtable discussion with three people who have been using the internet to help create a citizen’s media. From Brazil to Korea to all over Africa, they’re helping everyday people write articles, produce videos and maintain weblogs about what’s going on in their communities: * Hong Eun-taek, editor-in-chief of the International edition of OhmyNews.com, one of the largest participatory journalism news sites on the internet. The Korean site has about 40,000 citizen reporters that contribute their own stories. The International edition publishes articles submitted by 600 own citizen reporters scattered across 60 countries. * Ethan Zuckerman, blogger and activist. Zuckerman is a Research fellow at the Berkman Center for Internet and Society at Harvard Law School. He is co-founder of Global Voices, a project designed to feature citizen-created media from around the world. He writes about Africa, international development and the media at his website, www.EthanZuckerman.com. * Saori Fotenos, a Reuters Digital Vision Fellow at Stanford University. She is founder and director of Vamos Blogar (“Let”s Blog”). Vamos Blogar is a literacy program that teaches children in urban areas of Brazil about weblogging and other forms of media. http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/05/31/1330245 -- Taran Rampersad Presently in: San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago [EMAIL PROTECTED] Looking for contracts/work! http://www.knowprose.com/node/9786 New!: http://www.OpenDepth.com http://www.knowprose.com http://www.digitaldivide.net/profile/Taran Pictures: http://www.flickr.com/photos/knowprose/ 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.
Re: [DDN] overview of Pew report on broadband access and online publishing
Andy, Oddly enough I was looking at similar numbers when I looked at Democracy, Weblogs and Media http://www.knowprose.com/node/15180 The clincher here is that since 2002, internet penetration has doubled globally - with over 1 billion users worldwide out of a potential 6.6 billion. Yet, Technorati monitors 42 million weblogs (as of last night). It started with 12,000 in November of 2002. From the figures I saw... not the ones you see... 0.64618396230300616502886674536798% of people on the planet have a weblog. 4.1061205062857924964161413603235% of internet users on the planet have a weblog. I'll look at your numbers shortly, and do some more crunching. If there are better numbers for global internet penetration, global population and weblogs - I am quite interested. Andy Carvin wrote: Hi everyone, I've just posted an overview of the latest report from the Pew Internet American Life Project, which focuses on home broadband access in the US and who's posting content to the Internet. Broadband access is up across the board, with middle income family access growing at the fastest rate. English-speaking Latinos are now almost as likely (41%) to have broadband at home as white families (42%), while African American families lag a bit behind (31%). Income and education levels continue to remain major barriers, though growth was seen at all levels. DSL access has become more affordable, though many more households cite speed as their reason for getting broadband (57%) compared to the lowering of cost (3%), suggesting that more people are willing to pay for it in order to gain the benefits of high-speed access. To me, though, the most interesting part of the report focuses on online content publishing. Overall, 35% of Internet users - 48 million people - have posted content to the Internet. Broadband users are more likely to post online content than dialup users - 42% versus 27%. This is especially true of bloggers and people who manage their own websites. While an average of eight percent of Internet users publish their own blog, 11% of broadband users had blogs, compared to only four percent of dialup users. And amazingly, lower-income users were a bit more likely to post content online than higher-income users, while whites _lagged_ behind African Americans and English-speaking Latinos - 32%, 39% and 42% respectively. You can download the 26-page report here: http://www.pewinternet.org/PPF/r/184/report_display.asp My overview of it can be found here: http://www.andycarvin.com permalink: http://www.andycarvin.com/archives/2006/06/new_report_says_broa.html -- Taran Rampersad Presently in: San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago [EMAIL PROTECTED] Looking for contracts/work! http://www.knowprose.com/node/9786 New!: http://www.OpenDepth.com http://www.knowprose.com http://www.digitaldivide.net/profile/Taran Pictures: http://www.flickr.com/photos/knowprose/ 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.
Re: [DDN] As the Internet fragments
Norbert Bollow wrote: Taran Rampersad [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: If there are no agreements to cooperate in regulating the internet, Is there yet any reasonable, well-thought-out proposal on what aspects of the internetshould be regulated, and how? That's what WGIG was supposed to do. But basically they said they would talk about it later, in Greece. Perhaps they wanted a change in menu. :-) I lean toward a technological commons and the regulation being of people. -- Taran Rampersad Presently in: San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago [EMAIL PROTECTED] Looking for contracts/work! http://www.knowprose.com/node/9786 New!: http://www.OpenDepth.com http://www.knowprose.com http://www.digitaldivide.net/profile/Taran Pictures: http://www.flickr.com/photos/knowprose/ 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.
Re: [DDN] deploy deploy deploy
to put productive Free/Open Source tools out into the community. We need working models like this. Yes. But the access centers need to be culturally relevant to the location. Recently, an IT center opened up in a mandir (temple) in Guyana. As some of you know, I believe in separation between technology and religion, but in this case it was culturally relevant: Everyone in the area goes to the mandir regularly. So it works. And it's also monitored by adults at all times; adults who are respected members of the community. So maybe I need to reconsider that strong position which I have, that's OK, but it is also too early to judge whether it is a success. 2) Wireless Community Networks... Cities are falling over themselves to deploy Wireless Muni Networks. They are generally following a model whereby a single vendor will take all in response to an RFP. Will we like the networks we get under such a framework? Doubtful. There are much better technology alternatives but those making the decisions are not giving them due consideration. Community groups in Portland, Seattle, Austin and Champaign-Urbana have pioneered models in the States. For example, the CUWiN Mesh networking model allows for a 'community intranet' For those of us who appreciate the end-to-end design of the Internet, this may seem redundant. But we know that in practice if you wish to share content throughout your neighborhood, we've pretty much been adhering to an inefficient model for all our communications: our requests go up through to our service provider and down to the source of the content and then back again. What if the content resides a few doors down? What if we wanted to communicate using mobile VoIP? What if we could cut out the middle man that wants to make every application a service and intends to privilege the services they provide and possibly blocking the tools others provide or that you could provide yourself? . In Chicago chifi.net was exploring this. We lost steam. (Note: wireless is not the only model for community owned networks... ) I'd love to have community owned networks in the Caribbean region, but policy... los politicos loco... 3) Production of Local Content in Multiple Media. Jeff Gerhardt of the Linux Show claims that a basic Internet Content production set-up (for audio or audio-video) can be set up for about $1300. (excluding connectivity) I'm sure the cost can be lower with a bit of equipment scavenging. Community Organizations and Community Artists can produce content in new media at relatively low cost... it's almost negligible. Their perception is that such ability is harder to attain than it is. If Content is King, communities need to be in position to generate content. If they are generating content they will value the network and the capacity to share their voice across the Net. In discussion during Let's Talk Media last week a few of us decided that we want to explore this model further... I think *this* should be a driver, and I've been *really* annoyed about this with CARDICIS because... this is such a big deal for getting at least step 1. Some honey with the medicine is one way to look at it... but I think that this is the wrong way to look at it. Technology means nothing without context... Each of these models extends the life of equipment that would end up in landfill, and each uses technologies that are empowering and which the end-user will have the freedom to modify and improve. Each is also cool as something for hobbyists to explore, or as an occasion for introducing youth to technology, but with a little thought and organization we can have a significant social impact. We can advance the ecology of technology in an end-run around top-down policy with a clear and direct strategy: deploy. deploy. deploy. (Now imagine these models jointly deployed... content produced locally distributed without chokepoints, through communities using tools that empower on machines that were discarded.) Where do we start? The 5 billion user question. -- Taran Rampersad Presently in: San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago [EMAIL PROTECTED] Looking for contracts/work! http://www.knowprose.com/node/9786 New!: http://www.OpenDepth.com http://www.knowprose.com http://www.digitaldivide.net/profile/Taran Pictures: http://www.flickr.com/photos/knowprose/ 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.
Re: [DDN] As the Internet fragments
Michael Maranda wrote: http://en.for-ua.com/news/2006/05/27/155652.html I'd appreciate insights/thoughts on this. Wow. Well, I can't blame the Ukraine for this... If we look at the larger picture, nobody but the United States is really regulating law on the internet, despite a well-meaning civil society at the WSIS. Had there been a decision regarding some form of international governance, I would think that this development is repressive - but since that hasn't happened, and seems increasingly unlikely to, it's up to countries to use sovereignty - if they have any left. It's a big step, but it just may be the step necessary for the governments around the world to decide to work together, or at least work with the majority. To balance this, consider that network neutrality is only really being decided in one nation, which sells bandwidth to other smaller and less economically significant nations. Sure, things are going the right way (we hope), but the nations purchasing bandwidth don't have much say. This was a topic at the Caribbean Internet Governance Forum last year which may either be under some paperweight on a desk somewhere, or has simply become unfashionable. If there are no agreements to cooperate in regulating the internet, then I suppose we should expect fragmentation. That's really a very interesting way to run a 'global village'... :-) -- Taran Rampersad Presently in: San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago [EMAIL PROTECTED] Looking for contracts/work! http://www.knowprose.com/node/9786 New!: http://www.OpenDepth.com http://www.knowprose.com http://www.digitaldivide.net/profile/Taran Pictures: http://www.flickr.com/photos/knowprose/ 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.
Re: [DDN] Saturday: Organizing for Free Software in Dominican Republic: Antonio Perpinan of Codigo Libre
Seth Johnson wrote: Hello! Diehard technology freedom volunteer types who remain in New York this weekend should find this event of particular interest. See the description of what Codigo Libre has accomplished in the Dominican Republic below. Seth Johnson Corresponding Secretary New Yorkers for Fair Use I have not met Antonio, but have heard of him through an ICT Tigre (if you tell him I wrote that, he may well guess who it is). I've also met Codigo Libre members in Santo Domingo, and I recommend the experiences that Antonio will share. It *is* unfortunate that throughout Latin America, Software Libre has been divisive where the politics are divisive. I worry at times about that; Venezuala is a great example of this. His comments on that may be invaluable. -- Taran Rampersad Presently in: San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago [EMAIL PROTECTED] Looking for contracts/work! http://www.knowprose.com/node/9786 New!: http://www.OpenDepth.com http://www.knowprose.com http://www.digitaldivide.net/profile/Taran Pictures: http://www.flickr.com/photos/knowprose/ 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.
Re: [DDN] One Laptop Per Child - possible functional prototype photos
[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: - it might require an external mouse Maybe not... http://www.flickr.com/photos/pete/151943540/in/set-72057594143224765/ Seems like a pointing device below that keyboard that just happens to be the same color. -- Taran Rampersad Presently in: San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago [EMAIL PROTECTED] Looking for contracts/work! http://www.knowprose.com/node/9786 New!: http://www.OpenDepth.com http://www.knowprose.com http://www.digitaldivide.net/profile/Taran Pictures: http://www.flickr.com/photos/knowprose/ 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.
Re: [DDN] Microsoft: Open source 'not reliable or dependable'
I just had a 'Healthy Choice' 'Premium Fudge Bar' reading this. It tasted really good. Executive Director wrote: Taran, Do not try to obscure the issue of the vulnerabilities language you used. What you should say in a few words, rather than a lengthy treatise, is that you misspoke. I would say that, but I didn't. And since we're writing, you're not making much sense. And we can leave it at that. In my original message, I did not say Linux had less vulnerabilities than Windows. I simply stated that I wished Microsoft would fix Windows. Now, if you misread, that is your problem and you most certainly should leave it at that instead of resorting to these sorts of replies; if I were easily threatened and didn't know what I wrote I may simply crawl off wounded by your keen misreading of what was clearly written. However, what I wrote was clear. I am not threatened by the vast amount of knowledge you have at your disposal through search engines. You see, I have that capacity as well. But your initial search was flawed... you misread what I wrote, which I find amusing. Yes. I said it. I'm amused. Again, go back and read the original message, carefully. Now, if you want, you can tell me that you do not wish Microsoft to fix Windows. That would be a position that I would find amusing, but you are certainly entitled to your opinion, so I wouldn't try to misdirect the discussion so that I would look smarter than you. That would be too low for me. What I can do is proceed with my life as if nothing has happened. This is because nothing has happened. :-) I'm done with this thread. If you want to bash me, proceed with vigor. It's unhealthy to hold in aggression. Have some ice cream; I must recommend the 'Healthy Choice Premium Fudge Bar'. Quite tasty. I have to sleep early for a conference tomorrow, otherwise I would stick around and see how this ends up. Have fun! -- Taran Rampersad Presently in: San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago [EMAIL PROTECTED] Looking for contracts/work! http://www.knowprose.com/node/9786 New!: http://www.OpenDepth.com http://www.knowprose.com http://www.digitaldivide.net/profile/Taran Pictures: http://www.flickr.com/photos/knowprose/ 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.
Re: [DDN] Microsoft: Open source 'not reliable or dependable'
Executive Director wrote: That said, I do wish Microsoft luck in releasing anything soon, and I certainly hope that whatever they release doesn't permit the continued plague of flaws and vulnerabilities that the general population of the world has become familiar with. I want you to reread what you quoted. And below, I shall refer to it. This opinion of course ignores the fact that that there are more vulnerabilities in Linux/Unix than in Windows. The US Government has reported that fewer vulnerabilities were found in Windows than in Linux/Unix operating systems in 2005. http://news.zdnet.co.uk/0,39020330,39245873,00.htm Read the top line: US-CERT found more vulnerabilities in Linux and Unix systems than in Windows in 2005, but that doesn't mean Windows is more secure Opinions need to be supported to have any value. When you set personal bias aside, facts are a simple google away. And yet selective reading remains a problem. Perhaps you could google which flaws took longer than 3 days to fix for either operating system? The beauty of Linux, in this case, is that it is easier to identify vulnerabilities and flaws before they are exploited. Not so with Windows. You'll also note that when I expressed my opinion that I made a comparison. However, if you really want me to roll my sleeves up, I can tack on the Microsoft Internet Explorer bugs/vulnerabilities, as well as Microsoft Outlook Express - since they too are rolled into the operating system. Statistics are subjective. We can both play with those numbers. CERT treats these as separate issues, but Microsoft doesn't (despite legal cases around the world). Certainly, the facts are just a google away. Perhaps you could google how many Linux users were and continue to be adversely affected by flaws as compared to Windows users? I'd love to see what information you turn up. Now, we can have an operating system war along these lines if this is what you wish. That was not my intent. I, as a registered user of a Microsoft Product (check the header on this message) am stating that Microsoft should be working toward fixing it's problems. I did not say that Linux was better or worse in that regard. You'll be hard pressed to see me making statements without a basis in fact, so perhaps you read what you wish to. What I did say is what you quoted above - which wasn't related to any other operating system. That said, please help Microsoft patch Windows. Oh. Sorry. You can't. Unless you work for Microsoft... do you? If you do work for Microsoft, I have a slew of questions for you which you should be able to handle well. This 'we look good by making others look bad' silliness has to stop somewhere. The criticisms I leveled at Microsoft were independent of Linux. All of that said, here's my comparison now that you have opened the door: If CERT can find more vulnerabilities in Linux, I count that as a success for Linux. That means things that Linux can fix things proactively; which the Linux community has been doing, as opposed to Microsoft's rendition of 'Oops, I did it again' after the flaw is already exploited. So another thing you can research is how many exploits for Windows were already being exploited before there were CERT advisories. As a licensed user of Microsoft, I reserve the right to criticize Microsoft. And as a registered user of Linux, I will do the same of Linux - as I do of any open source/free software product. If you choose to defend your choice based on what you find on Google, take a look here: http://www.google.tt/search?hl=ensafe=offq=%22operating+system%22btnG=Search Good day, and happy Googling! :-) -- Taran Rampersad Presently in: San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago [EMAIL PROTECTED] Looking for contracts/work! http://www.knowprose.com/node/9786 New!: http://www.OpenDepth.com http://www.knowprose.com http://www.digitaldivide.net/profile/Taran Pictures: http://www.flickr.com/photos/knowprose/ 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.
Re: [DDN] healthy people 2010 and the digital divide
Hi April, tossing out my two cents. :-) April KirkHart wrote: I just want to make sure we don't miss the point that there is data out there which shows that information from the Internet can move some people to actually seek a medical professional's counsel whereas they might not otherwise. Granted, that has it's pluses and minuses as many medical professionals know all too well (the Lunestra comment was duly noted). Consider that the Lunestra comment came from Trinidad and Tobago, which gets cable television mainly from South America. The television tells me to ask my doctor about Lunestra. So, playing along I do so - and my doctor laughs at me and tells me to stop drinking coffee. I like coffee. I go to the pharmacy and ask for Lunestra, since I can get just about anything I need from a pharmacy in the region without a prescription. They don't have any, but they have Ambien. So I buy some Ambien, and I take the Ambien with some coffee. :-) Purely speculative, of course, but plausible. The data that is out there about seeking a medical professional's counsel... it may not be of use in countries where I can just walk into a pharmacy and get some Tylenol 3 because I have a headache. :-) If I have a headache THAT bad, I should probably see a doctor. If that data is to be used, cultural changes have to be made. I'm sure that the data is valid in some parts of the world, but that data may have come from studying global exceptions. Personally, I like being able to short circuit doctors with minor things, but I have had some medical training and I also am quite certain where my medical training ends. In many ways, I'm the poster child of what people shouldn't do in this context, but I am not alone. I've seen people go in and buy one penicillin tablet. One. A 10 day supply for any infection is supposed to be worthwhile. Why did they do that? Probably word of mouth, not internet access, but what is the difference between internet access and word of mouth? So, I'd suggest being careful with that data... I don't think it fits everywhere. In addition, Internet access is not only about information, but applications that can facilitate getting care to some people who don't have access to health care otherwise and improving quality of care. A number of these applications have a real impact on health and health care - for example, enrolling people in public health programs in the U.S., as well as in disease management from home (children using a web-based program to monitor and report on asthma from home which reduced asthma-related limits on activity by 48% compared to a control group - asthma is one of the most frequent reasons why children miss school). All of these applications come from the data of the respective country or region. Getting that data first is very important, and sadly that's one of the core problems. I am working on something that should help address that (MAHIN), but it remains a problem and I do not see it changing over the next 5 years despite what might be considered individual heroic efforts throughout the region by many medical professionals. I've been fortunate enough to meet some. Telemedicine is another example. It relies heavily on broadband infrastructure and access - and can help get medical care to people who don't have access to enough physicians or physician specialists in the U.S. It does not mean that we shouldn't still work on getting more physicians to those areas, but in some cases, a telemedicine program can help physicians and other medical professionals from feeling isolated (opportunities for continued learning, connection to universities and larger hospitals, connection to colleagues and mentoring, etc.) which may make living and working in more remote areas more attractive. I think *this* is the biggest thing. And I think that this can help accumulate more appropriate data for regions. I just didn't want us to miss out on the ways that technology and Internet access to increase contact with and between medical professionals. AND you are absolutely right to make sure that we don't forget that in-person human contact is so very important for healing and health. Thank you for making sure that didn't get lost in this conversation. I always get scared in conversations like this. I really do. It's an awful responsibility that many people remain ignorant of, or forget when dealing with statistics... One of these days, I'll shuffle off to become a statistic and I worry that someone might put me in the wrong stack. :-) -- Taran Rampersad Presently in: San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago [EMAIL PROTECTED] Looking for contracts/work! http://www.knowprose.com/node/9786 New!: http://www.OpenDepth.com http://www.knowprose.com http://www.digitaldivide.net/profile/Taran Pictures: http://www.flickr.com/photos/knowprose/ Criticize by creating. — Michelangelo ___ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing
Re: [DDN] Suggestions for Nonprofit Free Open Source Software CD
explanations. This is the only program you need to fully prepare yourself for the MCSE NT 4.0 exams. It includes Networking Essentials, NT Workstation, Server, Enterprise, TCP/IP, and IIS 4.0. Note: You must register at the website to get the serial number to unlock this exam. Name: Exam II Website: http://www.deltafarms.com/setup.exe Description: A program for designing and administering exams. It can also be used by a student for preparing for practice exams. ___ 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. -- Taran Rampersad Presently in: San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago [EMAIL PROTECTED] Looking for contracts/work! http://www.knowprose.com/node/9786 New!: http://www.OpenDepth.com http://www.knowprose.com http://www.digitaldivide.net/profile/Taran Pictures: http://www.flickr.com/photos/knowprose/ 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.
[DDN] The World Vote Field Test
There's a world vote field test happening in 11 days - I'd encourage people to go take a look, and participate. http://www.worldvotenow.com/ For how to participate: http://www.worldvotenow.com/html/connect_i.htm The more, the merrier. Maybe you'll be able to tell your grandchildren, 'Yeah, I remember when we had to click our global votes... uphill, both ways did I tell you the story of the World Vote Field Test? :-) -- Taran Rampersad Presently in: San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago [EMAIL PROTECTED] Looking for contracts/work! http://www.knowprose.com/node/9786 New!: http://www.OpenDepth.com http://www.knowprose.com http://www.digitaldivide.net/profile/Taran Pictures: http://www.flickr.com/photos/knowprose/ 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.
Re: [DDN] Re: looking for a Drupal CMS host
I can personally vouch for Bluehost.com as a good host for Drupal sites. It's shared hosting, but done quite well and it scales well from 'casual user' to 'geek'. I would also suggest staying away from GoDaddy.com and other hosts which do not allow table LOCK and UNLOCK in MySQL. Drupal will run without the LOCK and UNLOCK of tables, but on a busy site it can be important that this ability is in operation. Sully, Morgan wrote: Hello Digital Divide Members, I am currently in the process of looking for a hosting service for a content management system for my organization (http://www.sdctc.org). We are looking for a Linux based hosting plan with a decent front end (CPanel, Plesk, DirectAdmin etc.). php safe mode off, mod-rewrite enabled in Apache, and something like phpMyAdmin. We would like to install Drupal. Any hosting plans friendly to CTCs or Drupal communities is a bonus. Does anyone know of any? thanks in advance, morgan Morgan Sully AmeriCorps CTC VISTA http://www.cpcs.umb.edu/vista/projectbasics.htm Community Technology/Youth Digital Media Coordinator -- Taran Rampersad Presently in: San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago [EMAIL PROTECTED] Looking for contracts/work! http://www.knowprose.com/node/9786 New!: http://www.OpenDepth.com http://www.knowprose.com http://www.digitaldivide.net/profile/Taran Pictures: http://www.flickr.com/photos/knowprose/ 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.
Re: [DDN] Fwd: Drupal on a Linux server VS. Microsoft server
As you point out, Drupal works on either. However, it's much easier to deal with Drupal on a *nix (in this case, Linux) server since it's really built for LAMP users; from cron to tar files. If you're going to run Drupal, it may be better to use Linux because of the continuity of training. Right now, I have a client building a Linux server to run Drupal, even though they are presently running an Apache build on Windows (the Saint, from Germany). Granted, I have personal bias to Linux, but I think Linux, Apache, MySQL and PHP (LAMP) is the way to go. Xavier Leonard wrote: Hello Everyone, I am currently in the decision making process of whether to use Drupal on a Microsoft server or on a Linux server. The arguments FOR Microsoft are: (well, for us, it's free - another org is going to host for us, and Drupal can be installed on it) The arguments AGAINST Microsoft are: that will mean we go to another host (paid) and that PHP and MySql run differntly on it. Does anyone have any other input that could help in the decision making process? Any help or comments would be greatly appreciated... -- Taran Rampersad Presently in: San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago [EMAIL PROTECTED] Looking for contracts/work! http://www.knowprose.com/node/9786 New!: http://www.OpenDepth.com http://www.knowprose.com http://www.digitaldivide.net/profile/Taran Pictures: http://www.flickr.com/photos/knowprose/ 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.
Re: [DDN] healthy people 2010 and the digital divide
. Exploring without guidance/explanation can also be quite serious -- even fatal. The Internet in many areas cannot be taken as is which is why we need to use it to ensure that the guidance/discussion/explanation that most people -- especially in regards to health issues, need is much more readily available. As such, the Internet cannot be the be all and the end all. A pain in the belly can be caused by many things -- including one's diet. Errol At 19:01 28/04/2006 -0500, you wrote: I left Taran's question below. As a medical librarian, i would like to believe that an increase in a person's understanding about prevention and disease will help them to take better care of themselves and be a healthier person. And it will help them to know what to demand from health care providers. While it is true, that people of lower economic status have less access to high quality or to even adequate health care, it is also true that they have less access to reliable health information. More and more government agencies and nonprofits are relying on the Internet to be their vehicle to distribute the latest news in health research and preventative care. People without access to the Internet cannot get on resources that the National Institutes of Health, including the National Library of Medicine and its excellent web site MedlinePlus http://medlineplus.gov/ provide. Dealing with providing people Internet access to assist them in getting better access to health information is a very important step in assisting them in getting and demanding better access to health care. Information is Power - or at the very least, an important part of getting power. So, in fact, maybe someone would be prevented from getting malaria if they were able to get online and learn that they need to take specific preventative measures to avoid it, and then were able to demand that preventative care be provided. Thats a stretch, and there are MANY issues that surround health care. Since this is the digital divide network, i am only focusing on this one aspect of it. I hope you see the value of having this conversation on this list serv. thanks for your comments. siobhan Wouldn't it be more fair to say that people who can afford internet access can also afford better health care (preventive and otherwise)? I find it difficult to see the correlation any other way. The digital divide encompasses many things, but I don't think that anyone has gotten malaria because they didn't have internet access. -- Taran Rampersad Presently in: San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago [EMAIL PROTECTED] Looking for contracts/work! http://www.knowprose.com/node/9786 New!: http://www.OpenDepth.com http://www.knowprose.com http://www.digitaldivide.net/profile/Taran Pictures: http://www.flickr.com/photos/knowprose/ 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.
Re: [DDN] healthy people 2010 and the digital divide
Champ-Blackwell, Siobhan wrote: http://www.healthypeople.gov/document/HTML/Volume1/11HealthCom.htm From the Disparities section: Often people with the greatest health burdens have the least access to information, communication technologies, health care, and supporting social services. Even the most carefully designed health communication programs will have limited impact if underserved communities lack access to crucial health professionals, services, and communication channels that are part of a health improvement project. Research indicates that even after targeted health communication interventions, low-education and low-income groups remain less knowledgeable and less likely to change behavior than higher education and income groups, which creates a knowledge gap and leaves some people chronically uninformed.[27] With communication technologies, the disparity in access to electronic information resources is commonly referred to as the digital divide.[28] The digital divide becomes more critical as the amount and variety of health resources available over the Internet increase and as people need more sophisticated skills to use electronic resources.[29] Equitably distributed health communication resources and skills, and a robust communication infrastructure can contribute to the closing of the digital divide and the overarching goal of Healthy People 2010 to eliminate health disparities. Wouldn't it be more fair to say that people who can afford internet access can also afford better health care (preventive and otherwise)? I find it difficult to see the correlation any other way. The digital divide encompasses many things, but I don't think that anyone has gotten malaria because they didn't have internet access. -- Taran Rampersad Presently in: San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago [EMAIL PROTECTED] Looking for contracts/work! http://www.knowprose.com/node/9786 New!: http://www.OpenDepth.com http://www.knowprose.com http://www.digitaldivide.net/profile/Taran Pictures: http://www.flickr.com/photos/knowprose/ 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.
Re: [DDN] Creating a samizdat bloggers network using SMS text messaging
Congratulations, Andy, you recreated something similar to the basic Alert Retrieval Cache with off the shelf tools. Andy Carvin wrote: Hi everyone, Given all the discussions surrounding educational blogs that have been blocked capriciously by Internet filters, I started thinked about what it would take to create the online equivalent of a samizdat network, similar to the system used by Soviet dissidents to disseminate banned documents. It's simple enough to take the content of a banned blog and recreate it elsewhere using RSS aggregators, but what if that new site gets banned as well? So, I came up with a fairly simple strategy to announce new URLs to large groups of people using SMS text messaging. Essentially, I'm combining the functionality of Google Groups and the SMS relay system Teleflip.com, so people can subscribe to a mailing list and receive brief messages via SMS rather than email. While the idea was borne out of educational censorship, there's no reason why the same technique couldn't be used to relay message during other situations, such as public emergencies, protests and the like. For more info, please check out my blog: http://www.andycarvin.com/archives/2006/04/creating_a_samizdat.html This particular method will only work in North America, but other SMS relays similar to Teleflip.com would theoretically work elsewhere. thanks, andy -- Taran Rampersad Presently in: San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago [EMAIL PROTECTED] Looking for contracts/work! http://www.knowprose.com/node/9786 New!: http://www.OpenDepth.com http://www.knowprose.com http://www.digitaldivide.net/profile/Taran Pictures: http://www.flickr.com/photos/knowprose/ 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.
Re: [DDN] open source/standards/medicine -- UNU event in NYC
I wish I had known in advance; this fits rather well with the MAHIN project I am presently doing the prototype for. Philipp Schmidt wrote: If any of the readers are in the NYC area on Thursday 13 April, please stop by our open source/standards/medicine symposium. We have a range of great speakers and are hoping for a lively discussion. /p PS _ Apologies that my first post to this list is such shameless advertising -- but I honestly think this might be of interest to this group! --- UNU-MERIT holds Research Symposium on “Open Source” and “Open Medicine” at UN Headquarters Can an Intellectual Property regime designed to protect private interests be reformed to open up standards and knowledge? What results when government authorities promote free, open source software in their jurisdictions? Who (if anyone) should own or control access to the human genome sequence? What parallels can be drawn with the fundamental principles of 'openness' for science and society as a whole? These are among the issues to be discussed at a Research Symposium titled Challenging Intellectual Property Access to Knowledge Issues in Open Source and Medicine, at the UN Headquarters, New York, on 13 April 2006 . The event is co-organized by the United Nations University -Office at the United Nations, New York , and UNU-MERIT. The speakers include: * Tim Hubbard, Head of Human Genome Analysis, The Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Cambridge, UK; * Louis-Dominique Ouédraogo, Retiring Inspector, UN Joint Inspection Unit; * Tadao Takahashi, Principal Investigator at Project Foresight ICTs-2015, Centre for Strategic Studies in Brazil; and * Rishab Aiyer Ghosh, Senior Researcher, UNU-MERIT. The event is open to interested members of the public. Registration forms can be downloaded from the website of the UNU Office at the United Nations , New York . (http://www.ony.unu.edu/) See full announcement (with embedded hyperlinks) here - http://www.merit.unu.edu/a2k/ ___ 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. -- Taran Rampersad Presently in: San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago [EMAIL PROTECTED] Looking for contracts/work! http://www.knowprose.com/node/9786 New!: http://www.OpenDepth.com http://www.knowprose.com http://www.digitaldivide.net/profile/Taran Pictures: http://www.flickr.com/photos/knowprose/ 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.
Re: [DDN] $100 laptop includes WiFi
Lisa Thurston wrote: I hear the criticisms of the $100 laptop program and I agree these are somewhat justified, but just couldn't let these two emails pass without response! Let's not forget that it's not like these laptops will be useless without any wireless infrastructure -- or even without the Internet. I don't think we should automatically assume wireless connectively is a strict precondition of using the Negroponte laptops effectively. Having the laptop in hand can also act as a motivator to provide more momentum to build the necessary infrastructure to have wireless connectivity. Actually, I was not referring to a 'wireless infrastructure'. I was referring to infrastructure - period. While your point lower down about wireless internet access is quite true, I offer that internet access itself remains a hurdle - even within 'developed' nations such as the United States. And let's face it -- many of us have wireless-enabled laptops but can't use them everywhere. Particularly, if you live in Australia you are ready to openly acknowlegde that there is simply never going to be wireless connectivity across broad swathes of rural/remote land -- of the 802.111xvariety anyway. There is simply not the demand. There is not even widespread wireless meshing in the major cities yet -- this doesn't stop our laptops still being mighty useful though. Our laptops are useful to us as long as we can connect to things, be it a printer or a USB key or a CD. The key concept here is data flow. Tossing out laptops in villages around the world without internet access doesn't really change things other than giving people electronic typewriters. Content, and in the context of education, curriculum and supported materials for the region, are a part of infrastructure. I don't see this as a chicken before the egg scenario. Nor do I see how Moore's law should apply just because the laptop is more advanced -- at least initially -- than its surrounding infrastructure. You misunderstand, Lisa. The laptops will be outdated in 18 months, and if they are not fully used with an infrastructure during those 18 months, you might as well just send me the money. At least I can stick it in the bank and gain some interest off of it, instead of purchasing things that financially devalue every 18 months - and without an infrastructure (that word again) to support them in all manner, these laptops will be less useful than the Atari 2600 I saw at a restaraunt last night. To reiterate - infrastructure is not just 'wireless' - it's internet access, the education system, the delivery system, and so on. It's also sort of interesting how the money still flows from the developed nations to the developing nations and doesn't come back. Genius. Maybe Negroponte should use Microsoft Windows and stop with the half measures. Maybe he could just repackage used Dells. I mean... $100 million dollars... do you have any idea what an education system could do with that money? Or how much wire could be put in place, or satellite internet access, or optical cable? Does this mean that in the 1980s, we could have saved the world with airdrops of solar powered calculators? And for that matter, do you realize that simply having that $100 million in the bank could be $8 million or more in interest every year instead of a devaluation of about 20%-50% in 1.5 years? As long as the average PC on the planet costs more than $100 U.S., it's safe to say that the average PC on the planet will have more features. So in the grand scheme of things, the divide remains and someone makes a few bucks in the interim. I suppose it depends on how one measures success. It seems the higher up on the mountain, the less oxygen in the air... ;-) -- Taran Rampersad Presently in: San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago [EMAIL PROTECTED] Looking for contracts/work! http://www.knowprose.com/node/9786 New!: http://www.OpenDepth.com http://www.knowprose.com http://www.digitaldivide.net/profile/Taran Pictures: http://www.flickr.com/photos/knowprose/ 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.
Re: [DDN] Closer to the (email)Grail?
Michael, Almost all of this can be done - the DDN website demonstrates this to a large degree. If I chose to, I could have the RSS feed off of my site pull each email out into my content management system and create a page which allowed comments, and threaded discussion because the DDN site does generate RSS from the email list. The trick is getting the comments back into the email, but that shouldn't be an issue - with perhaps an issue being 'who' posts to the list. But that could be worked around as well, if membership to a site was membership to the email list as well. It's all based on RSS, but because of that the main issue would be related to each post having to be checked against previous posts for the same subject line to differentiate a comment from a fresh post. Because people are odd with subject lines, it would require that people be more careful with their email subject lines. That part would require a MySQL search. Yes, I'm using Drupal. I suppose once you figure out how you want to handle the emails, you could have comments to original posts sent to an email list for the author of the comment; that's a simple thing to put into the comment module logic of Drupal. The wiki issue gets more complicated because of the depth of the data (history of changes, etc), but it could be done in the form of a 'patch' on a technical level... It's an idea that a few people and myself had discussed in the context of Caribbean ICT 2 years ago, but it never got off the ground because... I don't know why. :-) It would be a good bridge to span gaps, I think. If I had a choice, I would be dealing with many things with a browser instead of by email. It's a matter of choice. Michael Maranda wrote: I've had it in my mind for sometime that the email-Grail with regard to listservs is a set-up where the community of list-users could interact with the mail-content via multiple means… and all remain one community without need of drastic change of their habits. Some people like to manage their online group interactions via email, others in forums and other browser based interactions… such as wikis or rss feeds off of blogs. How far are we from being able to do this? What are the best packages and set-ups that do this or approximate this? To be clear: my minimal image is a listserv-forum hybrid that the users can interact with via email and reply or by direct posting to the forum in a browser…. With options for privacy, and possibility of public archiving or delayed public archiving, and all the other features a moderator or listwoner might want for management of the group/list? I am aware of GroupServer as one example, and I know that the eDemocracy folks have been relying upon their model. (I'd be glad to hear of their experience, and others) Are there other models? Where does Drupal stand in relation to this functionality? How hard is it to implement? Michael Maranda President, The Association For Community Networking (AFCN) http://www.afcn.org Executive Director, CTCNet Chicago Chapter http://www.ctcnetchicago.org Co-Chair, Illinois Community Technology Coalition (ilCTC) http://www.ilctc.org ___ 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. -- Taran Rampersad Presently in: San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago [EMAIL PROTECTED] Looking for contracts/work! http://www.knowprose.com/node/9786 New!: http://www.OpenDepth.com http://www.knowprose.com http://www.digitaldivide.net/profile/Taran Pictures: http://www.flickr.com/photos/knowprose/ 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.
Re: [DDN] Planning Help Needed
Executive Director wrote: Mark, What you are asking here would be well beyond the scope of this list. Windows 2000 or XP would be considered by most to be solid and dependable. Not sure how I can help from here. I disagree. I would have to say that Linux/OS X/*nix would be most solid and dependable. That's two different opinions. The deciding factor should be how many times you wish to wait on a reboot during an emergency. There are times when I might say that XP and Win2k might be useful operating systems, but not when lives depend on it during an emergency situation. 'Sorry, we're rebooting. Apply direct pressure/continue CPR until we can start coordinating again. Figure 5 minutes.' -- Taran Rampersad Presently in: San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago [EMAIL PROTECTED] Looking for contracts/work! http://www.knowprose.com/node/9786 New!: http://www.OpenDepth.com http://www.knowprose.com http://www.digitaldivide.net/profile/Taran Pictures: http://www.flickr.com/photos/knowprose/ 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.
Re: [DDN] News: nUbuntu to Cease Development after notification by Canonical Ltd.
Fouad Riaz Bajwa wrote: The nUbuntu distribution website is located at http://www.nubuntu.org and clearly indicates that Ubuntu Logo and Ubuntu are trademarks of Canonical Ltd. Keeping in view the spirit of Free and Open Source Software, the authors' decision to remove the nUbuntu website and restart the project under a new title is appreciated by the community. Furthermore, Canonical Ltd. is encouraged to support this innovative and creative activity by including the nUbuntu teams to further develop and improve the nUbuntu distribution. Fouad, This was an 'April Fool's Day' joke. It wasn't real. Check http://nubuntu.org And laugh, I suppose. :-) -- Taran Rampersad Presently in: San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago [EMAIL PROTECTED] Looking for contracts/work! http://www.knowprose.com/node/9786 New!: http://www.OpenDepth.com http://www.knowprose.com http://www.digitaldivide.net/profile/Taran Pictures: http://www.flickr.com/photos/knowprose/ 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.
Re: [DDN] Planning Help Needed
envision it, the Mobile Command Center will have it's own network, as well as having the ability for someone to plug in their laptop in the center and share files with the command staff. Sounds about right. I think you can do a lot with old equipment in these scenarios. I just don't know how you want to use the MCC. -- Taran Rampersad Presently in: San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago [EMAIL PROTECTED] Looking for contracts/work! http://www.knowprose.com/node/9786 New!: http://www.OpenDepth.com http://www.knowprose.com http://www.digitaldivide.net/profile/Taran Pictures: http://www.flickr.com/photos/knowprose/ 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.
Re: [DDN] What does it mean to be a technology activist?
Alex Rollin wrote: Do we have enough for a Wikipedia entry yet? Is this more of a demeanor, a leaning, or, is it a 'career,' or perhaps a bent. I believe that we could say that it's a general descriptor, sort of like 'concerned citizen'. I think we can break technology activism away from 'technological activism' - activism centered around technology. The human-centric perspective is the way I see technology activism (and appears to be the consensus so far). As Jeff Mowatt pointed out, being such an activist can come with a heavy price tag. I wouldn't say that it's been horribly disfiguring for me, but being who I am and speaking my mind as I do definitely rubs a lot of the 'powers that be' the wrong way and has (sometimes serious) repercussions. Technological activism, on the other hand (and I just made this up), is more of the activism for specific technologies. A technology activist might take part in technological activism - in saying that technology X would be useful in country Z because of Y. But being a technological activist doesn't mean that one is a technology activist - in the Venn diagram, it's a merge point with mainly business. For example, I vocally support Digicel in Trinidad and Tobago for providing competition to what is still presently a legal monopoly for telecommunications, so that's a form of technological activism. But the reason I am doing it is because it gives people more options, not that I particularly like Digicel - so it's technology activism. If I worked for Digicel, it could still be technology activism, I suppose, but not as credible because of the direct financial benefit. I don't know about other people who call themselves technology activists, or are called technology activists, but I think largely it's a matter of making things better for people. Were we in a period where fire was invented, we'd be the people handing out burning twigs to other tribes. A technological activist might sell them for dinosaur eggs, shells, or so forth... and that's clearly not technology activism. When we figured out how to make fire, we'd share that too... but a technological activist might not, instead using it to barter. I think at the end of the day... technology activism could be seen as a selfish act. In a way it is for me. I don't get progress unless the people around me get progress... and one of the principles of this is that we want a better world, we're dissatisfied with the one we see, and we don't believe in advancing by pushing others down so we can stand on them. But all of this is just a tip of the iceberg on my perspective... someone commented on my blog that as a phrase, 'technology activism' doesn't mean too much... and yet, it's the ambiguity of the phrase that gained my acceptance... it doesn't limit what I do. It defines HOW I do things pretty well. If I had a lot of money, I'd probably still be doing what I am doing. It's a theory worth testing. Someone give me lots of money and let's see what happens! :-) -- Taran Rampersad Presently in: San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago [EMAIL PROTECTED] Looking for contracts/work! http://www.knowprose.com/node/9786 New!: http://www.OpenDepth.com http://www.knowprose.com http://www.digitaldivide.net/profile/Taran Pictures: http://www.flickr.com/photos/knowprose/ 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.
Re: [DDN] What does it mean to be a technology activist?
Andy Carvin wrote: What link are you referring to? None of the links I'm aware of had small fonts. Sure it wasn't your browser? Peter S. Lopez de Aztlan wrote: Thanks for the Link Brother Andy ~ The font on that article was really small, especially for near sighted people like me and I am sure many of the elderly who do not usualy have young eagle eyes , so I will have to put it in a Document and will Blog it! In cases when text is too small to view on a website, try using CTRL-+ To decrease the size, 'CTRL' and '-'. I hope that helps. -- Taran Rampersad Presently in: San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago [EMAIL PROTECTED] Looking for contracts/work! http://www.knowprose.com/node/9786 New!: http://www.OpenDepth.com http://www.knowprose.com http://www.digitaldivide.net/profile/Taran Pictures: http://www.flickr.com/photos/knowprose/ 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.
Re: [DDN] What does it mean to be a technology activist?
Pamela McLean wrote: Andy Carvin wrote: What Does it Mean to be a Technology Activist? Taran Rampersad has just authored an insightful essay...Some highlights...technology activism ... means trying to bring about change with technology. I think that hits the nail on the head. Being a technology activist and working to bridge the digital divide isn't about putting an Internet PC so we can grow the market for e-commerce, online gaming or entertainment Instead, being a technology activist is something more basic: fostering equitable access to tools that will improve people's quality of life - quality as they define it, on their own terms Many thanks to you Taran for the term technology activist Actually, a lot of people don't realize it... but I believe that it's actually Andy who coined the term, at least in describing me. - I anticipate that those words will save me - and many other technology activists - lots of long complicated descriptions. Now we can simply say what we *are* - instead of having to describe what we are trying to do. Brilliant. Andy deserves a bow on that one. -- Taran Rampersad Presently in: San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago [EMAIL PROTECTED] Looking for contracts/work! http://www.knowprose.com/node/9786 New!: http://www.OpenDepth.com http://www.knowprose.com http://www.digitaldivide.net/profile/Taran Pictures: http://www.flickr.com/photos/knowprose/ 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.
Re: [DDN] What does it mean to be a technology activist?
Peter Jones just left a really great comment on this - it deserves mention. The crux of his comment is below; you can read the comment by following the link after it. Back in the 1980s management and IT lit. used to espouse the need for and existence of hybrid managers. Traditional management skills PLUS knowledge and skills in IT. These people were the champions within their organisations and sectors. Perhaps a tech activist CAN BE a 'hybrid citizen' a person who can use their ICT skills to initiate change at various levels and in various roles, for example: * formal community informatics projects * local youth club * older people's community project * and so on ... http://www.knowprose.com/node/11473#comment-6172 -- Taran Rampersad Presently in: San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago [EMAIL PROTECTED] Looking for contracts/work! http://www.knowprose.com/node/9786 New!: http://www.OpenDepth.com http://www.knowprose.com http://www.digitaldivide.net/profile/Taran Pictures: http://www.flickr.com/photos/knowprose/ 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.
Re: [DDN] What does it mean to be a technology activist?
Malin Coleridge wrote: This may be a little off topic but a direct off shoot. I was directed to the following BLOG. It talks about the impact of the new technologies on activism itself. I think it is important for us all to remember that it is not only the technology (although it's really cool ;-)), but rather the potential for the technology. Check it out. It is pretty interesting. http://www.ethanzuckerman.com/blog/?p=452 Full circle :-) Ethan's entry is good... may have to quote it myself. Thanks! -- Taran Rampersad Presently in: San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago [EMAIL PROTECTED] Looking for contracts/work! http://www.knowprose.com/node/9786 New!: http://www.OpenDepth.com http://www.knowprose.com http://www.digitaldivide.net/profile/Taran Pictures: http://www.flickr.com/photos/knowprose/ 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.
Re: [DDN] What does it mean to be a technology activist?
Andy Carvin wrote: Ethan is an extraordinary blogger on development issues. He's the founder of GeekCorps and co-founder of Global Voices Online, as well as one of the leaders of worldchanging.com. Definitely a perspective worth reading. Yup, while I don't always agree with him - when we do disagree, it's worthwhile! :-) -- Taran Rampersad Presently in: San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago [EMAIL PROTECTED] Looking for contracts/work! http://www.knowprose.com/node/9786 New!: http://www.OpenDepth.com http://www.knowprose.com http://www.digitaldivide.net/profile/Taran Pictures: http://www.flickr.com/photos/knowprose/ 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.
Re: [DDN] new Wikipedia category: Digital Divide activists
Deborah Elizabeth Finn wrote: On 3/27/06, Andy Carvin [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Hi everyone, Taran Rampersad recently posted a message to his blog, www.knowprose.com, about the fact that he's recently been added to Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taran_Rampersad Dear Andy, Very cool! And I love that photo of Taran. How does one get to be immortalized with a Wikipedia entry? There was one of me for a day or two, but then it was fastracked for deletion. :-( Otherwise, I would have wanted to be in the digital divide activists category. Warm regards from Deborah Well, as Andy and I were discussing on our talk pages, it can be a strange honor. I got mentioned mainly because of the BBC article related to the SMS disaster system I was involved with after the tsunami... I was apparently fast tracked for deletion, but whoever started the article substantiated it with the BBC article. I found it by googling myself, trying to find something I wrote some years ago (and that's become increasingly difficult). I really do feel strange about the whole thing. It comes with caveats. To be a respectable page, Andy and I both agree that we shouldn't really edit our own pages... mainly because it's in poor taste, I think. It's weird having other people describe you in the third person as if you weren't in the 'room'. I keep wanting to scream, but I'm not dead yet!... :-) Still, I suggest things on entries. I'm still trying to figure out what the salary requirements for a technology activist are... but I have figured out that there is little room for advancement. :-) -- Taran Rampersad Presently in: San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago [EMAIL PROTECTED] Looking for contracts/work! http://www.knowprose.com/node/9786 New!: http://www.OpenDepth.com http://www.knowprose.com http://www.digitaldivide.net/profile/Taran Pictures: http://www.flickr.com/photos/knowprose/ 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.
Re: [DDN] Change from --- $159 Linspire computer --- to mobile computing
Cindy Lemcke-Hoong wrote: Hello Taran, Mobile computing. You raised some interesting issues that I am no longer that familiar. One of my confusion with mobile computing is that I see two situations: 1) using the mobile phone as a computer, 2) using the mobile network for computer. In the present popular context of a computer, this is right (and it's the best way to explain it). I 'see' data flow - the computer is transparent - so I look at it this way; either you use the data where you are or you send it to some other person/people - or both. Wherever the data ends up, it should have been processed into a form that the user can make sense of. Where the processing occurs is where most people get stuck in the mud. For example, everyone on this list gets email from this list - data. The data has already been processed so it can get to everyone on this list, within general guidelines. We require a piece of hardware - a computer - to decipher the messages to us and present us the information in a manner that each individual likes. For example, I deal in plain text for a number of reasons, but many people use HTML email settings. These are our personal preferences. I see computing continuing along this trend; a mix of both the mobile phone as a computer and the mobile network as a computer. The servers on the mobile network preprocess the data into generic guidelines that make everyone happy (or less prone to fits of rage), and everyone uses the data in a manner that they choose to. /*As a sidenote, this is why Digital Rights Management works against such things - because it limits how individuals can use data that they receive if they pay for it. The irony of Digital Rights Management (DRM) is that data that isn't protected is usually free of cost and you can do with it what you wish - but if it is protected by DRM, you pay for it and you're limited in what you can do with it. Intuitively, that should be reversed and is why I raise a ruckus when I can, but in the world I live in people use their brains instead of follow instructions like a stupid computer...*/ The computers process the data for us, that's all the stupid things are good for (and even then we have to tell them how to do it). So, the network and the phone are a computer. If we use a traditional desktop computer as an analogy, consider the video card: The video card receives data from the motherboard and presents it in a manner which we interact with. So it is with a mobile phone, or any other device that processes data. Item 1 is the situation that I ruled out for myself (eye sights and big fingers) but can item 2 works? Well Item 1 is probably the biggest problem facing the mobile phone/handheld market. I believe keyboards or other input devices will become available to attach to such systems (like the chiclet keyboard for the PalmPilot), but other things such as predictive text are improving. I examined some of this stuff a few years ago: http://www.worldchanging.com/archives/000530.html Technically speaking can one uses the mobile network for computer? I think the standards are different. Am I right? There are some generic standards, and they are increasing in number. This is why Microsoft, Linux, Symbian and other Operating Systems are fighting their wars now over the mobile phone operating systems - so that they can define or help define the standards which will define what you and everyone else alive in the next 5-15 years will be doing with their data. Microsoft has a dictatorial history (though it's beginning to lean more towards accepting input from users) with what you can do with your data, Linux and Free/Open Source software leans toward participative democracy (though Free Software/Open Source corporations are leaning toward Microsoft's dictatorial stance)... The defining point will be the 'sweet spot' where dictatorial and participative democratic methods for dealing with data meet, shake hands and have a few drinks together. That's not why I'm not too worried about the 'desktop'. Why fight over a small thing when there is so much more out there? Isn't it strange that the de facto leader of the Operating System market, Microsoft, isn't in too much of a hurry to release a new desktop operating system? A popular view of Free Software/Open Source advocates is that Linux is catching up - and it is catching up to what Microsoft has already, in some ways surpassing Microsoft's desktop. Yet in my view, a lot of Free Software/Open Source is missing the boat because they can't afford to buy into the real poker game that's being played in a closed glass room in a dark corner. It's there for everyone to see, but it doesn't attract the eye because the game is high stakes. The less players, the more likely the corporations with the bigger checkbooks will win. What's in your wallet? (Sorry, couldn't resist) -- Taran Rampersad Presently in: San
Re: [DDN] PC Magazine reviews $159 Linspire computer
Executive Director wrote: While we may have lost her on the OS side Who is we and I didn't realize that there was some kind of a conversion going on in this list? Mike I don't think the 'we' was list inclusive, but was used in the context of a group which generally believes that there are better options than the ones that large corporations shove down people's throats (at least, that's my take). No conversion is 'going on' on the list as far as I can tell, and your comment demonstrates that. 'We' can be used in many different ways. We apologize for any inconvenience you may have suffered. Of course, I can't speak for all of 'we', but I will speak for the 'we' that I can speak for which is ill defined. :-) -- Taran Rampersad Presently in: San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago [EMAIL PROTECTED] Looking for contracts/work! http://www.knowprose.com/node/9786 New!: http://www.OpenDepth.com http://www.knowprose.com http://www.digitaldivide.net/profile/Taran Pictures: http://www.flickr.com/photos/knowprose/ 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.
Re: [DDN] PC Magazine reviews $159 Linspire computer
Cindy Lemcke-Hoong wrote: SO... what do all these discussions mean to the $100 computer that will soon deliver to the children of the developing world? Cindy [EMAIL PROTECTED] There's a $100 computer? :-) From the MISTICA list, I understand that Argentina has signed up for Negroponte's contraption. I lamented the loss of $100 million that Argentina could use on infrastructure instead, which would benefit everyone. My friends down there saw my point. If a 1 gigabyte USB stick is the length of my finger (and it is), and an operating system can fit into less than 50 megabytes (and more than one can - one desktop OS adapted is http://damnsmalllinux.org/ - also see the standard, http://www.symbian.com/ ) - and screen resolutions continue to increase (and they are) and the power requirements for systems are decreasing (and they are), then I'm sure Negroponte's laptop will get the success it deserves and continue to get the attention it doesn't. (For advocates of the neon windup toy, please answer my previous questions instead of ignoring them.) If we expect children to not consciously break their toys (and they do), then I expect trusting them with a device that an adult can accidentally break (as Koffi Annan did) is folly. If in 1999 (for the record, we're in 2006) someone could build a web server that could fit in a matchbox (and they did: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/1999/02/990210070216.htm ), then we should definitely expect more from commercial entities and NGOs - and if you look carefully at what the commercial entities are doing, you'll notice that bandwidth usage is increasing, that requirements for processing are decreasing for systems that are not servers (like your mobile phone). Of course, Web2.0 requires more processing on the client side, and done properly it will require *some* processing. Some people on the list will disagree with me as they have in the past, but the future is literally in your hand. Your cell phone, which is usually much more than a phone. Phones transmit and receive data. Modern cellphones process data as well. When does a phone become a computer? When does a computer become a phone? The lines are not distinct anymore. I've reached a point where I am actually tired of carrying around a laptop - and I've only been doing it for one year as of February 25th! The 'desktop' is less relevant now. So what about developing nations? Mobile phone infrastructure is increasing (though I must admit odd things are happening in Trinidad and Tobago). Can anyone say that in 5 years the developed nations will be focused more on mobile computing than desktop computing? No. But that's what I'm seeing. Honestly, I don't like it either. I hate telephones. But they are more ubiquitous than PCs, they have a better infrastructure worldwide, they allow rapid voice and data communication, and they work quite well as thin clients. We already have $100 U.S. systems. Most people just don't see them that way. The manufacturers are fighting for the ground floor right now. Shouldn't the future be what developing nations shoot for instead of antiquity? When my technology that I carry with me weighs less than my average meal, I'll be happy. :-) -- Taran Rampersad Presently in: San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago [EMAIL PROTECTED] Looking for contracts/work! http://www.knowprose.com/node/9786 New!: http://www.OpenDepth.com http://www.knowprose.com http://www.digitaldivide.net/profile/Taran Pictures: http://www.flickr.com/photos/knowprose/ 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.
Re: [DDN] PC Magazine reviews $159 Linspire computer
Dave A. Chakrabarti wrote: Not sure whether she's going to be paying for a Windows license or not...I believe she already has the software she uses on a day to day basis. Danger! Danger, Dave Chakrabarti, Danger! :-) The license she has may not be legal for installation on a device that it did not come with. Famous problem with Dells.'You can run this OS on this machine, but no others!'. And yes, I'd assume the machine would become much more usable even in Linspire with some extra RAM and a few tweaks, but if I'd had my way we would have wiped Linspire from day one and installed Ubuntu + RAM upgrade. At this point, she's not willing to try anymore, and just wants to go back to Windows without any further investment. She might have to pay anyway to have a legitimate copy of Windows for that system. I'm disappointed, because this configuration amounts to a very bad configuration from a marketing perspective. Linspire is bloated, and the makers of Linspire must surely be aware that their software takes up a certain amount of resources to run. Why release a machine that's configured to draw attacks and criticism for abysmal performance? I've wondered the same myself. I've come to realize it's either incompetence or ambivalence. Of course, the same could be said of Windows, but people buy Corvettes still for $50,000 U.S. when they could buy a Camaro for $30,000 and change a manifold for less than $2,000 and get the same performance. The same machine with 256 Mb ram would have cost maybe $10 more, from the distributer's point of view. The last mile to get products on the shelf is crucial...products have to be configured to perform and put on a convincing display for consumers who aren't tech savvy, since this is the market Linspire is courting. I have to be able to walk in to a store (like Fry's) and see a machine that's impressive before I'll even consider replacing my tried and tested Windows machine with it...and seeing notes on how no internet connections will ever work with it, etc, certainly doesn't do much for its credibility as an innovative product. Pet rocks were less functional and sold very well. I'm surprised Linspire isn't taking steps to correct this attitude, when so much of their existence is purely a marketing exercise for freely available, open source products in shiny packaging. Splitting a hair here... Linspire is a hybrid of Open Source and Proprietary software... reminds me of the short lived Apricot in the 80s which ran both IBM and Apple stuff. -- Taran Rampersad Presently in: San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago [EMAIL PROTECTED] Looking for contracts/work! http://www.knowprose.com/node/9786 New!: http://www.OpenDepth.com http://www.knowprose.com http://www.digitaldivide.net/profile/Taran Pictures: http://www.flickr.com/photos/knowprose/ 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.
Re: [DDN] The Human Virus found in a School based Telecenter in Bangladesh
Talk about deja vu... Andy Carvin wrote: Hi Nazrul, As soon as I saw the title of this email, I knew exactly whom you were talking about. When I visited that telecentre in Comilla, a small crowd of people were standing around Sagar as he worked at lightning speed on his computer. He's even featured a lot in my photos and video of the telecentre: photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/andycarvin/sets/1285642/ video: http://www.andycarvin.com/archives/2005/10/scenes_from_a_b.html Thanks for such a pleasant flashback. :-) Donobad, andy Nazrul Islam (RI-SOL/BNGD) wrote: Hi all, Recently we have found a Human Virus in one of our school-based telecenter in Bangladesh. I am inviting you to read the inspiring story here: http://www.connect-bangladesh.org/content/view/252/101/ We have also featured The Human Virus in our February issue of monthly newsletter, if you are interested. Here is the web link to the newsletter: http://www.connect-bangladesh.org/content/view/52/59/ Happy reading ! Nazrul Islam -- Taran Rampersad Presently in: San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago [EMAIL PROTECTED] Looking for contracts/work! http://www.knowprose.com/node/9786 New!: http://www.OpenDepth.com http://www.knowprose.com http://www.digitaldivide.net/profile/Taran 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.
[DDN] An Essay on Data
Data is pretty central to discussion on this list, if we mean it so or not. Thus, I thought that a few people on the list might be interested in this little essay I did on it: http://www.knowprose.com/node/10982 Basically, when technology becomes the focus instead of the data itself, we might be winding down the wrong path. We might get lucky and bump into things in the dark, but... -- Taran Rampersad Presently in: San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago [EMAIL PROTECTED] Looking for contracts/work! http://www.knowprose.com/node/9786 New!: http://www.OpenDepth.com http://www.knowprose.com http://www.digitaldivide.net/profile/Taran 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.
Re: [DDN] Microsoft presents 'Saksham' to rural India
Jay Bhatt wrote: Hi all, Just saw this- Microsoft presents 'Saksham' to rural India Read the full article at: http://www.dqchannels.com/content/reselleralert/106020306.asp Excerpts: *Saksham, meaning 'self reliant', is an attempt to offer 50,000 rural kiosks in six states to create a strong IT rural ecosystem* 50,000 kiosks running Microsoftware and training millions of people how to use the only PC operating system people are supposed to pay for. This is great business for Microsoft, and certainly is saksham - for Microsoft. :-) -- Taran Rampersad Presently in: San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago [EMAIL PROTECTED] Looking for contracts/work! http://www.knowprose.com/node/9786 New!: http://www.OpenDepth.com http://www.knowprose.com http://www.digitaldivide.net/profile/Taran 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.
Re: [DDN] MassMoblog Resource Request
Lars Hasselblad Torres wrote: Dave, thank you for the Drupal pointer. I already use CivicSpace actually, and one of the things I am looking to do is set up a system whereby people can MMS (multimedia post) to a shared blog. I am sure its coming, but I haven't seen a module yet for integrating picturephones. How is it that you see the pictures coming in via picturephone? Is it by email, or...? One thing I like about blogger is how easy it is to set up an MMS (mobile blog post) -- but what I am not so happy with is that its not so easy to just give away an email address to which anyone, or a registered user, can post to. If it's a Mobile blog post that you want, there is an SMS module for Drupal. If you want to roll your sleeves up there is also the Asterisk Server module, which will take incoming calls (and place outgoing ones, for that matter). Hope that helps clarify what I'm looking for. Weren't systems like this set up post katrina to help people find one another? One of those things was ARC. But we didn't integrate a picturephone, since if you can't get voice out, it's unlikely you can get a picture out. It was a basic SMS-Email/website setup. What you may be thinking of is Sahana, which has other features for disaster management which would include images, but I don't know that they integrated mobile phones in the way you are speaking of. The phone image thing is not something I have done before, but I'm sure it can be done. It's just 1s and 0s. If you can better help me understand this, I can put some feelers out... Offlist me if you want, so we don't have to burden the list too much with Geekese. :-D -- Taran Rampersad Presently in: San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago [EMAIL PROTECTED] Looking for contracts/work! http://www.knowprose.com/node/9786 New!: http://www.OpenDepth.com http://www.knowprose.com http://www.digitaldivide.net/profile/Taran 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.
Re: [DDN] MassMoblog Resource Request
Dave A. Chakrabarti wrote: Drupal! Or its big brother, CivicSpace. CivicSpace isn't a big brother, it's a specialized version... :-) In fact, it one were to look at the timeline, Drupal would be the big brother. But I agree, either one would work quite well, both have great support communities, and both are quite robust. For production servers coming out soon, you might want to be aware that Drupal 4.7 - the latest - should be out within the next month or two, so don't go *too* crazy modifying it (like I've been doing with Drupal 4.6.5...) -- Taran Rampersad Presently in: San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago [EMAIL PROTECTED] Looking for contracts/work! http://www.knowprose.com/node/9786 New!: http://www.OpenDepth.com http://www.knowprose.com http://www.digitaldivide.net/profile/Taran 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.
[DDN] Congratulations, Jon Maddog Hall - UnifiedRoot
...Amsterdam, January 16, 2006 – UnifiedRoot, the company that has created a new and simplified Internet addressing system for corporate and public top-level domains (TLDs), has appointed Jon Hall, president of Linux International, as a founding member of its advisory board. He will assist UnifiedRoot in the expansion of the advisory board with the specific task of addressing technical and policy issues. UnifiedRoot wants to improve the way people use the Internet. Through the use of top-level domains UnifiedRoot promotes a more intuitive standard of Internet addressing, for example: _products.yourname_ instead of _http://www.yourname.com/products_. Jon Hall: “As one of the early supporters of the commercial side of the Linux system, I feel that a more liberalised and standardised approach to Internet navigation will make the make the Internet easier to use and propel innovation. UnifiedRoot will be funding freely distributed software that will benefit the entire Internet, and therefore the entire world. These applications and services will enable the Internet to more efficiently accommodate a broadening array of future uses.”... http://www.webitpr.com/release_detail.asp?ReleaseID=3405 Though usually lurking, Jon is a part of the DDN, and he's working toward something here. -- Taran Rampersad Presently in: San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago [EMAIL PROTECTED] Looking for contracts/work! http://www.knowprose.com/node/9786 New!: http://www.OpenDepth.com http://www.knowprose.com http://www.digitaldivide.net/profile/Taran 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.
Internet-based fax solution for non-profits. (was:Re: [DDN] Looking for solutions re- Webcasting, Internet-based Faxing for Non-profits)
Dialogue on Sustainable Community wrote: Also, I saw a threat a while back about someone who was working on an Internet-based fax solution for non-profits. This caught my eye. I'm interested in this as well, since I have written internet based fax solutions in the past. If there's an initiative on this, I would like to hear about it... -- Taran Rampersad Presently in: San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago [EMAIL PROTECTED] Looking for contracts/work! http://www.knowprose.com/node/9786 New!: http://www.OpenDepth.com http://www.knowprose.com http://www.digitaldivide.net/profile/Taran 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.
Re: [DDN] op/ed: Telecom reform needed to bridge Latino digital divide
I'm getting a semantics headache, so please bear with me. :-) Andy Carvin wrote: Ironically, the problem hasn't been private funding - it's been public funding. Because EDC is publicly funded, we were discouraged from picking fights with the federal government. When you say publicly funded, do you mean federally funded? Either way, I'd have to say it's been pretty balanced... And when DDN was based at the Benton Foundation, we were not allowed to lobby for policies we cared about because of Benton's legal status as a charitable foundation. Err... could you give an example of this? But private funders never tried to interfere or discourage us from getting involved in one issue or another. Do private funders include corporate funders? Like I said, DDN never have been created or lasted as long without support from various sectors, including the private sector. And what happened when we tried to focus on getting less money from the private sector and more from the public sector? We ran out of funding and lost our jobs. Sure, it would have been great if some noncommercial philanthropic benefactor had stepped up and bankrolled DDN so we could do our work and really mobilize, but that was never realistic. Just out of curiosity, was there ever a dollar amount estimated to keep DDN in funding? -- Taran Rampersad Presently in: San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago [EMAIL PROTECTED] Looking for contracts/work! http://www.knowprose.com/node/9786 New!: http://www.OpenDepth.com http://www.knowprose.com http://www.digitaldivide.net/profile/Taran 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.
[DDN] OpenDepth.com library now online
Happy New Year, everyone. While this is somewhat late, OpenDepth.com is open and has a growing library of public domain works which have been 'Wikified' - Wikipedia references added - and you can view a current list of what is available here: http://www.opendepth.com/BooksAndArticles The idea behind this is to create a self-sustaining library available. A list of resources to the left of the pages indicates what tools are used, with the exception of the Editor, who has spent a lot of time reading the books (again and again and again...) and trying to add appropriate references for two reasons: (1) So that people don't have to trip over a reference and stop reading. This is something that has always plagued me, personally, as I then have to go research something else which can lead someone with ADD - like myself - down a path which they may never crawl out of. So much data, so little time... (2) Translations of the works are easier within context. (3) Registered users can leave comments, and pointers to other information which is contextual. (4) In time, I think that this can be a valuable resource that I can pass along to any future generations of my family. The advertising on the pages is something which, I hope, will allow for the continued work on OpenDepth.com. Nobody but myself, personally, has funded it - with money for hosting and with a great deal of sweat equity. In time, downloadable PDFs of the book with the references contained will also be available. I'm also looking into adding the content of the references as well in that endeavor, but that will take time and energy. Since I am not presently employed and don't have any contracts, I am dedicating the time I have between applications and bids to work on this. While the Wikipedia is referenced, it is important for people to understand that the Wikipedia itself is not an 'end all' to knowledge - rather, it should be seen as a beginning of true research. I'm quite open to comments and constructive criticism. -- Taran Rampersad Presently in: San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago [EMAIL PROTECTED] Looking for contracts/work! http://www.knowprose.com/node/9786 New!: http://www.OpenDepth.com http://www.knowprose.com http://www.digitaldivide.net/profile/Taran 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.
Re: [DDN] HOWTO: Add automatic translations to Drupal.
Dave A. Chakrabarti wrote: Hi Taran, others, Excellent article, and one I'm very interested in. One question: You mention that it will translate only from English to another language...so what happens if I click on the Spanish flag, and then on the French flag? Will it attempt to translate the Spanish to French, or is it smarter than that? No, it isn't smarter. Basically, the links are hard coded here to work from one main language to another. Also, the translated page doesn't know that it's not 'English' anymore (the primary language in this example). Part of the problem. Are there any easy comparisons between online translation engines? Is Google's the best one? How does it compare with, say, Babelfish? With human communication, I've had better luck with Google... but that's a personal perspective. Babelfish was (and I believe still is) used by A42.com for RSS feeds, but... again, no interpreter is perfect. Thanks, and good luck on the job search... No worries, and thanks for the wish of luck. -- Taran Rampersad Presently in: San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago [EMAIL PROTECTED] Looking for a gig! http://www.knowprose.com/node/9786 http://www.knowprose.com 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.
[DDN] How Much eWaste per child?
The One Laptop Per Child proposal (aka, the Hundred-Dollar Laptop) generates controversy nearly every time it's mentioned here, whether due to questions about its necessity, arguments about its configuration, or push-back about whether it's really even possible. But a post today at Triple Pundit points to an even more critical issue: would the success of the OLPC plan result in an explosion of hazardous material waste across the developing world?... http://www.worldchanging.com/archives/003881.html I'm not trying to wake up any rhetoric regarding the initiative, but this article by Jamais does a great job of tieing two DDN conversations together, and I encourage people to read it. -- Taran Rampersad Presently in: San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago [EMAIL PROTECTED] Looking for a gig! http://www.knowprose.com/node/9786 http://www.knowprose.com 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.
[DDN] HOWTO: Add automatic translations to Drupal.
While emailing back and forth between a native French speaker who spoke Spanish and not English, discussing the Wikipedia, I realized that he couldn't read anything I wrote on the topics... so I sat down and hacked out automatic translation for Drupal Content Management System sites. It's not very difficult, but with so many Drupal users on the list, perhaps this link and example code with instructions will be useful: http://www.knowprose.com/node/10043 -- Taran Rampersad Presently in: San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago [EMAIL PROTECTED] Looking for a gig! http://www.knowprose.com/node/9786 http://www.knowprose.com 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.
Re: Please be more resourceful .... was: [DDN] Taking the $100 laptop discussion off-list
Tom Brough wrote: Executive Director wrote: We scrap anything below a PII 300. What a waste please use them as LTSP clients in Schools, all you need is one very high spec server, and a 100Mbps network switch and you could run up to 40 of these from one server. The only thing you would ever need to upgrade is the server, and you would only need to replace the clients when they where truely broken. Please visit: www.k12ltsp.org Tom, You're right, of course, that a PII 300 could do more - at least for a while. The question, however, is for how long. In Guyana, as an example, Guyana Power and Light (Amusingly, GPL) regularly zaps things so well that a surge protector doesn't have a chance. These machines do not go into what some would call clean environments, and installing a machine - even an LTSP terminal - comes with a responsibility. People depend on that machine after a while. And unless you have the parts available - which are extraordinarily rare - then you'll end up upgrading anyway, at a 'hidden cost' of whatever the local market bears. My lawyer asked me to get a hold of some SDRAM here in Trinidad and Tobago, to keep his machine alive. SDRAM is increasingly like Copper (which doubled in price since last year). The LTSP is a wonderful software product, but I would be careful to create dependencies on machines. Here's 2 pics of LTSP in action during Software Freedom Day in Guyana, in 2005: http://www.flickr.com/photos/knowprose/42118362/in/pool-digital-divide/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/knowprose/42118361/in/pool-digital-divide/ Not too far away, at Mercy Wings Vocational School, here's some PCs around the same time frame: http://www.flickr.com/photos/knowprose/27231651/in/set-634013/ 2 out of 6 were functioning. And here's the graveyard: http://www.flickr.com/photos/knowprose/27230246/in/set-634013/ The difference? The LTSP machines, above, were above PII 300s. In fact, they were PIIIs as I recall. And even those are hard to get parts for, so when they die, all one can get are... the latest machines. LTSP is great, but it doesn't beat hardware, hardware market and economy limitations - especially in dusty environments outside of an air conditioned room (and the machines during SFD were in an air conditioned room). Everything is interconnected. Creating dependencies on machines likely to die soon is a lot like sending machines with Microsoft Windows to the same people, though perhaps worse if combined. :-) -- Taran Rampersad Presently in: San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago [EMAIL PROTECTED] Looking for a gig! http://www.knowprose.com/node/9786 http://www.knowprose.com 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.
[DDN] Wikimedia Seeking Help
...In the coming year, the Wikimedia Foundation anticipates spending millions keeping up with increases in demand, improving our software and methods to better ensure good quality content, and continuing work toward our goal of providing free knowledge to everyone. That sounds daunting, but so did creating the world's largest encyclopedia in less than five years. We can do it with your help. We are turning to you during this holiday season to help make this happen. It is your donations that allow us to continue to grow and improve. Donations to the Wikimedia Foundation can be made in the currency of your choice and are tax deductible in the United States. In Germany and France, donations to the local Wikimedia chapters (Wikimedia Deutschland, Wikimedia France) are also tax deductible. While donations to local chapters may not be directly used by the Wikimedia Foundation they will help us reach our overall goals. Now is the time to help empower the world with free knowledge. Thank you for your generosity! Jimmy Wales, Florence Devouard, Angela Beesley, and the rest of the Wikimedia Team http://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Wikimedia_needs_your_help I feel forced to say this out loud: The Wikimedia Foundation has done a lot more in the last 2 years than quite a few other groups. -- Taran Rampersad Presently in: San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago [EMAIL PROTECTED] Looking for a gig! http://www.knowprose.com/node/9786 http://www.knowprose.com 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.
Re: [DDN] Re: Re: [simputer] Selling the Simputer.
Sadeque Hussain wrote: Errol Hewitt and Taran, This is most important that we need to develop researches, scientific and engineering prowess as of our own. However there is nothing wrong if we seek assistance from developed countries. Good deeds should be encouraged! Agreed. The point that Errol and I are trying to make is that assistance and dependancy are two separate things. If you live in an independent country - a sovereign state - then your country was probably thought of, at one time and hopefully now, to be capable of it's own solutions. Good deeds should be encouraged. And for sustainable development, they should be encouraged within the developing country. Not without. -- Taran Rampersad Presently in: San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.knowprose.com 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.
Re: [DDN] Re: Re: [simputer] Selling the Simputer.
Satish Jha wrote: If you go to the two sites that sell simputer.. one of them (amida) sells a color screen based contraption with modem and other necessary peripherals to make it work at $650 or so plus taxes and the other one (netcore) at about half the price (though I am not sure about the screen quality).. unless it is produced in larger lot sizes.. at least 100 times larger than current production it price can not be halved.. Its possible that at over 10 million unit lots its cost can be brought down to about $150 or under.. presuming such scale will necessitate various management responses that will focus on cost reduction to make it competitive.. but production can be scaled up only in response to demand.. So why not do that instead of hopping onto Yet Another Initiative? What you wrote above has ever been the point I have been making. -- Taran Rampersad Presently in: San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.knowprose.com 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.
Re: [DDN] Laptop for $100- a debate
Satish Jha wrote: On 12/2/05, Dave A. Chakrabarti [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Satish, Taran, others, Are you arguing that Negropointe's initiative is a real product? I have said in bold letters that its a concept, its a prototype, its caught the imagination and the market may respond to the challenges. Until Media Lab and its partners turn it into a saleable/ usable product that customers want, its not a product No. You are mistaken. It's a product. I *have* one. It's usable, I demonstrated that with the photograph of it editing the Wikipedia entry. Perhaps you should re-evaluate your perspective. There's no theology involved. You can buy one right now. I do not know why you choose to ignore the facts in this discussion. Personally, I'm beginning to think that you're cheerleading for Negroponte, and I'm wondering why. You've used 'theology' *offensively*, and I'm finding that your discussion is based on a theology which defies the facts that I am aware of. Honestly, I think you're avoiding the real questions because you have no answers. If you fail to respond to that, then I am certain that I am right. You're going out of your way to discredit the Simputer - what's *your* motivation? -- 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.
Infrastructure, Children and Technology (was Re: [DDN] Laptop for $100- a debate)
[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Maybe we need to see that the infrastructure is all there. Or build it, using the cheap stuff available locally. I like the idea of using discarded water bottles to do wifi (if available cheap) That is from http://www.usaid.gov/stories/mali/pc_ml_geekcorps.html Right! I've seen antennas with aluminum and styrofoam linking two offices in separate buildings in Panama City (Willy Smith), and quite a few other things. Creative use of what is there really does work... but the problem is usually the policy. Not that its' a problem, though... most of the time policies meant to regulate telecommunications are ignored if they are too constrictive. Trinidad and Tobago has a few examples. :-) We talking about bridging divides: what do the communities we hoping to brige want? Do they know the options available? Have we let the hordes of curious kids (kids are curious everywhere, once they belly full - they are kids first) loose on the technology we have? Kids can be poor, or rich, but are mostly too innocent to have the adult conception that technology is hard and difficult to understand. I wonder sometimes if the people working in ICT have forgotten how to 'play', honestly... I mean... we're dealing with kids, and kids get what I call 'Eureka eyes' when they use a computer for the first time. The flip side is that regulation, policy and trade have to be changed during this time to allow present and future generations jobs in technology without forcing them to leave their own country for lack of jobs. This is a really interesting topic in itself, and one that could probably afford being rehashed. While the community technology (like straw) should be light and eaay to carry (and even that is open to dispute) - a big word for portable, it should not cost the community a lot of money, or tie them into packages, rather than (better, IMO) ideas about computing... The ideas... Not just 'using technology', but 'pushing technology'. Everyone on this list is 'using' technology, but how many are using it creatively to solve their own problems? There may be some idea coming out there. Besides, cheap cell phones are probably the true wave we should be riding, though I have no particular dog in this hunt. That's one aspect of the MobileActive Convergence that was touched on, and one I would like to see some more of. -rj, long time lurker, first time poster. And it's great seeing you posting here, Richard. -- 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.
Re: [DDN] Laptop for $100- a debate
Dave A. Chakrabarti wrote: Satish, Taran, others, I find this paragraph (originally from Satish's post) of interest: Simputer Never became a product. Its a great prototype that needs to be perfected as a product. A product is not an idea. It is something that gets accepted as a product that adds value at the level it gets perceived at. Simputer has not even sold 10,000 units in 5 years and that is less than the beta testing numbers of any product I have seen in the past decade and a half. It is apparent that Satish has a very different definition of 'product'. There are some in the Caribbean who would attribute this to colonialism; I do not know enough of Satish's perspective to say that this is a good label. What I do know is that there has been a pointed lack of response to poignant questioning, and that until those questions are answered I find that my aversion to the Negroponte laptop grows. In fact, I have found this all to be more of an advertorial for Negroponte, with misting used excessively to cloud the real issues. I wonder if the ship will hit the black bridge? -- 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.
Re: [DDN] Laptop for $100- a debate
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.
[DDN] What Size For Kids (formerly the $100 laptop debate)
Cindy Lemcke-Hoong wrote: Hello Dave, Actually, it doesn't...it's a speculation on the direction of communications technology, and on what the next milestones might be. We can call it 'speculation' or we can call it 'foresight'. But one thing we should look it is the practicality of how much 'power/memory' a person really need? Especially if we are talking about CHILD? It just occurred to me to check something. http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/2600 Tolstoy's 'War and Peace' (infamous for it's size) takes up 3.13 megabytes as uncompressed text. How many large books like that will a schoolchild need? I feel a bit like Richard Feynman with a shuttle O ring in a glass of water here, but... And, if it is compressed - with the ZIP technique - it gets down to 1.16 megabytes. 1 Gigabyte on a USB stick - 640 copies of Zipped 'War and Peace' can fit on it. 310 copies unzipped. Let's work with unzipped for a more conservative figure which requires less processing power. 256 megabytes gives us 77.5 copies of 'War and Peace'. 128 megabytes gives us 38.75 copies of 'War and Peace'. 64 megabytes gives us 19.375 copies of 'War and Peace'. 32 megabytes gives us 9.6875 copies of 'War and Peace' 16 megabytes gives us 4.84375 copies of 'War and Peace'. Back to file size - of course, this is based on actual text files instead of bloated word processing files. So I decided to check saving it in two other formats using OpenOffice.org 2.0: OpenOffice format is 1.32 megabytes. Microsoft Office 2000 format is 7.59 megabytes (really, download the txt file and save it with Microsoft Word and see for yourself...) And, converting to Adobe Acrobat gets us 2.85 megabytes. HTML format: 3.21 megabytes. Will the real Slim Tolstoy please stand up? It seems that OpenOffice format somehow took a 3.13 megabyte text file and made it almost a third of the size, Microsoft Office 2000 format made it a little over twice the size, and PDF conversion came up with about a 30% saving on size. HTML format shows a slight increase, with the ability to be viewed in a browser (as a text file can be, too). Umm. So, how much memory does a child need for a year using which software? But OpenOffice.org - the clear winner here - doesn't play well with less than 128 megabytes of RAM - we were talking about storage space above. But... a standard text viewer can operate in at most kilobytes of RAM. I think this is a good start with some real data. Will the real Slim Tolstoy please stand up? Processing power need decreases with the less complex the software, and let's face it - the most advanced thing a secondary school student will probably face is calculus. And they use... calculators for that, when they are permitted (I wasn't, but times change). Nowadays we could probably stick all of this on a cell phone and use a cell phone mesh network, which would be really cool, but again we'll bump into the same problems: Infrastructure and telecommunications policy. Now, if someone has all the textbooks for a year a schoolchild will need - Raw Text - let's take a look at it, crunch the number, and actually build some requirements. But can someone get a publisher to agree to that? Of course not, we're looking at changing their lucrative business model. But we could average words per page of each book and how many pages there are, and go from there. Then there are the images as well - and we could compare GIF, JPEG and PNG (I have a good idea which will win in most cases). And the use of images takes us to the minimum of HTML level for the text itself. Right now, I think 64 Meg of storage space should be sufficient, if only the texts were available in an electronic format. And that is the point that quite a few people have been making throughout the $100 laptop debate, as well as the debate on any technology... where's the material? And why are we building machines when we don't even have the material? -- 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.
Re: [DDN] Laptop for $100- a debate
to transcend what you appear to call romance. I do not wish to pass the virginity test of liking Simputer to get past the threshold of being acceptable to the club.. But we may need to change our glasses in light of what is in front, staring at us.. You don't have to like the Simputer, but with your position as the Special Adviser of the Kofi Annan Centre for Excellence in ICTs, I would think that you would take a chance and ask one of the producers of the Simputer in India how many 5 million would cost per unit, with that sort of guaranteed production level. Because in the end, that's all the magic Negroponte has and is the one failure that the Simputer has had - politics and marketing. I think I'm going to get out of all of this and start selling detachable hand cranks with Valentine's Day cards. It may not be politically correct, but I'm guaranteed staunch defenders. And to make it interesting, I'll set a minimum order of 5 million. Maybe they'll make good replacements. -- 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.
Re: [DDN] Laptop for $100- a debate
Satish Jha wrote: Dear Mr Rampersad, Let's dispense with formality, Satish. My name is Taran. Thank you for your posting an open letter. I thought it was an open forum and I appreciate your reminder. It is; I am just not used to you participating in discussion. You'll excuse my late response, but reality has to be dealt with between emails. I'm sure you understand. You'll also excuse if I stick to the meat of the post. Simputer Never became a product. Its a great prototype that needs to be perfected as a product. A product is not an idea. It is something that gets accepted as a product that adds value at the level it gets perceived at. Simputer has not even sold 10,000 units in 5 years and that is less than the beta testing numbers of any product I have seen in the past decade and a half. Excuse me, Satish, but if it's not a product then you are saying that the Simputer that I own is not real? I think you may want to recheck your data. Perhaps this will help: http://www.knowprose.com/node/3040 Further, I'm told that the Simputers are being used in many practical applications in India. I realize it's a big country and you may be unaware of them; despite your experience in the field of global information technology, I am fairly certain it is hard to keep up with all of the details. Often I am tempted to form an opinion and solidify it beyond debate, but I continue to force myself to look at the world with fresh eyes every day. It's literally amazing what happens in plain sight that is overlooked. Frankly I am amazed at the passion Simputer has generated without contributing anything in terms of technology. Its not an iPod or has not broken a new ground. But I see nothing else that got so hyped in the past few years for what it has to offer. Perhaps your interest lagged. Now we know that Simputer is being sold to another company that may have more capabilities to productise it. Excuse me, but if you're familiar with the Simputer, you will realize that it's Open Hardware and that *anyone* can build one. May I recommend visiting http://www.simputer.org - where you can download the plans yourself? Its great to have an opportunity to discuss with those who are serious about finding a solution and I will be glad to find time for that. I am sincerely glad that you are willing to do so. With Chavez starting a computer manufacturing plant in Venezuala, me having a Simputer in Trinidad and Tobago, and the plans for the Simputer on the internet, there has been some interest in the product in more way than one. Perhaps the Simputer will not be taken seriously by experienced people in India, but who knows what the future holds. The world is constantly changing, right beneath our eyes. The devil, of course, is in the details - which I think once you realize the potential of the Open Hardware initiative, you will have to reassess. On the Negroponte laptop - well, it boggles the mind why something so mediocre would be considered worthwhile. It certainly isn't in production like the Simputer has been, and it certain hasn't been used... Please check into the facts regarding the Simputer. I can put you onto some people if you need the facts. -- 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.
Re: [DDN] $100 laptop and seeds
Mark Warschauer wrote: In summary, do I expect this initiative to solve all the world's educational problems? Heck no. But neither do I see it the horrible bogey-man that people are portraying it as. Mark Very good point, and one that I must be open about... I do not mean to make the $550 million dollar laptop into a bogey-man, I just would like it not to be thought of as a '$100 per person save the world on a budget' reality. There certainly is a place for lower costing technology (note that I did not say 'cheap', which could be confused with substandard). I offer - and have been offering - that there are systems to provide for lower costing technology, and that undercutting those systems - in a nutshell - means that capitalism doesn't work. Because, in the end, if the $100 laptop is a success - and I doubt it -- but if it is, then I offer that capitalism failed, Negroponte wins. So I shall cut to the chase for the questions, since I have already supplied sufficient basis for the questions: In a world where Negroponte wins, is there room for capitalism? If Negroponte wins, and the win is not capitalism, then is capitalism something to be aspired to? Or... If what Negroponte's proposal is actually capitalism with different marketing and an obvious minimum order, what is the actual benefit that supporters of the $550 million dollar laptop can discuss instead of pretty colors, how nice it will be, and how it will keep my children from being born naked? Answer with facts, please, because the rhetoric is simply drawing this out into something which is below the standards of acceptable discussion. -- 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.
Re: [DDN] Laptop for $100- a debate
planning book if all it says is you allocate your resources optimally among different possibilities? I think it is sound economics. Sometimes we need to take a step backwards and ask if we are asking the right questions. Often the progress we may make will depend on the questions we ask. And if only we begin to probe from the point of what impact it may have, what assumptions it reflects, we may cut down the journey to reaching any goal we may set. No problems here. If ever the 100 dollar computers reach the poor children, certainly it would make a difference. Mr Jha would like those who have entered the debate to suggest any alternative product which may yield better results. I was not talking about the 100 dollar machine as inferior to other machines. My concern was about the premature publicity of a non-product. Incidentally, I was one of the earliest to wish Prof. Negroponte and the MIT team all success. I have great admiration for MIT, for it is the first higher educational institution in the world to make available its courseware for free on the web. Let me once again wish all success to the One Child One laptop project all success. And thank Mr Jha for commenting on my views. Arun [Subbiah Arunachalam] -- Satish Jha Special Adviser, Kofi Annan Centre for Excellence in ICTs Principal Adviser, vMoksha Technologies Co-Chair, Economic Opportunities Commission, WITFOR Management Consultant - Technology Strategy, Management and Program/Project Management www.vmoksha.com; www.dpindia.org; www.aiti-kace.com.gh; www.witfor.org ___ 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. -- 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.
Re: [DDN] $100 laptop
Terry King wrote: At 03:54 PM 11/24/2005 -0600, David wrote: Why does a laptop prevent children from working together? I would argue that an affordable, real laptop with useful features would be an incredible boon to community technologists. Firstly, because community networking, via laptop or desktop, is still networking between members of a community...meaning that it is a collaborative process instead of an alienating one. I've been following these discussions, and I think it's time to try to bring ALL the good ideas to bear on the issue of using ICT's in appropriate ways to improve the lives of people, and especially to support children and their education. I think that the Mesh Network feature of the MIT/everychild laptop is one of it's strengths (and one that can and will be used in other efforts). It is a network that will work for community-based collaboration for education and other goals. For any program to work, and move into many different villages and areas, the seeds need to be able to be sown without ICT people on the ground going around a whole country setting up low-level infrastructure. OK. I hate to be the myth-slayer here, and I was honestly hoping that someone else would do it, but laptops with wireless cards - even Windows XP - can do this. In fact, this was one of the features that Apple marketers were shouting about a couple of years ago with the confusingly named 'Airport', and so forth. The mesh network has been done and continues to be done without Negroponte. In the end, it's nothing new - it's just wrapped different. It is quite useful, and people have been successfully using these abilities for quite some time. Yet, without actual content to transfer or a connection to the internet, it's all sort of senseless. Arguably, it makes the copying of homework easier, but that's not an argument - just an observation. :-) Snipped a lot of good things. The $100Laptop as envisioned by MIT is not the only way to do this, but it's definitely in the right direction, in my opinion. It is. I see it as educational; look what has to be done to get Koffi Annan to talk about it. A big budget, repackaged and reintegrated technologies, and... Look at http://laptop.media.mit.edu/ Read who the principals are. The principals never impress me, it's the product. Those people DO know what they are doing, and have a track record of successfully to pushing Technology to a real product. They also have a few failures in their past as well. That's not an argument, just a balancing observation. And then, here's the argument: If they were really successful at pushing technology as a real product, would Negroponte's $550 million laptop (5 million minimum order, present actual cost $110 per unit) be necessary? Perhaps the definition of successful is different in what these companies have done and what they are attempting to do through the graces of His Negroponteness. Perhaps it's that variance in the definition of 'success' that people are actually discussing here. The two successes are markedly different, and if the successes are not different in the eyes of Negroponte and Co., as well as the people who rise to defend the possibility of 'success' - well, then nothing has changed. Which is sort of my point, either way. As another principal of the $100 laptop project, Alan Kay, famously said about 20 years ago: The best way to predict the Future is to Invent it! Alan Kay also said Perspective is worth 80 IQ points Nnot that I believe in IQ tests, but so far I've been seeing a very singular version of success coming from the people who think it's a brilliant idea. This Year, Right Now: I think we should all be behind the TeleCentre type efforts, and the InfoYouth Centres that UNESCO is helping to build. They will work now, and start the OUT reach of technology in an appropriate way. They will support the large numbers of computers in the hands of children in the future. My thought on success here is not the number of computers that children can get, but what they can do with them and what they are legally permitted to do with them, and that these systems should be self sustaining. Some people count laptops. I'm inclined to count smiles. 1 laptop isn't equal to a smile. Most of the time I grimace at mine because of what I cannot do on it. -- 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.
Re: [DDN] Video: the $100 laptop at WSIS
Yes. And if you have an order of a million, you have something that you can take to the bank - as opposed to creating new manufacturing abilities with much more risk on a 'we hope they buy it' basis. It's a solid business proposition when someone walks in with an order for a minimum of 5 million units (see the FAQ), it should be pretty easy to do that... especially considering that the 5 million startup minimum should be based on the ability to manufacture. The present margin is $10 million, since the laptop itself now costs $110. Fab costs aren't something I am privy to, but I suspect you are right. However, integration costs are probably where the problem is. Still, it's not my problem and I'm not getting paid to deal with math on a product which I think is a colossal and foolish cart before a horse. But on the business end, I'm sure the numbers will jive because it would be pretty embarassing if someone actually ordered 5 million off the bat and these folks couldn't produce. In other words, we could go back and forth all day, but until someone decides to be the test rat, nobody will know. Executive Director wrote: One million units with a margin of even $20 is $20 mil. Fabs cost $2 to 3 billion. Mike Michael F. Pitsch [EMAIL PROTECTED] -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Taran Rampersad Sent: Wednesday, November 23, 2005 2:13 AM To: The Digital Divide Network discussion group Subject: Re: [DDN] Video: the $100 laptop at WSIS Executive Director wrote: Taran, There is no evidence to support what you are saying. If they had the capacity or capital to build the capacity don't you think that they would try to supply Dell? Well, with a minimum order of a million - guaranteed - the rules change. The demand is established, there's no guesswork, decreased risk, etc. -- 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. ___ 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. -- 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.
Re: [DDN] Re: [bytesforall_readers] Laptop for $100
Subbiah Arunachalam wrote: Mr Satish Jha is an accomplished man. He has been a journalist, editor of a national newspaper, a manager, a consultant, policy analyst and much more. He writes well. But then while responding to my intervention, he has not countered any one of my statements, and yet I am sure he would have made many readers think he has. That is why the Tamil saying I quoted must be remembered always. Whatever we hear from whoever, we must try to reach the truth. Mr Jha begins his argument with There are some ideas that stir the imagination. Or we cannot explain why it caught the attention of as many people all over the globe in such a short time. I never questioned that a low-cost device is useful and can help spread education. [Incidentally, all kinds of things become popular quickly. Mere popularity is not of much value.] If we look at it as an idea of a low-cost computing device the credit, I guess, should go to the IISc professors who thought of the Simputer. And Mr Jha certainly knows why the Simputer did not really pick up and become a big-time technological breakthrough. I do not know about Dell taking the idea from MIT, but certainly Simputer was thought of years ago. So if we had to celebrate an idea, we should have celebrted the Simputer. If I may ask, did not Simputer stir the imagination of Mr Jha? That the Simputer is on the beach and some other product is on the hilltop is relevant in the context of business, but not in the plane of valuing ideas or creativity. Arun, You may appreciate this: http://mailman.edc.org/pipermail/digitaldivide/2005-April/002012.html Mr. Jha was not a big fan of the Simputer. And the email he sent to the UN ICT Policy List (which I responded to in that link with no response) was dated 4/14/2005. Right about the time Negroponte's name started showing up in the press. Coincidence or not, it is certainly convenient. -- 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.
Beyond laptops (was Re: [DDN] Photos of the $100 Laptop, Booth, Meetings etc.)
ehewitt wrote: Hi Taran, In the midst of it all remains the original matter that the prime focus in school is delivery of the curriculum -- I assume from all this , or rather the UN, MIT and Negroponte assumes I imagine, that the delivery of the curriculum is already available on the Internet. The student just cranks up the computer and ...Viola!!! QED. Errol Hewitt Well, not necessarily on the internet. But available electronically at all is a problem. Maybe the first people who should get the technology and act on it aren't children. Maybe it's the teachers, the writers of schoolbooks... In the context of CARICOM, I have often wondered how long it would take for school book authors to be commissioned to create books available at no cost on the internet. Sure, TT has 'free schoolbooks' - but they cost the government. What if one could reduce the cost and make the books available to anyone with a machine or access to a computer printer AND the publisher? That seems a very long way down the road. It also highlights a point: different parts of the world have different systems of education, and therefore different needs. -- 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.
Re: [DDN] $100 laptop
Sadeque Hussain wrote: Taran Rampersad, It sounds every time you discourage the $100 laptop. whats wrong with this? There are some social thinkers and community welfare minded people in our group. And they have something especial to contribute into particular community and I dont think this is a bad idead. Sadeque, I don't know how I can make more clear why I think there are problems with the $100 million laptop. Nobody has responded to the challenges I put forward. I would like someone to respond to those challenges instead of ignoring them and telling me it's a good initiative. -- 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.
Re: [DDN] Photos of the $100 Laptop, Booth, Meetings etc.
Terry King wrote: These many questions are best answered by the MIT website at: http://laptop.media.mit.edu/faq.html From the FAQ, some interesting things: The idea is to distribute the machines through those ministries of education willing to adopt a policy of One Laptop per Child. Initial discussions have been held with China, Brazil, Thailand, and Egypt. Additional countries will be selected for beta testing. Initial orders will be limited to a minimum of one million units (with appropriate financing). I'd like to know more about the policy. And there's that minimum order. I don't think China will bite, and based on the politics related to the FTAA, I don't think Brazil will either. Venezuala will have computer building ability next year through an agreement with Chinese businesspeople, so computer costs in South America and the Caribbean should decrease since the middle man will be more local. Our preliminary schedule is to have units ready for shipment by the end of 2006 or early 2007. Manufacturing will begin when 5 to 10 million machines have been ordered and paid for in advance. 500 million dollars to start. Wow. OK, so it's not MIT Media Lab, it's One Laptop per Child (OLPC) - and yet the link is http://laptop.media.mit.edu/faq.html (a link from the Media lab's site), and Negroponte's and the MIT Media lab's name in the press... I think I've said what I have to say on all of this in quite a few permutations; the facts are all there (and being ignored doesn't mean that they are not there). I'm leaving this one alone now, unless something new and interesting comes along. -- 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.
Re: [DDN] $100 Lap-top for every child in this world !!!
Cindy Lemcke-Hoong wrote: ... I for one is going to stop giving my hard earned money to non-profit organizations unless they can prove to me they have answers for these very down-to-earth questions from me. I am not going to spend my meager wages supporting MIT or anyone that is looking at, perhaps UN, to buy 100 millions PC from them. No way. Cindy [EMAIL PROTECTED] The problem is that governments don't ask us for money. They just take it. And funding agencies are attracted to bright colors - as, apparently, the UN is. A better world through slick marketing. -- 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.
Re: [DDN] Re: $100 laptop
The reference to Flash, in this case, is dealing with RAM. Not the multimedia software, which as Andy points out could be useful (but begs the question, How can people run it without being able to read. - solutions needed). Adite Chatterjee wrote: Simputer has some good ideas, but only 32M of Flash. No room for textbooks... No Keyboard. In response to the above comment, just one tiny observation: pray, WHY would an illiterate person sitting in remote Rajasthan in India- where electricity, water, housing, food is a problem, need FLASH? Despite being a savvy computer user with a privileged educational/income background, i can do without it! Adite -- 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.
Re: [DDN] $100 laptop
Amy Kenyon wrote: My feeling about all the naysayers is that it is better to be the cheerleader of a great cause that fails then the naysayer of one that succeeds. I agree, and I'll add that it is better to be a cheerleader of a real cause than to be a cheerleader of one that isn't real. Personally, I think I look funny in a skirt and pom-poms, and I worry that someone might disagree. Giving every kid on the planet a laptop is a wonderful idea, just like feeding them might be a grand idea. Clothing and shoes might be useful as well. The inherent problems with these laptops have not been addressed by any of the cheerleaders - or Negroponte for that matter. Sure, the song has a nice beat but the lyrics are really lacking. -- 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.
Re: [DDN] Re: $100 laptop
interconnections... it's like Sesame Street when Ernie counts the cookies on the plate. No matter how you move the cookies, it's still the same number of cookies. -- 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.
Re: RE : [DDN] Re: $100 laptop
Emmanuel James Mjimapemba wrote: How can one purchase these 'simputers'? That can really be a good facility for underdeveloped countries. I dealt with Amida directly - http://www.amidasimputer.com -- 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.
Re: [DDN] Video: the $100 laptop at WSIS
Mike, I beg to differ - AMD can supply the demand; in fact if they can't they quickly could. The reason Intel and AMD have the market positions that they do is mainly because of Wintel, and that's rapidly eroding. Bear in mind I'm not defending the MIT Media labs $100 million laptop. I'm talking about AMD and Intel. AMD produces less expensive processors, and does a good job at keeping Intel honest on pricing. That doesn't mean that they don't have the capacity to produce more, they simply don't have a demand which they need to supply. Since Intel is a rarity - it has had the Holy Grail of Six Sigma zero defects (by selling 'defects' as lower grade chips, it is rumored), and spending lots of money on RD, Intel retains a strong market position despite Microsoft's inability to come out with a true 64 bit operating system, thus making Intel much more friendly to Linux. And I imagine that the Apple deal was a boon for Intel. I'm pretty sure if someone orders a million processors from AMD, they'll be able to supply it... and in doing that, they boost their own competitive stature in the processor market. Executive Director wrote: Andy, You of course realize that this may never become anything at all. AMD doesn't have the fabrication plants to compete with Intel, or even supply Dell, much less provide these chips for a worldwide market. Only Intel spends the billions on fabs to keep up with current demand. I still believe that reuse is the bridge which spans the digital divide both nationwide and worldwide. Mike * Michael F. Pitsch Executive Director Tech Corps Wisconsin, Inc. [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.tcw.org Tech Corps Wisconsin, Inc. is a statewide, non-profit volunteer organization dedicated to bridging the digital divide by providing access to technology for children. -- 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.
Re: [DDN] Video: the $100 laptop at WSIS
As I keep saying, it's not a $100 laptop. It's a $100 million laptop. As far as this Negroponte issue - is it Negroponte's, or is it MIT Media Labs? If it is a product of MIT Media labs, wouldn't it be more appropriate to call it 'the MIT Media lab laptop which costs $100 US if you order a million'? I never even heard of Nicholas Negroponte before this laptop. Someone must think he's awfully important. So I found his biography (http://archives.obs-us.com/obs/english/books/nn/nnbio.htm ) and then the Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicholas_Negroponte And here's the Wikipedia link to the $100 laptop (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%24100_laptop ) which I haven't touched and I am unlikely to touch because my thoughts on this would be considered to be outside 'Neutral Point of View', or NPOV. I am glad that it links to the Simputer, a real initiative which doesn't require 100 million. I suppose that the problem of the Simputer is that it doesn't have the U.S. marketing machine behind it... and that may also be it's greatest downfall, if people buy into the hype. I've tried contacting his Negroponte-ness in the past when the initiative was first unveiled (oddly, at the same time the U.S. media was reporting the Simputer as a failure despite it's smaller successes). Maybe he doesn't like me. :-) I don't mind him so much, I just don't believe in what he is doing and I'm not buying the hype... and I'm not even writing about him because even bad press feeds the marketing machine. I'm not out to help 'the MIT Media lab laptop which costs $100 US if you order a million' even if it's bad press. It's a myopic approach to a problem which many, MANY people who have their feet on the ground disagree with, and ignoring those same people reinforces the same divide that this laptop is supposed to solve. If you bought over a million Simputers, the price would probably be below a hundred dollars. Duh. Hype. Hype. Hype. Andy Carvin wrote: Honestly, I think probably not. One thing Negroponte has been emphasizing is that they only want to work with national governments willing to purchase laptops in batches of one million or more. That's one of the ways they intend to keep costs down. I don't know if Italy is one of the initial countries signed up to partner with them. -andy epanto wrote: Dear Andy, We are a school network in Italy,www.dschola.it http://www.dschola.it, and we participate in an eu and latin american cofounded project, called integra, www.integraproject.org http://www.integraproject.org we are interested in collaborating with the $100 laptop project: we are trying to get in touch with Mr Negroponte and its staff but we don't succeed. Do you know if there are any interest from them in collaboration with schools? thank you all the best Eleonora Panto' eCommunities Area Manager __ CSP - ICT Innovation +390114815139 - +393486086090 email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] skype:epanto web: www.dschola.it http://www.dschola.it/ ___ 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. -- 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.
Re: [DDN] Third World
Dave A. Chakrabarti wrote: Hi Vasu, Linda, Beth, I'm not sure I agree with you here. Why does Third World imply such negative connotations? It may just be a difference in how we understand the semantics, but I've also used Third World the way a geographer or economist uses it, i.e. to mean developing. Personally, I've often found greater beauty and more humanity in the third world than in more developed nations. I would certainly never use it in a negative sense...my emphasis in meaning has always been developing, perhaps in alternative ways rather than underdeveloped or backwards. The problem, perhaps, is not how you write it but how it is read. I'll offer another perspective, if you're interested. People in nations that are not considered 'developed nations' usually have identities and as such don't appreciate being lumped together. The problems of Trinidad and Tobago are not the same as those of Tunisia, though there are similarities. But people who don't seem to care about those difference lump countries together in 'North' and 'South' (penguins or no penguins?), 'developed' and 'developing' (which makes no sense, since it implies countries that are ahead are static instead of dynamic), and 'First World' and 'Third World'. Third World, to me, means a nation considered so backward that it didn't rate second. I'm sure that's not what you mean, but I am also sure that I don't know what you mean when you or others use the phrase. Developed and Developing seem like the best ones to use, so I use those, but still saying that a nation is developing does not tell me anything about the nation. Trinidad and Tobago is considered a developing nation, and yet it has a lot of money flowing into it (don't ask me where it goes). If you tell me that the United States is a First World nation, I can easily point out areas in the U.S. that are not First World. These broad brush strokes are generalities that do not really explain anything, at least to me. Both the Great Kiskedee, the 'Plantain' and the Bananaquit are birds that have yellow on them in Trinidad and Tobago. Talking about a yellow bird here would not tell you much about the bird that I am speaking of. Mistaking a Scot, an Irishman and an Englishman is considered an insult though the accents are not different to the new casual listener. I'm in the nth world myself, and I have no idea what all of these worlds are about. I do, however, recognize countries with common problems. 'Infrastructure poor nations' tells me that the nations in the set are infrastructure poor. Or I could just say, Some of my best friends are from the Third World, which goes over really well in the third world - sort of like walking into a predominantly xyz neighbourhood and saying, Some of my best friends are xyz! I'd like to see people write about the context of the level of development in discussion. All this Third World, developing nation, global South stuff is rather segregational and I believe it may even be a factor in reinforcing the problems being discussed. Telling someone that their country is a Third World country can make people defensive, and I'm almost certain that this is not what people want to do. So if it hurts when we touch someone in a wound, why do we keep sticking our finger in it and wondering why some get upset? But that's just me, just my humble opinion, and your mileage may vary. That's all I have on this. -- 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.
[DDN] Being Prepared in the face of Hurricane Wilma as far as communications.
While Wilma is headed somewhere to in the Gulf region, and has already caused deaths in Haiti, it might be a good idea to get the community involved before disaster strikes, and set up alternative means of communication at the community level - and let people know *before* disaster strikes. Projects such as the ARC (http://www.knowprose.com/ARC ; http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/4149977.stm ) can be set up NOW, and be ready before disaster strikes an area. Organized communication BEFORE a disaster, DURING a disaster, and AFTER a disaster. SMS and HAM radio always seem to be the main means of dependable communication. I wrote an entry (link below) to share. Please share widely, by email, weblog, print, television, radio, carrier pigeon and telling your gossipy acquaintances at the coffee shop and bar: http://www.knowprose.com/node/9106 Or, we can just wait and blame someone else for not doing anything. -- 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.
Re: [DDN] A Littl' More On Bridging the Digital Divide in the US
Dr. Steve Eskow wrote: In response to Peter Lopez Taran wrote this: Because I do not wish to disrupt this list with anything further, I'm taking a break from DDN's email list. If anyone needs to contact me, my email address is below. -- 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.
Re: [DDN] A Littl' More On Bridging the Digital Divide in the US
Dr. Steve Eskow wrote: My own hunch is that leaping the stage of the social computer and moving immediately to the personal computer is an invitation to failure. Well, if you think in terms of computers, I can understand that hunch. But a network of computers is a separate thing; a 'social computer' is also a computer that allows social networking by allowing access to others across a network. So if people have personal PCs to join the network, then I don't see how there can be a failure. Unless the computers never need servicing, never get infected. By these criteria, mankind would not have grown crops. They will always need servicing. There will always be security issues. But people adapt. Unless the computers are never given to the home without local and free servicing made available. I am vehemently against 'free' servicing. I do believe, however, that costs can be lower. Unless free and ongoing instruction in their use is made available to parents as well as students. It's available in many guises, and will continue to be. Unless the computers are solar powered or hand cranked. Solar might be better. The less moving parts, the better. A social setting for shared use of computers-- a school, a library, a church, a community center--allows for instruction and servicing. Each user of such a computer as the Simputer can have his or her own card that allows for personal use of a shared device. Let's not forget another social setting: The Internet. Sure, it's not a bunch of people in the same room, but then would you really want to share a room with me, Steve? The arrival of the low cost paper back book did not make the library obsolete. No. It didn't. The arrival of television did not make the shared technology known as the school obsolete. It depends on how you consider 'obsolete'. But I'm sure that television was only a factor in what I consider modern education. I also fault top heavy administrative spending on administration, in which I will enjoy Metzger's company. Bigger buildings and more administrative staff does not a better school make. And as such, neither will forcing people to group together to form an basic 'social computer'. A web server is a social computer, you said so yourself a while back. People will meet. People will get together. It's the nature of people. Perhaps we should let people choose how to interact with each other. At least, we could offer our species some dignity. -- 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.
Re: [DDN] A Digital Divide review: what to start with
I think that the point Errol is trying to make, and certainly the point I am trying to make, is that it's a catch-22. Education is needed to run the solar energy, or other renewable energy sources. Consider mechanical means of generating electricity require knowledge of Tesla's inventions - generators/motors, which requires a solid grounding in electrical theory, which involves all sorts of education. But to study, one needs light, and to study, one needs to eat. Small steps. This is where the DIY Solar projects get my support completely because they do encourage literacy by making literacy something with a tangible benefit. A starving person may not see a reason to learn how to read. A project which can help them make money to eat *and* provide electricity is really a great thing. Solar, especially, wins in this regard because basically a solar panel simply produces electricity. Electromechanical means require a bit more understanding of electricity and magnetic fields; induced currents and so on. Education, without a practical use, isn't useful. Alfred Bork wrote: Power is not necessary. Solar power is getting better and better. And mechanical means can generate power. Learning material for all forms of literacy is the best starting point, as I said. Alfred Bork University of California, Irvine -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of ehewitt Sent: Tuesday, October 11, 2005 8:20 AM To: The Digital Divide Network discussion group Subject: RE: [DDN] A Digital Divide review: what to start with What about reliable, affordable and accessible power? Errol Hewitt At 17:04 10/10/2005 -0700, you wrote: I would think that the first priority should be literacy, for everyone. In the US we still have a high illiteracy rate for adults. Access to current technology and information is of no use if the user cannot read. Mathematical literacy is also high on my list of priorities. Alfred Bork ___ 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. -- 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.
Re: [DDN] Creating the $100 Laptop
Egor Grebnev wrote: On Thursday 13 October 2005 01:51, Taran Rampersad wrote: But those folks are always shifting, and would be hard to find... But what would you like to know? :) Everything. But the quote taken out of context makes it difficult to respond to what specifically I was looking for in that quotation. -- 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.
Re: [DDN] A Littl' More On Bridging the Digital Divide in the US
Steve, While I understand your point, I think you fail to understand my point - at least judging by your response. You see, the point is that technology is changing while this discussion takes place, and like it or not the 'social computer', as you call it, is indeed increasingly becoming the personal computer on the internet. To illustrate this point, the Digital Divide email server is acting like one of your 'social computers' during this interchange. Yet we both need access to computers to access the social aspect - the network. I understand the need for *telecenters*, which is really what you are talking about. In fact, amongst a few other people on this list, I am a member of the telecenter caucus (WSIS), though of late I have been too busy with other things to be as active as I would like to be. Yet, even as such a member, the arrival of computing which allows people to group as they wish instead of how people plan them to has the potential to revolutionize the way a telecenter is considered; in fact, mobile phones are already doing so. So, while we discuss countries that neither one of us actually live in, and speak of perspectives that neither of us completely have, we need to be careful and appreciate the potential that technology is making available to people that may be used in ways that are far beyond our present understanding - even by, and perhaps especially by, literates in a village, in Africa perhaps, where the average *annual* income is $300 US. Why? Because, friend Steve, necessity is the mother of invention. The trick isn't to get them all computer literate in our perspectives - it's to get them productive from their own perspectives. And that means allowing all technology to be made available for them to peruse, like a Home Depot, so that their imagination and creativity mix with the resources that become available so that they can meet their own needs. Not our needs, and not our needs to fulfill their needs. This is the last I shall write on this, because as good as some consider me to be a writer, I have failed consistently to make these and similar points to you. It is only appropriate that I accept the fact that, should this message fail, that I have to grow more as a communicator to be better understood by you. Good evening. And pat your personal computer for me; it has allowed us to have this stimulating conversation - as mine has. Dr. Steve Eskow wrote: Imagine a village, in Africa perhaps, where 200 literates are ready to use computers. Their average yearly income is $300 US. Forcing the personal computer solution--even when the $100 computer becomes a reality-- requires that each family pay one-third of its annual income for the device. Service and maintenance and the other costs associated with perosnal computer eats further into tthe meager family budget. $20,000 US for computer plus related expenses: an invitation unlikely to happen quickly, a slow and painful way to cross the digital divide. The social computer alternative: The village association or cooperative purchases 20 computers at $100, for $2000 US. Each villager who wants to use the computers pays an annual fee: say $25. Such a fee pays for the cost of the computers plus a sum for maintenance and service and other related expenses. Even $25 is difficult for a family living on $300. In the light of the history of squandered donor aid in the Third World, Negroponte's notion of having governments buy and distribute the computers to families seems like an invitation to more of the same. The analogy to the public library (or the public school, or the public road, or the public water supply) is this: if 200 people who cannot afford to buy the book have access to 10or 20 copies of the book, all can read it, even though they may have to wait a bit. This is not a socialist fantasy, but a proven social response to human needs. Perhaps the best metaphor for the social approach to the digital divide is the bridge, the public bridge across any divide. The bridge allows many to cross the divide, although they may have to wait a bit for their turn. The social computer allows many to enjoy the benefits of the new communication technologies, to cross the digital divide before they can afford to cross it on their own. Steve Eskow [EMAIL PROTECTED] -- 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.
Re: [DDN] A Littl' More On Bridging the Digital Divide in the US
Peter S. Lopez wrote: REPLY ~ Wednesday Morning ~ I agree with you Dr. Eskow and am pleased at your common sense. I am not sure how many people on this DDN Discussion List are actually poor themselves in the economic sense. Nevertheless, we must all clearly understand that the ‘big factor’ in there even be a ‘high tech’ digital divide is the social-economic existence of the misery of poverty suffered by billions of people upon Mother Earth. Actually, Peter, quite a few people on this list at least come from what would be called by people with PhD's as 'disadvantaged backgrounds'. I grew up working in a printery, actually, from age 11 to 16 while attending school. For the poor, access to the Internet Technology is NOT a top priority, finding the next decent edible meal, temporary shelter and/or satisfying a urgent medical need ARE among basic daily survival priorities. Which is a point that many of us have been making, Peter. Technology in *this* context is certainly appropriate. I certainly am poor right now and I must be honest, practical and realistic or invite peril, disaster and self-delusion. I am one of those who come from the social set and settings of the inner-city urban poor in Amerika. Actually, I ended up joining this list and many others under similar circumstances. Remember: even the educator needs educating, ever the counselor needs counseling and even the doctor needs continued treatment. This, Che Peter, is the point that really needs to be paid attention to. P.S. At the risk of seeming ludicrous, for impoverished children it will take more than 'a computer in their home in order to have a chance at parity with their more affluent counterparts.' It involves the total elimination of poor oppressive conditions on a global scale altogether to bring about 'parity' fo po' folks! Yes. But not attempting to set the infrastructure in place so that they can, at their own timing, is certainly a worthwhile goal. Telecenters and so forth are only a *start*. But, as you point out, other needs have to be met first. :-) -- 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.
Re: [DDN] Gender Divide
Err. Don't forget http://www.genderwsis.org Life in Hackney wrote: Here are some other links you could follow: UK http://www.bcs.org.uk/bcswomen/ http://www.wic.org.uk/ International http://www.apcwomen.org/ Sorry I cant give you links to these as I am working out of a temporary situation, but there is some evidence that in 'educated' western societies there are now fewer women working or entering the computer industry than the 70s for instance. So this is about social condition/s/ing But there have been at least 2 papers published showing that for (some) women in Asian countries, IT has proved to be an industry they can advance themselves (and the status of women). I'm sure a well phrased google would get you some interesting facts. Otherwise why not contact an organization like NOW (http://www.now.org) if you are specifically interested in a US perspective. JW At 20:03 04/10/2005, Rextivius wrote: Second, can you suggest anything that might lend focus to my study. ___ 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. -- 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.
Re: [DDN] some stores testing the waters for selling linux systems
Rene, Almost any of the 'Live CDs' such as Knoppix can install on that system. That's probably the easiest way to get Linux running on the system - with a bonus; you can check if it works on the system beforehand. There's also DamnSmallLinux (http://www.damnsmalllinux.org/) which is '50 megs of Penguin Power'. I used it a few times. As far as Linux becoming bloatware... I agree. It appears bloatware is the natural evolution of an operating system. [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: dear all hi phil what we got here in the philippines that i can donate to elementary schools is pentium 200 and 32 mb ram at about $60 do you know of any easy-install gui linux distribution that can run happily with the above configuration? i really need such a distribution, most linux now are bloatware in terms of ram and hardisk regards to all rene abad y3k foundation -- 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.
Re: [DDN] Creating the $100 Laptop
Actually, by doing some research on the darker side of the internet, I've found some people who scan/photograph books, use optical character recognition, and create eBooks. Apparently, there's a big underground following. Some of the server statistics show over 100,000 downloads of some books. But those folks are always shifting, and would be hard to find... David P. Dillard wrote: Scanning of books with a camera has been going on in libraries since the advent of digital cameras and to a limited degree with regular cameras before the advent of the digital camera. The drawback before the digital camera was the cost and difficulty of processing film. Now with digital cameras it is probably a widespread practice. Sincerely, David Dillard Temple University (215) 204 - 4584 [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://groups.yahoo.com/group/net-gold http://www.edu-cyberpg.com/ringleaders/davidd.html http://www.kovacs.com/medref-l/medref-l.html http://listserv.temple.edu/archives/net-gold.html http://www.LIFEofFlorida.org Digital Divide Network http://www.digitaldivide.net/profile/jwne On Fri, 7 Oct 2005, Taran Rampersad wrote: You know, it's a matter of time before digital cells with cameras (or just plain cameras) are used to copy books out of libraries. Would that be a bad thing? :-) David P. Dillard wrote: Cell phones are not just getting attention on campuses in general as per your statement, but they have also been a major concern in libraries in particular. -- 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 ___ 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. -- 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.
[DDN] Re: [WWWEDU] South Asia Quake Help Blog
To toss onto this, I've been contacted by KatrinaHelp to assist in setting up an ARC like system there - but we really need someone on the ground, in the region, who can set up a SMS-email/web gateway, since the cost of calls will be lower. So, right now, we need to find someone who can do that or who is willing to do that locally in the region. Once again, SMS is working where nothing else is. I've sent out a call on the MobileActive network, but maybe someone in these groups knows someone who isn't afraid to give this a shot to help out in that region. Andy Carvin wrote: Hi everyone, The team that created the TsunamiHelp blog last December has now launched a new blog focused on this weekend's disastrous earthquake in Pakistan and India. It's called the South Asia Quake Help Blog, and can be found here: http://quakehelp.blogspot.com/ Those of us contributing to the site are using it to relay donation requests, news alerts and other pertinent information related to the quake. -- 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.
Re: [DDN] Educating the philanthropic community
Steve, I do not have the time to continue the discussion on your terms. Dr. Steve Eskow wrote: Taran, -- 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.
Re: [DDN] Information in disasters
Life in Hackney wrote: Information in disasters A new report has made a number of recommendations on how improved communications can save lives and reduce suffering in the wake of natural disasters. Continues at http://www.redcross.org.uk/news.asp?id=49748 World Disasters Report 2005 summary - Data or dialogue? The role of information in disasters Disaster affected people need information as much as water, food, medicine or shelter: accurate, timely information can save lives. Full summary at http://www.redcross.org.uk//standard.asp?id=49772cachefixer= including ... Disaster data have improved greatly in the last 20 years, but a number of challenges remain, including standardized, systematic data collection and public accessibility to data. ... JW I was going to post something very cynical about this, but I have stayed my keyboard in that regard. The inherent problem with papers and reports is that they don't have human faces attached to them. Perhaps, because of this report, the Red Cross and other organizations will be more open (or open at all) to suggestions and input. -- 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.
