[lug] One laptop per child

[dio2002 at indra.com]

> On Fri, Dec 01, 2006 at 10:13:09PM -0700, Michael J. Hammel wrote:
>>> If you were living in the middle of a military zone would you choose a
>>> laptop over peace?
>>
>>Ditto.  You presume that the resources spent in providing easy access to
>
> I have to agree.  "Choose peace" is nothing more than a slogan.  An
> individual can't just choose peace.  You know, I *LOVE* my laptop, but I'd
> give it up in a second if it brought about world peace.  It's just not
> that > simple...  That's not the choice being made here.

Actually it can be that simple.  You're looking at this semantically and
making it difficult.  That's because your addicted to technology ;-) If
peace could exist (not whether and if or who or how), if it it was an
actual option would you take that over a laptop.  The answer is yes.

Your statement that "an individual can't just choose peace" can be counter
framed as "a laptop in this program can't just create peace".  If you
phrased it that way, you'd see that neither option is any better than the
other (in your own words).  Neither option really provides a slam dunk
solution does it?  Too many ifs. It's all a matter of how you phrase and
what side you want to stand on.

And again it CAN be that simple.

Whether or not you slug me (kidding) over this post has nothing to do with
a laptop when we're face to face (or maybe it does :-;)  It's between you
and me brother.  It really IS as simple as that.  It's a choice.  You do
or you don't.  What's difficult or hard about that? :-)...

> The OLPC project is a bunch of guys who are doing something that excites
> them and that they hope will make the world a better place.  To be
> honest, I think people putting them down because they aren't solving
> another problem is, at best, rude.  These people have picked something
> THEY CAN DO, which they hope makes things better.

Read the posts.  I DO think what they are doing is great.  I DID preface
that i want them to succeed.  Did i put them down?  Where?  None that i
can find.

I was merely pointing out the potential struggles they are likely to face
and alternativie ways of looking at the situation.

Sometimes when one becomes so enamored with technology, one loses focus
and perspective with regard to it.  Almost to the point where technology
becomes a "religion" and an end in itself which can bear no scrutiny. 
Technology that guards itself too zealously is a zealot.  It can never be
wrong.  And it can never fail.  And it always is the answer to everything.

Technology that withstands an honest challenge is stronger for enaging in
the process.

There's nothing wrong with pointing those out.   All i did was try to do
that as well as stating how it could succesful.

> Ian Bicking, one of the (only) people I know on the OLPC project, is a
> really smart guy.  He can work wonders programming in Python.  He can do
> relatively little about producing potable water.  Is potable water
> important?  Absolutely.  But sometimes you have to pick your battles based
> on your strengths.

Absolutely.  Nothing i said contradicts that. In fact it supports that
notion.  Put some eggs in the peace basket, put some in the tech basket. 
Shake it up.  Scrutinize it and MAKE IT BETTER AND MORE EFFICIENT = MORE
USEFUL.

> That is why on Friday I spent 45 minutes automating a task that was
> currently taking a volunteer the better part of a day, down to less than a
> minute.  Sure, I could have been trying to learn how desalination systems
> work...  Or I could use my existing power for good!

Absolutely correct.  You offer the best of what you have to offer. Nothing
i said contradicts that notion either.

> So, yes, I agree that potable water and freedom and food and peace are
> important.  I just hope that this discussion ends in us figuring out what
> we can do to further the goals that are important to us, rather than just
> devolving into arguing for or against OLPC.

As i said I actually am for OLPC.   And i didn't look at it as an argument
(those that did might want to question how tightly they're holding on to
their beliefs about technology).

In many ways it isn't about OLPC at all.   I looked at it as an
opportunity to discuss the relvance of technology in solving problems. 
What are we doing with all the hours (mine included) in front of a
computer?  Are we harnassing that potential in ways to "do good" - not
just to make money or entertain or hope it's doing good?

In that process, it occurred to me that technology has become somewhat
idealized. Which IMHO is not a good thing.  Just because you trumpet the
technology horn doesn't necessarily mean you can carry a tune.  Or can't
be replaced by another musician. Or never have to play along with the
band.

And that's my suggestion for what we can do to reach the goals.  Simply
allow the forum to challenge technology.