One Laptop Per child

[Kenshin17]

Has anyone heard of it, and I am the only on that thinks its retarded?

[mitsuki lover]

Is this the one with 'Hiro' from Heroes in the ads?
I wouldn't say it's 'retarded' rather that it is a good idea since many children live in families and countries where they cannot afford such
luxuries.

[Kenshin17]

My point is, children are starving in third world countries, and people want to buy them laptops?

Get them an something they can use, food, clothes, water purification systems, education to work more efficiently, better medical care, BIBLES!, the list goes on.

[K. Ayato]

What good is a computer when there's lack of food, water, sanitation, durable shelter, and the like?

I bought my laptop for $1,200, minimum. Think of how much better things for these people money like that can buy. Sure, a computer is a heckuva lot of entertainment, but it's not gonna fill an empty stomach.

[Taran]

I agree and the people that got the laptops would will most likely sell them.

[LorentzForce]

OLPC (I've seen a live demonstration at last year's linux.conf.au) is one of those really cut down laptops. They don't cost $1200, they cost more like $120. And they're not asking the children or their families to buy them, they're asking governments and other higher-earning people to get it for them, then distribute them freely. They're also designed to run completely electricity free, well, by mains anyway. You use this spinning charger thing, and it chages the laptop.

The reason why people who are in starving countries are starving are usually either famine, or lack of education. They don't have anything to compete with other countries. All they know is basic farming, like coffee farming. They won't go anywhere until they learn more, and broaden their knowledge into better business, technology, and whatnot.

Give a man a fish and he'll have dinner that night. Teach him how to fish and he'll never starve again.

[Roy Mustang]

My point is, children are starving in third world countries, and people want to buy them laptops?

Get them an something they can use, food, clothes, water purification systems, education to work more efficiently, better medical care, BIBLES!, the list goes on.

This something that I first thought about, when I read about it a few weeks ago.

There is one thing that I thought about after I read about the computer.

One battery charge will power six hours of heavy activity, or 24 hours of reading

Did they give any thought that some of the areas don't have power and how are you going to recharge a battery with no power?

[color="Red"][font="Book Antiqua"]
Col. Roy Mustang[/font][/color]

[Kenshin17]

Thats my point, instead of buying them low cost laptops, lets teach them how to get to the point they can buy them for themselves.

I guess I am one of the few that sees the silliness in this. Lets get the rich people to fund laptops, but lets not get them to fund education, food, clothes....

Roy the laptops have a hand crank generator for power in lack of an outlet

[Roy Mustang]

Roy the laptops have a hand crank generator for power in lack of an outlet

Ah, I must have miss that, when I read about it. So, they kids learn how to hand crank a computer. Wow, what an education learning tool.

I guess I am one of the few that sees the silliness in this. Lets get the rich people to fund laptops, but lets not get them to fund education, food, clothes....

I don't think rich people would even fund the laptops.

Yes, its true that most third world countries have poor education. But that's mostly, because the government is bad or doesn't have the money food or education.

Now for the government that doesn't have money for food or education. How are they going to fund laptops for kids, when they can't even fund education or food.

And you know that most of the rich people in that said country are not going to help.

[color="Red"][font="Book Antiqua"]Col. Roy Mustang [/font][/color]

[Doubleshadow]

I don't find the idea so ridiculous. There are places in Africa, not mention individuals, that have adequate food yet no money for education. Additionally, many of these people come from places that cannot support the population of people there. Giving them endless handouts so that they grow up to produce more hand-out dependent generations is pointless. Education is critical to changes in society, culture, or technology that will improve resource management. Then, of course, you have terror famines induced like the one by the lunatic despot currently raping all od Zimbabwe. That country used to produce food for themselves and neighboring countries. The populace would help themselves if they knew how.

[Kenshin17]

Why does it seem everybody says education is a must? i have said education is a good idea, but when does education necessitate a computer? For goodness sakes, I never used a computer for school, except to write papers and even then only sometimes, until I got to college.

Computers are not needed for education, and to think they are just proves how much our society has come to rely on computers.

I guess I am getting the answer to my question, and also the answer as to why a program like this got started *sigh*

[Radical Dreamer]

I'd probably be able to give a more informed response (and perhaps even form an opinion) if I even knew what this was. XD An explanation would be nice; I've never heard of it.

[Doubleshadow]

Why does it seem everybody says education is a must? i have said education is a good idea, but when does education necessitate a computer? For goodness sakes, I never used a computer for school, except to write papers and even then only sometimes, until I got to college.

Computers are not needed for education, and to think they are just proves how much our society has come to rely on computers.

I guess I am getting the answer to my question, and also the answer as to why a program like this got started *sigh*

If I had more time, I would dig up proof, but education in Africa, is rarely free. Instead, families must pay tuition, buy uniforms, buy textbooks, and otherwise find ways to get what ends up being an unbelievable amount of money to the point that school is a wanted but unobtainable luxury. In South Africa, tuition for white schools can be $1,500, but for black schools its just $25 and it is still too much for people to afford.
A friend of mine who was a missionary in Mozambique last year said they had a little girl at the school, 4 years old, who walked three miles through the wilderness all alone in the dark every single day and night to get to school because it was all her parents could do for her and they desperately wanted her to have an education.
And then there is the problem with teachers. In Zambia, the number of teachers dieing from AIDS is nearly half the number trained. Its hard to go to school with no teacher.
In a documentary I saw on Cambodia, girls as young as eight were working in brothels, often snatched from home and shipped to Thailand by men who promised them jobs (yes, at eight), and its to the point that parents have to guard their children because now the traders are simply kidnapping. So you think these kids have money to go to school (again, they must pay and getting enough food is a challenge) or the security to walk there everyday?
Widows in Afghanistan still are little better than when the Taliban was in control. One women had two daughters she would send to school if she could, but she begs for money for food on the street (the men yell at her) and they live in a hovel with other widows and their children. They don't have enough money for housing. The girls (teenagers) want to go to school, but they can't afford school supplies.
Handing out laptops is an imperfect solution, but its a start. There is a lot more going on than money, absolutely, but a lot of these problems are chronic social ills resulting from our fallen state- somethings just won't change. In the mean time, providing laptops can be a way to put learning tools into the hands of children that can be all the books and paper they will ever need. They can even share them with siblings.
If one has nothing it all besides barely enough to live at all, and that won't change for years, if ever, a laptop can at least bring hope.

[Kenshin17]

http://www.laptop.org/

Here is the official website, for the project.

[Kenshin17]

If I had more time, I would dig up proof, but education in Africa, is rarely free. Instead, families must pay tuition, buy uniforms, buy textbooks, and otherwise find ways to get what ends up being an unbelievable amount of money to the point that school is a wanted but unobtainable luxury. In South Africa, tuition for white schools can be $1,500, but for black schools its just $25 and it is still too much for people to afford.
A friend of mine who was a missionary in Mozambique last year said they had a little girl at the school, 4 years old, who walked three miles through the wilderness all alone in the dark every single day and night to get to school because it was all her parents could do for her and they desperately wanted her to have an education.
And then there is the problem with teachers. In Zambia, the number of teachers dieing from AIDS is nearly half the number trained. Its hard to go to school with no teacher.
In a documentary I saw on Cambodia, girls as young as eight were working in brothels, often snatched from home and shipped to Thailand by men who promised them jobs (yes, at eight), and its to the point that parents have to guard their children because now the traders are simply kidnapping. So you think these kids have money to go to school (again, they must pay and getting enough food is a challenge) or the security to walk there everyday?
Widows in Afghanistan still are little better than when the Taliban was in control. One women had two daughters she would send to school if she could, but she begs for money for food on the street (the men yell at her) and they live in a hovel with other widows and their children. They don't have enough money for housing. The girls (teenagers) want to go to school, but they can't afford school supplies.
Handing out laptops is an imperfect solution, but its a start. There is a lot more going on than money, absolutely, but a lot of these problems are chronic social ills resulting from our fallen state- somethings just won't change. In the mean time, providing laptops can be a way to put learning tools into the hands of children that can be all the books and paper they will ever need. They can even share them with siblings.
If one has nothing it all besides barely enough to live at all, and that won't change for years, if ever, a laptop can at least bring hope.

I fail to see how buying them laptops is going to save those girls, or those children. What does this trade have to do with laptops? Will those laptops teach the children on their own? Will they protect those children from those men that kidnap? You will still need those to provide the software and training, you will still need developers to make new software to continue teaching, you will still need people.

And then we would be teaching them to rely on the computers. If it breaks, then what? And you know they will break down. Who pays for that? What if a child simply cannot learn to use one, are they then not going to be helped?

I see a bit of a point there, but I still think there are fare better ways to help those people then buying them laptops.

[Shao Feng-Li]

I think it's kinda dumb... After all, we can live just fine without computers...

[bakura_fan]

I dunno. I think that any chance to help is a good idea. I mean, I'm sure that it wasn't like "hey, let's give these guys laptops since everyone should have em!" I think it's probably been thought out for a bit. I mean, even if the laptop doesn't last too long, at least it's a starting point. I don't see the point of all the negativity towards it. We're in a technological era, so by teaching them technological while they are young may help them later on in the future.

[Kenshin17]

I dunno. I think that any chance to help is a good idea. I mean, I'm sure that it wasn't like "hey, let's give these guys laptops since everyone should have em!" I think it's probably been thought out for a bit. I mean, even if the laptop doesn't last too long, at least it's a starting point. I don't see the point of all the negativity towards it. We're in a technological era, so by teaching them technological while they are young may help them later on in the future.

I agree that Christians should help when they can, but wisdom should be exercised in how. Godly creativity, why just give them a dollar when you can spend that dollar and teach them how to make hundreds?

thats kinda what I am saying, this is not a wise way to help people.

[bakura_fan]

I agree that Christians should help when they can, but wisdom should be exercised in how. Godly creativity, why just give them a dollar when you can spend that dollar and teach them how to make hundreds?

thats kinda what I am saying, this is not a wise way to help people.

I don't believe that it's up to any Christian to decide as to what is beneficial for a person. Rather I believe that a Christian should seek God and act on what they feel God is telling them. What's beneficial for one, is unbeneficial for another. I feel that because God's hand working through this program is a possibility, I don't see it necessary to treat it negatively. I most likely won't donate, but if a person on this site wants to after seeing their site I don't want to make them feel it's wrong. Especially if they feel God telling them to. I know that God can use these types of programs for His will even if the people who started it aren't Christians.

[Doubleshadow]

I fail to see how buying them laptops is going to save those girls, or those children. What does this trade have to do with laptops? Will those laptops teach the children on their own? Will they protect those children from those men that kidnap? You will still need those to provide the software and training, you will still need developers to make new software to continue teaching, you will still need people.

And then we would be teaching them to rely on the computers. If it breaks, then what? And you know they will break down. Who pays for that? What if a child simply cannot learn to use one, are they then not going to be helped?

I see a bit of a point there, but I still think there are fare better ways to help those people then buying them laptops.

You did miss my point. In summary:

These people live in a world so different from ours its like a different reality altogether. You seem to think they have a similar educational system, economic situation, government and law enforcement support, and access to resources. They do not.

If a child has nothing, not even a school to go to even if they could afford it, then even a computer that only lasts six months before it gives out is better than never having anything at all. And its not like you need to be a computer genius to access something like Wikipedia.

And on the off chance you're writing a school paper and looking for material for an argument, I'll sit out from now on.

[Kenshin17]

No, I was just asking.

I got my answer, I too am done with this thread.

[LorentzForce]

We can all sit back and watch and claim that education isn't needed. But, these people out there, the ones these laptops are trying to reach, are so lacking of education that they don't even know that there's further education. They don't even go through near primary school education, let alone high school level or even college. You try creating a factory or something equally highly productive with knowing only basic sums.

Now, if it was a little while ago, we'd be talking about sending them books and stationary to help out the education. Perhaps even teachers. Thankfully, it's now the new era of technology where we can create these wonderful durable laptops for lowest prices ever. What used to cost thousands are barely hundreds, and with mass manufacturing, it'll only get cheaper. In fact, it's gotten cheaper since the project started, ever so lower and lower.

These things are powered by open source programs. You don't need to hire people to develop software for it; people out there are more than willing to write software out of good will. Fear not, it costs nothing to have updated software.

The laptops aren't all stand alones either; they're all capable of 'net connection. If you wonder how they can have Internet in middle of nowhere, these use mesh wireless connection system, sort of like routers in Internet. In any case, unlike books (can they even find books in their language?), Internet is massive ocean of information, and surely they can learn so much from just browsing around wikipedia like you have.

Of course, no one expects to dump a lot of laptops on the kids and expect them to learn magically. We also need teachers, and also various physical exercise equipment, as well as food and water and electricity for families. It just so happens that we're closing to a line where we can finally give them more than just the basics, and let the people there to bring out their full potential.

[Dante]

What good is a computer when there's lack of food, water, sanitation, durable shelter, and the like?

Sure I have a laptop... I'm using it now... but might I ask... what's the good of a laptop...
...
...
without power?

OLPC (I've seen a live demonstration at last year's linux.conf.au) is one of those really cut down laptops. They don't cost $1200, they cost more like $120. And they're not asking the children or their families to buy them, they're asking governments and other higher-earning people to get it for them, then distribute them freely. They're also designed to run completely electricity free, well, by mains anyway. You use this spinning charger thing, and it chages the laptop.

Yeah... a hand cranked computer, I've got all SRP running these babies and they're going to "hand crank it every few minutes?"... Really come on, what way is that to learn?

And frankly I think the educational value of these things is over-rated. They're great for writing up reports, but the last thing I need is a bunch of computer literate kids in third world countries ripe for exporting our jobs to because they can't place food on the tables and will take next to nothing to operate those jobs...

Sorry, but I'm not going to have my taxdollars pay our government money to send computers to other places and end up losing our jobs because bussinesses here see a financial "opportunity"... as it is we only exist as a service economy for goodness sake. If we lose that then we'll be a third world country ourselves... 'cept for a few wealthy ones who were sharp enough to export it all . And frankly you can't argue with it, if they don't end up working with computer service economy jobs, then I might ask why do they need to know how to use a computer when they'll never use them at the local US sweatshop?

HOWEVER

Despite being a meany whose just plain frizzled that no one cares about furthering his educational goals. I will offer... a solution, one that requires no hand cranks and exists in vast abundance (surplus even)... assuming they can read english... which is pretty much a requirement for going on the internet anyways (whether you like it or not very little of the internet is in Swahidi or any other language its mostly a US craze... and thus all the knowledge is too).

MY SOLUTION: Send them a wonderful invention, packed with knowledge about anything and everything, requires no cranks only sunlight and working eyes. Can teach about anything including the vast number of technologies that might actually be useful to them (you have to be able to build a generator before you can run computers... sorry its a must... its like calculus without algebra otherwise).

Also this invention is cheap, I pick them up a lot often at a buck or less (You can get them for as cheap as 10 cents a piece at times but I feel thats a travesty) and have learned far more from them then I have ever learned from my computer... oh and they are far more durable, collect no adware and never die or become outdated... I have a few that are over a hundred or more years old and no less powerful then the first day they were created. (They don't play games though... yeah sorta a loss)

This wonderful amazing underappreciated invention that has sustained my education since before I was 12 (I did not own a computer until hafway through the age of 12... 'cept for an Apple 2 E... I wouldn't begrudge them of that though it they wanted it LOL I couldn't even get it to turn on).

BOOKS!

@_@ YES FOLKS, I know you're all amazed, just don't get any silly ideas about having to buy NEW books... whether or not the book says the Soviet Union exists or whether Germany is Prussia matters little. The basic knowledge any one will ever use is still the same and has lasted for hundreds of years unchanged but a little. But really, that's the solution, give them books and they will learn... give them computers and they'll... play solitare... and waste time online (currently on CAA when I should be READING chemistry... note without computer I would spend more time learning LOL)

-Pascal

PS I'm studying chemistry now and likely will be the rest of the night...

[Alexander]

I personally don't know what my opinion on all this is yet.

I can see both positives and negatives out of this.

On one hand it seems bizzare to give a computer out to third-world countries, and the purpose of the machine could be lost completely. But at the same time it could give an incredible amount of access to information and the outside world. Anyone who would deny that shouldn't be using the internet right now.

What really surprises me is how far this project has developed. Yes, education isn't everything. And a laptop definitely isn't as important as food and real people. But I still look to this as being a step towards helping those in need, and I can't criticize that.

[LorentzForce]

Pascal: Books are big and heavy, and frankly, it's easier to have the kids something that they can use to read pretty much every book in the world than to send all the books in the world to them.

Also, laptops last a bit more than few minutes after being cranked. They can also be charged from a 12V car battery that lies around in all sorts of places. Yeah, pretty versatile.

[blkmage]

I think it's extremely short-sighted to discount the potential of the OLPC so quickly. Consider the implications of having a laptop with Internet access for every child. The purpose of the laptop is not meant to replace an education. Rather, it's purpose is to augment it.

Yes, these people need food, clean water, and basic education. But when we write off the OLPC in favour for these other basic necessities, I have to wonder whether we're interested in simply keeping these people alive or if we really want to empower these people to bring change to their lives.

I think that we're forgetting that the Internet has more than one purpose. The Internet is both a wealth of information and a communications network. This creates the opportunity not only for these people to explore and learn from content that's available, but also to create content.

What are the possibilities? Not only can kids explore and learn things from the Internet, they can contribute to this mass of knowledge. Suddenly, we have a window into their world. Suddenly, they have a voice in the world.

This is why very specific things had to happen for the OLPC to come to fruition. It has to be very cheap. It has to saturate the population. It has to be connected. It has to be free and open. All of these things ensure that the OLPC remain used for its intended purpose and mission.

This is why I believe in the mission of the OLPC and the place that software and technology has in improving peoples' lives. This is why I find that it kind of disappoints me that people would dismiss this idea so quickly.

[Nate]

BOOKS!

What good is a book if you can't read? And uh...what good is a book if it's not in a language you can understand? It's all well and good to say "Send them books!" but uh...giving a kid a book in a language they don't know is pretty pointless. I guess they could eat the pages, but that isn't healthy or useful.

And as LorentzForce excellently pointed out, wouldn't it be better to send them a device that can give them access to information that wouldn't fit in even ten crates worth of books? Wikipedia is already way larger than any encyclopedia set.

But really, that's the solution, give them books and they will learn... give them computers and they'll... play solitare... and waste time online (currently on CAA when I should be READING chemistry... note without computer I would spend more time learning LOL)

So no one EVER goofed off before computers were invented, is that what you're saying? If someone wants to learn, they'll learn no matter what. If someone wants to goof off, they'll goof off no matter what. I had a friend who wasn't allowed to watch TV until he was 18 years old. Do you know what he did? Doodled. Instead of learning. Computers don't make people goof off, it merely gives them another option to do so.

I wholeheartedly support this program and really wish people would think before bashing a wonderful idea to give education to needy people.

[Roy Mustang]

Okay, forget what I said in here. I'm an idiot. When a person like me that is in web design major should support this.

Digging around and reading more about this and their web site and taking to a few other people. I see that this is not that bad of a program.

This can open more jobs for people becoming teachers. I know that in some counties that maybe hard as how the gov runs and all. But in other areas, you can bring in a teacher to teach to kids and to other people that want to be a teacher.

From their web site

From now through December 31, 2007, OLPC is offering a Give One Get One program in the United States and Canada. This is the first time the revolutionary XO laptop has been made available to the general public. For a donation of $399, one XO laptop will be sent to empower a child in a developing nation and one will be sent to the child in your life in recognition of your contribution. $200 of your donation is tax-deductible (your $399 donation minus the fair market value of the XO laptop you will be receiving).

For all U.S. donors who participate in the Give One Get One program, T-Mobile is offering one year of complimentary HotSpot access. Find out more.

Please be aware that we will make every effort to deliver the XO laptops by the holidays, but quantities are limited. Early purchasers have the best chance of receiving their XO laptops in time for the holidays, but we cannot guarantee timing.

[color="Red"][font="Book Antiqua"]Col. Roy Mustang[/font][/color]

[Gabriel 9.0]

Giving them Notebooks could help boost in education over there. Fortunately God is going to take care of every problem on this current Earth.

[Kkun]

If they have computers, then they will have access to the internets, and we all know that the internets have the power to cure blindness, infertility, cancer, AIDS, starvation, retardation, sickle cell anemia, atheism, baldness, hirsuitism, grant the ninth level of power, and create epic lulz.

I'd say that's definitely better than "food."