Which viewpoint do you support regarding the $100 laptop project?

Question

Each are different opinions from different people. Tell me which one you support: #1 or #2.
It is clear to me that ToasterWater is the only poster on this thread with any real intelligence. I work at a state university in a poor, po-dunk rural community in the South. The last thing these people are interested in is an education. Americans are only concerned with appearances, not intellect. If you gave the idiots in my county an opportunity to take the laptop or $100, do you know which they would choose. Every single one of these morons would choose the money. Then you know what they would do? Blow it on stupid ----- . They'd buy cell phones, fake purses, Air Jordan's and all kinds of other bull----- that will make them look cool and stay stupid.

Answer 1

The first one is more accurate. People who really come from nothing really value the use knowledge. They know it is needed to improve their situations.

Answer 2

As with all questions of policy, this is complicated, and I don't think that either position need be all right or wrong. There is truth in each.



I believe that the folks at MIT have tackled the question of access to technology in the developing world because it is more unassailable in terms of competition and objections from US industry. This is not a market that they are interested in, both because disadvantaged or not, there is much greater access to technology, and the competition for what resources there are is stiffer.



That said, I don't think that they are ignorant of the need in this country, nor are they opposed to the use of the technology for our own children. The "give one get one" program allows those with means to give their own children access, and the "give many" program allows donors in the US to give to whomever they choose. I would be an advocate of trying to raise funds for getting this laptop in the hands of Durham children, and have purchased one through the program for my own son (I would like to be in contact with others in the Durham area who are doing this, too).



I think that Microsoft and Intel are not ignorant of the threat either, and Microsoft is hastily trying to get a stripped down version of Windows to run on the XO, and intel has designed the Classmate, a competitor to the XO, at a heftier price.



Like it or not, the XO is going forward, and I intend to participate in the effort as a user and developer, and I intend to focus my efforts on access here in the US.

Answer 3

I think there will be a lot more Nigerian scams. This idea of children in third world nations finally getting education isn't accurate as few of them will likely ever be used - corrupt governments and people selling them for scrap being the cause of this - and fewer still will be used by children.

Answer 4

Can I have another choice?



But if I have to choose it would be number 2, because I think #1 is blatantly untrue for the majority of people.

Answer 5

Well, I got the best answer for this...NOONE can benefit from a $100 dollar laptop...they're cheap crap, they'll break, and then...the "disadvantaged darkies" (as you whites so eloquently put it) will all be back to square one.



As a person from African, who grew up there, went to school, etc...i can tell you that Europeans and more recently Americans (ala La Oprah) come up with one hair brained scheme after the next to "save the africans" (more like Soften Up the Africans)...the most ridiculous scheme I've seen was portable desks...YEP, that'll do it!



Basically, the powers that be who inherited power from people who thought it was a good idea to bring MILLIONS of Africans to the Americas to work for free...need to figure out how they're going to deal with that population...and leave Africans in Africa alone.



As for the Indians, I don't know what an American would think they can "give" to people who produce half the goods sold in the USA and provide half the labor (by way of off-shoring). They'll make $100 laptops for $3 and sell them to USA philathropic companies for $75.