[LINK] Gates on technology for the poor

[Mark Burnard]

Some may have seen a feature in a recent Saturday edition of the SMH on
"Geeks bearing gifts", which went into depth on Gates' philanthopic
endevours - it seems that he's given more money to
humanitarian/philanthropic causes than anybody in the 20th centruy, even in
"today's dollar" terms.

I went looking for the article on-line but couldn't find it. (If anyone
knows where it is, I would love to keep a soft-copy).

Best regards,

Mark Burnard
Technical Writer
Corporate Express Australia
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Rosebery NSW 2018
Ph:  (02) 9335 0710
Fax: (02) 9335 0753 
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-----Original Message-----
From: Jack Gilding [mailto:jack@backroad.com.au]
Sent: Tuesday, 31 October 2000 7:46
To: link@www.anu.edu.au
Subject: [LINK] Gates on technology for the poor


I know its not fashioned to say favourable things on Link about Bill Gates
and it would be very easy to lampoon his statement "Do people have a clear
view of what it means to live on $1 a day?" but I thought Gates comments as
reported in this article where quite a welcome breath of reality and
perspective (although I have previously argued that 'the poor' need some
access to technology and information as well as to health care and food and
that they should be the ones that decide the balance).  

(Apologies if this has already had a run on Link - I dont recall it)

Jack Gilding
============

http://seattlep-i.nwsource.com/business/gate19.shtml

"Gates rejects idea of e-utopia 
Microsoft chairman says health care, not high tech, best route for aiding
world's poor 
Thursday, October 19, 2000
By DAN RICHMAN
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER 

Health care and literacy -- not computers -- are the most important ways to
help
the world's 4 billion poorest people, Microsoft chairman Bill Gates said
yesterday.
The remarks by the world's richest man, a confessed technophile whose
creation of a software empire made him a multibillionaire, seemed to
undercut
the very essence of a three-day conference on the digital divide he was
concluding on the Seattle waterfront. ...... "


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