Fwd: Re: Fwd: [LINK] One Laptop per Child Doesn't Change the World

[Jan Whitaker]

the reply from my friend who did the buy one get one


>I have my reservations as to what effect the program will have, 
>although I am nowhere near the stance taken by Dvorak.  Our mutual 
>friend Jan [a different Jan than me] was always good at separating 
>events from processes, and I do worry that this may be more of an 
>event that will matter for a time and then pass. Whether or not this 
>is just an event, the project will transform lives. Technology is an 
>amplifier of human nature, so there are likely to be high visibility 
>positive and negative outcomes.  Whether this will be a fad or a 
>turning point, though, depends on so much more than the machines 
>themselves.  I don't know enough about the capabilities of the 
>software or the training that will accompany the machines as they 
>are deployed to these areas, but this has always proven to be the 
>crux of the potential.
>
>As for my own donation, I did not do it so much for the child who 
>will (hopefully) benefit, as I did get a machine where I can test 
>whether or not EZproxy will work to allow access to library 
>resources.  If they do succeed, I want to do my part to insure that 
>if they are used through EZproxy, they will work correctly.

Useful Utilities <http://www.usefulutilities.com>


Jan


Jan Whitaker
JLWhitaker Associates, Melbourne Victoria
jwhit at janwhitaker.com
business: http://www.janwhitaker.com
personal: http://www.janwhitaker.com/personal/
commentary: http://janwhitaker.com/jansblog/

Living, like writing, requires no wisdom. Only revising does. - Jim 
Sollisch, Sept, 2007
'Seed planting is often the most important step. Without the seed, 
there is no plant.' - JW, April 2005
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