-----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Behalf Of Subbiah Arunachalam Sent: Monday, May 30, 2005 6:54 AM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]; The Digital Divide Network discussion group Subject: Re: [DDN]The Personal vs the Social Computer Was: Updateonthe Simputer What Subbiah Arunachalam and his colleagues are doing in southern India is a model that can be adapted to many other countries and cultures: the model travels.
Perhaps the Digital Divide Network needs to promote the idea of a "public commons" to accelerate the availability of the new technologies to those around the world who need them. Steve Eskow [EMAIL PROTECTED] I agree with you Steve. At each one of the M S Swaminathan Research Foundation Knowledge Centres in Pondicherry in southern India we have a few computers - not more than five in any centre, and one of them is out of bounds for all but the centre volunteers. But these are common assets for the entire village. What is at work is the idea of public commons. We cannot afford to provide computers and telephones and Internet accounts to everyone in the village. That is the reality. How can we overcome the problem? What we lack is the financial resources to buy gadgets. What we have is a large heart, a willingness to share what little we have, a commitment to care for others. After all development is about sharing and caring. The computers and every other service provided at the centre (such as information on a whole range of local needs) is open to all. It works well. Eventually, when an individual (or a family) earns enough to be able to afford something he/she may decide to 'own' it. Arun [Subbiah Arunachalam] ----- Original Message ----- From: "Dr. Steve Eskow" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "The Digital Divide Network discussion group" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Sunday, May 29, 2005 6:46 AM Subject: RE: [DDN]The Personal vs the Social Computer Was: Update onthe Simputer > > > > Taran, I wish you'd reconsider your "basic economics": for example, your > belief that $480 that stays in India to buy a computer is "better" than > buying one elsewhere for $300. That may not sit well with those in India > or > Africa who have to buy a computer. Ghana, where I work, is richer than > some > of its sub-Saharan neighbors: $400 US is what the average Ghanaian earns a > year, a year's earning not quite enough to buy your Simputer. > > And I wish you'd reconsider conclusions like this one: > > <<If you've ever had to share one computer with 20 people, and it was your > only access point, I doubt you would be able to email as often. You > wouldn't have leisure time to read articles that *you* might find > interesting.>> > > I've had to share buses and trains with many people, and you're right: > it's > not nearly as convenient as owning my own automobile. And I've had to get > my > learning at public schools, not nearly as convenient as private tutoring. > And I've had to borrow books from a public library, not nearly convenient > as > buying my own and owning them. > > And I've used computers at libraries and internet cafes, and you're right: > sharing a computer is not nearly as convenient as owning one. > > And I ask you to consider that your convenience argument is misleading, > and > downright harmful. > > If we insist on private automobiles, millions will be continue to be > without > rapid transport, and we will continue to foul the environment. > > And if we insist on personal ownership of books, millions will not read, > even if we cut down enough trees for all those books. > > And if we insist on the personal computer, billions will not cross the > digital divide. > > If the advantages of the Simputer at $480 are so much greater than that of > the desktop at less, let's urge small churches or cafes or schools in the > poorer nations to buy one or two or three and share them, until such time > as > the folks in the community can afford to buy their own. > > <<In the focus on the reduction of cost, I sincerely believe by these > communications that the increase in quality of life as the *value* has > been lost.>> > > You may have it backwards, Taran. Those who insist on personal automobiles > and personal libraries and personal computers may be the ones who are > slowing down the erasure of the many divides between the haves and the > have-nots. > > Steve Eskow > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] _______________________________________________ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list [email protected] http://mailman.edc.org/mailman/listinfo/digitaldivide To unsubscribe, send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the word UNSUBSCRIBE in the body of the message. _______________________________________________ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list [email protected] http://mailman.edc.org/mailman/listinfo/digitaldivide To unsubscribe, send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the word UNSUBSCRIBE in the body of the message.
