Re: [seul-edu] Article: PCs diverted from landfill to South African schools

["psutton" <psutton@uklinux.net>]

I would liase with the local linux hackers in the area and see what can be
sent cheaply, I am sure cd's are easy enough to send,  and not too expensive
either.

Paul


----- Original Message -----
From: "Leon Brooks" <leon@brooks.fdns.net>
To: <seul-edu@seul.org>
Sent: Thursday, October 24, 2002 5:43 AM
Subject: Re: [seul-edu] Article: PCs diverted from landfill to South African
schools


> On Thursday 24 October 2002 11:31 am, Jacqueline McNally wrote:
> > PCs diverted from landfill to South African schools
> > SOUTH AFRICA: October 24, 2002
>
> > JOHANNESBURG - The first of around 150,000 personal computers destined
for
> > landfill sites were rolled out to schools in South Africa yesterday, as
> > part of efforts to make the country's children web-savvy.
>
> > See: http://www.planetark.org/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/18308/story.htm
>
> > "Teachers also need to be trained.
>
> > But Davies's organisation has enlisted teacher training from three
groups,
> > he said."
>
> > Perhaps the Open Source community may be able to offer their expertise
to
> > assist with suitable educational software and scope of the project.
>
>     http://allafrica.com/stories/200206190239.html
>
> Snippet:
>
>     The move backs up the announcement made by President Thabo Mbeki
>     earlier this year that Microsoft is to donate free software to
>     every public school in the country. At the time this raised
>     questions about how school children could use the software when
>     they had no computers.
>
> Snippet:
>
>     Backers of the scheme are Eli Lilley, Microsoft, Exel, Nestlé
>     and Shell.
>
> I have a bad feeling about both of those snippets. I can't speak about
Exel
> personally, but every one of the other companies listed has a bad
reputation
> for supporting `good' causes for ulterior motives.
>
> WRT Open Source, yes, by all means, since we are competing evenly on price
> now, but I wouldn't kill myself doing it.
>
> I'm afraid the only way they'll learn is by trying it Microsoft's way and
> suffering an enormous support load, an unbelievable virus problem (there
are
> no updates from Microsoft for the kind of software that runs on P1's), and
> facing financial ruin when Microsoft do start charging.
>
> We should have schools piloting OSS now for when the others find the flies
in
> this ointment.
>
> Cheers; Leon
>