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Thread: the whole world on-line?

  1. #1
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    the whole world on-line?

    From a communications-saturated vantage point here in North America, sometimes it's easy to forget that the majority of the world's population has never made a telephone call, let alone used the Internet. In many developing countries, the very cost of a computer can amount to more than the average worker's annual salary. In an attempt to surmount the prohibitive cost of this increasingly essential piece of IT hardware, researchers in the developing world have begun to take matters into their own hands by designing low-cost computers that address the particular needs of their nations' more disadvantaged populations.

    The Brazilian government recently announced a project that will make stripped-down desktop computers, known as "Popular PCs," available for about $300. Developers were able to save on licensing fees by using free, open-source Linux as the operating system instead of Microsoft Corp.'s Windows. Also using Linux, but moving away from the desktop computer model, engineers in India have designed a hand-held computer that will enable rural populations to benefit from information technology -- even if they don't have the ability to read. Both of these initiatives illustrate the increasingly innovative approaches employed by developing countries to bring their citizens into the digital age.

    http://www.digitaldividenetwork.org/...ex.cfm?key=178
    Bukhari:V3B48N826 “The Prophet said, ‘Isn’t the witness of a woman equal to half of that of a man?’ The women said, ‘Yes.’ He said, ‘This is because of the deficiency of a woman’s mind.’”

  2. #2
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    People are very resourceful when it comes to making money. A little innovation and somebody's gonna get rich off of third world poverty. But what exactly do these people need computers for? I only hope they can get out of the poverty cycle:

    Low Production > Low Income > Low Savings > Low Investment

    Which step will computers break? Will these people be able to open bank accounts or buy stocks with their new computers? Will they be able to find new methods of farming? I guess we'll just have to wait and find out.
    Why am I still here?

  3. #3
    Senior Member
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    Nov 2001
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    4,785
    The Digital Devides basic idea is to get people connected so they can help solve each others problems.
    It'll probobly just lead to brush fire flame wars. I just wanted to get your imput.
    Bukhari:V3B48N826 “The Prophet said, ‘Isn’t the witness of a woman equal to half of that of a man?’ The women said, ‘Yes.’ He said, ‘This is because of the deficiency of a woman’s mind.’”

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