WeSeePeople

Saturday, November 17, 2007

OLPC, One Laptop Per Child, is a Social PC

I am going to mark this post because, I have a feeling that in near future, OLPC is all over the world, it's own social network that will span nations. Yes I know you like your MySpace (is it yours?) or facebook and says who wants a OLPC Social Network. But When the OLPC Phenomenon started there were many big boys and girls laughed at MIT Professor Nicholas Negroponte. But see where it is today. Prof. Negroponte's project was not taken seriously because it was not targeted to make profit, it was born out of the idea of providing a communication and study medium for children from developing countries. I have been a supporter from the beginning and also ever since I have been blogging, the latest being the introduction of Give One Get One. The oldest I think was this one, Hand Cranked Notebook!


But now I would like to tell about the social aspect of the OPLC program and the laptop itself. Right out of the box, the XO laptop’s antennae ears can sense other neighboring XO laptops and connect to them, creating an instantaneous “mesh” network for communal sharing and collaborating. This is important because many XO laptops will be deployed in places where there is little or no external telecommunication infrastructure. If the school or community center in the future has ability to host a supporting a infrastructure or a large one nearby one day that will be able to connect through a something similar to Open Broadband or WiMax network. Before you know there will be a world wide social network. But even a Village wide for starters is a gift. So do not forget to give a gift of knowledge with ability to communicate, this year. The OPLC has multiple ways that you can donate a computer to a child. More we donate, more will be manufactured and perhaps drive the price down. Making it possible to give to more children.
I just ordered my second set. Both my computers have gone to country that is not in the program yet.
give one get one
individual giving
group giving
T-Mobile has generously offered hotspot access free for one year. If you do the math (it is about $350 a year service.) , for about $50, you can give a computer to a child, have one of these fantastic computers for yourself and get one year T-Mobile Hotspot access free! Who knows you might be aiding to bring up the largest social network in the world!

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