Discussion of all things related to Public Domain

["Larry Press" <lpress AT csudh.edu>]

> Generally, my feeling has
> remained consistently in favor of getting the computers to the villages,
> then figuring out how to connect.


I guess that I consider the connection more important than you do.  Without
it, many of the applications I spoke of would be impossible, as would our
current exchange.

That is not to say that a computer in every village would not be desireable,
I would just like to see them connected to the net so they could communicate
locally and globally.  I understand your concern with cost, and such a
venture would require a Grand Challenge subsidy.

Your idea of using it as a music studio is just the kind of unexpected
application I spoke of.  One can imagine recording local music and also
spoken language.  Current kiosks like the ones I mentioned in India include
word and image processing software, but not audio (and video) recording and
editing hardware or software.

If the computers were connected, it would be possible to discover and
distribute audio and video recordings.

As a musician, you spend a lot of time using the computer as a local tool;
while I tend to use it for communication.  That probably explains part of
your tendency to emphasize the computers and mine the network.

> It appears to a small group of individuals, that the cost of shipping
> computers from developed nations to developing nations should run about
> $700 per village, if you want to send one computer to each village

This would be part of what I was including in the POP equipment.  Power and
maintainability need to be part of the equation.  Connecting it to the Net
and building a backbone would be costly, but would allow for greater revenue
generation to offset the cost.


> For example, take a look at Open Studios,
> which assists communities in building and operating community-based
> recording studios.

Have you a Web site?


> Supposing a village had a community-based recording studio

What would be required in addtion to a computer and power?

> put a computer on a cart drawn by a donkey, and traveled from community
> to community, providing the Internet experience for those communities on
> his "circuit".  Given a computer, there are unlimited possibilities.


This is reminiscent of an MIT project in which they have been driving a
radio equipped bus past villages for windows of connectivity.  Satellife
does the same with a low-earth orbiting satellite.

> The shipping of the computers is
> the obstacle that requires money out-of-pocket and must somehow be
> accounted for by the community receiving the computer.


Perhaps that could be covered by the corporate sponsor.

Don't forget power and a place to put the computer and people who know what
to do with it once it gets to the village.

> the potential market of some 300,000,000 users should be
> attractive to corporate interests that stand to benefit from making a
> network connection available, wouldn't you agree?

They are a very poor 300 million people, and corporations, like bank
robbers, tend to go where the money is.  That is why I suggest a large
subsidy is needed for enabling infrastructure.

Thanks for your interest!

Larry Press