Discussion of all things related to Public Domain

[tom poe <tompoe AT amihost.com>]

Dr. Press:  You miss the point.  There are technology solutions
available, today, that are low-cost solutions, not multi-billion dollar
programs that require funding up-front for infrastructure up front. 
Those low-cost solutions cannot happen without computers being made
available for developing nations.

In the case of Tenet/Kiosks/villages issue, those low-cost solutions
rely on a server that has high technology capability and a bunch of
low-end computers in villages.  The remote hookup is through telephone
lines (something like 20kbps? and the result is full-fledged video
conferencing?!).  Where there are no telephone lines, the folks will
have to hike to the nearest phone line to participate.  In the meantime,
they have a computer, and they have an opportunity that they don't have
now.  Without computers in place, all the infrastructure in the world
isn't going to do them a bit of good.  We're now a decade or more into
this ever-widening Digital Divide, and not one hoot is being uttered
about getting the computers over to those that would use them; which
remark is directed squarely at the World Bank, I might mention.

Meanwhile, Siemens and AT&T and others are advancing technology at a
rapid rate.  Our phones will be computerized, our networks will be SIP
or something, and then the TCP/IP infrastructure can be scrapped while
the developed nations work to implement the next "big thing" in
communications.  So, the question is, why not put the computers over in
developing nations, check to see what low-cost infrastructure solutions
are in place, use them, and go from there?  The answer?  Seems like it
means there would be billions of more individuals empowered, and the
corporate sleaze bags in our world would have even bigger headaches.  Am
I wrong?

I'll apologize for the snide remark about your dorm hookup to your
university "backbone".  The funding for the "backbone" was sold to the
American Public as a tax to hookup every classroom in America.  First,
though, the money needs to be spent to hookup every University to
Internet2, and who knows when the children in America will get computers
to hookup to the Internet.  It's a nice gravy train for the Academics,
and poop for the Public School System in our country.  But, I digress,
eh?

I appreciate your responses, and hope I haven't alienated you,
completely.  We are living in different worlds, it would seem, and from
my world, the obstacles to getting donated equipment to developing
nations continues.
Your friend, I remain,
Tom


On Sun, 2004-08-08 at 07:44, Larry Press wrote:
> 
> > Without an infrastructure in place, here's what could be happening in
> 
> Do you think they do video conferencing without a network?  Do you think it
> is a bunch of stand-alone computers using telepathy to communicate?
> 
> That software runs over TCP/IP and was developed the people who run the
> Kiosks I mention in the article.
> 
> You should tell the folks at Tenet who developed that software that you are
> against networks and see what they have to say.
> 
> > question as to why Dr. Press doesn't want to use such low cost
> > technology solutions for his dorms at school.
> 
> This also makes no sense -- we are installing a network connect the dorm
> rooms back to the campus backbone so our students can use such software.
> They obviously cannot do so today on their stand-alone computers.
> 
> Are you a putting me on?