[bippi]

I don't think he's equating the people themselves with zero, rather the benefit to them. A good example where technology has really helped in Africa are cell phones. So many stories of fishermen being able to call and ask "who needs fish?" and they're able to get to the right markets with better fish.

I didn't see these as having that 'killer app' for the populace where it noticeably makes life better, immediately, for the people they're given to.

Even in the sanitary-pad case above, the man said he was illiterate, IIRC. The computer wouldn't have done much there...

[billyhoffman]

Everything people are saying here against OLPC, such as "give them food and build infrastructure first" equally applies to cell phones. But cell phones clearly are win in Africa and have really helped.

Would we all criticize a one-cell-phone-per-person charitable organization? Would people like glesica rant about how a one-cell-phone-per-person charitable organization is wasting, as he said, "resources that could have been used providing more basic types of development aid that would have created something to multiply in the future"

Technology is not magic, but it does help, even poor people.