[Etoys] [OT] RE: A Hero for One Laptop Per Child (RE: OLPC mass production started)

[SmallSqueak]

Yoshiki,

> 
> The squeak-dev mailing list traditionally has very high tolerance
> for posts that are not trying to communicate with other members, 

Communication is not an easy thing. 

It doesn't matter how loud you are yelling into your walkie-talkie,
if the person at the other end doesn't turn on his handset, he won't 
hear a thing you said. 

Communication is a two-way process.
Communication also requires some compatibility in perception.

Would the OLPC Global Ambassador uses his mother tongue to market 
the $399.99 "Give One Get One" computers in North America?
He might use (universal) body language or pictures, though.

Communication would be greatly hindered by prejudice.

As a Smalltalker, when you do not understand a message, just simply
say that you do not understand instead of judging the other not
communicating. 

Maybe he is trying to send a message with good intention but
you are apparently not capable of understanding it.


> but squeakland and etoys are not necessarily like that.  
> Please consider a few minutes before you post.
> 

Actually after I press "Reply all", I did remove a couple of recipients
from Alan's original list. I thought that Squeakland and etoys list might 
benefit from Alan's response. I am not so sure about your response.

> > Do you know why OLPC appointed Masi Oka, an actor and special effects
> > specialist, as its Global Ambassador to sell its 400US$ "Give One Get
> One"
> > computers.
> 
>   Well, because he is well-known among TV-watching people?  
>


Is this what you know or your guess (with the question mark)


> BTW, you might want to read the weekly update of OLPC:
> 
> http://laptop.media.mit.edu/laptopnews.nsf/latest/news?opendocument=
> 

Thanks for the link. 

I watched that "Give One Get One" commercial on youtube.

The announcer looks quite handsome.

At the end, I don't quite understand what is he trying to communicate
with the closing phrase "One Laptop At A Time". 

For this campaign "Give One Get One", shouldn't it be "Two Lap Top 
At A Time" because "One For A Child in the developing country" and
"One For A Child in your land". 

Both of them would get the benefits that he's been touting before that, not?
  
Did he try to say that out of the 2 laptops that one is paying for, only
the one goes to the developing country would bring the child what he is
advertising. The laptop goes to the child in North America wouldn't make a 
difference.

> > Is the campaign "Give One Get One" the hero's idea?
> 
>   No.
> 
>   And, please don't waste other people's time with such non-sense.
> 

If the Global Ambassador is responsible for marketing these $399.99
"Give One Get One" computers then it makes perfect sense for him to 
come up with any strategy that he can think of. 

Of course it must be approved but it's still his idea.

On the other hand if he got his job not because of his talents in 
marketing but just because he is an actor with skills in special effects
then it is really non-sense. In Nicholas Negroponte's own words
(December 2006):

http://www.olpctalks.com/nicholas_negroponte/negroponte_netevents.html

<QUOTE>
Now, one thing you should realize is that there are about 250 people full time
on this project, not counting the Linux community. The Linux community I
estimate as about 2,000 people, but that's a very funny number, so you should
almost ignore that. But, of the 250 people who are working on it, if you want to
think of a sales and marketing department, which is kind of an odd concept for a
non-profit, but you're looking at it. Okay. I do that all alone. It's not a gang
of 50 people that go out and explore markets and sell. This is not that kind of
project. It's really very, very different. We don't sell laptops.
</QUOTE>

Now he is no longer alone:

http://laptop.media.mit.edu/laptopnews.nsf/latest/news?opendocument=

<QUOTE>

Masi has joined OLPC as our media spokesperson, however, an ill-timed
writers' strike precludes Nicholas and Masi doing some of the
talk-show appearances that had been envisioned.

</QUOTE>

Is he too busy with other task or is Masi more qualified 
to handle sales and marketing for OLPC?

What's really the role of the Global Ambassador?
Is "media spokesperson" a synonym for "Global Ambassador"?
What kind of qualification is needed?
Why now suddenly OLPC needs such a role?

I have always thought that OLPC would receive requests from 
the developing countries (no marketing required) and the only 
"sales" job is to set a quota for each country and the manufacturer 
would ship directly to the those countries.

To be honest, I am really confused.

Hence the posting following up Alan's posting in the hope 
that he can shed more lights on it.
 
> -- Yoshiki
> 

PhiHo.

P.S: 

Dear Lists,

I apologize for not putting the tag [OT] so that those of you 
don't care about OLPC can skip it. 

PhiHo