[OLPC India] Hi All...Why taking product to market is so slow

[RJV]

There are many facets to this problem and depending on how they are
addressed will be the conclusions drawn.

Please note that there is nothing personal in my response to your
observations, Sven.

If some had believed that politicians are powerful and therefore, provide a
short-cut to large number of deployments instantly, then you have to pay
the appropriate price for it. Even in laundry, if you want instant delivery
(say within an hour) you are charged extra.

In India, there are people who go for short-cuts, through touts, and there
are those who do not (not because of any principles but because they are
used to stand in queue and get the work done the normal way).

Simply put, when there are reservation counters at the railway station why
do people give money to touts to purchase train tickets? Because they do
not want to make that effort to stand in queue, for whatever reason, and
so, opt for the short-cut. If you get duped or pay a huge bribe then how
can you blame the tout when it was your own decision to go to the tout ? To
reiterate, nothing personal meant here.

Regards,
Jv


On Mon, Nov 19, 2012 at 8:20 AM, Sven AERTS <svenaerts228 at gmail.com> wrote:

> Hi Prady,
> I agree this is very frustrating isn't it?
> I mean if it is so obvious to you and many others, then why don't
> things move faster?
> Corruption? Vested interests? I mean if all kids in a certain region
> get an XO, they won't need another brand ... and if just that brand is
> what a key-person e.g. responsable for education is getting some bribe
> money from, OLPC is blocked.
> Second line of frustration is that if one community has it, I'd think
> it would put a lot of pressure on all the surrounding
> communities/regions. I mean, 2-3 years later the first wave of
> internet kids get on the labor market and a couple of more years later
> and these other no-xo-regions would be faced with living next to a
> super region where all kids/parents are 100% computer literate and
> have one at home.  It has also struck me as strange that this would
> not set in  motion a wheel that would start turning faster and faster
> and that it would happen quicker.
>
> I've been in contact with some ministers that appeared to be really
> corrupt.  And as soon as they realize nobody at olpc side is going to
> give them any bribe money ... they're not interested anymore.
> Some really can't care less about their fellow citizens and kids.
> Maybe getting one for their tribe ok ... but CERTAINLY NOT allowing
> OLPC to give laptops to a rival tribe and risking someone there gets
> his ministerial post?! You must be kidding, right?
> Another reason in my impression was that maybe they are too much used
> to getting educational stuff for free via foundations.
> Another reason: fast rotation of ministers of education in corrupt
> countries?  It takes quite some going hence and forth until one has
> come to an agreement.  I think some of these ministers are just not
> capable of thinking in a project.  They can just think of buy and sell
> and get a comission/bribe.  But thinking in phases, organising a
> series of meetings where key players in the educational landscape
> meet, what books to put on the xo's, how many xo when and where,
> setting up a kernel team, what about a technical and education hub for
> teachers, a communication strategy, etc.
> Some ministers are just too stupid and it just all takes too long for them.
> "I have money for x hundred laptops from whoever .. and it will help
> me win the votes to in my tribe to get re-elected ... ok I'll buy and
> get a comission etc. and the other kids that are not from my tribe...
> I don't care.   Why offer a laptop if I can do it by giving them a
> cheap calculator?  The common family has nothing ... much cheaper and
> all the rest of the money can dissapear in their pocket, inclusif the
> money you'd have spent on laptops."
> Conclusion?  Do we underestimate the power of corruption, vested
> interest, bribery and stupidity?
>
> > Date: Sun, 18 Nov 2012 15:36:57 +0530
> > From: Pradyot Sahu <prady at ieee.org>
> > To: india at lists.laptop.org
> > Subject: [OLPC India] Hi All...Why taking product to market is so slow
> >         in      laptop.org
> > Message-ID:
> >         <CALmLSvpx=2JLwxE_w+3=oMPf34HUv0JMG=JZGO9WQ3+8Kwdd=
> A at mail.gmail.com>
> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
> >
> > Hi All...
> >
> > Have you ever wondered?
> > Why taking product to market is so slow in laptop.org ?
> >
> > Thanks
> > Prady
> _______________________________________________
> India mailing list
> India at lists.laptop.org
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>



-- 
Regards,

Ravichandran Jv
http://ravichandranjv.blogspot.com
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