[Olpc-open] [OLPC-Chicago] The Children's Low-Cost Laptop Act - Contact your Illinois Legislators NOW!!!

[Edward Cherlin]

On Fri, Apr 4, 2008 at 8:13 AM, sheila miguez <shekay at pobox.com> wrote:
> On Fri, Apr 4, 2008 at 12:49 AM, Edward Cherlin <echerlin at gmail.com> wrote:
>  [snip]
>
> >  As usual, the Devil is in the details. This says nothing about how to
>  >  choose the laptops. Will the authorities decide to buy as much
>  >  hardware as they can for $400 per unit? Or will they understand that
>  >  the XO hardware and software are designed for the mission? Of course,
>  >  they could buy every child a 1G or 2G thumb drive, on some scientific
>  >  instruments, or something. Do they even know that this is possible? Is
>  >  it possible under the terms of the bill?
>  >
>  >  Furthermore the bill explicitly provides incorrect criteria for
>  >  evaluating the project.
>  [snip]
>
>  I share your reservations in how this initiative should be
>  implemented. I don't want to get something passed into law that is
>  this flawed. How likely is it that a group of us could change the bill
>  before it passes (or gets rejected)?

That question hangs on several other questions.

* What do the bill's sponsors have in mind?
* Who else is working on changing it to suit their desires?
* What kind of organization can we build?

The first two are research questions that will not be hard to answer.
The third is an Alan Kay question: predict by inventing, and by doing.
How much inventing and working would you like to do? Haw about any
children you can bring in?

I have done a bit of inventing on this line, and can do more, and I'm
prepared to work on it. Others should speak up for themselves. Not
everybody has to be totally committed. We can use all kinds of
low-level part-time help, just like any other political campaign. And
we need people to just tell other people the project exists.

>  --
>  sheila
>



-- 
Edward Cherlin
End Poverty at a Profit by teaching children business
http://www.EarthTreasury.org/
"The best way to predict the future is to invent it."--Alan Kay