Re: Uplift Projects (Was: rehabilitation versus punishment ...)

From: Brian Atkins (brian@posthuman.com)
Date: Mon Feb 28 2000 - 17:07:30 MST


Billy Brown wrote:
>
> > Make hundreds of millions of them and
> > distribute them free throughout the Third World. Back it up with a
> > distributed volunteer network to run distance-learning programs (basic
> > literacy, public hygiene, agriculture, first aid) through the sat-net
> system.
> > The cell comm system would be smart enough to plug into
> > land-based wireless
> > as/when available. My private name for this project: "Brain Seeds"
>
> Why should we expect this to work better than simply giving them the money
> we would have spent on the gadgets? I think the appeal hinges entirely on
> the assumption that you can make the system for far less than normal market
> cost, and then pass on the savings.
>

I don't know about you, but I've made far more money with my computer
than I think I could ever make if someone had instead handed me $1k
and I had no net access. The value of having net access is overwhelmingly
huge for the individuals capable of using it to their advantage.



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