CE Cares (Or Do We?)

Colleen Bohen’s blog earlier this week pointed out a move to bring computing to third-world children that is being attempted by the MIT Media Lab. She linked to a N.Y. Times article that noted the program was not going as well as expected as described by its leader Nicholas Negroponte.

Evidently, your average third-world dictator doesn’t care very much if their kids have a computer.

Probably because the first thing the darn scamps would do is look up democracy on Wikipedia and then start fomenting revolution.

Since the Charles Taylors of the world cannot be counted on, Negroponte is looking for Americans to step up, but the curmudgeon in me thinks there must be a better way my $400 could help a child.

After all, isn’t basic care like food, clean water and an education that can be taught on a blackboard not an LCD probably more important to these children then a notebook?

And then there is the big question as to whether the device would even make it to the child. Much foreign aid is stolen well before it reaches those it was intended to help.

To counter my cynicism I wonder if TWICE’s readers believe the MIT project is helpful, and, if not, what should our industry come up with that would be more productive?

Please leave your thoughts in this blog’s comment section.