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Linux Software

Linux Advocacy in Ethiopia: A Traveller's Journal 146

Posted by michael from the i-met-a-traveler-from-an-antique-land dept.
Jutta Horstmann writes "At the Horn of Africa, little is known about Open Source. To change this, Jan Muehlig and Jutta Horstmann (relevantive AG, authors of last year's Linux Usability Report) set out to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Read their traveller's journal and get more information on Linux and Open Source in Ethiopia at relevantive.de/ethiopia." Their travel report is the most interesting section.
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Linux Advocacy in Ethiopia: A Traveller's Journal More

Linux Advocacy in Ethiopia: A Traveller's Journal

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  • Intriguing (Score:5, Insightful)

    by jd ( 1658 ) <imipak@yahoGINSBERGo.com minus poet> on Friday April 16, 2004 @07:03PM (#8887464) Homepage Journal
    Not sure Open Source is terribly high on the list of priorities for a country like Ethiopia, but the concepts involved - such as the value of sharing exceeding the value of the material shared - are certainly important ones and would go a long way to combat the dangers of corruption and greed.
    • Well, in nations like these that are extremely poor, I think the only obstacle to open source adoption is lack of knowledge, as price would be a definite benefit.

    • Re:Intriguing (Score:2, Insightful)

      by SuperBanana ( 662181 )
      Not sure Open Source is terribly high on the list of priorities for a country like Ethiopia, but the concepts involved - such as the value of sharing exceeding the value of the material shared - are certainly important ones and would go a long way to combat the dangers of corruption and greed.

      What are you, Jon Katz? Do you seriously have ANY idea how supremely arrogant and asinine you sound? Let me boil it down for you: "Install linux, and your warlords will stop shooting you!" Gimme a fucking break.

      • They don't need computers. They need the rest of the world to stop shipping them weapons, so that warlords stop giving RPGs to 12 year old kids to slaughter defenseless people(12 year olds because so many adults have been killed there aren't enough left to force into private armies). They also need the countries of the world to stop protecting their agricultural industries, making food so expensive 3rd world countries can't afford to buy it.

        Remember that, just as there are desperately poor people in well-
      • The rest of the world will never stop shipping weapons to people who want them. You're as likely to persuade American citizens to disarm.

        The only thing we, as an outside people, can do is alter attitudes. There's really nothing else we can affect.

        If it's arrogant to point out that humanity is largely powerless against it's own excesses, then I guess I am arrogant. But that won't stop me believing that changing the way people interact is more likely to achieve genuine peace than any number of troops sent

        • the world will never stop shipping weapons to people who want them

          Exactly. The problem is always how to mitigate the desire for them... I've always found that having some pocket change, not being under immediate threat, and having some of lifes basic needs (food, shelter, etc) has generally been enough to at least get me to use my pointy sticks for tent poles or a bar-b-que spit for awhile.

          If it's arrogant to point out that humanity is largely powerless against it's own excesses, then I guess I am

      • Re:Intriguing (Score:3, Interesting)

        by 0x0000 ( 140863 )

        They need the rest of the world to stop shipping them weapons, so that warlords stop giving RPGs to 12 year old kids to slaughter defenseless people(12 year olds because so many adults have been killed there aren't enough left to force into private armies). They also need the countries of the world to stop protecting their agricultural industries, making food so expensive 3rd world countries can't afford to buy it.

        Amen.

        Of course, once those things are accomplished, having the beginnings of an educati

    • Re:Intriguing (Score:5, Insightful)

      by WhiteWolf666 ( 145211 ) <sherwinNO@SPAMamiran.us> on Friday April 16, 2004 @08:47PM (#8888113) Homepage Journal
      No offense, you aren't being as bad of some of the people replying to you.

      ETHIOPIA IS NOT A CRAZY UNSTABLE NATION FULL OF WARLORDS. ETHIOPIA IS NOT A CRAZY UNSTABLE NATION FULL OF WARLORDS. ETHIOPIA IS NOT A CRAZY UNSTABLE NATION FULL OF WARLORDS.

      Thank you, had to get that out of my system.

      All of you, talking about the Ethiopian warlords----

      GET A FRIGGING CLUE

      The government is extremely stable. And pro-capitalist. And understands the nature of the problems the country is facing.

      The people of Ethiopia also understand the need for development.

      And not robber-baron style of development, either. They get it, they really, really do, when I was there for a bit, speaking with all levels of individuals, from the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, to Industrialists, lowly taxi drivers, farm laborers, and even Tribal leaders.....

      THEY GET IT.

      That country is hobbled, because it was an Empire under a backwards ruler till the 70s, then a crazy, totalitarian communist government till the 90s.

      Then they got into an unfortunate war of succession.

      They've had, what, 6 years of peace?

      You expect them to repair 100 of years of damage in SIX FRIGGIN' YEARS?????!

      Ethiopia is populated with intelligent, caring, educated individuals.

      What they don't have is capital, or organization.

      (That means jobs, and corporations, for those of you who refuse to see what I am saying).

      It is a nation rich in resources, which hasn't had much time to get it together yet.

      Trust me, they will, on their own.

      But faster if the rest of the world invests.

      And in MY HUMBLE OPINION, open source is high on the list of priorities. Why? Because corporations will be able to equip the employees in Ethiopia with perhaps 10 times the number of computers they would otherwise be able to afford (under traditional, MS'ian licensing scheme).

      And many of those systems can be recycled from 'waste' piles of wasteful nations like the U.S.

      Ethiopian no longer wants food aid.

      Trust me, everyone from the Deputy Prime Minister to 14 yr old farm labor told me that, face to face.

      What they want is jobs, and opportunity.

      Stability is not the problem. War is not the problem. Crime is not the problem.

      Capital is. And Open Source reduces the cost of capital.

      I don't know what I am getting on this rant. Not like I'll even have much to do with Open Source in Ethiopia. We are going to farm there.

      But it pains me to see this impression of Ethiopia as a war-torn battleground, of despondents.

      That is simply no longer the case.

      It is a beautiful nation, with a proud people, who are looking to join the developed world.

      Try and visit there before you talk about 'their' problems.

      And don't be afraid of being a tourist. Your tourist dollars will go FAR for the street vendors that you are buying stuff from.
      • The war with Eritrea ended in 2000 (a little over 3 years ago not 6) and the boundaries are still in dispute. That coupled with poor agriculture, AIDS and desperate poverty makes stability uncertain. Good luck.
        • Poor agriculture?

          Not because of the environmental conditions.

          There is desperate poverty, but all the 'alternative' revolutionary governments have already come and gone.

          People want change+stability, and the current government is strongly in control of the reins of power.

      • Get in my tummy!
        Get in my tummy!

      • Capital is indeed the problem in Ethiopia, as it is with most of the world's poor.

        If someone wants to start a shoeshine business in Addis they need a box, some soap and a rag. To get a shoeshine box you need capital. You can get money from moneylenders who often charge upwards 100% interest per day. Even if you do manage to start a business, there is no secure way to save the money you earn. Money under the mattress is still the dominant savings scheme throughout much of the world.

        Most development methods
      • I really doubt it [penusa.org].

        I really don't know if you are rather naive or blissfully and completely misinformed [afsc.org].....

        As long as the Ethiopian goverment does not settle with Eritrea and balk at agreements by independents organizations, all the rest is secondary, since oportunities of development will never exsit because the few resources of the country will be squandered in the war effort....

      • Re:Intriguing (Score:3, Interesting)

        by rasjani ( 97395 )
        That backwards ruler did
        • open the national bank,
        • abolished slavetrade in the country which allowed Ethiopia to join UN,
        • he formed the univercity of Addis Ababa,
        • started Ethiopian Airlines,
        • was one of the founders of Organisation Of African Unity which reformed couple of years ago to African Unition,
        • took the power from local rasses so that there would not be "local wardlords"
        • Founded the first Constitution of Ethiopia

        and some other minor things like tha. Yeah he must have been evil because he used weap

    • I was in Ethiopia [vdomck.org]in January . It is a place rich in history, culture, wildlife and adventure. The potential for tourism is great, and the infrastructure to support such an industry is growing. Enterprising individuals are spending their life savings to get a computer and an internet connection so that tourists can check their email from remote mountain villages. Yet they know little about what they are buying or what to do with it once they have bought it.

      Every computer I used in Ethiopia was Windows and

  • Um.. (Score:1, Insightful)

    by LordK3nn3th ( 715352 )
    Not to troll or anything, but what good is open source and computers if the people don't even have food and aren't exactly the most... advanced people around?

    • Re:Um.. (Score:3, Interesting)

      by rikomatic ( 673311 )
      The information economy requires infrastructure, access and education. How is Ethiopia ever going to move beyond a "non-developing" status if the technology gap just grows and grows?

      A vibrant information economy in Ethiopia can only be a good thing. Greater access to computers and more local programmers can help stir economic growth. Economic growth means higher salaries which means more money for food.

    • Re:Um.. (Score:4, Insightful)

      by ndogg ( 158021 ) <the@rhorn.gmail@com> on Friday April 16, 2004 @07:25PM (#8887630) Homepage Journal
      It's valuable to the doctors who often have trouble accessing the most up-to-date information within their field. It's valuable for education to help students quickly and easily access information that also happens to be up-to-date. Those who use and understand technology often dominate (and in many cases, oppress) those who don't use and understand technology.

      Teach a people to fish...

      • Teach a man to fish (Score:3, Interesting)

        by CHaN_316 ( 696929 )
        I watched a show called Seriously Funny on the CBC, and there was this American mocking his country when he was joking about gun laws:

        "Give a man a fish; you have fed him for today. Teach a man to fish; and you have fed him for a lifetime"

        ...give a man a gun, and he can steal fish to feed himself for today.

        (Not trolling or flamebaiting)

    • Um..Growing a society. (Score:1, Insightful)

      by Anonymous Coward
      "but what good is open source and computers if the people don't even have food and aren't exactly the most... advanced people around?"

      Food is for their bodies.
      Linux and computers are for their minds.
      Both need to be fed if a society is to grow.

    • open source and computers if the people don't even have food and aren't exactly the most... advanced people around?

      Well, they could put up pr0n for pay sites and revitalize their national economy, for one thing. And that's before you even start talking about the possiblities if you can get their lawmaking bodies involved on the side of Open Source. Data havens, anyone? Maybe they could market diamonds direct to customers using ecommerce freeware. Or ... what is it, uranium that Ethiopia has in abunda

  • Get your priorities straight! (Score:3, Insightful)

    by ColonelPanic ( 138077 ) on Friday April 16, 2004 @07:03PM (#8887471)
    Forget open source; what about Open Plumbing?
    • Forget open source;

      Never!

      what about Open Plumbing?

      Trivially doable, and the developers will demand it. Trust me on that.

    • People seem to bring this up everytime people talk about free software in 'third world' (really, poor, developing) countries. The reality is that putting your $10000 into posting food to ethiopians will not have the desired effect - the food will never get to the people who need it, rather it will be siphoned off to raise armies.

      The same goes for 'plumbing' and other similar suggestions. The ethiopians already have 'open plumbing technology' in the form of buckets. I presume you were actually refering t

      • Re:Get your priorities straight! (Score:4, Interesting)

        by WhiteWolf666 ( 145211 ) <sherwinNO@SPAMamiran.us> on Friday April 16, 2004 @09:29PM (#8888409) Homepage Journal
        Food does get to those people.

        It just that food doesn't help them next year.

        Sure, they need the food now, so they don't starve.

        But there are no rampaging warlord in Ethiopia. UN Food programs actually distribute food to people who are starving.

        I've seen it, and can atest to it.

        What they need is jobs. Trust me, that's what they are asking for.

      • The reality is that putting your $10000 into posting food to ethiopians will not have the desired effect - the food will never get to the people who need it, rather it will be siphoned off to raise armies.

        Ethiopia != Somalia.
        Ethiopia != Somalia.
        Ethiopia != Somalia.

        Repeat after me.

        Ethiopia != Somalia

        Regardless of what you might have seen in movies about other countries, Ethiopia does not have marauding gangs of heavily armed goons wreaking havoc in the streets. It does have a serious underdevelopm

        • Well I know I shouldn't respond to trolls, but if anyone is being patronising here, it is you.

          Rather than attacking my post without adding any further information you could try presenting some facts.

          A quick google for 'ethiopia food aid' finds me plenty of articles like

          http://www.reliefweb.int/w/rwb.nsf/0/dbe7c656f4 d 19 d4c85256beb0051bddc?OpenDocument

          which say that food aid is unhelpful. Of course, you can find just as many that say it is. So I haven't learnt anything new from your post and I now wil

  • interesting (Score:3, Interesting)

    by mr_tommy ( 619972 ) * <tgraham@@@gmail...com> on Friday April 16, 2004 @07:04PM (#8887484) Journal
    Linux advocacy worldwide is clearly important, but i'd like to highlight something far more pressing : poverty, disease, malnutrition. Honestly readers, which is a more pressing problem? The evil genius residing in Seatle, or the thousands of people dieing in Ethiopia?
    I know what many might say, but i'm guessing dealing with the social problems there prior to trying to inflict technology on them might be the better option.
    • "Honestly readers, which is a more pressing problem?"

      THEY MUST USE LINUX, RESISTANCE IS FUTILE!

    • Re:interesting (Score:5, Informative)

      by DunbarTheInept ( 764 ) on Friday April 16, 2004 @07:18PM (#8887598) Homepage
      You end poverty by making the economy better, and you do that by making the country less dependant on foriegn aid and more able to participate as an equal in world trade. To that end, technology is highly relevant. You can't fix the problem by trying to first fix poverty and then second trying to improve the technology. If you don't work on the technology, you'll never fix the poverty. As far as why open source is important - it's important because it allows the people of the country to participate as equals in the development of the technology instead of just as consumers of the technology.

      Look to the model India used to launch itself onto the world stage and become a real force to be reckoned with. When adapting technology from overseas, it would always opt for trying to buy the right to use the technology behind a product, rather than just buy the rights to use the end-product. It's still got poverty, but it's a lot better off than it once was, because its sucessive governments since independance have frequently pursued a policy of metaphorically wanting to be taught to fish, instead of just being given fish.
      • But what if you don't even have a metaphorical body of water to fish in the first place? That's really where the country is.
      • Yes. Steve Forbes once said in a talk that one fat, lazy American with a bulldozer can perform more productive labor than a whole crew of hard working Africans equipped only with shovels. Technology is athe key to making labor more productive, which in turn brings up the standard of living for a country.
        • If the resources can't support the people, then there shouldn't be that many people there. That may sound insensitive, but it's true. High birth rates, or high immigration rates, are a bad idea when the resources available are already overstretched. This extends to so called 'first world' countries too. The Los Angeles area shouldn't be as populous as it is. The resources can't take it. A sprawling city of 5 million shouldn't be built on a desert where they have to pump water in from three hundred mil
    • Linux advocacy worldwide is clearly important, but i'd like to highlight something far more pressing : poverty, disease, malnutrition.

      Here's a clue:

      1 - Not every Ethiopian is poor and hungry. Most are, some aren't

      2 - Reasonably wealthy Ethiopians get into Linux

      3 - Reasonably wealthy Ethiopians can get access to computing thanks to Linux' low-low-cost, get good at it, start exporting their expertise

      4 - Reasonably wealthy Ethiopians bring money into Ethiopia, become more wealthy, pay more taxes, create

    • Re:interesting (Score:3, Insightful)

      by LinuxGuyFriend ( 756285 )
      Just for the record, child poverty in the US is close to 25%. Yet the government does other things than just fight porverty.

      Not every resource on Earth is spent trying to cure cancer and solve poverty. Lots of resources are spent making designer clothes, perfums, etc. Humanity does lots of things and it's the sum (or actually the process) that's good.

      Besides, out of hundreds of thousands (or more) of people wordwide helping Ethiopia, 2 are trying to bring Linux and related computer skills. So it seems
    • " Honestly readers, which is a more pressing problem? The evil genius residing in Seatle, or the thousands of people dieing in Ethiopia? "
      These people specialize in linux, and they donated thier time and knowledge, they gave what they have to give, what have you done to help those people? As well, if the Ethiopian government can save liscence money by using linux in it's operations, then that's more money they can spend on more humanitarian causes.

  • needs? (Score:5, Insightful)

    by MattyCobb ( 695086 ) on Friday April 16, 2004 @07:08PM (#8887519)
    hmm i think that spreading linux/oss to other countries, particularly poverty stricken ones, is very important. it allows them to get software that they might otherwise be unable to afford. HOWEVER, im pretty sure that the hiarchy of needs comes into play here. that is, i dont think that most of these people could care less if you gave them a new decked out 'nix box or not. why? because they have to worry about stuff like food, clothing, shelter, and safety. satisfy those and THEN maybe these people will start to care about sharing of information...
  • Despite the fact that this may not be exactly what Ethiopia needs right now, it could help. If they could get computers and have some form internet access it would be a good way to spread modern farming pratices (if not equipment) to Ethiopia, which could improve hunger and poverty. That and outsourced tech jobs.
  • The average annual income is 108 US$ (2004, [4]), but one has to keep in mind the large gap between poor and super-rich, as well as between urban and country people. When we visited Addis, a taxi driver earned 130 Birr (about 13 Euro) per day.

    Okay, I could be wrong, but it is only on Slashdot that I believe I could find an article trying to sell a free OS to a populace that's known for its poverty and starvation levels. The religious parallels are pretty plain here, I think, where we've got Linux zealots,

    • I'd say this argument (as so many other posts on this topic) misses an important point: If all the resources we spend on Ethiopia goes toward feeding those needing it most at the moment, all we will achieve is that we will have to spend resources to that end for the foreseeable future.

      There are in fact two issues competing for attention here, a) the immediate need for food and water, and b) the long-term need to build economy and infrastructure (as pointed out in a previous post somewhere). While certainly

    • average annual income is 108 US$ (2004, [4])

      And in the US the average 80486 machine is a doorstop. That doesn't mean that it can't still function as a webserver.

      Do you completely fail to understand how to use free stuff to make money when you have no money to begin with, or would just prefer that Ethiopia not benefit from the global economy?

      God. It makes me want to go and do an install of Windows XP.

      Go for it. You probably believe Microsoft is the penultimage example of capitalism, too. S

    • He showed no interest in the possibilities of Open Source Software regarding especially developing countries. Nevertheless he was using Linux as a tool for teaching special features of Operating Systems in his lecture on this topic.

      Could it be that he showed no interest because he's grown up in a country where people die of malnutrition and corrupt leaders reserve aid money for their own consumption? But in the face of that he's got some quasi-religious technodipwad pointing out the oh-so-bitter ironies

      • What people often seem to overlook is the fact that underdeveloped countries are not undeveloped countries.

        I've been to places where the average wage is US $40/mo, yet manage to sustain things like internet cafes and cellphone coverage. Obviously there must be a very wide income spread, but things like this surely mark the start of something better.

        When people talk of bringing internet access to the developing world, they don't dream of bringing them icq and porn. It's a practical way to spread knowledge
    • I don't find anything compelling about your religious/missionary parallels. Here's how I see it: Ethiopia needs a technological infrastructure if they're to have any hope of raising their standard of living. This means not only having the fruits of technology (the software) but the freedom to do with it whatever their ingenuity will allow, and the ability to educate themselves on how that software works.

      Linux is both a good operating system and a good teaching tool. It's the sort of thing budding IT p

    • On Thursday, 1st of April, we first met the head of the School of Information System Technology of AAU. He showed no interest in the possibilities of Open Source Software regarding especially developing countries. Nevertheless he was using Linux as a tool for teaching special features of Operating Systems in his lecture on this topic.

      Could it be that he showed no interest because he's grown up in a country where people die of malnutrition and corrupt leaders reserve aid money for their own consumption?

  • Sir, you can have this copy of SUSE Standard, or this copy of XP Professional and a corned beef on rye.
  • from the article : The average annual income is 108 US$ (2004, [4]), but one has to keep in mind the large gap between poor and super-rich
    No wonder why they whould be interested by open source... not even enough to pay for one Microsoft Windows licence...

  • Iceboxes to Eskimos (Score:4, Insightful)

    by malia8888 ( 646496 ) on Friday April 16, 2004 @07:16PM (#8887573)
    From the article: Even if people are interested in Open Source software, it is difficult to get started. Linux being freely available on the Internet is no real advantage - because of low bandwidth at the University, it is only possible to download some software at the United Nations headquarter. To get students into Open Source development, it is necessary to first raise some funding for them - otherwise they have to work extensively besides their studies.

    There is no expressed or implied Linux trolling in this post. However, the obstacles facing anyone trying to bring Linux to Ethiopia are huge. My father taught me to fish where I knew there was fish. To me this is a project a decade too soon, clearly iceboxes to Eskimos.

    Oddly though, I think Eskimos do need refrigerators to keep foods at an even temperature :P

    • My father taught me to fish where I knew there was fish.

      Good advice. My father taught me that if you give a man a fish, he eats for a day, but if you teach him to fish, he never goes hungry. Equally good advice, imo, and very germaine to this situation (Open Source for Ethiopia).

      The "iceboxes to eskimos" ("coals to Newcastle") analogy doesn't hold, since the eskimos arguably already have ice. The old "bicycle to a fish" is the form I think you're looking for...

    • Actually this is just in time. In the article(I actually read it!) it says that ethiopia will in the not too distant future have to abide by copyright law, and thata their government can't afford to pay for all the liscenses they would need right now, and also, if they look for alternatives in the future, it would be nice for there to actually be one present, unlike in the IT industry development of the richer nations over a decade ago.
  • You can't eat a paperclip...

  • It's complicated (Score:2, Interesting)

    by Anonymous Coward
    I think the idea behind it is if the tools to build/base the economy on are good, it'll help facilitate development of a economy that can produce that food/development/etc on its own. Giving food treats the symptoms, not the real problem. It does most certainly help, but ideally we want them to stand on their own two feet.

    Making them aware of free, powerful software gives opportunities to people/natives of the country who otherwise may not be able to contribute to making a place in their economy due to t

  • Free Software means more Computers and more food (Score:3, Insightful)

    by sampowers ( 54424 ) on Friday April 16, 2004 @07:23PM (#8887616)

    There is not yet a single post here which does NOT say something along the lines of "who cares about software, these people need to eat/drink/quit starving to death". Screw your thinking caps on, people.

    I'd like to remind everyone that legitimate copies of Windows and Office cost real money, in addition to money that must be spent on the HARDWARE used to educate Ethiopian IT students.

    Cutting proprietary software out of the equation means IT workers in developing countries can spend LESS money on software and MORE money on hardware, which increases the availability of hands-on learning tools for these people.

    • First, Open Source Software being free of cost was no advantage, as most of the software in use is either provided by development aid or pirate copies.

  • Anyone here speak Amharic? (Score:3, Interesting)

    by David Hume ( 200499 ) on Friday April 16, 2004 @07:25PM (#8887636) Homepage

    Anyone here speak Amharic [uoregon.edu]? (See also Wikipedia: Amharic language [wikipedia.org].)

    From the travel report [relevantive.de]:

    The main language is amharic, english being the major foreign language taught in schools.


    From the Links to African Projects Page:

    Amharic Localization Project by Mr. Daniel Yacob:


    And the Ge'ez ftp server:

    ftp://ftp.ethiopic.org/ [ethiopic.org]

  • Anecdotal story: (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Rinikusu ( 28164 ) on Friday April 16, 2004 @07:28PM (#8887650)
    My old vice-principal from High School (like, 13 years ago) is from Nigeria. He visits regularly. He lamented the fact that everyone seems to think everyone in Ethiopia is dying of starvation and suffers from famine. The reality is, yes, there are areas of Ethiopia that are hard hit with famine and starvation. However, the vast majority of the population lives in what we'd call "modern cities". They may not have the same living standards that Americans do (who does? We're the land of the obese), but they make do and some make better.

  • The digital divide (Score:3, Interesting)

    by ndogg ( 158021 ) <the@rhorn.gmail@com> on Friday April 16, 2004 @07:33PM (#8887688) Homepage Journal
    The timing is interesting. I had just written up a short composition on the digital divide for a class.
    __

    The general definition of the digital divide, by consensus of websites inquired
    on Google[1], seems to be that of a "technological gap" between the
    "haves" and "have-nots." The Digital Divide Network defines
    the digital divide as "this gap between those who can effectively use new
    information and communication tools, such as the Internet, and those who
    cannot." A key point to raise is the importance of this "gap"
    and whether or not such technological benefits like the Internet are holding the
    "have-nots" back. One thing to note is that the "digital
    divide" does not necessarily lie upon a line between the rich and the poor,
    but even between people who choose not to use new technologies (either through
    lack of access or through lack of knowledge and the fear that may come with
    that) and those that do. The Digital Divide Network has more information on
    this[3].

    One major factor that the Internet seems to bring into is the effect it has on
    education. The proliferation of information and the speed of that proliferation
    on the Internet is often breathtaking. The immediacy and breadth of access that
    students, particularly in Western-industrialized nations, is unlike anything we
    have had before within human history. This could be an argument in favor of
    defining the digital divide, and all attempts to bridge it. However, many times
    this does not address more immediate needs that often exacerbate the digital
    divide, particularly in poverty. Impoverished nations, especially, have
    problems beyond simply lack of access to new technology and the Internet, such
    as the quality or lack of education, which, however, could be helped by access
    to new technology such as the Internet for the very reasons stated above.
    India, the Philippines, Russia, and other such "Third World" nations
    have been making headlines for "usurping" American jobs. An argument
    could be made that they are simply taking advantage of new technologies and
    their lower standard of living, just as any other person would use their
    advantages to get a job. With that argument, one could further it by saying
    that those nations are taking one route to "bridge the gap of the digital
    divide."

    Another issue to deal with is simply the lack of access certain areas,
    particularly rural areas, have to technology. Getting technology to such areas
    is often costly, and uneconomical for commercial entities. Technological access
    to such areas must often be "donated" or some clever solution, such as
    wireless access, must be conceived.

    Finally, the lack of access is often created by a lack of education,
    particularly within US schools. There are many who do not use something such as
    the Internet simply due to lack of education, and possibly the fear of not
    understanding how to use the technology. This is often exacerbated by the
    cultures of the Internet that quite often have disdain for those who have little
    or no understanding of how to use it. Another problem with the lack of
    education is that there can be difficulty in obtaining education due to the fast
    pace at which technology advances. However, one could argue that while
    technology often advances at blinding speed, the usage of such technology
    usually stays the same for long periods of time, and so the education in the
    usage of technology is unlikely to be quickly antiquated.

    Bridging the digital divide may not be necessary for the "have-nots"
    to survive, or, in the case of the impoverished, necessary to find wealth, but
    it can be a route out of poverty. The United States went through some horrific
    times to get to the point it is at now, as did many other modern industrialized
    nations, but many would argue that currently impoverished nations should n

  • At least Bill Gates... (Score:2, Insightful)

    by ilctoh ( 620875 )
    At least Bill Gates and his "foundation" do donate money to the poor and hungry. Sure, its a much (or more) of a PR stunt that actual morality, but it beats a couple of Linux zealots pestering people who are more concerned about living long enough to have children, let alone save $199 by using Open Source.
    • This comment is completely ludicrous. First, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is not a PR stunt (nor is it a vehicle for pushing Microsoft products). Gates as a philanthropist has given enormous amounts of money for the elimination of disease in developing countries, effectively by taxing developed country software consumers. It does not give money "to the poor and hungry" --at least not directly. Second, people in developing countries are generally more concerned about having their children survive,

  • German Open Source Advocacy (Score:4, Interesting)

    by Noodlenose ( 537591 ) on Friday April 16, 2004 @07:36PM (#8887706) Homepage Journal
    It's interesting that the whole crusade was organised by a German IT consultancy, with support from the Goethe-Institut [goethe.de] and the GTZ [www.gtz.de], representatives of a secular state strongly pushing Open Source.

    You can't really see a US sponsored team going to Africa without peddling chriatianity and Windows, can you?

  • cd pub (Score:2, Funny)

    by startxxx ( 733595 )
    $> more food

  • Good stuff! (Score:1, Insightful)

    by Magickcat ( 768797 )
    I think that anything that makes access to technologies like the Internet easier can help underdeveloped countries tremendously. The internet for example can provide information on agricultural technology, medical technology, etc. Food security is only one readily apparent aspect of a multi-faceted problem. A sound technolgical/educational base can help provide the necessary support for the development of infrastructure. In many cases, third world economies when making the transition from subsistence farm

  • A good place for Linux (Score:2, Insightful)

    by Anonymous Coward
    When you clear 990$ a year (per capita), Linux makes alot of sense.

    http://www.worldbank.org/data/databytopic/GNIPC. pd f

    "Buy Win Xp? Eat? Buy Win Xp?... Eat."

  • Another case where open source != free software (Score:3, Insightful)

    by JusTyler ( 707210 ) on Friday April 16, 2004 @08:24PM (#8887997) Homepage
    They might not know about open source in Ethiopia, but I'll bet you the shirt off my back they all know about 'free software' ;-)

    Piracy is actually a legitimate reason why open source isn't as easy to spread in poorer countries. People in poorer countries tend to pirate and not have the threat of any punishment hanging over their heads. Of course, I salute the march of open source software the world over, but it won't be until these countries fully step up onto the world stage that they'll get a significant advantage out of it over using pirated stuff.

  • Will work if you bundle Linux with MS Office (Score:3, Informative)

    by Anonymous Coward on Friday April 16, 2004 @08:40PM (#8888085)
    Most Ethiopians are very brand conscious, and no one will buy a computer in Ethiopia if it does not come with MS Office. And every corner you see a computer training schools that has introductory courses for Word/Excel/Access for like 10 - 20 dollars that span a few months.

    We tried selling Compaq computers a few years ago, and failed. Now our supplies are limited to the UN, OAU and Embassies.

    And besides local assemblers sell a computer most of it based on SIS chipset/motherboards for about Birr 4000 about 450 dollars including a 14" monitor. And these come with all sorts of software including Win XP, MS Office,etc.

  • nice job! (Score:2, Interesting)

    by skelley ( 526008 )
    Some friends and I did a similar thing in Burma a couple of years ago, except focusing on opensource's security aspects and handing out OpenBSD distros.
  • Of course, Geek Corps [geekcorps.org] have been trying to promote IT development in parts of Africa for several years. I don't think they've gone to Ethiopia, but they have certainly been busy elsewhere.

    For such non-profit organizations, Linux and OSS provide a very nice platform.

    Note: Geek Corps was founded by a good friend of mine.

    -John.

    Self Serving Sig: Steampunk [steampunk.com] | Carbs Rule! [carbsrule.com] | Angela Walker Jewelry [angelawalkerjewelry.com]

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