(THIS ARTICLE IS MACHINE TRANSLATED by Google from Norwegian)
[digidugnad] – See here, you can also use it as an e-book. And if you increase the contrast on the screen, you can read well out in the sunlight. Tough?
Håkon Wium Lie, chief of Opera Software, grabs the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) test machine and turns the screen around to turn the laptop into an ebook.
- It is really fun to play with, and then it is incredibly cute then, he says enthusiastically.
We are located in Opera Software's showroom just off the Akerselva River in Oslo. Although the surroundings here are somewhat more fashionable than the classrooms of the girls at the Galadima Primary School in Nigeria (pictured), the laptop they are playing with is exactly the same. Both have received a test copy from the non-profit organization One Laptop Per Child, which with the support of the UN produces cheap and hard-wearing laptops for children in poor countries.
Give a. Get one.
The first thing that happens when the children first open the machine is that it takes a picture of you and you are asked to write your name.
- OLPC emphasizes that the machines must be individual, so that the children can take the machine home and play with them, says Wium Lie.
OLPC has now started a scheme called "Give one. Get one »which means that until 31 December you can buy a machine, if you simultaneously pay for one more, which is sent to one of the countries participating in the project. In other words: pay for two, get one. The fun costs $ 399, plus shipping. OLPC only delivers to addresses in the United States and Canada, so you must either have the machine delivered to someone known there, or use a shipping agency, such as JetCarrier.com, to get the machine to Norway.
Knut Yrvin, community manager at Trolltech, has collaborated with OLPC through the project "Skolelinux".
- Being able to learn from the mistakes we have made was good for bringing the OLPC project forward, says Yrvin.
- Will this Christmas gift scheme lead to more nerds now joining the charity event to create new programs?
- Yes, of course. Many have expressed a desire to help with OLPC and similar projects, but there has been limited access to the machine. When more people now have access to the machine, it becomes easier to contribute with improvements.
knowledge sharing
Håkon Wium Lie agrees with Yrvin.
- "Give one, get one" will lead to the machine being spread to more people, and it is important for the further development of the software, and to create new additional programs, he says.
OLPC contributes to building down the digital class divide between north and south in several ways at the same time, Yrvin believes.
- The whole idea of OLPC is knowledge sharing, to ensure that children in poor countries have the same access to technology as children in the rich world. With free software, children in developing countries get the same opportunity to share knowledge. Manufacturer-owned software prevents knowledge sharing, through product locking, digital restriction mechanisms (DRM), unfavorable license terms and software patents, says Yrvin.
OLPC does not use Windows patent-protected programs, but the free, open source Linux software. This means that anyone who wants to can look at the code language that the programs are made up of.
- This is clearly an ideological project that is about sharing knowledge, both through the fact that the programs' source code is open to anyone who wants to help create new programs, and through the machines helping to educate poor children all over the world, says Wium Lie .
- But can it be a problem later that students learn to work on a Linux machine, and later in working life have to work with Windows programs?
- This machine is primarily designed for children to learn, remember that it is made for kids in primary school. Once they have acquired a basic understanding of computers, it will be a narrow matter to go ahead and work with Windows. The transition is not that big, says Wium Lie.
He and Opera Software have created a special edition of their browser which they provide for free to OLPC.
Patent on life
- OLPC-Manskinen so far does not have its own spreadsheet, can it be a nice volunteer task?
- OLPC has access to several software packages with spreadsheets, so it can be a matter of creating specially adapted editions. But office software and spreadsheets are best suited for adults. Give the children tools to draw, exchange music, pictures and film, says Knut Yrvin.
Rules on patents and origins for everything from music to computer programs and medicines are regulated through the Trips agreement. Many developing countries believe that the wording of this agreement is too rigid and want to renegotiate the agreement. The leader of Attac, Marte Nilsen, believes that MSF will have little to do if nothing is done with the current patent system, which prevents a third of the world's population from accessing essential medicines.
- Is this the same systemic criticism that the free source code movement directs at the current version of the Trips agreement?
- Yes, it is a growing problem that large companies actively oppose knowledge sharing, by lobbying for new legislation with patents on life, medicine and software. They use product locking, monitoring and unbalanced contract terms. But remember that the success of a modern society lies precisely in the fact that what we create can be copied, improved and tested, says Ytvin. ■
Free software
■ Free software, such as Linux, has open source code so that everyone can freely see how the program is created.
■ This also allows anyone who wants to suggest improvements to the programs, or create new ones.
Finnish Linus Torvalds began work on Linux in 1991 and launched version 1.0 in 1994.
One Laptop Per Child (OLPC)
■ Non-profit organization with UN support that produces cheap PCs for children in poor countries.
■ Laptops are designed for harsh conditions, such as heat, dust, and power outages.
■ Until 31 December, you can buy a machine, but you also pay for an extra machine.
