p2pnet - rss feed: Nieu, OLPC-land
p2pnet news view Freedom | P2P:- Towards the end of August p2pnet ran a post on a communications triumph in Niue.
A self-governing nation, it’s in free association with New Zealand, “meaning that the Sovereign in Right of New Zealand is also Niue’s head of state,” says the Wikipedia, our story noted, going on:
“It’s a tiny country, but it’s secured a permanent place in the history of 21st century communications by becoming the first place in the world to issue laptops to every child.
“And the computers are, of course, One Laptop per Child systems.”
There are around 400 students, “and every single” has an XO, blogst Pia Waugh in OLPC Australia, from whence came the pic on the right.
But kids aren’t the only beneficiaries.
Although the story centred on kids, “The world’s oldest XO user (we think) :),” says the caption.
The lady with the big smile is 70.
Meanwhile, “I was in Auckland trying to find free wifi spots and I found this list, a couple here and there in each town,” says freelance web application developer Nick Taylor.
Then down the list was Niue, “which I thought was pretty cool because I used to live there when I was a kid,” he says, going on:
“Auckland wasn’t so equitably furnished, alas. I wound up spending about $30 getting to and from the only free wifi place… paying the rent in coffee, etc. The lack of free wifi in Hotels in NZ is a national disgrace. NZ has gone back to being kind of backward again.”
But, he goes on, “There’s a suburb/area in Auckland where the local shopkeepers have got together and provided free wifi everywhere to attract business etc.
“Sure enough, next time I’m up that way, I won’t be staying in my traditional hotel etc. Parnell it is. Pastures new.
“Even the London hotels (and they invented ripping people off) provide wifi for free now. It’s gone from something I hope for to something I expect to something I’m dependent on in the space of about two years.
“The NZ lot haven’t quite twigged that the internet kindof needs to be On All The Time.
“They still think it’s for emails.”
Meanwhile, “Marvin Minsky might also be classed as an XO user, he’s 81 too :)” says a comment post to Pia’s story.
“He visits the office quite often.”
Jon Newton - p2pnet
Los Angeles Times - xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, August , 2008
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