[DC LoCo] "Less is more" laptops initiative

[Michael Haney]

How about this, talk to the school about starting a privately funded
After School Program that teaches students about open source software
and programming.  If it become success a non-profit organization could
be formed around the project.  Its just an idea.

On Mon, Jun 20, 2011 at 9:05 PM, Phil Shapiro <pshapiro at his.com> wrote:
>
>
> Robert, that's practical advice and I agree that's a good way to go.
>
>           phil
>
>
>> On a side note, and I don't want to sound like a pessimist, but I don't
>> think
>> just giving a kid a laptop with dual boot is worth the time.  Even if it
>> has
>> all the installed software you can think of and all the instructions and
>> videos you can possibly make easily accessible on there.  The kid will
>> maybe
>> boot the computer into linux once or twice then go back to windows.
>>
>> It is a complete waste of resources to just give it to them.  The only way
>> it
>> will get used is if there is a reason to use it, i.e. a computer club, a
>> class, a mentor, or some other type of activity.  OR it is targeted toward
>> a
>> kid who you know is a budding hacker type, but is too poor to have her own
>> computer.
>>
>> So, I would suggest one of two paths: start an activity and have the
>> computer/s as part of that, or get in contact with the computer teachers
>> in
>> the public schools and figure out who needs it.  If you go with the second
>> path, don't be offended if the kid blows away what you install and puts
>> Slackware, OpenBSD, Gentoo, Debian, NetBSD or whatever on it ;)
>>
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-- 
Michael "TheZorch" Haney
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