The One Laptop Per Child program reported today that after 303 builds, it finally has a satisfactory version of its Red Hat Linux-based Sugar operating system that is considered stable, according to OLPC president for software and content Walter Bender. "After a final few bugs that had hidden in corners were driven into the light, we issued Stable Build 303 along with Q2B76 firmware this week," Bender said in his weekly email report.
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Member since:2007-02-22
Yes, but if millions of children learn that whatever innovation or creation they make will be stolen by large foreign corporations without recognition or reimbursement (as the GPL provides and encourages), won't that defeat the entire purpose of giving children in developing countries laptops? They won't learn anything about computing, and an entire generation will grow up thinking computers are just another way that the First World exploits the Third World. They'll reject the gifts, and be kept in the dark for another generation.
That's a generation of technological advancement they can't afford to lose, not with the rate computing is changing.
Member since:2005-08-28
...whatever innovation or creation they make will be stolen by large foreign corporations without recognition or reimbursement (as the GPL provides and encourages)...
Wait, how is content on these machines going to automatically be GPL'd? (Never mind that the GPL is a software license) And how is a company going to steal their work anyway, without recognition? The GPL requires a copyright notice. And I doubt they allow just taking stuff. http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-faq.html#TOCIWantCredit
Member since:2005-07-06
While I agree with you on remarks about GPL, the goal of the project is to keep the computer price as low as possible. Many of them won't be producing anything because they still need to be educated to do that.
It's too early to worry about what they will do with their computers and it's better to be able to provide computers first...
Member since:2006-10-26
"Yes, but if millions of children learn that whatever innovation or creation they make will be stolen by large foreign corporations without recognition or reimbursement (as the GPL provides and encourages), won't that defeat the entire purpose of giving children in developing countries laptops?"
Wow, that makes so little sense, you can't even argue with it. Good job! FUD of the highest order.
Member since:
2005-07-15
have you checked the goal of OLPC?
apple gived free its system to OLPC, but it refused... they want free software with a free bios
they want to use free software...
it's not a good idea to initiate some one to computing with proprietary system.
compagny and gouvernment try to go out of this problem...
Edited 2007-03-20 22:11