Sunday, September 28, 2008
Laptops for Everyone ...Week 4
Democratization concerning the internet is a loaded topic. Social media fuels the race for it. According to McConnell and Huba in chapter three of Citizen Marketers, democratization perpetuates the battle between transparency and control within companies and organizations. To me, one of the most interesting ideas concerning the concept was introduced by Nicholas Negroponte. He is an MIT hotshot who began a project called the One Laptop Per Child project in 2005. For around $135 each, the project sells laptops to children in developing nations. Negroponte is "trying to ride the wave of technological democratization by gentrifying the elitism of computer ownership." Once I broke this statement down into smaller words that I could understand, it made a lot of sense. Negroponte is embracing the concept of democratization and he knows that it is fueled by social media. He is working against the idea that only the privileged and wealthier countries should have social media tools at their fingertips. Negroponte knows that everyone has a voice and the potential to be a citizen marketer, whether they're an American businessman or a Nigerian child. I think the One Laptop Per Child project is genius.
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2 comments:
Wow, I never would have known about the One Laptop Per Child project, had I not read your blog. Yes, I would have to agree that it was smart, but I feel like those developing nations should be focusing on fixing their countries and the bigger problems first before expanding their social media world. Perhaps they already are and I'm wrong, but based on what I read in the news, which is sometimes very little, most developing nations have enough problems trying to start afloat. However, I can see the other side too! This project is genius in the sense that everyone should have a voice whether they are rich or poor. By allowing children to have laptops their opinions could be spread around the world. Maybe more people would understand the hardships they go through on a day-to-day basis. Actually, I do think this project was a good, now that I think about it. Children in these developing nations could express their ideas and talk about their lives, which would increase knowledge about these nations. I hope that makes sense. Sorry for the change of heart midway through!
Well I agree that this was very smart indeed, but I feel those developing nations are fixing their problem by expanding their social media world. In order to no longer be a developing country and have to industrialize and expand your nation. I feel this project is one step towards more education and communication for the children who are deprived of knowledge and the real world.
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