Other ideas
Filtering
I have been trying to find the proper forum for raising a concern about these machines and offering a few potential solutions. The webcam built into the machines seems likely to be used to create exploitative pornography, which could then be easily distributed. click here to be redirected (within this wiki) to a fuller explanation of the risk and an outline of one possible solution. I work, by profession, in online mentoring and I lived in the developing world for a number of recent years. If this risk is not taken seriously, the impact has the potential to spoil the reputation of the program.
Donation Idea
i was thinking, it would be a fun idea if people who are fortunate enough to be able to donate the cost of a laptop would have their name and email address stickered onto the bottom of a laptop so the recipient would have someone they could communicate with, like penpals and stuff.
- hello, that sounds a good idea. How about installing some short of "hello message" from computer-donator that could be started from desktop? there could be your personal information and maybe something about your country your living in, pictures etc. It could also be smart program that works via internet and some server and you could update and send messages.. now we need some programming..
>>did you see about the give 1 get 1. thats pretty cool.
This seems like a simple pen-pal system, which is great, but could be implemented much better. Simply keep two matched lists of donors wanting to get letters and recipients wanting to send. This would provide a much better contact rate, allow some chance of rationality matching language capabilities, and eliminate the need to customize each box either in software or hardware.
Retail version independent of OLPC
I suggest the interested OLPC community develop a retail model linked (by donation etc.) to the parent project. I feel that the market demand for such a laptop would be massive and donation to other charity groups would also increase consumer interest. I will try to assemble a team to work on a model. email me if interested. edgertronics@gmail.com
Selling These Laptops in Developed Countries
I see a lot of people in the US (myself included) who would actually consider purchasing and using one of these laptops for both personal and educational use. If these Laptops are made available in Western or developed countries, buyers should agree to a sponsorship transaction where they buy one device for themselves and one for a child in a developing country (in effect, paying for two devices but agreeing to donate one or even two to a child in a developing country).
Follow the apple lead with the RED products. And produce a RED version. Convince Starbucks T-Mobile to provide free or reduced wifi for anybody with an olpc laptop.
The demand for them would be unstoppable even at $300-$400 dollars. People would be able to check email drink their coffee with their bright red laptop smug in the knowledge that everybody walking by knows they are doing their bit to save the world.
I had thought of something similar, but wouldn't it make more sense to say that if you donate, say, 10 units ($1000), you get one for free for yourself? That would be about the price of another cheap laptop anyways - and I mean, I'm a college student, and I'm able to get $1000 together for a laptop. I would much rather spend it this way than on some fancy laptop for myself.
And with the corporate sponsors idea - perhaps instead of free wifi here, in the US, the companies could agree to put that much $ towards getting internet etc into more remote areas (i.e. the real reason the laptops are around)
Hi - I just had a similar idea here in the UK - to sell them here for say £75 or £100 for our kids to use the same kit as kids in developing countries would give them a tangible point of contact and for each one/two you buy bought here, a child in need would get theirs paid for...
Should we consider a companion project that will lead to the development of One Laptop per Citizen?
I understand that this proposition will raise many more questions than the original OLPC project but I believe is worth start discussing it. The digital citizens of today have lot digitized information of personal interest that should reside in a really personal computer an OLPC…
Donation support
By opening sales to the general public and primary education organisations in developed countries an "x dollar donation towards a laptop for someone in a develping country" scheme could be implemented, which, in theory would help to increase the volume of laptops available for use by its target populations.
Promotion: Enclose an OLPC poster and add a letter asking for help
If you send the XO laptops to your donators, why don't you enclose a poster to this delivery? There is still a letter from Mr. Negroponte. In this letter the project OLPC can ask for further help.
Some sentences like: "Although the project knows that you support the project with your donation, you can help the children once again. Please hang out this poster at the next grocery store or at the university or at the next supermarket... Please help us to make others aware of this huge humanitarian effort that can change the world." would probably create good public awareness.
The project still created a good poster (the african girl "wearing" an XO laptop on her head). Make some more interesting posters, add always your internet adress "www.laptop.org" on this poster.
Another idea: offer the community some posters as a download, so that everone can print out the poster at home or at a professional copy shop. Ask the community for help to spread OLPC's vision around the world!
Green Hardware
Some Ideas from [http://www.worldchanging.com/archives/003881.html Wo
Donation Idea
i was thinking, it would be a fun idea if people who are fortunate enough to be able to donate the cost of a laptop would have their name and email address stickered onto the bottom of a laptop
Stickers Idea
It seems like a classroom filled with identical laptops is an screaming invitation for personalization. In the tech industry, we are used to having a huge sticker resevoir generated by marketing departments of various companies vying for our attention. It is hard to imagine that children around the world already have a drawer full of miscellaneous stickers, so perhaps providing an assortment would be appreciated. Given that many companies would probably like to have their logos on stickers around the world, why not have them pay for the stickers and pay for priviledge of having the stickers delivered as part of the OLPC program. It would be interesting if such a sticker tax could further reduce the costs of the laptops. Of course the kids will use or not use what they want.
How to pronounce your name again?
We should give the children the opportunity to speak out loud and record their names, towns and countries, so that their friends from some other end of the world know how to pronounce it. Sure, you could read the name of someone else, but if it's written in Thai characters, you'll be lost anyway. Perhaps we could even implement some kind of audio tooltip, such that the name is played, when you hover over some friends' icon long enough.
NGO'S CAN BE A POWERFUL TOOL IN YOUR IMPLEMENTATION
Greetings, I have read what you have to say about NGO's and how they would slow down your progress at implementation but I do want you to consider the fact that it is possible for NGO's to receive funding for educational purposes from international foundations and organizations. Perhaps a NGO could aid with the funding requirement of, for the sake of argument, the teaching of the educators in the use of the new machines. Surely with such new technology, instruction for the teaching staff would be required...and then there is the matter of initial set up, another area where outside funds could be used. It seems to me that they are numerous areas that NGO's could step in and help with the program, we just need to know that our efforts would be supported by you and the governments concerned. Some smaller third world countries simply do not have the funds for education that your program may demand. I am affiliated with a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation that also holds a NGO in Belize. Our organization would be honored to help in your mission. Should you reconsider your position on NGO's, please keep us in mind. I feel sure that you can contact me by return email, as I do not wish to use your site for free advertisement. Your mission is noble and I respect your desire to educate the poor. JWB
Reserve some for charity auction
There are a number of charitable organizations which raise money via auctions. The XO-1 would be an ideal candidate for an auction item, because its low availability in the first world would amplify its auction price.
I am already planning to put my G1G1 laptop up for auction for my own organization, Chess for Success. They would be more than willing to purchase a few more for our auction in April. --IanOsgood 14:22, 17 February 2008 (EST)