User:Hexagonal

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To Do's and General Thoughts about this Wiki

  • Update the Glossary to include jabber, pootle, git, and other terms XO developers are using that I don't know.
  • Many of the questions or parts of questions I've posted at Ask_OLPC_a_Question have been answered (at least to my satisfaction). I'm thinking of figuring out a clean way to indicate that the question has been answered -- ideally, a wiki way to indicate that the person who asked the question considers it answered, like a closed bug tracking ticket. Suggestions are welcomed. I see I'm not the only one thinking the main Ask a Question is getting unweildy. I think I'll move the questions I posed to the archive.
  • Mulling: many new questions are being added to this wiki by G1G1 participants specifically about the XO Giving program. Could, and should, these questions be moved to an emphasised, revised G1G1 or XO_Giving page?
  • While lots of G1G1 questions seem to be being asked by folks who have participated, many are also being asked by folks who are seriously considering participating in G1G1 but have not yet done so. Clean answers will encourage them to do so. Most questions can be put into these categories: a. warranty and support; b. what's shipped with the XO; c. shipping details (including non-North American options); d. what can the XO be hooked up to; e. what software will the XO run. There don't seem to be many questions along the lines of "what can I do with an XO that I can't already do?"; most seem to be variations of "I do this; can I do this with an XO?"

About Me

I am a resident of the Southeastern U.S., and while I have been a One Laptop Per Child enthusiast for months, my only tangible involvement with the project started when I participated in the Give One, Get One program by donating two computers on Monday, November 12.

I am looking forward to introducing my children to the joys and worries of being beta-testers when they receive their XO's in, + or -, a month. Maybe they'll dip in and out of beta-testing for the rest of their lives....

I am looking forward to seeing how this wiki, the public listserv, and the underlying network of staffers and volunteers who comprise OLPC will adapt to the more active participation of G1G1 participants. For my own part, I don't see my participation in G1G1 as analogous to ordinary consumption -- I'm not buying two XO's, I'm helping OLPC help the world, and they're acknowledging my help with a reciprocal gift. But it may be the case that not all the other G1G1 participants will see it this way.

Leave me a message on my Talk Page if you'd like.


Give One, Get One Acknowledgment E-Mail

On Thursday, November 15, 2007 I received this e-mail acknowledging my G1G1 contribution. I thought folks might be interested in seeing what it says. It was sent from "OLPC Customer Care", which is what service@laptopgiving.org seems to be calling itself.

Subject Line: Thank You for Donating to One Laptop per Child

Thank you for participating in the One Laptop per Child "Give One Get One" program. Your donation of $798.00 will bring education and enlightenment to children of the developing world. $200 of each $399 "Give One Get One" Donation is tax-deductible (your donation minus the fair market value of each laptop you receive). With Shipping and Handling, the total charge to your credit card is $847.90.

As a "Give One Get One" donor, you will receive one of the first XO laptops to be distributed in North America. Laptops will be delivered on a first come, first served basis. While early purchasers have the best chance of receiving their XO laptops in time for the holidays, quantities are limited and we cannot guarantee timing. We will provide you with regular email updates.

If you have any questions about your donation, please contact OLPC at service@laptopgiving.org or call 1-800-201-7144. Should your employer wish to match your donation, we are a 501(c)(3) organization and our EIN# is 20-5471780.

T-Mobile USA is proud to offer you one-year complimentary access to T-Mobile HotSpot in recognition of your support to the One Laptop per Child "Give One Get One" program. As you help children in developing countries stay connected, educated and enlightened, T-Mobile is supporting you! You will receive an email message close to the time that your laptop ships containing instructions on how to begin your complimentary year of T-Mobile HotSpot service. Please refer to http://hotspot.t-mobile.com for additional information on T-Mobile HotSpot Wireless broadband Internet service.

To find out more about the mission of One Laptop per Child, please visit www.laptop.org. To review "Give One Get One" terms and conditions, please click here <http://laptopgiving.org/en/terms-and-conditions.php> .

Thanks again for your generous support, and welcome to the One Laptop per Child community!

Sincerely,

Nicholas Negroponte Chairman OLPC Foundation

One Laptop per Child Foundation is exempt from federal income tax under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Your donation is tax deductible to the extent provided by U.S. law. This receipt is not valid if your donation is refunded for any reason. Additional information about the foundation is available from www.laptop.org or the foundations registration office of your State.

One Laptop per Child/P.O. Box 425087/Cambridge, MA 02142/U.S.A.


One Week Left E-mail

On Tuesday, November 20, I received the following e-mail from One Laptop per Child [LaptopGiving@mail.laptopgiving.org]. This is the first e-mail that I have received from having signed up to receive reminder e-mails; I've seen a flikr image of the initial "it's started" e-mail that was sent out, but I didn't get that one.

Subject Line: One week left to Give One Get One

<http://nurun.p0.com/1x1.dyn?1rAPYq_Q6jz9NzsNVhlD=0> view this email online <http://p.p0.com/YesConnect/HtmlMessagePreview?a=KB3vP-q7k1jThmRG4yq> one laptop per child <http://link.laptopgiving.org/u.d?QmRG4yqANuI_Q6jt=1>

<http://link.laptopgiving.org/u.d?OmRG4yqANuI_Q6jo=11> One week left to Give One Get One <http://link.laptopgiving.org/u.d?XmRG4yqANuI_Q6ji=31>

You are receiving this email because you signed up for a reminder about One Laptop per Child's "Give One Get One" Program. There is just one week left to participate. For a donation of just $399 ($200 of which is tax-deductible), you will be giving the gift of education to a deserving child in the developing world, and also receiving an XO laptop in recognition of your donation. Once "Give One Get One" ends, the XO laptop will no longer be available to the general public.

T-Mobile is generously offering everyone who participates in "Give One Get One" one year of complimentary access to T-Mobile HotSpot broadband Internet service, available at more than 8,500 locations throughout the United States. This complimentary year of service is valued at over $350! Just use any Wi-Fi enabled device, such as the XO, your laptop computer, or a Wi-Fi enabled mobile phone, and you can connect and communicate your way. Find out more at www.laptopgiving.org/en/t-mobile-hotspot.php <http://link.laptopgiving.org/u.d?dmRG4yqANuI_Q6j9H=91> .

To donate, or to find out more about the XO laptop, please visit www.laptopgiving.org <http://link.laptopgiving.org/u.d?NGRG4yqANuI_Q6j9-=41> . You can also donate by calling toll-free 1-877-70-LAPTOP (1-877-705-2786). We hope you'll join us in our mission to bring education and connection to children in even the most remote regions of the globe.

Thank you.

XO laptop <http://link.laptopgiving.org/u.d?LGRG4yqANuI_Q6j9z=51> laptopgiving.org <http://link.laptopgiving.org/u.d?HmRG4yqANuI_Q6j9Y=101> | privacy policy <http://link.laptopgiving.org/u.d?GmRG4yqANuI_Q6j9W=121>

If you have already participated in Give One Get One, thank you very much for your donation.

One Laptop per Child /PO Box 425087 /Cambridge, MA 02142 /USA

You have received this email because you requested a reminder from One Laptop per Child. If you no longer wish to receive emails from One Laptop per Child, unsubscribe here <http://mail.laptopgiving.org/laptop-unsub.jsp?s=5Vx9&i=xxxxxxxxxxx> .


Clues about G1G1 Sales Volume

The five pieces of evidence listed below suggest that the public's response to has been "incredible," with a very strong start; that the first day went very well; that at least two shipments are planned; that about 20,000 G1G1's were ordered by close of business on Thursday, 11/15; that those 20,000 will go out in the first wave of UPS shipments mid-December; and that G1G1's ordered after 11/15 will probably arrive sometime in the first quarter of 2008. Please take this string of suppositions as merely that.


1. First Day "went very well"

On Tuesday, November 13, I sent an e-mail to information@laptop.org and to press@laptop.org. information responded with a boilerplate "Official OLPC FAQ" which points to various parts of the laptop.org site; if you have any interest in that e-mail let me know on my talk page and I'll post it.

Here's what I sent:

Subj: g1g1 ordering
Hi -- we're wondering:
  • how the first day of the g1g1 program went
  • if phone orders have been processed yet
  • if phone orders will be charged the same shipping fee that online orders are being charged
Can you send out a clarifying press release? When you do, what's the website for olpc foundation press releases?
Thanks~

A few hours later Racepoint responded with this:

We're not disclosing the number of orders. First day went very well.
Orders are charge the same shipping fee whether entered online or via phone.
The website address is www.laptopgiving.org. There is no web site for press releases.

2. "Fastest ramp-up"

Walter Bender's 11/17/07 Community News tells us that "eBay reports the fastest ramp-up they have ever seen."

I suppose this means that the first derivative – the increase in the rate of orders – was notably high. Which says nothing about the absolute volume of orders, only that orders went from /no orders/ to /lots of orders/ very quickly. Which would happen if, say, orders weren't being processed, then they were, at the very time that lots of folks were trying to place orders.

I'm not sure any actual information is being conveyed by this one, except to say that online ordering was very front-loaded.


3. At least two sets of G1G1 shipments planned

Look at the two separate nuggets of info on the XO_Giving page, at the When will the laptops be delivered? section:

According to this CNN article, it will depend on the order date, where the first 20,000 ordered are estimated to arrive before Christmas and the others later. However, point 5 of the Give-One-Get-One Terms and Conditions expressly states that delivery may be subject to delays, so there are no certain delivery dates. —Joe 11:48, 15 November 2007 (EST).

As of 11/19, the donor service line indicated that orders placed on Friday, 11/16, at least, are part of the 'second shipment.' There's no indication of when this second shipment will go out, but it will be later than the first shipment scheduled, as of 11/19, for mid-December.

Assume that both nuggets are correct. Together they imply that at least 20,000 were order by close of business on Thursday, 11/15.


4. Response to G1G1 has been "incredible"

Discussing an 11/19 phone conversation with a donor services supervisor, one G1G1 participant reports here that

She also told me that the response to the G1G1 has been incredible.


5. A poster on an external website just shared an e-mail he received from OLPC donor services:

Dear ____:
We are currently producing laptops as they are requested. The first phase is expected to ship out just prior to the Holiday's (mid December). The following ship times can range up to 4 months. We will be using UPS as our shipping carrier.
No Solar Panel will be sent with the laptops, this item is not yet available but should be within the next 12 months. All the laptops will come with an AC Adapter. It will also come with 2 more power sources it can either be a foot pedal, pull cord, or a crank. At this time we are not able to inform our donors which one their laptop will have.
Thank you for your interest in One Laptop Per Child.
OLPC Donor Services