Message-ID: <3.0.5.32.19980710102222.009e0450@webfirst.com> Date: Fri, 10 Jul 1998 10:22:22 -0700 From: Mike Weaver <mailto:mweaver@WEBFIRST.COM> Subject: Re: Come on! (was Re: Bad experiences etc..) To: mailto:DEVEL-L@AMERICAN.EDU
Linux! Finally a sensible voice in a sea of confusion ;-)What is the Linux approach? As far as I understand it, it is a shared development approach, where a group of users/developers works toward creating and developing an operating system and applications that are of use to all. Who is in charge? No one (well, Linus Torvalds, sort of). In this respect, it is not unlike the Internet, upon which it depends.
Does it work? In a word, yes. I've recently used it for: 1. My desktop. Total cost, less that $100.00 for software. 2. Servers at work. A dns server, a dhcp server, a www server, an Email server. I've built a network that's faster than Windows NT, provides the same services and is far more stable. Total cost? $49.00 for all the above.
What does this have to do with development? A lot. The Internet is one of the most important developments in terms of education, trade, knowledge transfer and communication. I believe the world economy of the the next century will be defined by information and access to that information. It is critical that developing countries have access to this, and Linux is the easily the best platform to do this. It's free, it runs on almost anything - in fact an "obsolete" 486/66 computer makes a perfect Linux machine. It's fast, cheap, and, with an Internet connection, allows the operator to talk to anyone anywhere about anything.
What does this have to do with the subject line? Having access to all the information on the Internet frees, to some extent, recipient countries from reliance on foreign experts. I was recently in Zimbabwe, installing and training local development staff on the internet. Within days this office was able to research information on beekeeping and finish work on a proposed project. All this without having to hire an outside expert. One on the ramifications of the steady cuts in development aid is that there will be fewer consultants visiting developing countries to share knowledge. Regardless of whether one thinks this a good model or one's views on the overall quality of the consultants, it does mean that less information is available and it being transferred. The Internet is one way to ensure that this information is still available. Instead of coming in the head of a foreign expert it comes via the Internet.
I realize this has transformed into a thesis on the the Internet in development. I do think the Internet will prove to be critical to the developing world, just as it is becoming critical to the developed world. I believe Linux is the best way to connect to the Internet, and that the freeware/free support model is a good one, both in terms of economic development and software development.
I would be interested if anyone on this list has further infomation on the use of Linux in development.
Best regards,
Mike Weaver
At 11:58 AM 7/10/98 +0200, mailto:vdimitroff@MAIL.PTL.COM.MT wrote: >Dr Eberhard W Lisse went to a cynical extreme in his message. He wrote:
>
>> They idea behind donor funding is not to pump money
>> into the developing country, it is to pump government
>> money into the donor country (spend it better). And
>> in the case of USAID it is to open markets for
>> US companies.
>
>I wouldn't say this is all untrue. Just too general; I don't believe ALL
>agencies do this (to the same extent). Well, the world is not a
>monochrome / bipolar place, there are in-betweens and alternatives to
>the 'bad' and 'good' guys (I know the latter MUST exist somewhere,
>though I never met them) in international development aid.
>
>Even with scarce evidence of the positive we keep searching for it or
>trying to achieve it. Come on, Eberhard, don't campaign against our
>attempt to be constructive in this debate. After all, you seem to be a
><positive> man yourself apart from your postings I found you're a Linux
>user ;-)
>
>What if we try the Linux approach to development aid? I know there are
>outfits there who are trying it hard, can we hear their voices?
>
>Vladimir
>
>P.S. Consult your lawyer 'cause the World bank may jump on you for libel
>;-)
>
>> In the case of corrupt world bank advisors they usually get
>promoted...
>
>