Message-ID: <Pine.3.88.9603180202.A12299-0100000@go> Date: Mon, 18 Mar 1996 03:08:26 -0600 From: Abubakr Alkhalifa <mailto:aalkhali@CIS.USOUTHAL.EDU> Subject: Re: Enough about Laptops To: Multiple recipients of list DEVEL-L <mailto:DEVEL-L@AMERICAN.EDU>
On Sat, 16 Mar 1996, Dr Eberhard W Lisse wrote:> At 2:51 PM 16/3/96, John Diiwu wrote:
> >> On Fri, 15 Mar 1996, Bill Godby wrote:
> >> Wouldn't it be better for those
> >> interested in this to correspond individually?
> Hardly. I kicked this thread loose and I haven't commented but to one
> message which struck me as particularily silly.
For the sake of respecting the list members and saving their time and mine as well, I wanted to totally ignore Dr. El's insulting message(s) as I did in the past. Then, I considered individual correspondence, and finally decided to go public. Here is why.
I have been in this list since the middle of last year. Although Dr. El is one of the most active members of the list, he is getting into a habit of publically insulting other members. I have received e-mail messages that confirm this issue, and that his use of words such as: "nonsense & silly" are low, mean, arrogant, rude, and egotistical.
I kindly apologize to all of us, but somebody had to take the stand.
What I don't understand is why not "think" about appropriate technologies while looking for the "best LapTop"? I am not saying: "Well, wait for an appropriate LapTop to be produced".
My message is that for generations, Africa has been importing things in all aspects of life without "thinking" about their appropriateness. It is high time (if not too late) to forecast next generations' problems that are building up right now, and give them a better chance for change than our's by laying down foundations for long-term solutions.
Otherwise, the side effects of these imported biased technologies will compound to the extent that it might become a better option to go back to the jungle, rediscover fire and reinvent the wheel. If we continue ignoring such possibilities while solving our daily problems, this could become the only choice for our next generations to produce appropriate technologies, if they had a chance left to produce any thing at all.
Abu
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Abubakr Alkhalifa "I.T. vs. Poverty" 612 Montclaire Way Graduate Student Mobile, AL 36609 School of Computer & Information Sciences USA University of South Alabama Tel/Fax: (334)660-0242 mailto:aalkhali@cis.usouthal.edu _________________________________________________________________________